The Toronto Blue Jays just got swept out of Seattle in a way that has to sting. Back-to-back shutout losses. Eleven to zero Saturday, then four to zero Sunday. The kind of weekend where you start looking at the calendar and wondering if this thing is going anywhere.
Toronto is 42-48, third in the AL East, and they’ve lost seven of their last ten. That’s not a slump. That’s a pattern.
Utility infielder Ernie Clement didn’t try to polish it up after Sunday’s loss. He stood in front of the cameras and let it fly, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.
“You’ve got to find a way to win when you’re not playing your best, and we’re not doing that,” Clement said. “I don’t know. You play like s***, you don’t play as a team, it’s really tough to win baseball games.”
He kept going. “So, we’ve got to start playing for each other and playing a lot better. You can’t win baseball games when you play like that.”
That’s about as raw as it gets from a guy who’s usually measured. Clement gave credit where it was due to the Mariners, but he also made it clear that Toronto’s problems are self-inflicted.
“They were really good. We were really bad,” he said. “So, it’s a pretty good combo for a tough weekend. I just think we can be a lot better as a team. As an offense, we just have to be better.”
And he’s right on that last part. The numbers are ugly. Toronto ranks 23rd in runs scored, 26th in RBIs. Their wRC+ is tied for sixth-worst at 92. The team slugging percentage is .382. That’s not a lineup that scares anybody.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is banged up and slumping
One of the biggest reasons for the offensive funk is that the guy expected to carry the lineup is having a weird year. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is hitting .266 with just four home runs. He already pulled out of the All-Star Game, and the team says it’s because of lower back issues. That’s a problem.
The Blue Jays made it to the World Series in 2025 and took the Los Angeles Dodgers to seven games. That feels like a lifetime ago right now. This team looks like it’s trying to find a pulse, not a pennant. And with the trade deadline coming up, the front office has some real decisions to make about whether this group can turn it around or if it’s time to think about next year instead.
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