Mason Fluharty Can Play a Key Role in the Blue Jays Bullpen

After being a relatively unknown commodity entering spring training last season, Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Mason Fluharty changed his story. Major League Baseball’s 2026 regular season is just two weeks away, and Fluharty is expected to contribute meaningful innings for Toronto.

After being invited to Blue Jays camp as a non-roster invitee in 2025, Fluharty impressed, pitching to an ERA of 1.29 across seven innings, holding opposing batters to a .217 average against. That successful spring earned Fluharty a call-up on Mar. 30. He made his debut against the Washington Nationals on Apr. 1, throwing a scoreless inning with one strikeout. 

On the season, Fluharty appeared in 55 games for the Blue Jays, pitching to a 5-2 record, an ERA of 4.44 and a WHIP of 1.14 across 52 ⅔ innings. The fifth-round draft pick from 2022 impressed, mainly relying on a cutter-sweeper combination to limit hard contact and strike out a total of 56 batters. Fluharty’s average exit velocity of 86.6 mph placed him in the 95th percentile of MLB pitchers. His FIP came in at 3.97, backing up the assertion that the left-hander was better than his surface-level numbers showcased. 

One area of concern for Fluharty was his walks. He issued 28 free passes, which gave him an 11.2% walk rate, ranking in the bottom 10% in MLB. His command remained an issue in the postseason, as Fluharty posted four walks in 6 ⅓ innings. That was certainly a factor in his October struggles, resulting in a 5.68 ERA in 11 appearances. 

A strength that Fluharty showed was his ability to get both left- and right-handed batters out over the course of last season. Left-handers hit .182 against him, while right-handers could only muster a .202 average. The cutter that he used 58% of the time was effective at getting in on right-handers, while the sweeper helped hold lefties in check. 

Fluharty’s defining moment in 2025 came at Dodger Stadium in August, against the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. With the Blue Jays staked to a 5-4 lead, closer Jeff Hoffman walked three batters in the ninth, loading the bases with one out and the daunting Shohei Ohtani due up. Manager John Schneider made the call for Fluharty, who ended up striking out Ohtani and retiring Mookie Betts on a forceout to third base, earning himself his first career MLB save. 

Through three appearances this spring (as of March 10), Fluharty has posted a 2.45 ERA in 3 ⅔ innings. The 24-year-old has allowed five hits but has yet to give up a walk, a welcome sign for Blue Jays coaches and fans. His five strikeouts are great to see, as teams are always looking for relievers with the ability to miss bats to slot into key roles in the bullpen. 

Three southpaws are likely to play key roles for the Blue Jays bullpen in 2026: Fluharty, Brendon Little and Eric Lauer. Little’s late-season struggles were well documented last year, and if those return, Fluharty could possibly become the top left-hander in the bullpen. Lauer looks like he’s going to take on a piggyback type of role, at least to start the year, as the Blue Jays build up Trey Yesavage and Max Scherzer, while Shane Bieber also continues to deal with forearm fatigue. 

The 2026 season is drawing closer, and Fluharty has a chance to play a key role on a Blue Jays team looking to get back to the World Series and ultimately claim their first title since 1993.