26 games into the 2025 MLB season, the Blue Jays are a .500 team at 13-13. This might be better than some people expected from the team, since they have had a very tough schedule to start the season in terms of strength of their opponents, including four sets against AL East opponents.
An Iffy Beginning and Offence
For the third season in a row, much of Toronto limited success has been due to run prevention (pitching and defence). When they fall short, a lot of the reason why is insufficient run creation, which has been a problem for three years. Toronto is currently 24th in MLB in team OPS at .662 and tied for 25th in MLB with 92 runs scored.
Their one move this past offseason that was made to boost the offence was signing free agent Anthony Santander to a 5 year, $92.5 million contract. Santander, who has been a slow starter in much of his career, has yet to consistently produce at the plate, putting up a .537 OPS and a concerning .283 SLG%.
Other than working with the hitters the Blue Jays currently have and hoping for significant internal improvement, what options do they have to try to improve? Quality free agents are all off the market. Teams who might consider trading away an impact hitter probably aren’t doing so in late April, with the majority of the season still to be played.
Introducing: Jonatan Clase
Looking down on the farm, most of the players at AAA who have had some major league experience and could be considered to help the team in the near future have struggled to start the season. However, there’s been one shining star: Jonatan Clase.
The 22-year-old outfield prospect Clase has been hitting up a storm for the Bisons. His .364 average and his .475 OBP are 3rd and 2nd in the International League, respectively. He also has 12 steals in 21 games, which has been an impactful aspect of his game throughout his professional baseball career.
I must admit, when Clase was acquired from the Mariners in 2024 in the Yimi Garcia trade, I was excited to learn that he had 20 HRs and 79 stolen bases in 2023 in the minors. He also has 99th percentile sprint speed at 30.0 ft/sec. He’s a high-ceiling prospect with a bright future ahead. Jays fans caught a glimpse of that potential on September 25, 2024, when he went 3-3 with a home run, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored. His overall numbers in 26 MLB games with Seattle and Toronto show that he is still developing, with a .631 OPS. However, Clase saw a .985 OPS during his brief time with the Blue Jays last year.
The Jays should give Clase another shot in the majors. Call him up, bat him at the bottom of the order at first to minimize pressure on him. If he performs well, he could be an ideal leadoff hitter with his skillset (he has been leading off for the Bisons). Having Clase lead-off would allow the Jays to move Bichette, Guerrero and Santander down in the order to 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Guerrero has stated that he prefers hitting 3rd in the order and career numbers support this move. Guerrero’s career OPS hitting 2nd is .772 vs .911 hitting 3rd.
There are those who criticize John Schneider‘s managerial style, specifically with his over-reliance on traditional matchups, which includes opting for a less successful overall player just to have a left-handed pitcher face a left-handed hitter, or bat a left-handed hitter to face a right-handed pitcher. An advantage that Clase has is that he is a switch hitter. Assuming he succeeds in the majors, he could be an everyday player, which is likely to help his development.
One possible stumbling block is his defence, which is still a work in progress, partly due to not always getting the best read on balls. While Clase has primarily been used in CF, he has played both LF and RF. 2024 Gold Glove winner Daulton Varsho is on a rehab assignment and once he is healthy, he is likely to be the primary CF. Clase could play LF a good part of the time, allowing Santander to DH more often due to lacklustre defence. If Clase is still a liability with the glove, having Varsho’s speed and hustle beside him could mitigate some of the potential issues.
Plus, If Myles Straw is still with the team after Varsho and Clase are added to the roster, they could consider him as a late inning defensive replacement when they have a lead. Thinking longer term, Kevin Kiermaier, who is thought of as one of the better outfield defenders to ever play the game, is already with the Jays as a special assistant. Kiermaier should work with Clase and teach him everything he knows about being a quality outfield defender.
A Potential Everyday Player
If Clase does develop in to a good two-way MLB player as his skill set suggests he could, then he could also provide the organization some insurance for the future. Daulton Varsho is currently free agent eligible after the 2026 season, at which time he will be 30 years old. If, for whatever reason, Varsho and the Jays aren’t able to come to terms on him remaining with the organization beyond 2026, Clase could be his replacement.
2025 is a win now season for the Jays. Fans rejoiced when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. signed a 14-year contract extension, keeping him in a Jays uniform through the 2039 season. Among other things, this should significantly help the team extend their competitive window. On the other hand, a number of key players are free agent eligible after this season, including Bo Bichette, Chris Bassitt and Chad Green. 2026 might need to be a re-tooling season at the least. They need to do all they can to have the best season possible in 2025. If Clase can help the team, they need to call him up sooner rather than later.