Toronto Blue Jays Pitchers of the Month - June 2026

June was a disappointing month for the Toronto Blue Jays. They went 11-15 with a -28 run differential, finishing by losing seven of their last eight games. They now find themselves 11 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East and sit three games back of the third Wild Card spot.

After a World Series runner-up finish last season, expectations were high heading into the 2026 campaign. However, they've had too many injuries and poor performances. Before the losing streak, I thought the Blue Jays would be buyers, since they were in the third Wild Card spot, but their standings position now has me thinking they will be sellers instead. 

They could take a page out of the Cleveland Guardians' 2025 playbook when they traded away players with expiring contracts, including Shane Bieber and Paul Sewald. The team went 34-20 throughout the rest of the season to win the AL Central. 

Obviously, playing in a weaker division helped Cleveland win games, but the Blue Jays could trade players over 30 in the last year of their contracts, including George Springer, Kevin Gausman, and Shane Bieber. Gausman and Springer each have an eight-team no-trade clause. 

Daulton Varsho (29) is also on an expiring contract and doesn't have a no-trade clause. All four players will be looking for big contracts in the offseason, so this would be the Blue Jays' way to make room for their promising prospects and save money. Fans will be watching the team closely over the next month. 

Though June didn't display the best performances from the Blue Jays, there were some bright spots on the pitching staff. I'm going to break down their top three pitchers and a few honorable mentions from the month. Simeon Woods Richardson would have made the list; he pitched 10 scoreless innings with a 1.10 WHIP, despite a 5:7 strikeout-to-walk ratio. However, he was DFA'd on June 27 to make room for Adam Macko, though he cleared waivers and reported to Triple-A Buffalo. 

Top Blue Jays Pitchers of June

Honorable Mentions

Dylan Cease - June Stats: 21.1 IP, 14 H, 7 ER, 36 K, 14 BB, 2.95 ERA, 1.31 WHIP

Dylan Cease has been the best starting pitcher for the Blue Jays all season. In June, he allowed two or fewer earned runs over three of his four starts, but he allowed four or five walks in three of his outings as well. The walks raise his pitch count, so he was not able to go deep into games consistently, pitching six full innings only once in June. Ranking in the 99th percentile for strikeout percentage this season (36.7 percent) doesn't help the pitch count either. The Blue Jays need Cease to keep pitching at an outstanding level, as he's their clear ace amid Gausman's struggles in June.

Spencer Miles - June Stats: 14.2 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 16 K, 4 BB, 1.84 ERA, 0.82 WHIP

Spencer Miles has taken on the Eric Lauer role as a long reliever, occasionally starting a game or following an opener when needed. He's had a very solid rookie season and has shown he's much more comfortable coming out of the 'pen than starting a game. 

Selecting Miles as a Rule 5 draft pick from the San Francisco Giants in the offseason has proven to be a brilliant move by the Blue Jays' front office. He's 25, but prior to the draft, he'd only thrown 14 2/3 innings of professional ball, none above the Single-A level. Despite the lack of experience, he's been a reliable long reliever in 2026, and depending on how the trade deadline plays out, he could be used more as a starter in the second half of the season. 

No. 3: Jeff Hoffman

June Stats: 12 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 15 K, 4 BB, 0.75 ERA, 0.83 WHIP

What a turnaround month June was for Jeff Hoffman. Before the month started, his ERA was an abysmal 6.31, but his 12 stellar outings in June have dropped his ERA to 4.54. He only allowed two runs (one earned) in his June outings. This is a massive accomplishment, given the early parts of the season when fans were nervous whenever they saw Hoffman enter a game. Hopefully, this is the version of Hoffman the Blue Jays get for the rest of the season. 

No. 2: Tyler Rogers

June Stats: 13 IP, 15 H, 1 ER, 4 K, 4 BB, 0.69 ERA, 1.46 WHIP

Tyler Rogers has been electric pitching in the late innings to protect leads for Louis Varland. He had seven holds in the month, but did blow a save opportunity on June 24, his third blown save on the season. Despite the blown saves, Rogers has been a reliable late-inning stud this season and over his eight MLB campaigns. 

This season, Rogers ranks in the 98th percentile or better in average exit velocity (84 mph), barrel percentage (0.8 percent), hard-hit rate (26.3 percent), and groundball rate (64.7 percent). His -61 degree arm angle continues to baffle hitters, and there are no signs of that stopping. 

No. 1: Louis Varland

June Stats: 15 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 22 K, 4 BB, 2.40 ERA, 0.80 WHIP

There's no questioning that Varland has been the best pitcher on the Blue Jays' roster throughout the entire season. Ever since taking over the closer role from Hoffman, Varland has been a perfect 17-for-17 in save opportunities. Though he allowed four earned runs in June, none of them came during save situations. In the three games where he allowed an earned run, he entered in the ninth inning of a tie game, resulting in a 1-2 record. 

His first earned run of the month came on June 9, which broke an 18-game scoreless streak for the Blue Jays closer. Varland is one of the best relievers in all of MLB, if not the best, especially in the American League. He's a lock to make the All-Star Game with his spectacular first-half performance. It'll be his first All-Star Game appearance, which is well earned, as this is his third month in a row as Jays Centre's top Pitcher of the Month.