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Pair of History-Making Relievers Powering Toronto Blue Jays to Finish Line
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- Pair of History-Making Relievers Powering Toronto Blue Jays to Finish Line
(Denny Medley-Imagn Images)
When we ultimately look back at this year's version of the Toronto Blue Jays , we're going to look back with disappointment. The Jays went to the World Series in 2025, spent a ton of money in the offseason, and were supposed to win the World Series in 2026.
Instead, Toronto is going to miss the playoffs and finish under .500, ending up as a shell of what it was supposed be.
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But that doesn't mean that there aren't good moments and memories along the way.
For instance, Brett Bateman has been a revelation since getting acquired from the Chicago Cubs . Kazuma Okamoto has been worth every bit of the 4-year, $60 million deal he was given in the offseason, and Dylan Cease is going to finish in the Top-3 of American League Cy Young voting.
The historic reliever connection
And then there's the work done by Louis Varland and Tyler Rogers in the bullpen.
As noted by StatsCentre, they are only the fifth pair of American League reliever teammates to each have thrown at least 70 innings in a season with a 1.80 ERA or lower.
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That goes back to the start of the Divisional Era, which extends back to 1969.
They join Emmanuel Clase and Hunter Gaddis of the 2024 Guardians, Wade Davis and Kelvin Herrera of the 2014 Royals , Clay Buchholz and Koji Uehara of the 2013 Red Sox and Dennis Eckersley and Gene Nelson of the 1990 Athletics.
About Varland
Acquired from the Minnesota Twins at the trade deadline in 2025, Varland was a dynamo in the playoffs last season. And he hasn't stopped this year, going 5-6 with a 1.27 ERA in 71 games. He has 35 saves, which is amazing considering he didn't start the season as the closer. He was the set-up man behind Jeff Hoffman .
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Varland has 97 strikeouts in 78.0 innings. He also made his first All-Star Game this year.
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Louis Varland (77) delivers a pitch against the Kansas City Royals during the ninth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Denny Medley-Imagn Images
About Rogers
Part of the big spending spree last offseason, Rogers was given a three-year deal to bolster the Jays bullpen. And he's done exactly that, going 2-3 with a 1.77 ERA in 74 games. He threw a scoreless inning in Friday's win against the Cincinnati Reds at Rogers Centre.
Up next
The two teams will play in the penultimate game of the season on Saturday afternoon at 3:07 p.m. ET. Young right-hander Rhett Lowder will start for the Reds while right-hander Trey Yesavage goes for the Jays.
