The Toronto Blue Jays might be paying the price for letting Ty France go. After a brief stint with Toronto last year, France returned to the San Diego Padres—the team that originally drafted him in 2015—and put together the best season of his career.
France crushed 21 home runs, drove in 72 runs, and posted a stellar .295 batting average in 2026. His incredible second-half surge has caught the attention of MLB Insider Max Ralph, who named France as a top candidate for a postseason breakout. Ralph pointed out that France has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball down the stretch, boasting an .869 OPS and a 156 wRC+ in the second half, which ranks second on the Padres behind Fernando Tatis Jr.
France’s journey to this career year has been a long one. After earning an All-Star nod with Seattle in 2022, his offense dipped, leading to a designation for assignment. He bounced around to Cincinnati and Minnesota before landing in Toronto, where he earned a Gold Glove at first base. San Diego brought him back on a minor league deal in February 2026, and he seized the opportunity. Now, France and the Padres are heading into the divisional round against the Milwaukee Brewers, and France is ready to make his mark when the stakes are highest.
