Why Blue Jays' bullpen is elite despite seven blown saves

Why Blue Jays' bullpen is elite despite seven blown saves originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

So far in 2026, the Toronto Blue Jays have been having a troubling season. At 16-19, the Blue Jays are eight games back of the New York Yankees for the top spot in the AL East.

While the injuries to the starting rotation and to multiple players in their lineup are a big reason for the struggles, the shaky bullpen with seven blown saves this year is another big reason for how bad 2026 has gone.

However, as Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report highlighted, the Blue Jays should actually be a lot better in their bullpen than they appear. In fact, if the Blue Jays weren't so unlucky, this bullpen might even be elite.

Why Blue Jays might have an elite bullpen despite struggles

"Toronto Blue Jays: Best Bullpen xFIP," Miller writes. "The Blue Jays have blown as many saves as they have converted with seven of each, but xFIP (and fWAR) suggest this ought to be the best bullpen in baseball."

Toronto's bullpen is not having a good season so far, with Jeff Hoffman's struggles leading to a demotion from the closer role.