TORONTO — Myles Straw knows the drill. He’s done this enough that it’s basically become muscle memory.
It’s a Friday home game in April and Straw is sporting a mischievous grin standing in the Toronto Blue Jays‘ dugout across from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Agreeing by unspoken signal, he and Guerrero Jr. pick up one of the two water coolers in front of them and pour its contents, an orange energy drink, into the other.
Their mission is to douse rookie Brandon Valenzuela during his player-of-the-game interview. Once the ammunition is ready, the pair creep toward their target, pour the ice-cold liquid over a stunned Valenzuela and then scurry off into the clubhouse to continue celebrating the team’s victory.
This is the second straight game Straw and Guerrero Jr. have completed their celebratory dump. Davis Schneider was the victim last time and asked the duo to hold his spectacles before they went about their business. They declined and splashed Schneider, glasses and all.
Guerrero Jr. has long relished his role in these post-game hijinks, but Straw is relatively new to them. He became Guerrero Jr.’s running mate only last season, his first with the Blue Jays and eighth in the big leagues. That Guerrero Jr. handpicked Straw for the job is no coincidence. Rather, it’s recognition of the role Straw has carved out for himself within the Blue Jays’ clubhouse.
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In mafia terms, Guerrero Jr. initiated Straw as a made man.
“I’m very proud to have Myles on the team,” Guerrero Jr. says through interpreter Hector Lebron. “It’s very, very special to have him in the clubhouse.”
Straw solidified that reputation within the locker room last year. As the Blue Jays’ march to the World Series unfolded, players and coaches went out of their way to praise the backup outfielder for his behind-the-scenes contributions that seemingly brought everyone closer. But what exactly were those contributions? And how did Straw become such a respected presence?
“He’s a team guy,” Max Scherzer says. “We’re trying to be great, and to be great, you’ve got to have a great clubhouse first. You’ve gotta have great chemistry between everybody, and then we can worry about everything that happens on the field.”
Straw is seen as one of the rare players who connects with every element that exists in the clubhouse ecosystem — veterans, youngsters, pitchers, position players, English and Spanish speakers. He’s got an innate ability to read the room and possesses the emotional intelligence to act on his intuition.
“This game is difficult and stressful,” says outfielder Nathan Lukes. “And he knows how to have fun with it.”
Adds Davis Schneider: “A good clubhouse guy can make a guy who’s feeling down feel up that day. He just knows how to get more out of you.”
Schneider notes there are players on the team who don’t like to talk, yet somehow, they’ll open up and become chatterboxes with Straw. Others praise Straw for his consistency, being the same, high-energy guy every day. He always seems to be in a good mood, never letting on if or when that’s not the case.
Straw operates with humour, often the self-deprecating brand, and that helps disarm those around him.
“If he was an actor, he’d have good comedic timing,” says Blue Jays manager John Schneider.
Straw didn’t just show up to the big leagues this way, though. His outlook and optimistic disposition were shaped in part by his circuitous career path.
Born in Garden Grove, Calif., and raised in Bradenton, Fla., Straw was drafted in 2015 out of St. Johns River State College by the Astros in the 12th round. He was a top-20 prospect in Houston’s system before breaking into the majors in 2018 and establishing himself the next year.
In July 2021, Straw was traded to Cleveland amidst the best season of his career. He played in 158 games between the two clubs that year and hit 29 doubles, swiped 30 bases and posted a .349 on-base percentage and 3.3 wins above replacement. Straw won a Gold Glove in 2022 but regressed the next season and, by 2024, he was struggling so badly Cleveland sent him to triple-A for most of the campaign.
Blue Jays associate manager DeMarlo Hale became close with Straw during their time together in Cleveland and says that adversity forced Straw to grow and mature.
“You go through things in life, not just on the field but off the field,” Hale says. “And the maturity factor for me is understanding where he’s at, where his feet are.”
Hale’s been impressed with how Straw has embraced the transition from being a starting centrefielder to a bench player who’s asked to contribute in different ways, from spot starts to pinch-running or entering games as a defensive replacement.
When he was traded to the Blue Jays ahead of the 2025 campaign, Straw’s selfless approach was noticeable.
“The maturity shows in that he worked for this team to help this team win,” says Hale. “And I think that’s a great characteristic to have because players can get selfish a little bit and think about themselves. But, what he’s presented is like, ‘Hey, whatever you guys need, I’m going to come here and do it.'”
The Blue Jays’ clubhouse that Straw entered was already undergoing an atmospheric transformation thanks in part to right-hander Chris Bassitt, who led the charge in fostering changes after the team’s dismal 2024 campaign.
Straw picked up on the move to a looser environment that matched his own approach, the 31-year-old’s previous struggles having taught him he needed to try to have more fun at the ballpark.
“There have been times in this game where I haven’t had fun and I’ve had to take a look in the mirror and tell myself, ‘Hey, we’re still playing a game,'” Straw says. “At the end of the day, it’s baseball and it’s OK to have a little bit of fun here and there.
“It makes the days go by faster and makes playing with each other a little bit easier and makes us trust each other more.”
That mindset isn’t limited to his dealings at the ballpark. Straw has been known to pester teammates to join him on his beloved Canyon Bay boat at his home in Sarasota, Fla. He issues open invitations during spring training and will even find time during the regular season for players to hit the water with him.
One such trip came together in August when the Blue Jays visited Miami for a weekend series with the Marlins. The team arrived Wednesday night and with an off-day on the Thursday, Straw asked a friend to bring his boat to the Florida Keys. He sent out invites but only Bassitt, Ernie Clement and Jeff Hoffman accepted.
The group spent the night at an Airbnb in Key Largo and then went out on the crystal-clear water to enjoy some beverages, catch some fish, and snorkel over a reef that was home to nurse sharks, among other marine species.
“It was probably the best off-day I’ve had in my career,” Hoffman says.
It seemed like every time someone cast their line in the water they pulled in a barracuda, according to the reliever. There was a contest to see who could catch the most and Bassitt came out on top. At one point, the right-hander caught a fish and a baby bull shark appeared out of nowhere and tore it in half.
“We got to see a real live National Geographic show right from the side of the boat,” says Hoffman.
Says Clement: “We just really enjoyed ourselves out there. Myles is a great boat captain.”
The experience became a subject to brag about for Straw, who ribbed other teammates for not taking him up on his offer and missing out. Davis Schneider opted to go golfing instead. After growing tired of hearing about Straw’s boat, however, he finally decided to make time for it during spring training.
The weather wasn’t particularly nice, yet Schneider came away impressed.
“He knows what he’s doing,” says Schneider. “I feel like that’s why he likes us being out there. I think he likes to show off a little bit.”
Jokes aside, Schneider says there’s real value to be found in such off-field adventures.
“A lot of people don’t realize that if you get along with your teammates, it goes a long way on the field,” he says. “I feel that’s something money can’t really buy for a team.”
Meanwhile, Guerrero Jr. is fine with hearing Straw and Co. rave about their boat trips. He’s declined the invites and has no plans of joining in on that activity.
Guerrero Jr. loves the beach, but even Straw can’t convince him to hit the high seas.
“With me, he’s going to keep feeling bad because I don’t love the ocean,” says Guerrero Jr. with a smile. “I know he’s gonna continue to invite me but I’m not going into the water.”