Tyler Rogers has been everything the Blue Jays hoped for to begin 2026

"The idea at the time of the signing is that Rogers, who had been used in a set-up role with the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets during his previous seven seasons, would slot in the eighth inning ahead of Hoffman, who would man the ninth. While Hoffman has been replaced in the closer's role by Varland, Rogers continues to be manager John Schneider's go-to guy late in games."

"Through 22 outings this season, Rogers is 1-2 with a 1.69 ERA and 1.13 WHIP over 21 1/3 innings pitched. The right-hander has only allowed a total of four earned runs, giving the Blue Jays a weapon in their bullpen capable of locking down games in tight situations."

"The submariner's advanced metrics back up the eye test, highlighting just how dominant the 35-year-old has been to open the 2026 regular season. Rogers' average exit velocity is 83.4 MPH, placing him in the top one percent of all MLB pitchers. Opposing teams have struggled to a .213 average against the right-hander, and of the 67 batted balls that Rogers has allowed, 0 have been barrelled up."

"Opposing batters have just failed time and time again to square him up, highlighted by his hard-hit percentage of 22.4%, good for the top two percent of MLB. In the Blue Jays' 4-1 win over the Tigers on Sunday, Rogers was tasked with the ninth inning. With Varland unavailable after throwing two innings the day prior, and Hoffman being charged with the loss on Friday night, Schneider turned to Rogers."

The Toronto Blue Jays sit third in the American League East with a 21-25 record early in the 2026 regular season. Tyler Rogers has been a major bright spot after signing a three-year, $37 million contract. The bullpen plan placed Rogers in the eighth inning setup role, with Jeff Hoffman handling ninth-inning closer duties, though Louis Varland has since taken over the closer role. Rogers has been used as the manager’s late-game option and has produced strong results across 22 appearances, including a 1-2 record, 1.69 ERA, and 1.13 WHIP over 21 1/3 innings. Advanced metrics show elite performance, with top-percentile exit velocity, low opponent batting average, and no barrels allowed on 67 batted balls.

Read at BlueJaysNation