5 bold predictions that could define the Blue Jays’ 2025 season ft. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. winning MVP

The Toronto Blue Jays had a shockingly poor season in 2024. One year removed from a playoff berth, they finished last in the AL East. 2025 can only bring improvement, though, so here are a few bold predictions about their upcoming season.

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Bold predictions for the 2025 Blue Jays

5) Bo Bichette will bounce back

Bo Bichette will bounce back (Imagn)

With injuries and overall poor performance, Bo Bichette, a former All-Star, was pretty bad in 2024. A 71 wRC+ is pretty bad for Bichette's standard and his 0.3 fWAR in roughly half the team's games was not good, either.

It's hard to imagine him getting any worse, but he should be back to his normal self again this year. Look for a 4-5 fWAR season and a wRC+ well above the league average in 2025.

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4) Jeff Hoffman will win Reliever of the Year

Jeff Hofman will win an award (Imagn)

Jeff Hoffman has the chance to be the most underrated acquisition of the offseason. The Jays needed bullpen help, and Hoffman was one of the best on the market. He gets to be their closer now.

Hoffman has the talent to succeed, and he could be a contender for Reliever of the Year. While Emmanuel Clase and Devin Williams are probably the favorites, look for Hoffman to be a surprise winner after another really good season.

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3) Kevin Gausman is a Cy Young finalist

Kevin Gausman will be a Cy Young finalist (Imagn)

The entire Toronto pitching staff had a shockingly bad season last year. No one recorded over 2.9 fWAR, which was Kevin Gausman's total. He had previously been one of the best pitchers in baseball, so he should return to form.

The AL has a ton of good pitchers: Gerrit Cole, Garrett Crochet, Max Fried, Jacob deGrom, Framber Valdez, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Cole Ragans, and Tarik Skubal. Expect Gausman to return to peer status with them.

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2) Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will win MVP

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will win an MVP (Imagn)

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had a tremendous season last year, re-establishing himself as a premier hitter. He recorded 5.5 fWAR, the most on the team by a wide margin. He was one of the best hitters in baseball with a 165 wRC+.

It was the best season he's had since 2021 when he nearly won MVP. The AL has a lot of talent to outdo to win an MVP, like Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt Jr., Gunnar Henderson, and Jose Ramirez, but it's a more open league than the NL and Guerrero Jr. has the talent to win one.

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1) The Blue Jays miss the playoffs again

The Jays will miss the postseason (Getty)

How can the Blue Jays get that good of a season from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and still miss the playoffs? They did it to a degree last season. They got a great season from the first baseman and still finished last, so it's well within their ability to do it again.

With a better Guerrero Jr. season should come a better record, but the rest of the AL playoff field and those who narrowly missed out have gotten better. The Jays haven't to the degree that they've needed to, so they'll probably struggle again.