Blue Jays' players stock that have gone up this spring.
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The following Toronto Blue Jays players are examples of who's stock has risen substantially in Spring Training this season.
Spring training is always the best chance for fringe roster players to separate themselves from the pack with a strong showing.
Performing well in the spring is better than not performing well:
A statement that's especially true if a player is on the roster bubble since the slightest tip of the scale in his favor could put him in the Rogers Centre for Opening Day on March 27.
With all that in mind, here are some Blue Jays who have improved their stock so far this spring with a strong start.
It's worth noting that there's still sixteen games of spring training to be played so there's still room for things to change.
Loperfido, 25, was acquired last July from the Houston Astros for Yusei Kikuchi, and ended up playing 43 games for Toronto, where he slashed just .197/.236/.343 over 144 plate appearances. The left-handed hitter hit eight doubles, three triples and two home runs, while posting an OPS of .579. He struck out 52 times and only had six walks.
This spring, the outfielder has gone 3-for-10 with two doubles, a triple, two runs scored and an RBI . He's struck out twice.
Loperfido also got lucky and avoided major injury when he collided with the outfield wall while trying to make a catch at the start of spring training. He may have to play some center field this season if Daulton Varsho isn't ready to go by Opening Day.
Varsho has homered twice this spring but continues to just serve as the team's designated hitter as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery. Loperfido's left-handed bat and ability to serve as insurance in center field are be additional reasons why he should open the season with the Blue Jays.
While Straw won a Gold Glove at centerfield in 2022, he's run into struggles at the plate. He hit just .238 in 2023 (his last full MLB season) and has a career OPS+ of 76.
Although Straw isn't on the Blue Jays' 40-man roster, he was still extended an invite to major league spring training and to everyone's surprise has performed well so far.
So far, he's slashing .462/.428/.692 in 13 plate appearances this season, he leads the Blue Jays with six RBI this spring to go along with a 6-for-13 showing at the plate. . It's worth noting that his 2023 and 2024 Spring Training also saw good results.
A speedy outfielder, Berroa made his MLB debut in 2024 and appeared in 28 games and went 7-for-27 with six steals.
He was used primarily a defensive replacement and a pinch runner.
Prior to the start of spring training, Berroa was thought to be behind other outfielders like Joey Loperfido or Nathan Lukes.
However, Berroa has stood out this spring, going 6-for-13 with two doubles, a home run, three RBI and three runs scored.
He is still a long shot to make the roster, but Berroa's recent performance and uncertainty surrounding the backup outfielder spot could create an opportunity.
At the very least, Berroa, 25, will be a "Quad-A" player shuttling back and forth between Toronto and Buffalo this season.
Pop's good start this spring comes after a bad finish last year.
In 2024, the Blue Jays bullpen was basically a black hole from which there was no hope of escape.
Pop's struggles were extremely evident, as he posted a 5.59 ERA over 48 1/3 innings in 58 appearances.
Pop struck out 33 and walked 19, while allowing nine home runs and pitching to a 1.32 WHIP.
Pop, 28, has retired eight of the 10 batters he's faced this spring with three strikeouts.
He's allowed just one hit and one walk without allowing a run. It's good to see Pop improve his strikeout numbers, even if it is a small sample size.
There is some upside with Pop, but he needs to show some more consistency.
The bullpen is largely in place, so guys are really going to need to stand out to win one of the open spots.
| POLL | ||
MARS 5 | 95 ANSWERS Blue Jays' players stock that have gone up this spring. Who do you think stock has risen the most this Spring? | ||
| Joey Loperfido | 21 | 22.1 % |
| Myles Straw | 41 | 43.2 % |
| Steward Berroa | 30 | 31.6 % |
| Zack Pop | 3 | 3.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
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