What to know
- The Toronto Blue Jays are kicking of their 50th season Friday evening
- The team has made adjustments to its roster in the offseason, the dynamics of which fans are excited to witness.
- The franchise says there are special experiences planned for fans throughout the 2026-27 season.
The Toronto Blue Jays play the first game of their 50th season Friday evening. It follows a solid season that fell short of a championship by a hair.
Though the Jays were defeated by the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 of the World Series, the 2025-26 season showed baseball fans how united the Jays’ clubhouse was.
In a letter to fans ahead of the big day, baseman Ernie Clement wrote of the last season, “Our team had the same energy as the energy I felt when I was first falling in love with the game.”
Clement says the team “had this group of guys that played like kids who couldn’t wait to get to the ballpark.”
Scott Belford, host of High and Inside podcast, says his expectations are high going into the season.
“In a world that lacks so much unity, sports is one of those bastions of places where you can just put all your differences aside and root and grieve and celebrate those moments,” he tells Now Toronto.
Belford is most excited for the new additions – and extensions – to the team
Last April, the Jays signed Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a 14-year, $500 million extension. He joined the Jays at the age of 16, making his major league debut in 2019. He has since become the face of the franchise.
“He’s a generational talent,” Belford says. “You’ve got that guy in his prime that you can kind of build around long-term.”
The team spent the offseason building a solid roster with their eyes on the prize, dishing out the big bucks to secure some of the league’s best players. They signed its largest free-agent deal ever with Dylan Cease ($210 million over seven years) and landed its very first Japanese star, Kazuma Okamoto ($60 million over four years). They will also have Max “Mad Max” Scherzer for another year with a $3 million deal.
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“In a sport where the have nots lose and the haves win, it’s nice to be a fan of a team that’s going to spend and is going to reinvest that money they make back into the team.”
Investments that are likely to pay themselves off in no time, according to the podcast host.
“There are so many baseball loving folks in Japan, and their focus is all on the Los Angeles Dodgers. Getting Okamoto – who was a superstar in the NPB – really is going to get a lot of those Japanese eyes on Toronto,” Belford says.
Of course, there had also been some heartbreaks in the offseason, with star shortstop Bo Bichette parting ways with the team.
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Belford, who’s been keeping a close eye on the team through the off season, says he’s been fun witnessing the chemistry between Guerrero Jr. and Okamoto.
“We watched the goofy side of Okamoto kind of come out a little bit,” he says.
“Vladdy will do that with a lot of folks. … He likes to enjoy himself in the clubhouse and in the dugout, and when he’s on the field, that’s contagious.”
José Bautista, a retired Blue Jay, is also excited for the team that will usher in the franchise’s 50th season.
“This is a great group; they’ve made some amazing additions,” he tells Now Toronto.
“The pitching staff is much stronger and I think Vladdy’s going to have another signature year. … I’m very excited about the potential with this group and seeing if they can improve on last year’s performance.”
The Jays coaches remained relatively untouched, though bench coach Dong Mattingly left after his contract ran out and some new faces were brought in.
“That consistency and that continuity – from what we’ve seen over the last year or two – actually worked pretty well for the Blue Jays,” Belford says.
“It’s pretty tough to look at what they did last year and not run it back.”
The Jays face the Athletics in their season opener game
The Athletics – formerly the Oakland Athletics – have been without a home plate since 2024, with a temporary base in West Sacramento until its ballpark is built in its new Las Vegan Home.
“I really am hesitant to be mean to them, because I hope they’re doing okay,” Liz McGuire, co-host of The Jay Watching Podcast, tells Now Toronto.
But that’s not to say they should be overlooked, according to Belford’s predictions.
“Coming into Rogers Centre, the Blue Jays are definitely the better team, but to sleep on them is a bad idea because they are going to surprise a lot of people this year.
Fans from all over the country are in the city for the team’s first 50th season game
“I actually came to my first Jays’ game about 30 years ago shortly after the SkyDome opened, and it’s really exciting to be back here for 50 years,” Lindsay Cooper, who flew into Toronto from Edmonton with her family for the game, tells Now Toronto.
Austin Keough, a life-long fan from Prince Edward Island, is keeping a close eye on the pitchers.
“I like Kevin Gausman’s walkout song, and I hope Jeff Hoffman has a nice close; comes in for the save and gets a nice intro,” Keough tells Now Toronto.
Gausman is first up on the mound for the Jays this evening. He’ll be pitching to the Athletics’ Luis Severino.
The Toronto Blue Jays says fans can expect the 2026-27 season to be something special, with special merch drops, memorabilia, and giveaways marking the team’s 50th anniversary. The celebrations will continue throughout the season, with the unveiling of Joe Carter’s statute in July and the Hall of Excellence in August.
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McGuire, who will be at Rogers Centre to catch the game, is most excited to lay her eyes on the team’s trophies from their wins in ‘92, ‘93 and the American League.
“I might break down and cry when I see them,” she tells Now Toronto.
McGuire says baseball is “magic” and a collective experience.
“We’re going to have 162 games of high fives, some heart break, and a lot of winning. And it’s just going to be a beautiful time of dingers.”
