3 moves Blue Jays can still make to win Joey Votto his first World Series

2. Improve Baserunning 

Toronto was a below-average baserunning team in 2023. Another aspect that is consistent amongst all of the very best teams in baseball is that they are able to best utilize their baserunners and not throw away runs. During the 2023 season, the Jays ranked 22nd in stolen bases with 99, and 29th in stolen base percentage with 74 percent. They also finished 22nd in bases taken (bases a player advances on fly balls, passed balls, wild pitches, balks, and defensive interference) with 132, and finished 19th with an extra bases taken percentage of 41.

The Blue Jays have put themselves in a sticky situation with their baserunning situation. They lost their 2023 stolen base leader, Whit Merrifield, in the offseason to the Phillies, and have so many talented players competing for the final spots on their major league rosters, none of which are particularly good baserunners (this group includes Daniel Vogelbach, Ernie Clement, and Nathaniel Lukes). Luckily for the organization, though, baserunning is something that can be taught and spread throughout a clubhouse.

In the 2022 offseason, the Jays gave up top catcher prospect Gabriel Moreno and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. for Daulton Varsho, a famously effective baserunner. Hopefully, his baserunning ability and instincts can continue to rub off on the rest of the team. On top of that, the Blue Jays also have many fast players who could benefit from learning more about and practicing opportune times to take bigger leads and snag extra bases. These players include Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio, Kevin Kiermier, and Santiago Espinal.