The Blue Jays Should be Prepared to Pivot at Closer in 2026

Last offseason, the Toronto Blue Jays inked reliever Jeff Hoffman to a three-year, $33 million deal to serve as the team’s closing pitcher for the foreseeable future, and his first year in Toronto didn’t necessarily go to plan. Hoffman showed the prowess of a top-end closer at times, but at others he was somewhat unreliable.

Blue Jays fans are largely split on Hoffman’s status as the team’s closer, and it’s bittersweet to look at the highlights and lowlights of his first season as a Blue Jay.

Yes, he struck out the Mariners’ side in Game 7 of the ALCS to send the Jays to their first World Series in 32 years, but he also gave up the game-tying home run against the Dodgers in Game 7 of the World Series.

There are arguments both for ang against Hoffman retaining the closer role heading into 2026. Toronto’s bullpen looks very solid on paper, but if Hoffman’s job is under question during the 2026 season, things will be a lot tougher for the Jays.

Hoffman’s Case to Keep the Role

Hoffman was a completely solid closer last year in important games for the Blue Jays, and he ranked fourth in saves with 34 in 2025, good for second in the American League behind Andrés Muñoz.

Over the course of the regular season, he pitched 68.0 innings to a 4.37 ERA over 71 outings. He boasted a strong ability to miss bats, with 84 strikeouts and 27 walks in this span.

He was brought in by the Blue Jays to serve as the team’s closer, and he led the league in games finished with 59, and he pitched in some high-leverage situations this year. According to Baseball Reference’s Average Leverage Index (aLI), 42 of his 71 appearances were classified as having above-average pressure. At points, he was their most trusted reliever.

Even more impressive was Hoffman’s statistics against the Jays’ AL East division rivals. Against the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, and Orioles combined in 2025, he pitched 23.0 innings to the tune of a 2.74 ERA with a 31/8 strikeout-to-walk ratio, only 15 hits allowed, and ten saves. He continued this into the postseason as well, appearing in 10 playoff games and only surrendering two earned runs.

People might remember Hoffman’s postseason for the game-tying home run he gave up in Game 7 of the World Series, but not the fact that he was incredibly reliable for the whole playoff run. Among Blue Jays pitchers with at least 10 innings pitched in last year’s playoffs, he had the best ERA at 1.46 and locked down saves to clinch the ALDS against the Yankees and the ALCS against the Mariners.

All in all, there were plenty of moments that support Hoffman’s case to be Toronto’s closer through the near future, but he certainly had tough outings throughout the season that could call his reliability into question.

Instances of Unreliability

Obviously specific home runs surrendered can be used in a case against Hoffman, and there were games where he beat himself and pitched himself out of the closer role.

On August 10 in Los Angeles against the Dodgers, Hoffman appeared in the eighth inning for a four-out save. He would be pulled with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth in favor of rookie left-hander Mason Fluharty, who locked down the save and win for Toronto.

Hoffman’s line for this game was 0.2 innings, five walks, no strikeouts, and no hits allowed. This was the definition of beating himself instead of the opponent hitting well against him. On the other hand, there were six games where Hoffman allowed three or more earned runs — essentially the worst-case scenario for a closer.

Among all qualified relievers in 2025, Hoffman gave up the second-most home runs (15) and was tied for fourth in the league in blown saves with seven. His 9-7 record in the regular season illustrates how many instances he’s been pinned with the loss for his performance (or lack thereof) in his outings.

Hoffman showed earlier in the season that he was capable of pitching multiple innings when needed, reaching 2.0 innings in three April outings that all ended in extra innings and with Hoffman recording a win.

However, there were only two other outings of his in which the Jays used him in extra innings. He was almost strictly utilized as a ninth-inning arm.

Whether it’s in regard to his usage or his ability to show up in certain moments, Hoffman certainly had some instances where his reliability could be called into question and his role as the closer could be debated.

Options to Take Over

If the Blue Jays were to turn to a different option at closer, who could take over?

There are several options who have held similar positions at some point in their careers and others who have been reliable and could be given the opportunity to close at the MLB level.

Perhaps the most obvious answer, if he’s healthy, is right-hander Yimi García, who has 29 career saves under his belt.

In a Blue Jays uniform, he has thrown 178.0 innings with a 3.49 ERA and an incredible 204/51 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He will likely start the 2026 season on the IL, but Hoffman’s going to hold the closer job to start the year, so any opportunity for García to nab it will come further into the year.

Alternatively, young fireballer Louis Varland, who is fresh off a record 15 playoff appearances in the 2025 postseason, could be given the reins to close out games for Toronto.

Varland was acquired at the trade deadline last season from the Minnesota Twins and threw the fourth-most innings for the Jays in the 2025 playoffs. Although he’s mostly been used as the first pitcher out of the bullpen, but he could be an option with his great swing-and-miss stuff.

The Blue Jays signed submarine pitcher Tyler Rogers to a three-year, $37 million contract this offseason, and he could be relied upon in a closer’s role if necessary.

Rogers has 19 career saves and has mostly pitched in a similar role to Varland, leading the National League in appearances four times in the last six seasons. He doesn’t have the strikeout arsenal you’d expect from a closer, though, and this wouldn’t be the first choice for the Jays to replace Hoffman.

If Hoffman ends up needing to be replaced as the team’s closer for any reason, the Blue Jays currently have plenty of candidates in their bullpen that could take over if needed. There are other relievers other than the ones listed that they could choose, but these are the most likely options.

Closing Thoughts

Jeff Hoffman was simultaneously one of the most reliable and unreliable closers in baseball last year, and the Toronto Blue Jays were able to make it to Game 7 of the World Series because of him.

There were times where Blue Jays fans would rather have anyone else in the world pitching than Hoffman, and others where he was the only pitcher you’d want in a big situation.

They still might be looking for someone to round out their bullpen, but their pitching staff looks very strong where it is at the moment. Looking to follow up a thrilling 2025 season that saw some of the best performances in franchise history, the Blue Jays will need consistency and reliability from their relievers and specifically their closer.

Hoffman’s up-and-down performance last year leaves a lot to be desired and plenty of questions to be answered — including whether he deserves to keep the title of closer for the 2026 season. It seems as though Toronto will stick with him and trust in their big free-agent signing from last offseason, so it’s up to Hoffman to hold up his end of the bargain.