The surprising players powering Blue Jays turnaround

The Toronto Blue Jays have completely turned their season around over the past six weeks, going from a middle-of-the-pack team to the top of the AL East. They’ve been able to win at such a high rate (28-11 since May 27, best record in the majors) thanks to contributions throughout the 26-man roster and beyond, including some unexpected names.

Addison Barger

No player has undergone a more obvious transformation this season than Addison Barger. The muscular third baseman/right fielder didn’t break camp with the big club despite a strong showing in spring training, but didn’t let that stop him from making a huge impact. He was promoted to the big leagues in mid-April, though he didn’t get off to a hot start with the bat, hitting .171 over his first 16 games.

The rest of May saw Barger continue to receive steady playing time, and by the end of the month, he had unlocked a new level of his game. On May 27th, the Jays were 26-28, in third place in their division, and Barger was batting .243 with ten doubles, two home runs, 11 RBI, and a .708 OPS, good but not great numbers.

Since that date, the slugging lefty is hitting .280 with 11 doubles, 10 homers, 27 RBI, and a .922 OPS. There’s no secret that he’s trying to do damage when at bat, and that’s exactly what Barger has done. He’s among the league leaders in average exit velocity (93.6, 96th percentile) and hard-hit percentage (55%, 96th percentile) while his 75.9 mph bat speed (95th percentile) allows him to turn around on almost any fastball.

Barger was getting a steady diet of fastballs early in his career, and since he has shown he can handle the heat, he has continued to stay hot while seeing more breaking balls and off-speed stuff lately. He’s shown off a starry set of tools that also includes a throwing arm that ranks in the 100th percentile (97.8 mph average) that has been effective both in right field and at third base. 

Eric Lauer

Another huge development in the Blue Jays’ extended run of success has been the addition of Eric Lauer to the starting rotation. He made his Jays debut on April 30th and was used as the “bulk reliever” on bullpen days or as an opener in most of his initial appearances. As well as he performed in that role, the team's needs pointed towards Lauer being used as a starter.

Max Scherzer was still making his way back from right thumb inflammation, and Bowden Francis was struggling mightily after a superb two-month stretch to close out the 2024 season. Francis has since been placed on the IL with a right shoulder impingement, and Scherzer returned to the rotation on June 25th. That, along with Lauer’s emergence, has solidified a starting five that was looking shaky and asking too much of a surprisingly solid bullpen.

Since he was made a starter, Lauer has gone 2-1 with a 3.41 ERA, with 34 strikeouts in 29 innings pitched. He’s pitched into the fifth inning in all but one of those starts and completed five in three, including a season high six innings and 94 pitches on July 4th against the Los Angeles Angels.

When the Blue Jays signed Lauer to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training, it seemed like another “scrap heap” pitching depth signing that would have minimal impact after the 29-year-old spent last year pitching in the KBO. Instead, he’s been better than anyone could’ve expected and has saved the rotation and helped Manager John Schneider better manage the relief corps, which was becoming severely taxed.

Nathan Lukes

Two years after being the forgotten man on the Jays’ bench, Nathan Lukes has earned a regular spot in the lineup and has shown no signs of giving it up. The veteran broke camp with the team and has been part of a crowded situation in the outfield since Opening Day, but has taken on a bigger role in recent weeks with injuries and changes to the roster.

Lukes seemed poised to break through in 2024, but required surgery on his left thumb, causing him to miss over two months. When he was called up in late August that year, he showed he was ready by hitting .303 with four doubles, two triples, his first career home run, 10 RBI, and an .818 in 76 at-bats over 22 games.  

The former 7th-round pick has been a consistent part of the team’s outfield mix, but has stepped up in recent weeks, coinciding with the winning stretch. Over his last 28 games, Lukes is hitting .301 with four doubles, a homer, 14 RBI, and a .769 OPS. He showed his versatility during Tuesday’s series-opening win over the Chicago White Sox by hitting a home run in his first plate appearance and then dropping down a near-perfect bunt to score a run his next time up. He’s also been valuable by playing all three outfield positions capably, making 20+ appearances in right, center, and left field.

The 30-year-old has displayed such solid contact skills that Schneider has been deploying the left-handed hitting Lukes as a leadoff hitter against right-handed starters. He’s come a long way since being drafted in 2015 and spent over six years in the minors before getting called up to the show. There’s not an easier player to root for on this suddenly electrifying team, and the way he’s been going, there’s no one the Blue Jays would rather have in their dugout.