Tyler Rogers and Louis Varland Shining Early On in Blue Jays' Bullpen

[Michael Coyle]

The Toronto Blue Jays have not gotten off to the start that the fans, players, or management were expecting following last year’s run to the World Series. 

With a 5-7 record and a laundry list of injuries to the starting rotation, the Blue Jays have been forced to rely heavily on their bullpen in the regular season’s opening weeks. Excluding Tyler Heineman, who has already been used twice this season, the Blue Jays have been forced to use 12 different relievers over the first 12 games.

The results have been mixed for the group overall, but two players who have started the 2026 campaign strongly are Tyler Rogers and Louis Varland. While these relievers couldn’t be more different from one another, both have been able to stabilize a volatile group, giving the Blue Jays quality innings as they search for wins. 

The Blue Jays signed Rogers to a three-year, $37 million contract back in December to help lock down the late innings. Through six games, Rogers has posted a record of 1-0, an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 1.05. In 6 ⅔ innings, he has struck out five batters and walked three. 

One of Rogers’ calling cards throughout his career has been his ability to limit hard contact, consistently ranking in the top three percent of Major League Baseball pitchers for average exit velocity allowed. In the right-hander’s past five seasons, his average exit velocities against have been 85.4, 84.2, 84.4, 85.2 and 85.8 mph, with four of those five years placing him in the top one percent. 

Rogers has kept that up through his opening six appearances, with an 85.2 mph average exit velocity, giving the Blue Jays what they were hoping for when they signed the 35-year-old. Another underlying statistic that continues to back up Rogers’ success is that of the 19 batted balls against him this season, zero have been barrelled by opposing teams. 

Varland attacks hitters with a high-octane fastball, a knuckle curve and a wipeout slider. Through six games, he is 0-1 with an ERA of 0.00 and a 1.05 WHIP. The 28-year-old has struck out nine batters across his 6 ⅔ innings, picking up where he left off during last season’s run to the World Series. 

Varland’s fastball velocity ranks in the 92nd percentile in MLB with an average speed of 97.8 mph. This has helped the right-hander to sit in the top eight percent of MLB pitchers in strikeout percentage (36%), routinely missing bats against opposing teams’ best hitters. Varland, like Rogers, has allowed zero barrels this season on 14 batted balls, limiting hard contact every time he’s entered a game. 

While the Blue Jays haven’t got off to the start anyone was hoping for, Rogers and Varland have come out of the gates on fire, giving the Blue Jays quality outings every time they've taken the mound. 

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