Every year, I take a look at how every Jays participant carried out through the season.
We signed Dylan Stop on December 2nd final yr. He obtained a seven-year, $210 million contract. I learn just a few baseball commentators name it the worst free-agent signing of the low season. Proper now, they seem very fallacious.
We disagreed. 42.9% of us have been ‘Form of Glad’, 41.8% have been Very Glad. Solely 5.1% have been Form of or Very Sad.
Stop spent the earlier two seasons with the Padres. He had an excellent season in 2024, a 3.47 ERA and a 4.0 bWAR and a much less good 2025 season, with a 4.55 ERA and a 1.0 bWAR.
The Jays thought they noticed one thing in him that they might ‘repair’. I’m all the time doubtful of groups considering that. But it surely looks as if the Jays have been proper.
| Age | WAR | W | L | ERA | G | GS | CG | SHO | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | IBB | SO | HBP | BK | WP | BF | ERA+ | SO9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 5.7 | 11 | 6 | 2.40 | 29 | 29 | 1 | 1 | 169.0 | 108 | 54 | 45 | 11 | 78 | 0 | 239 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 685 | 184 | 12.7 |
Generated 9/27/2026.
Baseball Reference has him at 5.7 WAR, and Fangraphs has him at 5.5, valuing him at $43.9 million to the Blue Jays.
Dylan had a 2.56 FIP and a couple of.93 xFIP.
He had a .274 BABIP (down from .320 final yr). 77.8% of the bottom runners he allowed have been stranded (up from 69.0% final yr).
Stop’s line drive price was 20.4% (down from 21.8% final yr). His floor ball price was 42.1% (up from 36.6). And the fly ball price was 37.5% (down from 41.5). 8.1% of his fly balls left the park (down from 11.9).
His strikeout price was 34.9% (up from 29.8), whereas his stroll price was up 11.4% from 9.8.
Dylan’s delicate contact price was up (21.6% from 17.2). Exhausting contact was down (29.0% from 33.8).
He was barely higher vs. LHB (.167/.267/.271) than RHB (.198/.289/.270). Profession, he has been a good bit higher vs. right-handed batters.
Stop was higher on the street (batters hit.162/.257/.234, with a 1.94 ERA) than at house (.198/.295/.305 with a 2.85 ERA).
He was barely higher within the second half (2.17, .167/.265/.285) than within the first half (2.56, .190/.284/.261).
Stop by month:
- April: 6 begins, 1-1, 2.87. Batters hit .220/.326/.246 with 0 house runs, 17 walks and 49 strikeouts.
- Could: 5 begins, 2-2, 3.23. Batters hit .209/.275/.373 with 5 house runs, 9 walks and 43 strikeouts.
- June: 4 begins, 1-1, 2.95. Batters hit .182/.308/.221 with 0 house runs, 14 walks and 36 strikeouts..
- July: 5 begins, 3-1, 1.00. Batters hit .125/.198/.217 with 2 house runs, 11 walks and 46 strikeouts.
- August: 5 begins, 2-0, 2.03. Batters hit .144/.242/.260 with 3 house runs, 14 walks and 43 strikeouts.
- September: 4 begins, 2-1, 2.89. Batters hit .214/.333/.314 with 1 house run, 13 walks and 22 strikeouts.
The Jays have been 18-11 in his begins. They averaged 4.56 runs per recreation in his begins. They scored 3 or fewer runs in 11 of his begins.
Days of relaxation:
- 4 days, 13 begins: 5-3, 2.75 ERA, batters hit .178/.280/.280.
- 5 days, 10 begins: 5-1, 1.96 ERA, batters hit .167/.263/.234.
- 6 or extra days: 6 begins, 1-2, 2.38 ERA, batters hit .206/.291/.310.
By Catcher:
- Tyler Heineman: 5 video games, 4.23 ERA, batters hit .230/.350/.310.
- Alejandro Kirk: 15 video games, 2.44 ERA, batters hit .173/.276/.256.
- Brandon Valenzuela: 9 video games, 1.43 ERA, batters hit .167/.236/.273.
Occasions by way of the order:
- 1st: Batters hit .160/.257/.255.
- 2nd: Batters hit .174/.251/.230.
- third: Batters hit .224/.346/.366.
- 4th: Batters hit ..250/.400/.250 in simply 5 PA.
Dylan was good with RISP, holding batters to a .200/.255/.255 line.
In high-leverage spots, batters hit .233/.284/.291. Low leverage .157/.259/.252.
His greatest begin, based on GameScore, was a 94 on July twenty fifth, in Boston. He went 9 innings, permitting 1 hit, 3 walks, and 12 strikeouts. He additionally posted an 88 on July eighth in San Francisco, permitting 1 hit in 8 innings, with 3 walks and 11 strikeouts.
The worst begin was a 38 GameScore. September 18th, going 2.2 innings, permitting 3 hits, 4 runs, 1 earned run, 6 walks and 6 strikeouts towards the Rangers. You probably keep in mind it.
José averaged 5.8 innings per begin.
Stop had a brilliant season. He drained a bit close to the top. I didn’t suppose the Jays actually labored him all that tough; he threw 169 innings. In 2024, he threw 189 innings. However then totally different innings trigger totally different stresses.
It was a pleasant option to begin a seven-year contract. Odds are his final couple of seasons gained’t be nearly as good, however we’ve some time till then. He’s clearly our opening-day starter subsequent yr. When 77% of your outs are strikeouts or groundouts, it’s a good season.
I’m not going to fret (a lot) about his ‘drained arm’ on the finish of the season. In the event that they out of the blue schedule surgical procedure, then I’ll fear, however a drained arm does occur.
Earlier than the season, Steamer projected him to make 32 begins, throw 185 innings with a 3.61 ERA, a 12-10 document, and a 3.8 fWAR. The 185 innings was overly hopeful, however the remaining they undershot the goal.
By Baseball Savant, his fastball was a little bit slower than final yr: 96.8 mph this yr, 97.1 final yr, nevertheless it obtained hit more durable final yr: .204 this yr, .241 final. His slider was additionally more durable, 89.1 to 88.7 this yr. Batters hit his slider at .145 this yr, .228 final yr.
We modified his pitch utilization some:
4 Seamer: 37.0% this yr, 42.1% final yr.
Slider: 30.1% this yr, 40.8 final yr.
Change-up: 11.5% this yr, 1.2 final.
Knuckle Curve: 10.1% this yr, 8.3 final.
Sinker: 7.9% this yr, 3.9 final.
Sweeper: 3.5% this yr, 3.5 final.
Earlier than the season we requested:
If the over/below on Dylan’s innings is 180, I’d take the…..33.81% of us have been proper. If he hadn’t drained on the finish, it will have been very shut.
We additionally requested, “If the over/below on Dylan’s wins in his seven-year contract was 77”. 52.9% of us picked the over. We additionally requested who can be the opening-day starter. 9.3 stated, Stop. Most have been proper in selecting Gausman.tarter. 9.3 stated Stop. Most have been proper selecting Gausman.
