Blue Jays showing more aggression on the basepaths

One aspect manager John Schneider has emphasized is being more aggressive on the base paths-and we're already seeing evidence of that early in Spring Training.

In Wednesday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Blue Jays executed multiple hit-and-runs and looked to take extra bases whenever possible. While they weren't always successful, their aggressive base running helped manufacture a couple of runs.

In the second inning, Alan Roden singled and took off for second just as Ernie Clement hit what became a double.

Later, the Blue Jays started Tyler Heineman early, and we saw Will Robertson being thrown out at home trying to score from second.

Myles Straw, one of the fastest players on the team, was caught stealing second.

Although Robertson's attempt may have been overly ambitious, it's encouraging to see the Blue Jays pushing the pace and taking more initiative on the bases.

While the Blue Jays saw a few rookie mistakes, such as when Eddie Micheletti Jr. tried to go first to third on a grounder, Spring Training is often the best time to work through these kinks.

The team has added some power this offseason, but they can't always rely on the long ball. Aggressive base running will give them more opportunities to manufacture runs, an area they struggled with last season.

Beyond hit-and-runs, stolen bases could also increase in 2025. While baseball hasn't emphasized speed as much in recent years, the introduction of bigger bases has led to an uptick in stolen base attempts across the league.

Yes, home runs will always play a role, but if the Blue Jays are serious about boosting their run production, aggression on the base paths is a great start.