The 2026 Toronto Blue Jays have an accountability problem

The Toronto Blue Jays entered Thursday with a 39-41 record, which guarantees they reach the halfway point of the 2026 season under .500.  While the 2025 squad was only marginally better record-wise at 43-37 through its first 80 games, the vibe surrounding the team was radically different. That team had been playing good baseball in June with a palpable sense of energy and intensity. 

More than that, however, there was a sense of accountability with last year’s squad—one that this current group doesn’t seem to have. 

Do the Blue Jays have a leadership problem?

It all starts with the stars. Around this time last season, George Springer was in the midst of a resurgent campaign that would earn him down-ballot MVP votes. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was a steady producer. Bo Bichette was driving in runs like nobody’s business. 

Things couldn’t be more different now. Springer looks more like his 2023 to 2024 self when he was a league-average hitter. Guerrero is on pace for single-digit home runs and still hasn’t hit one out in Toronto. Bichette, meanwhile, is a New York Met. 

Springer and Guerrero are doing the exact opposite of leading by example—they’ve been setting the tone in all the wrong ways. They have also both been largely radio silent on their struggles, with Guerrero occasionally trying to convince everyone he will be fine. 

This leadership void also exists on the pitching side. Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer were the two de facto leaders of the staff in 2025. The former is now a Baltimore Oriole, while the latter is currently on the injured list for the third time this season. 

Who is upholding the Blue Jays’ standard right now? No one, judging by the sloppiness the team displayed as of late. Case in point being Wednesday’s 3-1 loss to the Houston Astros when Jeff Hoffman’s botched pickoff attempt and Luis Urías’ poor baserunning cost them a win.

Even manager John Schneider keeps letting everyone off the hook. He’s wisely never been the type to overreact or put his players on blast to the media, but taking a more demanding tone when dissecting frustrating losses could help light a fire under his players.

This team is feeling the losses of Bichette and Bassitt in the clubhouse even more than on the diamond. Both are fiery competitors. Bassitt, in particular, was never afraid to speak his mind, even going so far as to call out the front office. Their personalities may have been even more important to whatever secret sauce the Blue Jays had last year than anyone thought. 

The same could be said for the absence of former bench coach and now-Philadelphia Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly, who stepped into the role in late April after the team fired Rob Thomson. Perhaps he provided more value as a leader than anyone realized. 

At some point, the Blue Jays will need to demand more of themselves if they intend to get their season back on track. Squeaking into a Wild Card spot isn’t an acceptable follow-up to a captivating World Series run. This team needs to tap back into whatever fire it had last season and start holding itself accountable before it’s too late.

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