After seeing most of Major League Baseball open up on Thursday, the Toronto Blue Jays get their 2026 season started on Friday night at Rogers Centre (7:07 p.m. ET) against the Athletics. 

It will be an emotional night for Toronto, who will raise the American League East championship banner, as well as the American League champion banner. And once that happens, it will be time to officially turn the page to 2026 and the new goals that await the franchise.

It's the 50th season of Blue Jays baseball and Toronto's first lineup of the season doesn't feature any major surprises, but there is at least one noteworthy discussion to be had.

George Springer is leading off with Nathan Lukes in left field. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is the first baseman while Addison Barger is in right. Alejandro Kirk is the catcher and Daulton Varsho is in center. Kazuma Okamoto, signed this offseason to a five-year deal, is at third base while Ernie Clement is at second and Andres Gimenez is at shortstop.

The question? Is Lukes going to regularly be in the lineup over Jesus Sanchez, who the Jays acquired this offseason? Does the organization see Lukes as better than him? Or is Lukes in the lineup as part of the appreciation for what he brought to the organization in 2025? It will remain to be seen over the course of the next six months.

A 31-year-old, Lukes saw significant time in 2025, hitting .255 with 12 homers in 388 at-bats. He also posted 65 RBIs, showcasing some power and run-producing ability. He was a regular starter in the playoffs, appearing in 17 of 18 possible games, hitting .274 with eight RBIs.

Now 28 years old, Sanchez is a six-year veteran of the Miami Marlins and Astros. He's a career .239 hitter with 73 homers and 238 RBIs. He has five seasons of double-digit home runs under his belt, including a career-high 18 in 2024. 

He was traded from Miami to Houston at the trade deadline last season, hitting just .199 with four homers for the Astros. He has a 26.1 percent strikeout rate for his career, though it's improved steadily each year. He only fanned 22.1 percent of the time in 2025.

He's likely a platoon player as he hit only .159 against lefties last season in only 69 at-bats.

Sanchez is under contract for the next two seasons.

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