Nathan Lukes' contact skills are what the Toronto Blue Jays need atop their lineup

The Toronto Blue Jays haven’t gotten into the swing of things yet in 2026, and likely won’t until mainstays Alejandro Kirk and Addison Barger return to the lineup. 

Still, the offence has shown signs of life lately. Improved performance from Vladimir Guerrero Jr., George Springer, and Jesús Sánchez has been a big part of that, but so has the return of Nathan Lukes after a nearly month-long stint on the injured list.

Lukes gives the Blue Jays exactly what they need in the two-hole: pesky at-bats that often end in base hits. He hit there for much of last season and has looked right at home batting second in front of Guerrero since rejoining the team.

Lukes embodies the Blue Jays' offensive identity

The 2025 Blue Jays’ offence thrived by putting the ball in play. They got the bat on the ball, forced the other team to play defence, then, most importantly, made them pay for making mistakes. 

Lukes embodied that to a tee last year. None of his stats jumped off the page, yet he always seemed to deliver whatever the team needed. Getting on base to start a rally, a productive out to move a runner, a clutch hit to cash someone in—he could do it all. 

The Blue Jays have missed Lukes’ skill set for much of the year. He struggled mightily out of the gate while experiencing vertigo, then pulled his hamstring right when he appeared to be getting hot. Fortunately, he’s picked up right where he left off. 

Lukes is 9-for-21 with two doubles since being reinstated on May 24th. He’s also walked twice while striking out just five times while mainly hitting between Springer and Guerrero. 

His hot bat is a welcome sight for the Blue Jays considering how nobody else has stuck in that number-two spot in the lineup. Daulton Varsho doesn’t get on base enough, while Sánchez is better suited to hit lower, where he’s more likely to come up with runners on base. Yohendrick Piñango got some time there but it’s a lot to ask of a rookie still learning to hit MLB pitching. 

It’s also no coincidence that Guerrero has performed better as of late with Lukes back in the lineup. He’s always been more comfortable hitting third, and pitchers have to attack him differently when Lukes is on base ahead of him. There’s been more pressure on the pitcher and less pressure on him.

Ultimately, the two-hole on this team is meant for Lukes. They got to the World Series with him there last year, and they’ve looked like a better team with him there over the last week. His contact skills and tenacity are exactly what this team has been missing. 

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