Blue Jays’ Bullpen Has Been Key to Their Late-Season Push
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The Blue Jays have a 72-72 record after spending 63 games below .500. In 144 games this season, they have been above .500 only eight times.
The last time was this past Saturday in Kansas City, after defeating the Royals 4-3 and breaking a streak of 135 consecutive games below .500. In the eight games in which Toronto has been above .500 all season, they have scored 35 runs and allowed 36.
Their offense, for various reasons, has never been a strength capable of moving the needle. On the other hand, the pitching has. Above all, a bullpen that has become one of the most dominant and consistent in the entire season.
The Blue Jays’ relievers lead baseball this year with an incredible collection of 295 combined appearances in which their relievers have pitched at least one inning, securing the zero without allowing inherited runners to score, per Sportsnet. This last point is key, because on many occasions starters or some relievers leave runners on base who are inherited. Preventing those runners from scoring is decisive for the bullpen’s work to be even more impactful.
With their great work collectively, Toronto has prevented 47 inherited runners from scoring in those 295 combined relief appearances this year. The teams with the best performances that follow them are the San Diego Padres (274) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (270).
Forty-nine percent of that effectiveness has been secured by Tyler Rogers (34), Louis Varland (30), Braydon Fisher (23), Jeff Hoffman (21)—although he no longer belongs to the team—Mason Fluharty (19) and Spencer Miles (18).
With an offense that continues to not explode enough, the Blue Jays have been able to survive the great performances of their relievers game after game.
A Guarantee on the Way to Varland
Louis Varland recorded his 33rd save this past Saturday in the Blue Jays’ 4-3 victory to secure the series at Kauffman Stadium. In his previous outing against Cleveland, he had reached 101.5 MPH with a four-seam fastball for a called strike against Nathaniel Lowe, the fastest pitch of his career and the fastest pitch by a Blue Jays pitcher since Nate Pearson recorded 102.3 MPH on April 4, 2024, against the Colorado Rockies. Varland ranks first in MLB (min. 250 batters faced) in ERA (1.81) and FIP (1.84), while ranking third in saves in the American League.
But the story would be very different without arms as effective, especially, as Rogers and Miles. Rogers has recorded 31 holds this season, leading MLB, after throwing a scoreless eighth inning this past Saturday. This marked the 185th hold of his career, two away from tying Jake Diekman (187) for 11th place in MLB history since 1999.
He also ranks third in the American League (min. 250 batters faced) in ERA (1.84), only behind his teammate Louis Varland (1.15) and Paul Blackburn (1.67). With his submarine delivery, Rogers is a specialist at preventing hitters from getting the ball in the air, and he ranks first in ground-ball rate (64.1%), in the lowest hard-hit rate (27.6%), in strike rate (69.4%) and ranks second in average exit velocity (84.4 MPH).
The combo is completed because Toronto usually uses Miles first, who in his last 17 games (two starts) since July 22, has a 0.83 ERA (2 ER/21⅔ IP) with a 0.92 WHIP, a .228 batting average against, a 66.0% strike rate, a 20.5% strikeout rate and a 2.4% walk rate.
Among Blue Jays rookies with a minimum of 85 innings pitched in a single season, his 2.84 ERA is the second-lowest in franchise history, surpassed only by Mark Eichorn (1.72 in 1986).
Of course, Fisher and Fluharty—who leads the major leagues with 75 relief appearances—have also been a fundamental part of the bullpen’s dominance, forming an interesting variety of skills and potential on the mound.
The Blue Jays are 21-13 since August 1, with a +20 run differential. In the stretch of the previous 34 games, that differential was negative, falling to –31. If the offense and starters manage to provide durability, the fact that they have one of the strongest bullpens could offer Toronto great probabilities of winning to achieve a turnaround in this final stretch.
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Yirsandy is a baseball writer specializing in MLB coverage with experience across multiple teams and storylines. He currently writes for Diamond Centric, where he covers the New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, and Kansas City Royals. My work focuses on game coverage, player analysis, and storytelling that connects performance with context. My Substack has also been an important part of my writing development, where I’ve built much of my baseball coverage and storytelling voice over time. I’m passionate about combining reporting, research, and thoughtful analysis to produce engaging baseball content for readers.
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