Dan Shulman on fan favourite Ernie Clement, our best free agent signings and winning it all , Canada Reviews

The Toronto Blue Jays are back and ready to compete once again for a World Series title. The team was so close last year, coming inches away from a championship. The team has made some changes. Gone is fan favourite Bo Bichette, and a new crop of free agent signings and young prospects are looking to take the team to the promised land. Few know the team, and baseball, better than hometown Blue Jays broadcaster Dan Shulman. So we tracked him down to ask him about the coming season. 

Who do you think will be the most impactful free agent signing?

I think Okamoto is going to be very important, and I think he’s going to hit. But if I had to pick one guy, I’d pick Dylan Cease. He got the biggest contract of the group, and he’s an incredibly durable guy. He takes the ball and makes his starts every year. They’re looking for 32 (game) starts and a lot of innings from him. As important as I think Okamoto will be, having another guy alongside Kevin Gausman who you can count on pitching every fifth day is huge.

What stands out most about the 2026 Blue Jays heading into opening day?

I think there’s a real determination to take it one step further than they did last year. They all realize how good of a season they had, but they also know they came up just short. I think they’re really determined to get back to that point and take one more step.

How significant is that pitching depth over the course of a long season?

Oh, it’s enormous. I believe they used 37 pitchers last year, which sounds insane, but all teams do that. You need so many arms. Their pitching depth, in my mind, is much better than it was at the beginning of last season. 

Do you see a young player who could impact the team, similar to what Addison Barger did last season?

That’s a good question. They have a fairly set roster at this point. I don’t think he’s going to be on the team at the beginning of the year, but I think Josh Kasevich has been very, very impressive this spring. It might take an injury for him to get a spot, but stuff happens. He can play second, short and third. He’s hitting the ball harder, showing more power, and he carries himself like a guy with several years of Major League experience. He has definitely opened some eyes.

What will be the biggest challenge for the Jays in repeating in the AL East?

The division — just the competition.

Is the team really as tight-knit as it appeared during last year’s playoff run?

I know people wonder about that, but I’ve never seen a group like last year’s. From George Springer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. down to Miles Straw and Tyler Heineman, they all got along. They valued each other, respected each other and enjoyed being around each other. I get to see them on the road, on the plane, on the bus — when there are no cameras around — and it’s all real. 

Ernie Clement really broke out during the playoff run. Was that his peak or is there more there?

October was probably his best — 30 hits in 18 games is kind of crazy. But I do think there’s a little more there. He’s still learning about himself as a player. He played banged up last year — hit by pitches, foul balls off his shins — but he just kept going.

Is there a moment from last year’s playoff run that stands out to you as a broadcaster?

George Springer’s home run in Game 7 of the ALCS [American League Championship Series] was enormous. Without that, there’s no World Series.

And Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s grand slam in Game 2 of the Division Series against the Yankees really signified that the team belonged — that the stage wasn’t too big, even against a team with that much playoff experience. Nothing gets the crowd going like Vladdy in a big moment.