The Blue Jays' left-handed hitters were among the worst in baseball against southpaws in 2026. Brett Bateman was the lone bright spot.

The numbers are ugly. Toronto's lefty hitters posted the league's worst walk rate against left-handed pitching at 3.6%, along with the second-worst on-base percentage at .272.

Their overall production in those matchups ranked fourth-worst in the league by wRC+. With the offseason underway, that's a hole Ross Atkins can't ignore.

The problem was that several of those hitters were lineup regulars. Andrés Giménez, Daulton Varsho, Nathan Lukes and Jesus Sanchez all had to face lefties far too often.

Sanchez was the worst of the bunch. He posted a -1 wRC+ against southpaws before his release in mid-September.

Bateman was the exception. After arriving in the Kevin Gausman trade, he slashed .293/.333/.362 against lefties with a 96 wRC+.

Seiya Suzuki and Randy Arozarena fit Toronto's right-handed need

Varsho held his own with a 94 wRC+ before he was traded to Houston at the deadline. Beyond those two, the production fell off a cliff.

Addison Barger complicates things. He barely played in 2026 after a string of injuries, and he's struggled against left-handed pitching before.

The fix starts with right-handed bats. Suzuki and Arozarena both hit free agency once the World Series ends, and either would balance the lineup.

Anthony Santander should be ready for Opening Day, too, assuming a lockout doesn't wipe out the start of 2027.

So who sits? Lukes is the obvious candidate to lose at-bats if Barger is healthy and Toronto adds one or two outfielders.

Some want a legitimate center fielder to replace Bateman. That's backwards, because he's the one lefty bat who actually handled southpaws, and benching him would solve the wrong problem.

Fixing this roster is like tuning a guitar. You don't throw out the one string that's already in key.

The ideal plan leaves only Giménez and Barger as everyday lefties against southpaws. Everyone else platoons or sits.

Contact-first lefties haven't cracked left-handed pitching in Toronto for two years running. If Atkins doesn't add right-handed thump this winter, expect the same story next summer.