Blue Jays Bullpen: 2026 vs. 2025 through April

Originally posted on Bluejaysnation | By Ben Wrixon | Last updated May 2, 2026 9:00 AM ET

The Toronto Blue Jays’ bullpen has been one of the strengths so far this season after being its Achilles’ heel in 2025–it ultimately cost them a World Series title, after all.

Louis Varland, Tyler Rogers, and Jeff Hoffman are perhaps the best reliever trio the team has had during Ross Atkins’ tenure as general manager. Braydon Fisher, Mason Fluharty, and Spencer Miles have all been valuable contributors, too.

While this group has certainly passed the eye test, the stats as of May 1st suggest they have performed on a similar level to last year’s squad. Blue Jays relievers have recorded a 4.10 ERA, 3.50 FIP, and 27.4% strikeout rate in 2026 compared to a 3.82 ERA, 3.62 FIP, and 27.7% K-rate at this time last season. However, the story here goes a little deeper than the numbers on paper.

The current bullpen’s numbers are inflated by Brendon Little, who had several blow-up outings before getting demoted to Triple-A Buffalo on April 5th. There was a point where he had given up more than half of the total runs the bullpen had allowed. Blue Jays relievers have recorded a combined 3.67 ERA with a 3.32 FIP since he got sent down.

The most popular person in Target Field tonight:

Minnesota's own Louis Varland pic.twitter.com/6842GwvE8f

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) May 2, 2026

Hoffman, meanwhile, has also skewed the stats with his fair share of disaster outings. His .538 BABIP suggests he’s been a victim of bad luck, but he hasn’t helped himself by walking too many batters, either. He’s nonetheless fared much better since being removed from the closer’s role—he was a lights-out setup man with the Philadelphia Phillies before coming to Toronto.

Varland and Rogers have been the real stories thus far. The former has converted all four of his save opportunities, allowing just one earned run all season, and the latter has been scored on just once in 15 1/3 innings. Neither was on the team last May, and now they are the best reliever duo in the American League.

Yimi García, one of the Blue Jays’ best relievers last April, has yet to pitch for the team this season as he continues to recover from elbow surgery. He’s expected to return sometime in the next few weeks, which will give manager John Schneider another late-inning weapon to pair with Varland and Rogers. He could see some ninth-inning opportunities if he pitches well, given the 29 career saves on his resume.

So, while the stats suggest the 2026 bullpen is performing quite similarly to how last year’s group fared at this point in the season, there are plenty of reasons to be encouraged. Subtract a few blow-up outings, and it’s clear this is a much stronger group—and the best may be yet to come.

This article first appeared on Bluejaysnation and was syndicated with permission.

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