3 storylines to watch at Blue Jays camp

This story was excerpted from Keegan Matheson’s Blue Jays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Crawl out from your caves and shake off the long winter’s hibernation. Baseball is back.

The first wave of Blue Jays pitchers and catchers will officially begin camp on Monday, though many have been training at the complex for weeks already. These early “official” report dates are for players participating in the World Baseball Classic, so there will be a slow drip of arrivals over the coming week-and-a-half.

• Spring musings: Vlad Jr., humidity and a clean slate

Of course, the first game action doesn’t come until Feb. 25, a road game against the Pirates before the Blue Jays host their spring home opener the next day against the Yankees. Until then, you’ll be regaled with tales of players being in the best shape of their lives while videos of batting practice and infield drills fill your feeds.

As the new season dawns, here are the three storylines to watch in Blue Jays camp.

1. Who is the No. 5 starter … for now?

Yusei Kikuchi and Mitch White will compete for this job, with Kikuchi coming off a 5.19 ERA last season to White’s 5.45 ERA.

Kikuchi’s number looked more painful at times, though, as the lefty lost all control of the strike zone. His upside still exists, given the velocity and movement he can create from the left side, but baseball is full of that. Kikuchi will need to locate, especially early in games, as the first inning was his personal Mount Everest in 2022.

Both Kikuchi and White can operate in a swingman role out of the bullpen, so that’s where the loser of this duel is likely headed. By midseason, the returning Hyun Jin Ryu or top prospect Ricky Tiedemann could be options, but the Blue Jays need an early answer. There are further options, like Zach Thompson, Drew Hutchison or even Yosver Zulueta if he can stay stretched out, but the best possible outcome here is for one of Kikuchi and White to look sharp this spring.

2. What does the outfield depth look like on Opening Day?

If the season started today, Nathan Lukes might be in line as the No. 4 outfielder. The season does not start today.

While the Blue Jays can freely use Whit Merrifield or Cavan Biggio as fourth outfielders, this roster still has a spot for a more traditional option. Given the injury histories of both Kevin Kiermaier and George Springer, the front office needs to operate under the assumption that one or both will miss time. That’s not pessimism, it’s just how smart front offices work.

This still feels like a situation where an addition is coming. Keep an eye on this throughout camp.

3. Which prospects will force the conversation?

This is quietly important for the Blue Jays. Toronto is stacked with veterans and a young core that’s now established in the big leagues, but this roster needs upside to jump into the upper tier of MLB clubs.

• Minor Leaguers to watch in Spring Training

Is that Tiedemann, the club’s No. 1 prospect and the No. 32 overall prospect, per MLB Pipeline? Eventually, it should be, but the left-hander is just 20 years old and coming off his first full pro season. Tiedemann could pull an Alek Manoah and be one of the club’s best pitchers by midseason, but Nate Pearson and so many other top prospects have taught us that these paths aren’t always straight lines.

Positionally, the Blue Jays have names like Addison Barger and Spencer Horwitz on the cusp. Otto Lopez is there, too, as a contact machine who might benefit from some regular reps if they ever become available due to injury. Further down, someone like Canadian outfielder Dasan Brown is a name to tuck away for later in the year.

Zulueta is the most interesting of the bunch, though, given his combination of talent and MLB readiness. The 25-year-old Cuban reached Triple-A last season, posting a cumulative 3.72 ERA with 84 strikeouts over 55 2/3 innings. The Blue Jays crave that strikeout rate, and if Zulueta can do that in a multi-inning role, there’s some incredible potential to be uncorked.