Checking In on the Newer Blue Jays: Pitchers

I spent a lot of time this offseason thinking about the players who were supposed to make the Toronto Blue Jays' Opening Day roster. Here at Jays Centre, we put out roster predictions. We wrote about the rotation, the bullpen, the lineup, and the bench, considering projected performance, positional logjams, and possible platoons. We wrote about guys like Eric Lauer, Davis Schneider, and Nathan Lukes until there was absolutely nothing left to say. That's what the offseason is for. 

Then the season started, and, well... fans plan. The baseball gods laugh.

You don't need to know much about baseball to know it takes more than 26 guys to get through a season. At least one player you'd never even heard of in March will have made an impact for your favourite team before October. 

Right now, the Blue Jays have six five (I started this before Eloy Jiménez was DFA'd) players on their active roster who weren't around on Opening Day, not including Trey Yesavage, who returned from the injured list on Tuesday. Since we didn't spend much, if any, time thinking about these players over the winter, I thought it would be a good idea to give them all a little attention right now. Starting with the pitchers (I'll get to the hitters tomorrow), let's take a quick look at what each of them has done for Toronto in 2026.

Patrick Corbin, SP

• 2026 Stats: 4 GS, 19.1 IP, 3.72 ERA, 16 K, 6 BB, 2 HR
• Signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Blue Jays on April 3, shortly after Cody Ponce tore his ACL. Recalled from the Dunedin Blue Jays on April 7.

Patrick Corbin has been everything the Blue Jays could have hoped for (and more). The 36-year-old signed with Toronto on April 3, and despite missing spring training, he was already pitching for the major league team a week later. The rubber-armed veteran has since thrown 19.1 innings over four starts, and the team is 3-1 in his outings. The Jays signed Corbin out of desperation for innings, and so far, the lefty has delivered with quality on top of quantity. He's been so steady that Eric Lauer is now the likely candidate to move to the bullpen when José Berríos returns from the IL.

None of this is to say Corbin will stick in Toronto's rotation all year. We're still talking about a guy with a 5.47 ERA and a 5.65 xERA from 2021-25 (and a 5.84 xERA in 2026). Ideally, he gets bumped out for a healthy Shane Bieber before long. However, that doesn't take away from what Corbin has done for the Jays to this point, and it's nice to know that for as long as they need him, he'll be there.

Joe Mantiply, RP

• 2026 Stats: 9 G, 10.2 IP, 3.38 ERA, 15 K, 3 BB, 1 HR
• Re-signed with the Blue Jays on a minor league contract on March 3. Selected to the roster when Brendon Little was optioned to Triple-A.

From 2021-24, Joe Mantiply made 236 appearances for the Diamondbacks with a 3.63 ERA, a 3.49 xERA, and 3.2 fWAR. Yet, amidst a disastrous 2025, he found himself left on the scrap heap, and the Blue Jays were able to pick him up for nothing. 

So far in 2026, the lefty looks like his old self. Wait, scratch that. He looks better. Yes, it's early – really early – but Mantiply's stuff looks great. He has struck out one-third of the batters he's faced and induced grounders on more than half the balls his opponents have hit into play. If he keeps pitching this well, he has a good case to stick around even if another lefty (i.e., Lauer or Corbin) eventually moves to the bullpen. 

That's the optimistic take. As much as I want to focus on the positives, I need to point out that John Schneider has largely limited Mantiply to lower-leverage opportunities as a lefty specialist. The realist in me knows that the 35-year-old soft-tosser will remain on the roster bubble until he proves he can hold his own against opposite-handed hitters with the game on the line.

The Others

These four pitchers weren't on the Blue Jays' Opening Day roster, nor are they currently on the team's active roster. They did, however, spend time with the big league club at some point this year.

• Lazaro Estrada: 1 G, 4.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 K (15-day IL, shoulder impingement)
• Josh Fleming: 1 G, 3.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 1 K (DFA'd, re-signed to new minor league deal, assigned to Triple-A Buffalo)
• Chase Lee: 1 G, 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 K (Optioned to Triple-A Buffalo)
• Austin Voth: 1 G, 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 K (DFA'd, re-signed to new minor league deal, assigned to Triple-A Buffalo)