In a season defined by big names, rotating roles, and constant bullpen churn, one of the Toronto Blue Jays’ most-used relievers barely registered in the public conversation. Mason Fluharty didn’t arrive with hype, velocity headlines, or late-inning theatrics. Yet by the end of the year, the low-profile left-hander had quietly appeared in 55 games — fifth most among all Jays relievers, and second most among lefties.
That alone tells a story the surface numbers don’t.
Fluharty’s path has never been flashy. A fifth-round pick in the 2022 draft, he entered the system as a depth arm with a clear reliever profile. Even internal evaluations framed him modestly: a cross-fire delivery from a low slot, a cutter that sat in the low 90s, a sweeping breaking ball, and deception doing most of the heavy lifting. No elite velocity. No wipeout pitch that dominates highlight reels.
And yet, when the Jays needed outs, they kept turning to him.
Early in the season, Fluharty was called up to fill Max Scherzer’s roster spot — not exactly the context where expectations are gentle. From there, his year became a familiar cycle: optioned out, recalled, sent back down, brought up again. The Buffalo–Toronto drive became routine. Still, when the dust settled, he had been trusted often and in meaningful spots.
The headline number — a 4.44 ERA — doesn’t do him many favors. On its own, it suggests a replaceable arm, someone hovering on the edge of the roster. But dig a little deeper, and the picture changes. His expected ERA sat at 3.31. His FIP checked in at 4.19. The gap hints at poor sequencing, defensive variance, or simply the kind of luck that tends to follow pitchers who don’t overpower hitters but rely on angles and deception.
Fluharty is a two-pitch pitcher, and he doesn’t pretend otherwise. Baseball Savant shows a cutter averaging just over 90 mph and a sweeper in the low 80s. It’s a limited mix, but one designed to tunnel, disguise, and disrupt timing — especially against left-handed hitters who struggle to pick up the ball out of his release point.
Toronto clearly understood what they had. Along with Brendon Little, Fluharty became one of the two lefty relievers the club leaned on most last year. That usage matters. Teams don’t accidentally give 55 appearances to a pitcher they don’t trust, especially in a season where bullpen roles were constantly being re-evaluated.
Looking ahead, Fluharty’s situation remains fragile but intriguing. He still has option years remaining, which almost guarantees more back-and-forth between the majors and Triple-A. The Jays may yet add another left-handed bullpen arm. Eric Lauer looms as a long-relief option. Rule 5 pick Spencer Miles could complicate the depth chart if he sticks.
All of that suggests Fluharty’s grip on a roster spot isn’t ironclad. But it also explains why he keeps surviving. He fills a role teams always need but rarely celebrate: the reliable, adaptable lefty who can take the ball on short notice, bridge innings, and absorb workload without complaint.
Projection systems like Steamer see him as a roughly 40-game reliever with an ERA just under 4.00 next season. That’s not star-level output. It is, however, exactly the kind of production contenders quietly rely on over six months.
Fluharty may never escape the “depth arm” label. He may never headline a bullpen. But when a pitcher with modest stuff keeps earning innings, keeps outperforming expectations beneath the surface, and keeps showing up in games that matter, it’s worth asking whether the label — not the pitcher — is what deserves a second look.
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