Blue Jays 2026 40-man Roster Review: George Springer took a dip in the fountain of youth
The Toronto Blue Jays needed George Springer to bounce-back in a big way last season.
The outfielder/designated hitter was the first player the Blue Jays ever signed to a nine-figure contract. Although he was productive in both 2021 and 2022, he spent large parts of the season on the shelf, including playing just 78 games in 2021.
By 2023, it looked as if Springer was declining. That season, he slashed .258/.327/.405 with 21 home runs in 683 plate appearances, giving him a 103 wRC+ and 1.9 fWAR, both were the worst of his career. Well, that was until 2024, as he slashed .220/.303/.371 with 19 home runs in 614 plate appearances, giving him a 94 wRC+ and 1.1 fWAR.
Springer’s 2025 Spring Training didn’t give much hope either. In 15 games, he slashed .108/.298/.216 with a home run in 47 plate appearances for a 52 wRC+. Sure, he got off to a solid start, but he did the same thing in 2024. From the start of the 2024 season until Apr. 6, 2024, Springer slashed .182/.341/.424 with two home runs in 41 plate appearances, hitting a home run in each of his two games.
But at a certain point, Springer’s 2025 began to feel real, and he sustained a high-level of play throughout the season. By the end of the season, Springer was slashing .309/.399/.560 with 32 home runs in 586 plate appearances for a 166 wRC+. His wRC+, batting average, on base percentage, and fWAR were new career-bests, while his 32 home runs were the most he had hit since 2019 when he hit 39 in 556 plate appearances.
It’s safe to say no one expected a season like this, as Springer’s resurgence was a big reason why the Blue Jays were able to finish with an American League-best 94-68 record. He continued to play well in the playoffs, slashing .284/.347/.552 with four home runs in 75 plate appearances.
Just two games before the home run, Springer left Game 5 after being hit in the knee cap with a fastball. He came back for Game 6, but in the World Series, Springer left Game 3 after appearing to be injured on a swing. So the fact he was able to have that type of impact says a lot about how darn good his season was. Overall, he finished seventh in AL MVP voting and earned the Silver Slugger for a designated hitter.