The Toronto Blue Jays are entering this season with the weight of expectations that come with being considered contenders.

And the talent on the Blue Jays' roster reflects that.

ESPN recently released its list of top 100 players in the major leagues entering 2026, and Toronto was one of the most well-represented teams on the list.

The Blue Jays had five players make ESPN's top 100, which was tied for seventh-most in MLB. That mark was second-most in the American League behind the Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners, who both had six.

Those five players were: first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (ranked 11th), catcher Alejandro Kirk (ranked 54th), starting pitcher Dylan Cease (ranked 59th), outfielder George Springer (ranked 80th) and starting pitcher Kevin Gausman (ranked 95th).

Guerrero and Kirk are coming off dominant regular seasons and great showings in the playoffs.

Guerrero, who was awarded with a 14-year, $500 million contract last offseason, made his fifth-straight All-Star game and slashed .292/.381/.467 with an .848 OPS in 156 games. He hit 34 doubles and 23 home runs with 84 RBIs.

In the postseason, Guerrero .397/.494/.795 in 18 games and hit five doubles and eight homers with 15 RBIs.

Kirk made his second career All-Star Game last season. He finished 2025 with a slash line of .282/.348/.421 with a .769 OPS in 130 games and hit 18 doubles and 15 home runs with 76 RBIs. He slashed .254/.349/.493 with an .842 OPS and connected for two doubles and five homers with 13 RBIs in the postseason.

Cease was considered one of, if not the most-talented starting pitcher available in free agency and was awarded with a seven-year, $210 million contract from the Blue Jays.

He finished '25 with a 4.55 ERA and struck out 215 batters in 168 innings pitched across 32 starts.

Springer was another All-Star-level contributor in Toronto's lineup. He slashed .309/.399/.560 in 140 games and hit 27 doubles, a triple and 32 home runs with 84 RBIs.

In the playoffs, Springer finished with a slash line of .284/.347/.552 and hit six doubles and four homers with 10 RBIs.

Gausman had a 3.59 ERA and fanned 189 batters in 193 innings pitched across 32 starts in his fourth year in the Great North.

Gausman ramped up his production in the postseason. He had a 2.93 ERA and fanned 26 batters in 30.2 innings pitched across six appearances (five starts).

Guerrero, Kirk and Springer will all continue to be focal points of Toronto's lineup this season and Gausman and Cease will likely be Nos. 1 and 2 in the team's starting rotation.

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