Reliever Roundup & Bullpen Bonanza: The Blue Jays Relief Corps Is Their Achilles Heel
During the Fox coverage of the Toronto Blue Jays–New York Yankees Division Series, one stat they showed the first time the Blue Jays bullpen gate opened was that their relief unit had not lost a lead since September 1. While true, it is fool’s gold. Loyal viewers of our weekly relief pitching show, Reliever Roundup & Bullpen Bonanza, know that the Blue Jays ranked dead last in the American League in the post-Trade Deadline Team Relief Corps Power Rankings. Since clutch is 50% of the team score, and since late-inning relief is the basis for our clutch rankings, the “none since September 1” stat raised red flags.
Yes, they did well in the “bullpen game” known as Game Four of the Division Series, but what about Game Three? This team led that game, 6–3, when the first reliever came into the game. They ultimately lost, 9–3, for their first “lost lead” since September 1. (See the “Meltdown Anatomy” segment of the Reliever Roundup & Bullpen Bonanza Division Series episode.)
Now they are in a 2–0 LCS hole as they head to Seattle for at least two games against the red-hot Mariners. In both losses, the relief corps came into the game with the score tied. Both times, they coughed up the go-ahead runs — inherited from the starter in one game, but given up nonetheless. However, since the Blue Jays weren’t ahead either time their relievers first entered the game, neither counted as the relief corps “losing a lead.” How’s that stat looking now?
Blue Jays Bullpen in the 2025 Postseason
In the Division Series and the first two games of the LCS, the Blue Jays have 35 relief appearances. They held opponents scoreless in 21 of them, a 60.0% scoreless percentage. That is the lowest of the four remaining teams and more than 10 percentage points below the foursome’s average of 70.2%. Across 28 1/3 innings, they have allowed 20 earned runs. No other team has more than 14. Their WHIP is 1.765, nearly 400 points higher than the Final Four’s average of 1.394. They also allowed 33.3% of their inherited runners to score. That is highest of the Final Four and 12 percentage points higher than the quartet’s average of 21.3%.
September Was Not Good
Which takes us back to the “no lost lead since September 1” statistic. Here is a game log for the Blue Jays in September, with stats from position pitchers excluded. Please take note of the key at the bottom.
The Blue Jays played 25 games in September, going 15–10. One of those was a complete game shutout by Kevin Gausman. That makes 24 games in which the Blue Jays used at least one reliever, and their record in those was 14–10. One game was a designated “bullpen game,” so we will also exempt that one. The Blue Jays won it, by the way. Again, they also won a “bullpen game” in Game Four of the ALDS, closing out the Yankees. It is worth noting that they’ve won both “bullpen games” in the past six weeks. Maybe they should do those more.
A Closer Look
But when entering in relief of a member of the starting rotation, the team record was 13–10. Here is how those games break down.
The Blue Jays were behind when the starter left 12 times. In one of those, they came back to take the lead only to lose the game. That was the September 1 game. In the other 11, they came back to win three, holding the opponent scoreless in two of them. They lost the eight remaining games, allowing more runs in five of the eight.
The Blue Jays were tied when the starter left twice. They won one and lost one, and in their win, they held their opponents scoreless.
The Blue Jays were ahead when the starter left in the remaining nine games. They won all nine of those games, obviously, but they only held the opponent scoreless in three of those. In the other six, they metaphorically hung on for dear life. In the three games where they entered with a lead and held the opponent scoreless, only once did they protect a narrow lead that remained narrow. That game was on September 26, when they entered the sixth inning with a two-run lead and ultimately beat the Rays by two.
The Verdict
The Blue Jays relievers deserve commendation for the six games in which they either kept their deficit from growing or were tied and did not give up the go-ahead run.
But that brings us to the main point. While the Blue Jays relief unit did not lose any leads since September first, they only protected leads — meaning they entered while ahead and gave up no runs the rest of the way — in three games. In the other six where they entered with the lead, they basically won a war of attrition.
Again — how’s that stat looking now?
More Toronto Blue Jays Articles
More MLB Articles
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
- Category
-
Toronto Blue Jays
