Addison Barger makes his presence felt in his return to the Blue Jays

"With an arm strength rating of 96.5 (99th percentile) in 2025, Bargers arm is a weapon that may have been under valued or under appreciated by many. But after Saturday's game against the LA Angels, Barger reminded everyone of how good of a weapon his arm is."

"In the top of the second, with the Angels threatening with runners on the corners Vaughn Grissom lined a ball out to right field. Barger caught the ball and with Jorge Soler tagging from third, Barger unleashed a missile that robbed the Angels of taking a 1-0 lead."

"Barger threw a perfect one-hop throw right to catcher Brandon Valenzuela, who applied the tage on Soler to get the third out of the inning. The throw came in at 101.2 mph, from 291 feet away. It was a picture perfect sequence that may have actually changed the outcome of the game."

"While it turned into a 14-1 laugher by the end of the it, had Soler scored, the Angels would have taken an early 1-0 lead, and forced starter Trey Yesavage to have to continue working in the top of the second."

Addison Barger was activated from the Injured List on May 9 to energize the Toronto Blue Jays lineup. In 2025, he hit 21 home runs across 135 games with a .756 OPS. His bat speed and hard-hit rate ranked in the 93rd and 91st percentiles, and improvements were still needed in pitch selection and chase rates. He was also expected to be an everyday left-handed hitter going into 2026. Beyond offense, his outfield arm strength rated 96.5 in 2025, placing him in the 99th percentile. Against the LA Angels, he made a key play in the second inning, throwing a 101.2 mph one-hop strike from 291 feet to catcher Brandon Valenzuela to tag Jorge Soler and end the inning.

Read at Jays Journal