The Blue Jays may be home early, but three players from a rough 2026 season still earned a shot at one of baseball’s biggest honors.
Toronto landed three All-MLB Team nominees: closer Louis Varland, starter Dylan Cease and third baseman Kazuma Okamoto. The club’s season went sideways in a hurry, but those three were among the bright spots from start to finish.
The All-MLB Team cuts across both leagues, which is the whole point of the award. Teams can put forward as many nominees as they want, and the final selections will be split into a first team and a second team. Each team includes five starting pitchers, two relievers, one player at every infield position, a designated hitter and three outfielders.
Voting is open through October 9 and accounts for half of the decision. The other half comes from a panel made up of media members, broadcasters, former players and baseball officials.
Varland’s season was one of the biggest surprises on Toronto’s roster. He did not enter the year as the obvious closer, but once Jeff Hoffman’s struggles opened the door, Varland took over and never looked back. He finished with a career-high 35 saves, tied for fifth in the majors, and posted a 1.27 ERA, the best mark in the league and one he shares with Mason Miller.
Cease gave Toronto another top-end arm. He spent part of the year in the AL Cy Young conversation before a fatigued shoulder led to a few rough outings, but the overall line still stood out: a 2.40 ERA, fourth-best among starters, and 239 strikeouts, third-most in baseball.
Okamoto’s rookie year rounded out the trio of nominees. After arriving from across the world at the start of 2026, he looked comfortable immediately. He finished second only to Junior Caminero in home runs and was one of six third basemen to drive in at least 90 runs.
Toronto’s season didn’t end the way anyone around the team wanted. Still, the Blue Jays have three players on the All-MLB ballot, and each one built a strong case.
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