Blue Jays Clutch Plays: Best Late-Inning Relievers in Baseball?

[Matthew Creally]

This past week ended with a dud for the Blue Jays, but they're once again improving their standing after consecutive series wins in Cleveland and Kansas City. For 24 hours, they were finally above .500 for the first time since April 3, and even after Sunday's loss, they're just a game back of a playoff spot. According to Baseball Reference, no team has improved their playoff odds more in the past 30 days. 

Pitching

3. Dylan Cease: Jo Adell GIDP, Bot 1, 9/2 (+8.6% WPA)

The Guardians threatened immediately after the Jays took the early lead last Wednesday. With two strikes on Jo Adell, another punchout would've been a good outcome for Dylan Cease, who has had no trouble racking up the K's this season. Instead, he got an even better result by getting Adell to roll over a low fastball for the inning-ending double play. This ended up being one of the only trouble spots the Jays dealt with all night on their way to a resounding 11-0 victory.

2. Tyler Rogers: Michael Massey Groundout, Bot 8, 9/5 (+11.0% WPA)

As has been the case so many times in 2026, Tyler Rogers was tasked with holding a tight lead in the eighth inning on Saturday. It was a bumpy ride, as the first two Royals reached. The tying run was just 90 feet away, and with the Jays four outs away from a crucial series win, Rogers got Michael Massey to harmlessly bounce out to first base. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. took it himself to get his team out of the inning.

1. Tyler Rogers: Vinnie Pasquantino GIDP, Bot 8, 9/5 (+27.5% WPA)

The true pivotal moment in Saturday night's eighth inning happened one batter before Massey. After consecutive base hits by Nick Loftin and Salvador Perez, Rogers fell behind 1-0 to the powerful Vinnie Pasquantino. The lefty got too far on top of a sinker high in the zone and grounded it right back to Rogers, who started a 1-6-3 that changed the complexion of the inning. By WPA, this is now Rogers's most clutch play of the season and the sixth-most for Blue Jays pitchers.

Hitting

3. George Springer: Angel Genao Throwing Error, Top 2, 9/2 (+14.3% WPA)

This slow roller to short off the bat of George Springer should have ended things for the Jays in the top of the second, but Angel Genao airmailed Travis Bazzana at second base. Instead of Toronto failing to capitalize with the bases loaded, two runs scored as a result. This throwing error was no different from many of the ones that happen with two outs and runners on, in that the Guardians paid dearly soon after. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. followed this up by crushing a three-run homer down the left field line to break the game open early.

2. Nathan Lukes: 2-RBI Double, Top 5, 9/3 (+16.0% WPA)

Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee started the fifth inning on Thursday afternoon by issuing a leadoff walk to Ernie Clement, one of the least frequent walkers in MLB. That would come back to haunt him, as Nathan Lukes came up with the bases loaded three batters later and roped a middle-away sinker up the alley in right-center. This brought home the first two of four runs the Jays would score in the inning, and they never looked back from there, winning 6-3 and clinching a crucial tiebreaker over Cleveland.

1. Kazuma Okamoto: RBI Single, Top 7, 9/5 (+19.2% WPA)

Kazuma Okamoto picked a wonderful time for his first four-hit game in the major leagues. With men on the corners and two away, veteran Craig Kimbrel tried to drop a get-me-over slider in for a strike, but it backed up on him, and Okamoto was ready. He scalded it up the middle into the spacious outfield at Kauffman Stadium, and Springer scored easily. Thanks to this hit and Rogers's escape artistry in the eighth, the Jays were able to win another series.

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