They will also sign a pitcher or two this offseason, but the biggest question is whether they should focus on their rotation or their bullpen. Well, that’s what this article will try to answer.
The case for focusing on the bullpen
The Blue Jays’ bullpen was middle of the pack last season. In 597.1 innings pitched, they had an ERA of 3.98, good enough for 15th in the league. It was much the same for their FIP of 3.99, as it tied for 13th in the league. Their 25.3 K% ranked high at fourth in their league, but they also had a 10.3 BB%, seventh worst in the league.
Other notable relievers to pitch for the Blue Jays in 2025 included Braydon Fisher, Brendon Little, Yariel Rodríguez, Yimi García, Louis Varland and a handful of others.
That said, their bullpen was a sore spot in the playoffs and still managed to win almost everything. In 81 innings pitched, their bullpen had a 4.44 ERA and 5.64 FIP. Only the New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds had a worse ERA, while the Blue Jays had the second-worst FIP, and the worst FIP for any team that saw their bullpen pitch more than 10 innings.
The bullpen also gave up a lot of home runs, with the 17 home runs being the most by a wide margin (the Seattle Mariners bullpen gave up eight home runs). By the numbers, their 1.89 HR/9 was the worst in the postseason, slightly better than the Reds’ 1.86 HR/9. The Yankees also had an increased HR/9 (1.71).
The case to focus on the rotation
The answer is no. Their bullpen can certainly be improved, but the Blue Jays’ rotation needs improvement. Last season, the Jays’ rotation had a 4.34 ERA and 4.46 FIP, which ranked 11th worst and seventh worst, respectively. The rotation’s 22.2 K% was middle of the pack (tied for 15th), while they limited hitters to 7.2 BB%, eighth-best.
That said, the area where the Blue Jays’ rotation struggled was the long ball. The Blue Jays starters gave up 140 home runs, behind only the historically bad Colorado Rockies (152) and the poor Athletics (143). By numbers, their 1.50 HR/9 was also the third worst in the league.
Luckily, their rotation didn’t struggle in the postseason. It had a 3.34 ERA (fifth best) and 3.84 FIP (eighth best). Additionally, rotation was 26.7 K% and 8.4 BB%, middle of the pack in both categories. They gave up 12 home runs, the most in the postseason, but had a respectable 1.21 HR/9, tied for fifth.
The worst offender was José Berríos, who gave up 25 home runs in 164 innings pitched. It’s no surprise that Berríos gave up the most home runs on the team, as his 110 home runs given up since the start of the 2022 season are the most in baseball. What was more concerning was the 21 home runs Kevin Gausman gave up as he is expected to be at the top of the Jays’ rotation next season.
Chris Bassitt gave up 22 home runs, Max Scherzer gave up 19 home runs, as did Bowden Francis (for a 2.67 HR/9), while Eric Lauer gave up 14 home runs and Shane Bieber gave up eight home runs. Of the five pitchers mentioned, only Bieber and possibly Lauer have a spot in the Jays’ rotation next season.
But therein lies another problem that makes adding to the rotation more important: the Jays’ rotation is sterile. Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer are both free agents, and after 2026 only Trey Yesavage is guaranteed a contract. Bieber, Lauer and Gausman are set to become free agents, while Berríos has one player due to opt out after the end of the season.
Sure, Francis could bounce back and fill out the Jays’ rotation, the Jays have some interesting starting prospects, and the Jays could re-sign a handful of these soon-to-be free agent pitchers, but getting a starter or a term is of paramount importance. Add to that the fact that this year’s starting class is stronger than next year’s, save for Tarik Skubal, and signing a starter this season is the Blue Jays’ biggest need.
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