Inside The Blue Jays

Tyler Rogers and Trey Yesavage Present Unique Advantage for Blue Jays Pitching Staff

The Toronto Blue Jays got a major boost to their bullpen.
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The Toronto Blue Jays have emerged as the most aggressive team in the offseason. They haven't hesitated to build off last year's tremendous run. It started off with the massive signing of Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million deal.

They've since added to their pitching staff with the signing of Cody Ponce and a trade for Chase Lee from the Detroit Tigers.

There has been a clear desire to bolster the pitching, which finished in the middle of the pack statistically. On Friday night, Toronto made a significant addition to the bullpen, signing reliever Tyler Rogers to a three-year, $37 million deal with a fourth-year vesting option per ESPN's Jeff Passan. Rogers is an extremely consistent reliever, but he'll present a unique advantage for the Blue Jays.

What Advantage Does Tyler Rogers Present?

San Francisco Giants pitcher Tyler Rogers (71) throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the ninth inning at Orac
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If anyone has seen Rogers' pitch, they know about his non-traditional mechanics. Rogers' submarine arm angle has helped him sustain a seven-year career in the big leagues. In fact, he has the lowest average vertical release point in the MLB at 1.33 feet. What makes this stat even more intriguing is that the Blue Jays have a pitcher with the highest average release point at 7.11 feet.

That pitcher is Trey Yesavage. The 22-year-old is incredibly difficult to hit with his induced vertical break. He turned in a remarkable postseason run and will look to build off that in 2026. What gives Toronto a massive advantage is when these two pitchers throw in the same game.

It's already difficult to face Rogers as hitters struggle to adjust to his release point. It'll be even more challenging after they've seen Yesavage's high arm angle and quickly pivot to the submarine arm. Rogers appeared in 81 games with the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets in 2025. He posted a 1.98 ERA and only walked seven hitters.

Tyler Rogers is Among League's Best Relievers

San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Tyler Rogers (71) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the ninth inning at Truist Pa
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His percentile rankings were off the charts a season ago. Per Baseball Savant, his average exit velocity is 85.8 mph. The 33.1 hard-hit percentage ranks in the 95th percentile, and his ground-ball percentage is among the best in major league baseball.

The plan will likely be using Rogers in the seventh or eighth inning, with Jeff Hoffman still in the closer role for now. Seranthony Dominguez and Chad Green are still on the free agent market, but the Blue Jays got much better in the pen on Friday. Rogers will be a steady arm to maintain leads for Toronto in 2026.

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Zion Trammel
ZION TRAMMEL

Zion Trammell graduated from TCU in 2023 with a degree in sports broadcasting and journalism. He currently writes for TCU Horned Frogs on SI. In addition to writing, he is the play-by-play voice for Southlake Carroll baseball and hosts a TCU show on the Bleav Network.

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