The Toronto Blue Jays enter the 2026 season with a few familiar faces in the dugout and some new players that have fans excited for what lies ahead.

Toronto’s front office invested heavily in pitching this winter and came away as one of the biggest spenders after inking Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce, and Kazuma Okamoto to multi-year deals. Cease and Ponce are rotation-ready candidates and should give the Jays some more firepower heading into the new campaign. Okamoto is a bit of a wild card, with the Japanese slugger not only entering new waters on this side of the Pacific but also with the task of replacing the production lost when Bo Bichette signed with the Mets this past winter.

For the bullpen, the Jays made one significant addition in submariner Tyler Rogers, signing the Colorado product to a three-year deal. The right-hander has been one of the most versatile arms in the league over recent years, and has led the league in appearances over the past two seasons (81 and 77) and produces a ton of groundball contact.

Having spent most of his career with the San Francisco Giants, aside from the latter half of the 2025 season, where he was donning a Mets uniform, Rogers hasn’t spent a ton of time in Toronto throughout his seven years in the big leagues. His experience before signing with the Jays was limited to just two outings and two innings of work, where he allowed two hits, but the impression the city left on the reliever left a lasting memory.

“I’ve played two series here, so my experience is limited,” explained Rogers. “Every time we played here, I was able to walk to the stadium, and this is really the only place where you can do that in the league. It just feels like there is nothing wrong with this place (Rogers Centre), the amenities are incredible. Just nothing but great things to say about this stadium and the team.”

Rogers is another key piece in the bullpen who will likely be sitting high in manager John Schneider’s ‘circle of trust’. He doesn’t post a ton of strikeouts or sit in the high-90s with his fastball like the typical reliever today. Instead, the submariner throws opposing hitters off balance with his delivery and owns a 48.4% groundball contact rate for his career while being available regularly.

On top of the weak contact (33.1 MPH exit velocity last season – 95th percentile), Rogers keeps the walks in check to the tune of a 1.6 BB/9 for his career and gets results with his sinker, which produced a +18 pitching run value last season. Paired with his slider, Rogers is an uncomfortable arm to face and one of the main reasons the Jays locked him up on a three-year deal this winter.

As for the Opening Day jitters? Rogers is taking things slowly out of the gate.

“No big expectations, take every day in stride,” explained Rogers. “Just go out there and enjoy the moment and do everything I can to help my team win.”

In a somewhat similar spot as Rogers this season is Louis Varland, the fireball-throwing right-hander the club acquired at the trade deadline this past summer.

The Minnesota product pitched to a 4.94 ERA and a 3.56 FIP through 23 2/3 innings to finish off the year with Toronto, and was a key piece of the Blue Jays’ postseason roster. Varland set a record for postseason appearances, heading to the mound 15 times in October on the Jays’ quest for the World Series.

This is also Varland’s first Opening Day with the Blue Jays, although the right-hander is no stranger to the Jays faithful. He’s experienced the crowds when the stadium was packed for postseason baseball, and next on the list is Opening Day.

“It’s exciting, baseball is back, and I am just so happy and glad to be a part of this team,” explained Varland pre-game. “Dunedin is a good spot to be, to get ready for the season, but there is nothing that beats the excitement of Opening Day, and I am excited for the crowds tonight. It’s going to be a good game.”

Armed with a fastball that can hit the upper 90s and a slew of offspeed pitches to keep opposing bats off balance, Varland is another reliever that Schneider will likely turn to in high-pressure situations, a move the right-hander is familiar with after last season. He struck out 28 batters to the tune of a 10.6 K/9 with the Jays and was used in numerous situations where the odds were stacked against him.

There is a possibility that the 28-year-old could see himself in the closer’s spot as the season wears on, but Varland is focused on the bigger picture when it comes to the regular season.

“Staying healthy and just helping the team win in any way possible is my biggest goal this season,” said Varland. “I just want to compete and help the Blue Jays win every time I step on the mound.”

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