Brendon Little's role with Toronto Blue Jays unclear entering 2026 Spring Training

Brendon Little was a workhorse out of the bullpen last season, appearing in an American League-leading 79 games.

While his heavy usage spoke to the trust the Blue Jays initially placed in him, his effectiveness faded as the year wore on, raising legitimate concerns about his role moving forward.

The left-hander was dominant early in the season, posting a stellar 2.11 ERA through the end of June.

That figure nearly doubled to 4.20 over the remainder of the regular season, and his struggles carried into the playoffs.

Several late-game breakdowns during the ALCS against the Seattle Mariners put Toronto in peril and appeared to erode the coaching staff's confidence in him.

By the time the World Series arrived, Little had clearly slipped down the bullpen hierarchy.

Still, necessity forced the Blue Jays' hand in Game 3, when the contest stretched into the 17th inning and pitching options were scarce.

Little managed to escape the inning without allowing a run, but then gave up Freddie Freeman's walk-off home run.

After surrendering just two home runs all season, Little allowed two more at pivotal moments in the postseason.

While those swings were costly, they shouldn't completely overshadow the strides he made over the course of the year.

Little gets whiffs and groundballs at an elite level. In 2025, he ranked in the 100th percentile in whiff rate and the 97th percentile in groundball rate.

He struck out 30.2 percent of opposing hitters and limited them to a .195 expected batting average-numbers that place him among the most effective relievers in the league when he's on.

The glaring flaw in his profile is control. Little posted a 15.3 percent walk rate, one of the highest in baseball, which inflated his WHIP to 1.36.

The issue worsened late in the season, as he issued 17 walks over his final 24 innings and followed that with five more free passes in just four playoff innings.

Despite his rough finish, moving on from Little altogether may be premature. Swing-and-miss left-handed relievers are a scarce commodity, and his raw stuff fills a need in Toronto's bullpen.

To reclaim his place, however, he'll need to arrive at spring training motivated, focused, and ready to earn back the staff's trust.

Before making any long-term decisions, the Blue Jays will first need to determine whether Little can rediscover his effectiveness in 2026.

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