The Blue Jays are out of margin for error, and the timing couldn’t be worse. Monday night’s 4-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles pushed Toronto deeper into trouble, leaving its playoff hopes hanging by a thread after a fifth defeat in seven games and a ninth loss in the last 14. When a season starts slipping this hard, every lineup decision gets picked apart.
That’s exactly where the conversation has landed with John Schneider. Fans have been left wondering whether Toronto might have looked different if the manager had been more aggressive about rewarding production and backing off when players were running cold. A few names stand out in both directions.
Paul Sewald is the clearest case for more usage. Since arriving in Toronto in mid-August, the 36-year-old right-hander has been dominant, posting a 0.73 ERA and a 0.73 WHIP while allowing just one earned run with nine strikeouts across 12.1 innings in 15 relief appearances.
He wasn’t just useful; he was one of the club’s best relievers and arguably one of the best in the league over that stretch. That kind of run should have earned him more than the 12-plus innings he actually logged, especially in higher-leverage spots.
On the other side of the ledger, Ernie Clement probably needed a lighter load. He had already made the All-Star team earlier in 2026, but August and September were rough enough that Schneider could have scaled back his playing time and given him a chance to reset.
Over 45 games since the start of August, Clement hit .192 with a .465 OPS, one home run and 13 RBIs. Those at-bats could have gone elsewhere, including to Josh Smith, who was showing more pop, or rookie Charles McAdoo, who had been swinging a better bat.
McAdoo is another player who could have used a few more opportunities. After a strong MLB debut in May that included his first big league home run, the 24-year-old infielder faded and was sent back to the minors.
But his second stint with Toronto in August went much better. Since Aug. 10, he has hit .286 with a .724 OPS, eight runs scored, three doubles, one home run, nine RBIs and two stolen bases in 63 at-bats over 25 games.
Even so, his role shrank in September, when he has made only three starts and taken just 15 at-bats.
Brandon Valenzuela fits the opposite category: a player who probably should have been used a little less often. He helped keep Toronto afloat while Alejandro Kirk was sidelined earlier in the year, but his bat has gone cold.
Since the start of August, Valenzuela has hit .143 with a .467 OPS and no home runs in 25 games. For a team chasing a postseason spot, that kind of production made it hard to justify running him out there every third or fourth game, especially with Kirk swinging a hot bat.
Myles Straw also had a case for more playing time. Better known for his defense, he quietly gave the Blue Jays real value at the plate in the second half.
Over his last 30 games, Straw has hit .288 with a .769 OPS, along with 10 runs scored, five RBIs, 11 walks and eight strikeouts. He also delivered some timely hits and runs in important moments, which made it more surprising that Schneider didn’t turn to him more often after Daulton Varsho was moved at the trade deadline and those reps went to Jesus Sánchez.
Then there’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who falls into the “less” category for a different reason entirely. He remains the face of the franchise, but the production wasn’t there, and the Blue Jays should have done more to protect him if things weren’t right.
The source of the issue may have been physical, with speculation that he was playing hurt and recent games missed because of lower back tightness. If that was the case, Toronto should have given him enough time to rest and recover so he could return at full strength.
Instead, the Blue Jays kept running him out there, and the year-long struggle has hurt them badly.
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Max Scherzer Leaves Blue Jays Fans Waiting On One Huge Decision
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Scherzer still has not said publicly whether this will be his final season, and for now he is keeping the focus on getting through the finish line before talking about what comes next. For a Toronto team already looking ahead to an offseason full of decisions, his choice carries extra weight because it could close the book on one of the sports most accomplished arms or open the door to one more chapter. [Read more 🡒]