What once looked like a minor roster decision has quickly become a glaring missed opportunity for the Toronto Blue Jays. Their decision to move on from infielder Ty France is looking increasingly costly.
France returned to the Padres and put together a career year with the team that drafted him in 2015, while the Blue Jays struggled to match last season’s success and missed the playoffs. In hindsight, his production could have been exactly the boost Toronto needed.
Former Toronto Blue Jays Infielder Ty France Listed As Potential Breakout Star
France, who hit one home run with eight RBI for the Blue Jays during the regular season after his acquisition, only appeared in a handful of their postseason games during their run to the World Series.
However, this year with the Padres, he demonstrated his power at the plate, hitting 21 home runs with 72 RBI along with a .295 batting average. He and the Padres are going to be facing the Milwaukee Brewers in the MLB divisional playoff series starting on Saturday.
There is already great potential for France to make a key impact for the Padres. In fact, MLB Insider Max Ralph tabbed France as a potential breakout star in the postseason.
“You might know that the Padres have been perhaps the hottest second-half team this year. You might not realize that 32-year-old Ty France, who joined the club on a Minor League contract this spring, has been one of the biggest reasons why,” he said. “France has had an incredible resurgence this season, with an .869 OPS that would rank just outside the top 10 in MLB if he had just a few more plate appearances. He’s been even better in the second half, with the second-best Padres wRC+ (156), behind only Fernando Tatis Jr.”
He continued by noting France’s career year in his first campaign with the Padres, which could lead to a breakout when it matters most – the playoffs.
“An All-Star in 2022 and a frequent Gold Glove candidate at first base, France struggled through below-average offense the past two seasons. But he’s having a career year (by a wide margin) in 2026, with the underlying numbers to back it up,” Ralph wrote. “He’s making hard contact more than ever, pulling the ball in the air more than the past two years and swinging more than ever — especially at strikes. France hasn’t had much success in two postseason trips in his career, but this year has all the makings of an October breakout on an intriguing team.”
Ty France Is Back Making A Major Impact With The Padres
France was a 34th-round Padres pick in 2015 who reached the majors in 2019. Traded to Seattle in 2020, he quickly became an everyday contributor, batting .291 in 2021 before earning an All-Star selection in 2022 after hitting 20 home runs with 83 RBI.
His production dipped over the next two seasons, and Seattle DFA’d him in July 2024. He was traded to Cincinnati, where he hit .251 with five homers and 20 RBI in 52 games before entering free agency.
France joined Minnesota in 2025 and was traded to Toronto at the deadline. He hit .277 in 37 games with the Blue Jays, finishing with a .257 average, seven homers and 52 RBI overall.
He then earned his first Gold Glove at first base. France returned to San Diego on a minor-league deal in February 2026, made the Opening Day roster and enjoyed a career year.
Ex-Blue Jays Player Named Potential Breakout Star With New MLB Team