The Blue Jays’ big bats are hurting them with runners in scoring position

The struggles of the Toronto Blue Jays’ offence in 2026 are well-documented, with the main culprit being a persistent inability to hit with runners in scoring position. Toronto entered Wednesday ranked last in MLB in both OPS (.667) and wRC+ (82) in these situations. They have hit the fourth-fewest home runs (14) in these spots and are hitting for the fifth-lowest batting average (.236). They have been even worse with two outs. 

This failure to execute is a team-wide issue. However, four Blue Jays in particular have routinely crumbled under the pressure of hitting with runners in scoring position: George Springer, Nathan Lukes, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Daulton Varsho.

Why have these four hitters struggled to drive in runs?

The failures of this year’s team with runners in scoring position are accentuated by just how good the Blue Jays were last season when they led the American League in batting average, OPS, and wRC+. They also struck out the second least. Guerrero, Springer, Lukes, and Varsho were all huge parts of that success, but have since become the epitome of the current squad’s ineptitude. 

A near .500 OPS point drop-off from Springer is truly staggering, even in the context of the decline in his overall numbers. He’s gone from hitting like Shohei Ohtani with runners in scoring position to looking like Lenyn Sosa in less than twelve months. 

His approach has been consistently poor in these spots, as he’s frequently chased off-speed pitches down and out of the strike zone. He’s not doing the same kind of damage he did last year or making an adjustment to shorten up and put the ball in play. 

Guerrero’s struggles are less surprising considering the lacklustre season he’s having. His .750 OPS with RISP is right in line with his season-long OPS, which is nonetheless disappointing given how well he has performed in these spots historically. 

As for Varsho, his overall offensive production from last season—20 home runs in just 71 games—was an extreme outlier compared to his career norms. His .750 OPS with RISP also isn’t all that different from the .775 OPS he owns on the season. 

Lukes deserves the most grace, given how pleasant a surprise he was in 2025 and has remained this year. Still, it’s disappointing after he showed himself to be such a rock-solid performer with an aptitude for doing whatever the situation required. 

A reversion to league-leading numbers probably isn’t in the cards for this team, but they have to do better if they want to make the playoffs. Something has to change, whether it’s a team-wide change in approach or a renewed focus in these situations. 

Ultimately, the Blue Jays’ offence is only going to go as far as these four will take it—and right now that isn’t very far. The big three of Springer, Guerrero, and Varsho have simply not been doing their jobs when the team has needed them most. 

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