7 Blue Jays players taking advantage of their spring training opportunities the most 

As the Toronto Blue Jays pass more than the halfway mark through spring training, the heated battles for potential spots on the Opening Day roster is in full flight. Prior to the start of training camp, there may have been some early favourites that were expected to secure major league roles heading into 2024. However, there have been some surprising candidates that have taken full advantage of their opportunities and are making a serious case to be taken into consideration as well.

Here, we will take a look at seven players that have made quite the impression so far this spring. In doing so, it could force the Jays’ hand to make some tough roster decisions going forward, whether in the coming weeks or during the 2024 season.

C Brian Serven

When Tyler Heineman was claimed off waivers by the New York Mets back in December, it left the Jays without a serviceable third-string catcher in the system. They resolved that problem by claiming a catcher of their own in Brian Serven from the Cubs in January. However, with only 73 games of MLB experience along with just a career .195 batting average, it made one wonder if he would be up for the task.

Serven had certainly put some of those doubts to rest so far this spring, as he has batted .308 with a 1.323 OPS, along with 4 runs scored, a pair doubles, a couple of home runs and a team-leading 10 RBI in 8 games played. He had held his own defensively as well, throwing out one of three runners attempting to steal, along with no errors committed in 32 total chances over 24 innings of work behind the plate. If he can keep this up, he has more than solidified his role as the team’s third-string catcher and perhaps could even turn out to be a significant upgrade over Heineman from last season.