August isn’t over yet, but the Toronto Blue Jays’ bullpen already wishes it was.

It has been a rough month for Toronto’s relievers, with the group struggling in nearly every key statistical category while giving away a handful of winnable games. If the Blue Jays want to secure a coveted Division Series bye and make noise in the postseason, their highest-leverage arms will need to turn things around quickly.

After starting the year strong and carrying a respectable 3.94 bullpen ERA through the first four months of the season, Toronto relievers have posted a 4.50 ERA in August. The underlying numbers look even worse.

Their 4.62 FIP is higher than their ERA, and their walk rate has spiked to an MLB-high 14.9%. That figure isn’t just the worst in the majors this month—it’s tied for the highest bullpen walk rate over a single month in the last nine years. The Blue Jays ranked second in MLB with a 16.8% strikeout-minus-walk rate (K-BB%) before August, but that number has collapsed to just 8.1% this month—29th in baseball.

K-BB% is one of the most important evaluation tools for relievers, since it focuses on what pitchers can fully control (strikeouts and walks) without being skewed by ballpark or defensive factors.

After being one of the best bullpens in baseball for most of the season, Toronto’s relief corps was exposed during a late-game implosion against the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday. Here’s a look at three key relievers who must rediscover their form down the stretch.

Any conversation about the Blue Jays’ bullpen starts with closer Jeff Hoffman.

After battling inconsistency earlier this year—leaving him with a 4.76 ERA, four blown saves, and a home run problem—August has only magnified those struggles.

Back-to-back meltdowns against the Marlins and Twins added three more blown saves, leaving him with nearly as many blown saves (three) as actual saves (four) this month.

Hoffman’s walk rate has ballooned from 6% over the first four months to 18.6% in August. His strikeout rate dipped slightly from 33.9% to 27.9%, which is still above average, but his K-BB% cratered from a top-10 27.9% to just 9.3% this month. A five-walk outing against the Dodgers was a new lowlight.

Home runs have also been a major concern. Hoffman has now surrendered 12 long balls, the third-most among qualified relievers behind only Chad Green and Jackson Rutledge. His 1.98 HR/9 rate ranks among the worst in MLB, while his 13.7% barrel rate sits in the first percentile.

Despite these results, the stuff is still there. Both his four-seam fastball and sinker grade out as above-average by velocity and movement, yet hitters are slugging .588 and .615 off them this season after slugging under .350 last year.

One difference? His pitch mix. During his two best MLB seasons, Hoffman leaned heavily on his slider (40–48% usage) while using his fastball sparingly (27–36%). This year, that balance has flipped, with fastball usage rising to 40% while sliders have dropped to 29%.

While some bad luck is in play (21.1% HR/FB rate), Hoffman will need to adjust—either by relying more on the slider or tightening fastball command—to regain control.

While Brendon Little’s struggles haven’t been as extreme as others, his success is critical. As Toronto’s top left-hander, he’ll be leaned on heavily against lefty-heavy lineups like the Tigers and Red Sox.

The issue is that Little’s command problems extend beyond just August. Walk rates have been high all year, which was manageable because of his massive strikeout numbers, largely fueled by a devastating knuckle curve (124 Stuff+, +8 run value).

But his control has worsened each month, and this month his strikeouts fell off a cliff:

Hitters are laying off more curves below the zone, which has led to both fewer strikeouts and more walks. While he still gets whiffs, the balance has shifted against him.

To counter, Little has started mixing in more sinkers low in the zone. A similar approach to Kevin Gausman—who gets called strikes with his fastball low to complement his splitter—could help restore his effectiveness.

Toronto’s big bullpen acquisition at the trade deadline, Louis Varland came out of the gate strong. He allowed just one run over his first six outings with eight strikeouts, even flashing a 100.3 mph fastball—the hardest thrown by a Blue Jays reliever this season.

But since then, he has allowed at least one run in five straight appearances, giving up six runs in just 3.1 innings.

It’s a small sample, but the problem is clear: his breaking stuff. All five extra-base hits he’s allowed have come against his slider and knuckle curve, most of which were left hanging over the plate.

While his fastballs and knuckle curve grade out well above average by Stuff+, his slider rates poorly. For now, Varland would be better off shelving the slider and leaning on his more effective pitches. A mechanical tweak to finish the knuckle curve more consistently should also help. And of course, mixing in that triple-digit heater more often wouldn’t hurt.

Varland’s struggles are concerning but not alarming. His overall track record and peripherals are still strong, making this more of an adjustment period than a red flag.

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