One of the biggest stories of the Toronto Blue Jays’ season has been the emergence of slugger Addison Barger.

The 25-year-old entered the season with plenty of power potential but had not put it together at the MLB level, slashing .197/.250/351 in 69 games last season, his first stint in the majors. He began 2025 in Triple-A but was called up in mid-April as the Blue Jays searched for a spark in the middle of what was a struggling lineup.

Barger once again had trouble acclimating to big-league pitching and hit just .185 in 10 April games. However, the Bellevue, Wash., native flipped the switch in May, hitting .292 with an .887 in 27 games while earning himself a permanent spot in the lineup. He has hit eight home runs in 55 games this season, trailing only Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, and George Springer, who each have 11.

Barger says his confidence and belief in his ability helped him become a key piece of the resurgent Blue Jays lineup.

“I had bat speed, tools that I've worked on for years that have allowed me to have the success I've had,” Barger said on TSN Radio. “For sure simplifying the swing, not overthinking and just being free, being yourself. Trusting your capabilities is very important. It's not always easy to do at the big-league level. A lot of doubts can creep in there, but trying to maintain your confidence and just being yourself is the most important thing.”

Barger’s hot bat has prompted manager John Schneider to move him to second in the lineup, where he occupies the spot between Bichette and Guerrero. He says that the show of confidence from the coaching staff has given him a big confidence boost moving forward.  

“Knowing that they trust me enough to put me towards the top of the lineup is really cool. It's nice to know that they have that confidence in me and it definitely gives me a big boost,” said Barger.

A sixth-round pick of the Blue Jays in the 2018 MLB Draft, Barger came up in the system as a shortstop but has split his time between third base and right field as the team deals with multiple injuries to outfielders Daulton Varsho and Anthony Santander. The slugger is relatively new to the outfield, but is willing to play anywhere on the diamond.

“I came up as a shortstop. I'm a natural infielder and started playing outfield a couple years ago. I don't really care where I play on the field, I don't really have a preference,” said Barger. “I like playing third, wherever I fit into the lineup, I'm more than happy to play.”

The Blue Jays got some reinforcements on the mound on Wednesday, as veteran Max Scherzer made his first appearance since March after recovering from an inflamed right thumb. The former Cy Young winner allowed three earned runs over five innings in an encouraging return.

Barger says having a veteran like Scherzer around the clubhouse has been key to his acclimation to the majors.

"He's got a lot of wisdom. Any time you have a chance to talk to him, it's a good opportunity to listen and learn something,” Barger said. “He's an interesting dude. It's crazy just being around a legend like that. Just observing his thought process has been really helpful for me.”

The Blue Jays are 42-37 and currently sit third in the AL East and in the second wild-card position. After a slow start to the season, the Jays offence has kicked into high gear and are scoring 4.89 runs per game in May and June after putting up 3.46 in April.

According to Barger, a big part of the Jays turnaround has been the positive mood in the clubhouse.

“The vibes are really good right now,” he said. “We're having fun. We have a good group of guys. Can't really get much better. Even a couple months ago wasn't necessarily bad. Even if we are going through [tough times] we have a lot of confidence we can get back into it and win some ball games.”

The Jays will continue their series against the Cleveland Guardians Thursday afternoon.