Five Toronto Blue Jays make ESPN’s Top 100 players for 2026

ESPN MLB experts Buster Olney, Alden Gonzalez and Eric Karabell broke down why each Blue Jays player is ranked, where he is, and what to expect from each of them this coming season.

Here is their rankings and predictions for each player in the Top 100.

It’s hard to imagine how different the Blue Jays’ franchise trajectory could have been had they not surrendered in their negotiations with Guerrero last spring and signed him to the $500 million contract.

He might’ve been traded last summer, and the Jays might not have made the playoffs.

Instead, the Jays reached Game 7 of the World Series, with Vladdy propelling Toronto through the postseason with one of the greatest October performances we’ve ever seen — 29 hits, 16 walks and eight homers in 24 games.

Season prediction: Having learned something about himself during the postseason run, he’ll carry his greatness over into 2026 and challenge Aaron Judge for the AL batting title. – Buster Olney

Rival evaluators see Kirk as a microcosm of what made the Blue Jays great last year, with a high rate of contact in his plate appearances and a discernible connection with teammates when he’s on defense, in the way he supports and cajoles pitchers.

Only Patrick Bailey – widely regarded as the best pitch-framer in the industry — posted better numbers in this category than Kirk, who had 17 catcher-framing runs, per Baseball Savant.

Not to mention he also had a 111 OPS+. The Jays have him locked up through the 2030 season.

Season prediction: With catchers, there’s always an inherent question about health, but like teammate Vladdy Jr., Kirk will build on his experience of last fall and push his average closer to .300. – Buster Olney

Cease finished last season with a 4.55 ERA, then parlayed that into a seven-year, $210 million contract with the Blue Jays.

It’s because he does two things very well, making him exceedingly valuable in today’s game: He takes his turn, and he misses bats.

Cease made a major-league-leading 162 starts from 2021 to 2025, racking up 884 innings during the regular season.

His strikeout rate in that five-year stretch was 29.7%, ranking 14th among 277 starting pitchers. Some years (2022 and 2024) he is elite at limiting runs.

Other years (2023 and 2025), not so much. But the foundation for dominance is always there.

Season prediction: Cease, now 30 years old, will go from spending half his time in a pitcher-friendly ballpark to a more neutral one.

He’ll also pitch in baseball’s toughest division. His ERA will finish in the 4.00s again, but he’ll take down innings and miss bats along the way, thus providing plenty of value. – Alden Gonzalez

Springer came off the 2024 season with the worst numbers of a fine career, leading to low expectations and leaving Blue Jays fans wondering when his contract would expire.

Then he adjusted his swing and approach and — voila — delivered arguably his best season in 2025, with a .959 OPS. It was difficult to see that one coming.

The 36-year-old upped his hard-hit rate and exit velocity, drew more walks and cut his chase rate.

He finished third in OPS, behind only Judge and Ohtani. For the record, Jays fans, Springer has one more year on his six-year contract.

Season prediction: Well, we can’t possibly expect a repeat of that season, but perhaps, as he entertains a more regular role as designated hitter, Springer plays in 150 games for the third time in his career, and hits 30 home runs for the fourth time. – Eric Karabell

Gausman was the fourth player selected in the 2012 draft by the Orioles, and after some struggles, they moved on from him, unloading him in a midseason deal with Atlanta.

What he did in his late 20s to resurrect his reputation to what it is now has been nothing short of remarkable.

Over his last five seasons, Gausman has been as consistent as any starting pitcher in the big leagues, making 158 starts and mustering a 3.34 ERA; he has been a two-time All-Star in that span.

He’s entering the final year of a five-year deal that has paid off big for the Blue Jays.

Season prediction: You can pencil him in for at least 30 starts and 175 innings, and he’ll reach 2,000 strikeouts for his career (he needs 46 more to get there). – Buster Olney

Previously on Blue Jays Central