Toronto Blue Jays: lineup and rotation patterns
What 2023–2025 Retrosheet data tells us about how the Toronto Blue Jays set their lineups and used their pitchers.
A record of past seasons, not a forecast: 2027 projections will be added once rosters take shape. About these team pages.
Our read on the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto went from 74–88 in 2024 to 94–68 in 2025 with a third base and outfield that changed by matchup: at third base, left field, center field and right field no one started half the games. Myles Straw started 98% of games against left-handed starters and 23% against right-handers, Davis Schneider 83% against 22%, while Nathan Lukes started 80% against right-handers and 10% against left-handers. Overall the Blue Jays started 3.45 left-handed hitters per game against right-handers and 1.28 against left-handers.
Bo Bichette was the most frequent leadoff hitter (82 games). Alejandro Kirk made 111 starts at catcher, but started only 35% of day games after night games, against 81% otherwise. George Springer was the main DH (80 starts), and Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt and Jose Berrios each made at least 30 starts.
Where the Toronto Blue Jays ranked in 2025
| Toronto Blue Jays | Avg | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wins | 94 | 81.0 | T-3 |
| Different batting orders | 146 | 135.9 | T-9 |
| Same order as previous game | 1.9% | 4.8% | T-22 |
| Most uses of one order | 3 | 4.8 | T-21 |
| Same leadoff as previous game | 84% | 75% | 11 |
| Players in the lineup | 24 | 24.4 | T-14 |
| Games vs LHP | 40 | 42.6 | 22 |
| Lefty hitters vs RHP | 3.5 | 3.6 | 20 |
| Lefty hitters vs LHP | 1.3 | 2.0 | 25 |
| Starting pitchers | 15 | 13.2 | T-8 |
| Top-five starters' share | 77% | 76% | 16 |
| Starts on 4 days' rest or less* | 32% | 31% | 16 |
| Starts after 10+ days* | 2% | 5% | 24 |
| Primary catcher's starts | 69% | 58% | T-7 |
| Players at DH | 11 | 10.7 | T-12 |
| Top DH's share | 49% | 51% | 14 |
Three seasons at a glance
| Season | W–L | Games vs RHP / LHP starters | Different batting orders | Different players in the starting lineup | Starting pitchers used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 89–73 | 127 / 35 | 141 | 20 | 8 |
| 2024 | 74–88 | 126 / 36 | 152 | 25 | 10 |
| 2025 | 94–68 | 122 / 40 | 146 | 24 | 15 |
Who played where, 2023–2025
| Position | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Alejandro Kirk (84) | Alejandro Kirk (89) | Alejandro Kirk (111) |
| 1B | Vladimir Guerrero (120) | Vladimir Guerrero (118) | Vladimir Guerrero (130) |
| 2B | Whit Merrifield (67) | Spencer Horwitz (37) | Andres Gimenez (82) |
| 3B | Matt Chapman (137) | Ernie Clement (72) | Addison Barger (67) |
| SS | Bo Bichette (129) | Bo Bichette (81) | Bo Bichette (130) |
| LF | Daulton Varsho (91) | Davis Schneider (73) | Davis Schneider (44) |
| CF | Kevin Kiermaier (111) | Daulton Varsho (76) | Daulton Varsho (63) |
| RF | George Springer (128) | George Springer (119) | Addison Barger (49) |
| DH | Brandon Belt (69) | Justin Turner (67) | George Springer (80) |
Month by month in 2025
| Month | Games | W–L | Games vs LHP | Different batting orders | Starting pitchers used | First start of the season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March/April | 30 | 14–16 | 6 | 27 | 7 | – |
| May | 28 | 16–12 | 5 | 26 | 8 | Ali Sanchez, Michael Stefanic |
| June | 26 | 16–10 | 9 | 24 | 8 | Will Robertson |
| July | 26 | 18–8 | 8 | 22 | 6 | Joey Loperfido, Leo Jimenez |
| August | 27 | 15–12 | 6 | 26 | 6 | Buddy Kennedy, Ty France |
| September | 25 | 15–10 | 6 | 22 | 7 | Isiah Kiner-Falefa |
Batting order and positions in 2025
Most starts by batting slot: 1. Bo Bichette (82); 2. Vladimir Guerrero (68); 3. Vladimir Guerrero (86); 4. Bo Bichette (40); 5. Alejandro Kirk (48); 6. Ernie Clement (32); 7. Ernie Clement (42); 8. Ernie Clement (36); 9. Andres Gimenez (34).
| Position | Next most starts (leader: see above) | Players who started there | Starter changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Tyler Heineman (46) | 3 | 58% |
| 1B | Ty France (17) | 4 | 30% |
| 2B | Ernie Clement (49) | 7 | 36% |
| 3B | Ernie Clement (66) | 5 | 52% |
| SS | Ernie Clement (19) | 4 | 17% |
| LF | Nathan Lukes (28) | 9 | 71% |
| CF | Myles Straw (56) | 5 | 52% |
| RF | Nathan Lukes (46) | 9 | 69% |
| DH | Anthony Santander (30) | 11 | 61% |
Against left- and right-handed starters
| Opposing starter | Left-handed | Right-handed | Switch-hitters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right-handed | 3.5 | 4.8 | 0.8 |
| Left-handed | 1.3 | 6.9 | 0.8 |
| Player | Bats | Start rate vs RHP (starts) | Start rate vs LHP (starts) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myles Straw | right-handed | 23% (28) | 98% (39) |
| Nathan Lukes | left-handed | 80% (98) | 10% (4) |
| Davis Schneider | right-handed | 22% (27) | 83% (33) |
| Addison Barger | left-handed | 83% (101) | 40% (16) |
| Andres Gimenez | left-handed | 65% (79) | 38% (15) |
Gaps may reflect timing, not a platoon (guide).
Rotation and rest in 2025
| Pitcher | Throws | Starts | First start | Last start | Median days of rest | Starts on 4 days or fewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Gausman | RHP | 32 | March 28, 2025 | Sept. 28, 2025 | 5 | 8 |
| Chris Bassitt | RHP | 31 | March 30, 2025 | Sept. 18, 2025 | 5 | 13 |
| Jose Berrios | RHP | 30 | March 27, 2025 | Sept. 16, 2025 | 5 | 9 |
| Max Scherzer | RHP | 17 | March 29, 2025 | Sept. 24, 2025 | 5 | 5 |
| Eric Lauer | LHP | 15 | May 17, 2025 | Aug. 27, 2025 | 5 | 5 |
| Bowden Francis | RHP | 14 | March 31, 2025 | June 14, 2025 | 5 | 4 |
| Shane Bieber | RHP | 7 | Aug. 22, 2025 | Sept. 26, 2025 | 5 | 2 |
| Easton Lucas | LHP | 5 | April 2, 2025 | July 29, 2025 | 5 | 0 |
| Rest before start | Toronto Blue Jays | League average |
|---|---|---|
| 4 days or fewer | 32% | 31% |
| 5 days | 54% | 49% |
| 6 to 10 days | 12% | 15% |
| More than 10 days | 2% | 5% |
Catcher and DH in 2025
| Games | Team-games | Primary catcher started | League average |
|---|---|---|---|
| All games | 162 | 69% | 58% |
| Day game after a night game | 43 | 35% | 44% |
| All other games | 119 | 81% | – |
| Player | DH starts | Share of DH starts |
|---|---|---|
| George Springer | 80 | 49% |
| Anthony Santander | 30 | 19% |
| Vladimir Guerrero | 24 | 15% |
Most common lineups in 2025
The most common exact batting order was used only 3 times (club average 4.8).
Lineup 1 (3 times, last on April 4, 2025): 1. Bo Bichette SS, 2. Vladimir Guerrero 1B, 3. Anthony Santander LF, 4. Andres Gimenez 2B, 5. Alejandro Kirk C, 6. George Springer CF, 7. Will Wagner DH, 8. Ernie Clement 3B, 9. Alan Roden RF.
Lineup 2 (3 times, last on May 24, 2025): 1. Bo Bichette SS, 2. Vladimir Guerrero 1B, 3. Daulton Varsho CF, 4. George Springer DH, 5. Alejandro Kirk C, 6. Anthony Santander RF, 7. Addison Barger 3B, 8. Ernie Clement 2B, 9. Nathan Lukes LF.
Lineup 3 (3 times, last on July 25, 2025): 1. Nathan Lukes CF, 2. George Springer DH, 3. Vladimir Guerrero 1B, 4. Bo Bichette SS, 5. Addison Barger RF, 6. Alejandro Kirk C, 7. Joey Loperfido LF, 8. Ernie Clement 2B, 9. Will Wagner 3B.
Top nine vs RHP (5/122): Addison Barger, Andres Gimenez, Daulton Varsho, Davis Schneider, Ernie Clement, George Springer, Nathan Lukes, Tyler Heineman, Vladimir Guerrero.
Top nine vs LHP (3/40): Alejandro Kirk, Bo Bichette, Davis Schneider, Ernie Clement, George Springer, Jonatan Clase, Myles Straw, Tyler Heineman, Vladimir Guerrero.
Our own calculations from Retrosheet game logs, regular seasons only: notes, methodology.