As a team, the 2026 Toronto Blue Jays were not all that formidable. They finished in the basement of the American League East with a record of 79-83. Their 648 runs scored was last in the AL.
On their run to the World Series in 2025, offense was their bread and butter, as they ranked towards the top of MLB in all categories. That same production was simply impossible to emulate across seasons.
The reason they were in the race until the end, however, was the pitching. In a season where right-handed starter Dylan Cease will get first-place Cy Young votes, it may have been closer Louis Varland who had the best year.
The official Blue Jays account on X announced Thursday that the closer was named to The Sporting News’ AL All-Star team. It is his first time winning the honor as he was easily the best reliever in the AL.
Toronto traded for the 28-year-old from the Minnesota Twins at last year’s trade deadline. Though he did not pitch his best after coming over that season, he has turned the narrative around now.
In 71 games this season, he pitched 78 innings and notched 35 saves on 37 opportunities. Varland compiled a 1.27 ERA on 97 strikeouts and 23 walks. The ERA was the best for relievers in all of baseball.
The Blue Jays have the All-Star locked up through 2031, as he has not been to arbitration yet. He will likely be pitching in Toronto for many years to come, and they know they have a reliable arm closing games for them.
Denny Medley-Imagn Images
That being said, the front office has a lot of work to do this offseason to fix the offense. They cannot rely on the bats to revert to 2025 form but have proven to be willing to spend money during past winters.
Something that could inhibit that however is the upcoming MLB lockout. If no collective bargaining agreement is reached prior to Dec. 2, then all league operations will cease.
Toronto Blue Jays Essentials
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