What to expect from Toronto Blue Jays DH George Springer in 2026
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer authored one of the great comeback stories of the 2025 season.
Entering the campaign, he was projected to be a drag on the Blue Jays.
He was entering his age-35 season, coming off consecutive years of decline, which were the worst two full seasons of his career.
Springer, who turned 36 in September, set new single-season career highs in batting average (.309), on-base percentage (.399) and OPS+ (161) this past season.
His 32 home runs and 84 RBIs were his most since 2019, and won him another Silver Slugger award in 2025. He also stole 18 bases while being caught just once.
The Slugger behind MANY moments: George Springer 👑 #SilverSlugger
He squared up pitches with regularity, posting the best barrel rate of his career and matching his top exit velocity mark.
It was skill growth supported by a bat-speed spike, which like most hitting attributes, typically declines with age.
Springer's average competitive swing traveled at 73.7 mph last season, ranking in the 73rd percentile, after posting a 71.9 mph average swing in 2024 that ranked in the 52nd percentile.
George Springer: BIG TIME PLAYER #SpringerDinger
Blue Jays fans are wondering whether Springer can do it again in 2026
Father Time remains undefeated, but there are on occasion players who fight back against the aging curve and surprise us with resurgent seasons in their mid-30s.
While the Blue Jays as a whole enjoyed much internal improvement under first-year hitting coach David Popkins, Springer's was the most surprising.
The good news for Springer and Blue Jays fans is that the changes that revitalized his bat should carry over into 2026, even if he may not produce at an MVP-level again.
Springer's slugging percentage rising by nearly .200 points from 2024 to 2025 was no accident.
He made a deliberate effort, and presumably put in a ton of work with hitting coach David Popkins to swing the bat faster. That directly translated into more extra-base hits.
With Springer, there will always be injury concerns, but he's played in at least 133 games three years in a row.
He's likely to be the full-time DH again, too, which should help him stay healthy and in the lineup.
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JANVIER 4 | 235 ANSWERS What to expect from Toronto Blue Jays DH George Springer in 2026 Do you think George Springer will have an even better season for the Blue Jays in 2026 | ||
| Yes | 147 | 62.6 % |
| No | 88 | 37.4 % |
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