Blue Jays rookie Brett Bateman draws rave reviews from Toronto teammates

When the Toronto Blue Jays traded Kevin Gausman to the Chicago Cubs at the 2026 trade deadline, few could have predicted just how much of an impact rookie outfielder Brett Bateman would make.

Since being called up to the Blue Jays nearly a month ago, the 24-year-old has hit .330 at the plate and carved out a new role as the team's everyday leadoff hitter.

In his 22 games since making his big-league debut on Aug. 7, Toronto has gone 15-7, with the rookie reaching base in all but four of those games. He already has the sixth-highest WAR on the team this season — and he only just got here.

While Bateman's play has been doing most of the talking, his teammates have taken notice of what the rookie brings to the lineup.

The 24-year-old outfielder came over to the Toronto Blue Jays from the Chicago Cubs in the Kevin Gausman trade. (Kevin Sousa/Imagn Images)

Following Thursday's 6-3 win against the Cleveland Guardians, Blue Jays outfielder Nathan Lukes was asked what he thought about Bateman's play.

"That kid, he's special, very special," Lukes told Sportsnet's Hazel Mae.

"There's a reason why he's our leadoff hitter. He gets on base and does all the small things right," Lukes added. "I love playing next to him."

Lukes isn't the only member of the Blue Jays who has tons of confidence in the up-and-coming star. Toronto's manager John Schneider has said the same thing.

"That kid... he's special." ⭐️

Nathan Lukes praises Brett Bateman after another impressive performance 🤝 pic.twitter.com/5R0GLLRw4a

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) September 3, 2026

"You never know when you'll find a dude. It's whatever handful of games, but he has the potential," Schneider said to MLB's Keegan Matheson.

Bateman made it clear when he joined the team that he wanted to "make things happen and be that spark plug" to help get the Blue Jays back on track. And that's exactly what he's done.

After Bateman's three-hit performance on Thursday inched the Blue Jays one game closer to a playoff spot, he became the second-fastest in franchise history to record 30 hits, doing so in just 22 games.

Bateman is in good company, sitting behind only Bo Bichette, the fastest player to 30 hits, which he did in just 21 games.

That's great company for a rookie who wasn't even expected to play this fast when the Gausman trade was made a month ago.