Blue Jays would not be where they are now if this reliever didn't save the bullpen

The Toronto Blue Jays have dealt with so many injuries in their bullpen and it has led to inconsistent results throughout the season. Over this incredible stretch this team has been on, one guy has stood out as the most consistent arm. Yariel Rodriguez.

Rodriguez began the season in a long relief role and struggled badly. Although he didn't show that he was very capable, Blue Jays Manager John Schneider still put him in a high leverage role out of the bullpen and it has turned out to be an incredible decision. At one point, he went on a stretch of 20 straight innings without allowing an earned run. He was straight up dominant and at that time, Toronto needed some reliability as Jeff Hoffman fell into a slump on the mound.

Yariel Rodriguez has been the elite guy out of the Blue Jays' bullpen this season.

Aside from the homeruns, Hoffman has been a great closer to pair with a dominant setup man in Rodriguez. Having an effective eighth and ninth men help shorten games and gives the team a better chance to win.

If it weren't for Rodriguez, it is tough to say where this team would be right now. Yimi Garcia and Nick Sandlin have not been able to stay healthy, and they were expected to be two very important relievers to this team. Chad Green has also fallen off a bit despite his fluke ERA of 3.73. This bullpen has been inconsistent at times and Rodriguez has stablized it completely.

Through 51 innings, Rodriguez has generated a 2.29 ERA with a 3.92 FIP and an 8.47 K/9. The big thing for him this season has been limiting batters to a .169 batting average and an 8.3% walk rate. He has simply kept guys off of the bases so well, translating to a 0.88 WHIP.

There has been speculation about who might replace all the one year guys in the rotation next season and Rodriguez has been a name thrown around. With how great he has been out of the bullpen, moving him to the rotation would be a real mistake. Why would the Blue Jays mess with success?

Hopefully nothing changes from where Rodriguez is dealing from right now. What he has done has been very fun to watch and he has truly been the savior of this bullpen.