The emergence of Fluharty and Fisher will define the Blue Jays’ bullpen in 2026

However, the bullpen that starts on Opening Day 2026 won’t be the same one that ends, as illustrated by Chad Green, Jacob Barnes and Richard Lovelady who were all members of the Opening Day roster earlier this year. None of them survived the rest of the season with the Blue Jays.

There’s always room for improvement, which is why the Blue Jays are reportedly in “all markets” this season, meaning they need to improve a bullpen that was statistically middle of the pack in 2025. Two big reasons for Toronto’s significant year-over-year improvement were the emergence of Mason Fluharty and Braydon Fisher.

Both Fluharty and Fisher played important roles in Toronto’s bullpen success in 2025. They each held different key positions during the regular season; Fluharty’s signature performance was his two-out save against the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 10 at Dodger Stadium. Fisher made his mark on the season on July 5 in extra innings against the Los Angeles Angels when he pitched two scoreless innings of relief to help the Blue Jays secure a 4–3 victory.

And while Fisher saw little action in the postseason, Fluharty had a big outing in Game 4 of the World Series, stranding two baserunners in the bottom of the sixth inning to help the Blue Jays hold a 2-1 lead in their eventual 6-1 victory in that game.

Heading into 2025, it’s hilarious to think that the Blue Jays had three relievers who had an edge over the competition: Green, Genesis Cabrera and Brendon Little. Neither Fluharty nor Fisher were on the radar to become depth relief pieces, let alone major contributors in the bullpen.

The front office was aggressive in reshaping the bullpen last winter, signing Jeff Hoffman, re-signing Yimi Garcia and acquiring Nick Sandlin as part of the Andres Gimenez trade. This winter, however, bullpen upgrades are more of a “want” than a “have.”

In another year with a less robust crop of free agent relievers, teams might be tempted to sell high on a reliever like Fluharty or Fisher, thinking they will surely bounce back from their impressive rookie campaigns. But that’s how the Tampa Bay Rays operate, not how the Blue Jays operate.

It’s entirely possible that Fluharty goes through a sophomore slump and sees his ERA rise from 4.44 to 5-plus next year, but I’d be willing to bet his ERA starts at a 3 next season. Fisher’s ERA of 2.70 in 52 appearances may show a decline, but here too, contenders need weapons to cross the finish line at the end of the season.

Sure, it would be nice if the Blue Jays upgraded the back end of their bullpen by shopping for a Robert Suarez, Edwin Diaz or Devin Williams at the top of the market. They could even go down a level for someone like Pete Fairbanks, Ryan Helsley or Luke Weaver. But given the Blue Jays’ internal bullpen options, this isn’t a necessity like it was last year.

More than likely, I believe Fluharty and Fisher will see a bigger role in 2026. They had already started climbing the bullpen depth chart by the end of the season, eclipsing other relievers like Little and Louis Varland in terms of seeing high-leverage spots and the confidence they gained when the game was on the line.

For years, the Blue Jays have been looking for internal bullpen success stories since Jordan Romano and Tim Mayza a few years ago. Other than that, it was a parade of quantity and not minor league quality for the Blue Jays. But that all changed last year when Fluharty and Fisher established themselves as major league starters.

Of the eight relief pitchers listed on the Blue Jays depth chart, most would feel comfortable bringing back at least eight next season. Both Little and Rodriguez raised some red flags with their late-season performances, but there’s still Hoffman, Garcia, Varland, Fluharty, Fisher and Sandlin, all of whom deserve to get playing time in 2026.

A new setup guy or a top closer would make this bullpen so much better, but with guys like Fluharty and Fisher that we can hopefully rely on, it’s a no-brainer for the Blue Jays next season. But damn, it wouldn’t hurt.

PRESENTED BY VIVID CHAIRS