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The Blue Jays may need a Spring Training battle to settle the closer role
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Photo credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Ben Wrixon
Feb 19, 2026, 09:00 ESTUpdated: Feb 18, 2026, 20:15 EST
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Competition often brings out the best in professional athletes. While all signs point to the Toronto Blue Jays keeping Jeff Hoffman in the closer role to begin 2026, they would be wise to let a few of their other relievers audition for the job—someone might step up and force their way into it. 
As just about every Blue Jays fan knows, Hoffman’s first season in Toronto was a rollercoaster. He blew seven saves during the regular season with a 4.37 ERA while allowing 15 home runs, enough of which came in the ninth inning or later to set an unfortunate franchise record. 
It wasn’t all bad for Hoffman, though. He had prolonged stretches of dominance throughout the season. Better yet was that he stayed healthy enough to make 71 appearances after reportedly failing his physicals with the Baltimore Orioles and Atlanta Braves before he ultimately signed with Toronto. 
While the Blue Jays may be tempted to simply keep Hoffman as the closer in the name of continuity, they should instead turn things into a competition to see who steps up. 
Louis Varland has the attitude and arsenal to be a successful closer. His fastball sat at 98 mph last season, and he generated ground balls at an elite 53.3% rate. He showed throughout the playoffs that he has a rubber arm and, more importantly, a short memory. Hoffman often let his struggles snowball; Varland may be better equipped mentally to turn the page after a shaky outing. 
This isn’t to say Varland is a slam-dunk candidate. He doesn’t strike batters out at an elite clip like Hoffman or your prototypical closer. He also has a home run problem of his own; he allowed four of them in the playoffs. This issue would need to be ironed out for him to be a successful closer. 
Tyler Rogers is another name to watch if the Blue Jays are open to some competition for the closer role. The 1.98 ERA and 0.944 WHIP he posted last season would have been the best among Blue Jays relievers. Even more impressive was that he gave up just four home runs in 77 ⅓ innings pitched. 
Of course, Rogers is the antithesis of the modern closer—his submarine sinker sits at 83.5 mph. He struck out just 16.1% of the batters he faced last year with a whiff rate that ranked in the first percentile. He’s not the kind of overpowering arm teams typically want locking down the ninth inning. 
An open competition for the closer role could also lead back to Hoffman. He could crumble under the pressure, or he could rise to the challenge knowing he needs to pitch well. The version of Hoffman who pitched excellently for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2023 and 2024 is certainly closer-worthy. 
Ultimately, the Blue Jays are trying to win a World Series in 2026 and can’t afford to give away ninth-inning leads. Whoever they decide to deploy as their closer needs to do their job consistently, whether it’s Hoffman, Varland, or someone else entirely. A competition is the best way to ensure that outcome. 
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