Toronto Blue Jays reliever Mason Fluharty issued a statement following the season, in which he led the entire MLB in relief appearances.
Fluharty’s 83 games played led the rest of MLB pitchers, as he narrowly edged out Brent Hendrick of the New York Yankees, who pitched in 81 games.
Mason Fluharty Addresses Blue Jays Fans Following Season
Taking to his social media, Fluharty addressed Blue Jays fans following a season in which he pitched in more than half of his team’s games, an impressive feat even though his team missed the playoffs.
“What a year! So thankful for all the people that made this year special. Thank you Jesus for allowing us to live this life! And thank you Toronto for your endless love and support. Flu is sincerely grateful!” Fluharty wrote on his Instagram.
An Important Part of the Blue Jays’ Bullpen
Fluharty, along with All-Star closer Louis Varland and elite set-up man Tyler Rogers, formed a formidable duo at the back end of the Blue Jays’ bullpen this season.
In 83 games played, Fluharty pitched 62.2 IP with 65 strikeouts. He had a solid 3.30 ERA on the season to go along with 1.5 bWAR, showing just how much value he provided to his team in its pen.
As a lefty, Fluharty was routinely called into the game by Blue Jays manager John Schneider to try to punch out the top lefty batters on opposing teams. For the most part, he was very successful at his job.
Next season, Fluharty will once again be an important part of the Blue Jays bullpen as the team looks to right the ship and get back into the postseason following a down year this season.
Once again, look for Schneider to employ Fluharty in a high-volume relief role where he comes in at key points in games to try to get left-handed hitters out.
As far as contracts go, Fluharty is still pre-arb, so he will make the league minimum once again this coming season, providing plenty of value for a Blue Jays team that had among the highest payrolls in all of Major League Baseball this year.
Mason Fluharty Issues Statement Following Blue Jays Season