Article: Toronto Blue Jays Pitchers of the Month - August 2025

[Bryan Jaeger]

During August, a majority of the pitchers who have been excelling took a massive step in the wrong direction. For the most part, the starters have been decent, and the bullpen has been brutal during the month. The Blue Jays have a 14-11 record in August, but had a relatively even month in terms of difficulty, with a three-game series against four teams with below .500 records and five series against teams still fighting for a postseason birth. They went 8-4 against teams below .500, against the Rockies, Pirates, Marlins, and Twins, but are 6-8 against teams still in the postseason race: the Royals, Dodgers, Cubs, Rangers, and Brewers.

Among pitchers with four or more innings in August, only four of the 15 eligible pitchers have an ERA under 4.00. It's been a rough month for the entire staff, which made finding the standouts a relatively easy task. Luckily for the Blue Jays, while the pitching staff struggled, the offense has been outstanding. Amongst the entire MLB in the month, the Blue Jays' offense ranks in the top three in OPS, runs, RBIs, and home runs. In this article, I will highlight a few standout pitching performances in August and name the Pitcher of the Month.

Honorable Mentions:

Shane Bieber: 11.1 IP, 2.38 ERA, 15 K, 3.03 FIP, 0.3fWAR
Bieber has made an impressive debut in 2025. He left after two starts in 2024 with an injury that required Tommy John surgery, and the Blue Jays took a chance trading for the former ace at the trade deadline. He's been as advertised in his two starts this season.

His first start was six innings against the Miami Marlins, allowing two hits and one earned run off a Javier Sanoja home run. His second start was against the Milwaukee Brewers, who have the best record in MLB. Bieber threw five scoreless innings before allowing two earned runs in the sixth inning, including an Andruw Monasterio solo homer. If the Blue Jays continue to receive this production from the 30-year-old, their ALDS starting rotation will be formidable.

Brendon Little: 10 IP, 5.40 ERA, 9 K, 4.32 FIP, 1.1 fWAR
Little may be seeing some regression after a stellar season, where he's been the primary left-handed option in the bullpen, with Eric Lauer needed to start games due to injuries. Mason Fluharty and Justin Bruihl have bounced between Triple-A and the pros to help ease Little's workload, but the duo has been inconsistent. Little threw 45 2/3 innings in his first full season in the majors last season, but has already exceeded that total this season (58 1/3).

He has been one of many relievers with control issues in August, walking nine batters and hitting one. September callups may be key to easing Little's workload before a postseason run, where he will be leaned on as the primary lefty in the bullpen, unless Lauer moves to the pen. In his first three outings in August, Little allowed a combined four earned runs, but went nine straight outings without allowing an earned run before giving up two in the first game of a three-game series against the Brewers.

#3 - Chris Bassitt 27 IP, 3.67 ERA, 27 K,  4.82 FIP, 1.9 fWAR
Except for March and April (2.62 ERA), August has been Bassitt's best performance on the season. However, he's struggled with control, walking 14 batters and hitting two. Bassitt has been able to hold batters to hitting only .214 off of him, which is the best monthly batting average against for the 36-year-old. The Blue Jays have announced they will be using a six-man rotation down the stretch, and Bassitt's season-long struggles make him the sixth-best starting pitcher. He will need a strong September if he wants to avoid being the odd man out to make the ALDS roster and likely join the bullpen.

#2 - Max Scherzer 31 IP, 2.61 ERA, 22 K, 4.67 FIP, 0.6 fWAR
Scherzer has had an outstanding August with four quality starts in five starts. He has a 22:8 strikeout-to-walk ratio, but his one struggle is allowing home runs. Seven of the nine earned runs the righty has allowed have come from five home runs. Scherzer has a 4-1 record in August, and that includes a 2-1 record against teams vying for a postseason birth: the Royals, the Dodgers, and the Cubs. With the sixth-strongest remaining and a bullpen struggling, the Blue Jays will need quality outings from their starters.

#1 - Tommy Nance 14.1 IP, 0.63 ERA, 16 K, 1.94 FIP, 0.5 fWAR
Tommy Nance has been a surprising standout in the bullpen in August. His history isn't appealing, as he hasn't had an ERA under 4.00 in his short four-season career, despite being 34 and having never pitched more than 44 innings in a season.

He has allowed 10 hits in 1, but has proven his capability to get out of innings, leaving runners on base. Walks have been a massive issue for the bullpen in the month, but Nance has only walked four. The righty is the only bullpen arm with four or more outings with under a 4.00 ERA in August. His outstanding performance has earned the 34-year-old the honor of Pitcher of the Month in August.

View full article