Toronto’s Opening Day outlook suddenly becomes a high-stakes puzzle with Bo Bichette’s re-signing at the center of it all. DD
A new Toronto Blue Jays prediction shows Bo Bichette in the Opening Day lineup.
The Toronto Blue Jays’ postseason run ended in heartbreak after their Game 7 loss to the reigning champion, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Being so close to victory and having it ripped away in the blink of an eye is disheartening, but it serves as a form of fuel to improve for next season.
With that in mind, the Blue Jays are looking to boost their roster this offseason. After 27-year-old shortstop Bo Bichette unsurprisingly rejected his one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer from Toronto, he entered free agency. However, this shouldn’t alarm Blue Jays fans too much, as he’s still likely to return in 2026.
Assuming everything falls in line accordingly, here’s what one prediction shows for Toronto’s lineup when the regular season kicks off.
Bichette Predicted To Be in Opening Day Lineup
Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report released his Opening Day lineup projection for Toronto, but the list is dependent on Bichette re-signing with the Blue Jays. If both parties can come to an agreement on a deal, their lineup could be interesting, with a few knots left to untie.
Reuter includes the following players in his latest prediction:
- DH George Springer
- RF Addison Barger
- 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
- 2B Bo Bichette
- CF Daulton Varsho
- C Alejandro Kirk
- LF Anthony Santander
- 3B Ernie Clemente
- SS Andrés Giménez
As Reuter noted, “If the Blue Jays do end up re-signing Bo Bichette, they will need to figure out the best way to utilize Ernie Clement and Addison Barger who are both coming off breakout performances in 2025.”
Bichette wrapped up his 2025 campaign, slashing .311/.357/.483 with a .840 OPS. Throughout the season, he registered 18 homers and 94 RBIs across 139 games. Bichette made his debut with Toronto on July 29, 2019, and has remained with the franchise ever since. Losing him to another team would be devastating. He is undeniably one of their most valuable players today.
Nothing is set in stone regarding where Bichette is or is not going quite yet. Time is ticking for Toronto to decide if he fits into their plans for their 2026 campaign, when they hope to reach the World Series once again. Of course, having him on their Opening Day lineup would result in a collective sigh of relief for fans, and likely his current teammates, but anything is possible in the offseason when a reliable player is on the market.
Careful decisions must be made on all ends, but both parties must ultimately decide what is best for everyone involved.
