{"id":665102,"date":"2026-04-05T19:16:17","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T19:16:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/665102\/"},"modified":"2026-04-05T19:16:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T19:16:17","slug":"a-deeper-look-at-the-blue-jays-closer-situation-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/665102\/","title":{"rendered":"A deeper look at the Blue Jays closer situation in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Coming into the 2026 season, the Toronto Blue Jays have a small list of questions about how certain pieces will fit on the field and within the lineup. One of those questions is who best fits the closer role.<\/p>\n

Reading this, you\u2019re probably thinking, \u201cThe Blue Jays already have a closer.\u201d You\u2019re not wrong\u2014the club does have a designated closer in Jeff Hoffman. The right-handed stopper joined the team for the 2025 season on a three-year, $33 million contract, and this marks his second season in Toronto.<\/p>\n

Last season, Hoffman put together a solid year from a numbers standpoint, leading the league in games finished with 59. He pitched 68 innings, allowing 33 earned runs on 54 hits, while recording 33 saves in 2025.<\/p>\n

He was ranked as one of the top closers in Major League Baseball last season by ESPN\u2014again, largely based on his save total. However, a concerning number was his seven blown saves; he was among just five pitchers to record seven or more blown saves and was widely inconsistent all season long.<\/p>\n

His first blown save of 2026 came in the home opener, when he gave up a 414-foot home run to Shea Langeliers. Looking back even further, Hoffman was responsible for allowing crucial runs in key games last season.<\/p>\n

Miguel Rojas is a name he likely won\u2019t forget, as Rojas took him deep in Game 7 of the 2025 World Series\u2014a moment that played a role in the Los Angeles Dodgers\u2019 championship. These high-profile blown saves tend to stick, and they can create trust issues in late-game situations. Hoffman had a solid postseason run and was a crucial arm for the club in the ALCS clinch over Seattle, but that one shot to Rojas will be a tough pill to swallow for some time.<\/p>\n

That said, what other options does manager John Schneider have?<\/p>\n

Options to replace or support Jeff Hoffman in the closer role<\/p>\n

Schneider has mentioned that Hoffman doesn\u2019t necessarily have to be the everyday option and won\u2019t always be available to pitch the ninth inning. Every team needs a backup option\u2014a fill-in or setup man capable of getting the job done.<\/p>\n

Louis Varland may be the primary alternative to close out games behind Hoffman. In his time as a Blue Jay so far, he has shown flashes of dominance and strong closer-type traits. The big right-hander threw 16 1\/2 innings during the 2025 postseason, working in high-pressure situations and key matchups.<\/p>\n

Varland posted a 3.94 ERA in the postseason, recording one save while striking out 17 batters and walking just three. He features a four-pitch mix, highlighted by a fastball that averages 97 mph and can reach up to 99 mph. Varland has the raw stuff and swing-and-miss ability to handle both a setup role and potential closing duties.<\/p>\n

New Blue Jays addition has potential in late save situations<\/p>\n

The Blue Jays also added Tyler Rogers in the offseason, a signing that generated some excitement. Known for his submarine delivery, Rogers throws from a low, submarine arm slot\u2014the complete opposite of Trey Yesavage\u2019s over-the-top motion.<\/p>\n

His combined 2025 numbers with the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets were solid. He led the league in appearances with 81, throwing 77 1\/3 innings while striking out 48 batters and walking just seven. Rogers isn\u2019t a high-velocity pitcher, sitting in the mid-80s, but he attacks the strike zone with confidence and precision. He relies on a two-pitch mix\u2014a sinker and a slider\u2014and excels through command, location, and pitch intelligence.<\/p>\n

So how does he fit into the closer conversation? His effectiveness comes from limiting hard contact and avoiding free passes. In 2025, Rogers posted a 2.4 WAR, a 2.1% barrel rate, a 16.1% strikeout rate, and an elite 2.3% walk rate. He doesn\u2019t give up many free bases, nor does he allow much hard contact. Instead, Rogers induces weak contact and generates ground-ball outs, making him a valuable contrast to the rest of the Blue Jays\u2019 pitching staff. The difference is that he doesn\u2019t fit the mould of a closer in today\u2019s game because of his methods (submarine, low velocity, groundout heavy) compared to an arm like Hoffman or Varland.<\/p>\n

Between Rogers and Varland, the Blue Jays have viable options to support\u2014or even temporarily replace\u2014Hoffman in the closer role if needed. It doesn\u2019t seem like manager John Schneider is willing to make any moves in the spot just yet, but the options are at least there for the Blue Jays skipper if he so chooses.<\/p>\n

CHECK OUT OFF THE ROSTER \u2013 NEW EPISODES EVERY WEEKDAY\"\"<\/a>Off The Roster is Toronto sports. Hosted by Cabbie Richards, Lindsay Dunn, and Dan Riccio, this is the go-to morning conversation for everything happening in the 6ix \u2013 Hockey, Baseball, Basketball and everything in between. From breakout performances and questionable trades to throwback jerseys, viral moments, and the stories fans are actually talking about\u2014it\u2019s smart, sharp, and never scripted. Live weekday mornings on the Nation Network YouTube channel<\/a> and available wherever you stream podcasts, the show delivers real opinions, real chemistry, and real Toronto energy. Missed an episode? Catch up anytime. Off The Roster\u2014The new sound of the 6ix.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Coming into the 2026 season, the Toronto Blue Jays have a small list of questions about how certain…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":665103,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2378],"tags":[5,377,2554,4,282,70,2553],"class_list":{"0":"post-665102","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-toronto-blue-jays","8":"tag-baseball","9":"tag-blue-jays","10":"tag-bluejays","11":"tag-mlb","12":"tag-toronto","13":"tag-toronto-blue-jays","14":"tag-torontobluejays"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/665102","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=665102"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/665102\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/665103"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=665102"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=665102"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=665102"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}