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

The Blue Jays’ bullpen has fallen apart in August. Despite the offense ranking in the top two in many categories, the bullpen has struggled with control and allowing runs. With a narrow lead in the AL East, the bullpen needs to improve if the Blue Jays want a deep postseason run. View full video

After a narrow series win over the Miami Marlins, the Toronto Blue Jays still top the AL East, comfortably ahead of the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. The AL Central's likely winner, the Detroit Tigers, have the AL's best record. However, the Blue Jays are currently leading the Houston Astros for the No. 2 seed, which would still earn them a first-round bye. Although the Blue Jays have more than a month of games left to play against tough opponents like the Red Sox, Yankees, Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds, and Kansas City Royals, I'm going to take a look at what Toronto's starting rotation could look like in the ALDS. Currently, the rotation includes Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt, Max Scherzer, Eric Lauer, and the newly added Shane Bieber. Prior to games on August 25, the Blue Jays' rotation ranked 19th in MLB in ERA (4.32), making this a good time to add Bieber to the mix. The 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner was acquired from the Cleveland Guardians for prospect Khal Stephen at the trade deadline. Bieber made two starts in 2024 before suffering an injury that required Tommy John surgery. In his MLB return Friday, he threw six innings, gave up two hits, and recorded nine strikeouts on 87 pitches. He looked sharp, throwing 55 strikes, with the only run coming on a second-inning Javier Sanoja homer. Continued quality starts from the righty would make the trade a clear success, adding a potential number one starter to a World Series contender. The Blue Jays' rotation is a veteran group, with each pitcher in their thirties or, in Scherzer's case, early forties. To keep them healthy, the team is using a six-man rotation, at least temporarily, which will help manage the workload for Gausman, Berríos, and Bassitt, who have all thrown over 140 innings this season. Lauer, who joined the rotation mid-season due to injuries, has pitched 88 innings — more than he threw in 2023 and '24 combined (between MLB and the KBO). In 2022, he threw a career-high 158 2/3 innings, so he should be able to handle the workload ahead of him. The lefty has been outstanding, posting a 3.25 ERA as a starter and a 0.96 ERA in relief. If he continues to pitch like this, manager John Schneider will have a tough decision to make regarding Lauer's role in the postseason. He has earned a start. Currently, the projected ALDS rotation for the Blue Jays looks to feature Gausman in Game 1 and Berríos in Game 2. If Bieber maintains his health and effectiveness, he would slot in as the Game 3 starter, although he could swap spots with Berríos. For a potential Game 4, Scherzer is the leading option due to his strong August performance (1.80 ERA), but his role could depend on matchups and his form in September. Lauer is another viable candidate for either a starting role or a bullpen job, depending on team needs. Bassitt, meanwhile, appears more likely to serve as a long reliever, or he could be left off the series roster entirely, depending on the final roster construction and Toronto's opponent. Schneider currently has a good problem: too many quality starting pitchers. While Lauer has joked, "I'm glad I'm not the one making the decisions," these difficult choices exemplify the team's depth. With this rotation's talent and flexibility, the Blue Jays are legitimate World Series contenders, ready to capitalize on their depth and veteran experience to seize the moment this postseason. Stats updated prior to games on August 25. View full article

Tommy Nance has had very little success over his short-lived career; he's had a short stint in MLB every season since 2021, although he missed the entire 2023 season due to having Tommy John surgery. During the seasons he spent in the pros, he never exceeded 45 innings. The righty's MLB career started in 2021 with the Chicago Cubs, where Nance threw 11 1/3 scoreless innings in his first 12 appearances, but he completed the season, giving up 23 earned runs over 17 1/3 innings. Nance was designated for assignment before the 2022 season. Since then, he has posted ERAs of 4.33 and 4.09 in 2022 with the Miami Marlins and 2024 with the Toronto Blue Jays, respectively. Nance didn't win a spot on the Blue Jays' Opening Day roster this season due to a 5.06 ERA in six spring training appearances, so he was again designated for assignment on March 27th, but cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Buffalo. With Buffalo, the 37-year-old posted a 4.88 ERA with a 42:7 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 31 1/3 innings. When Ryan Burr suffered a right shoulder rotator cuff strain, placing him on the 60-day injury list, Nance was recalled on July 11th and has unexpectedly been outstanding. Over 13 innings in 12 appearances, Nance has posted a 1.38 ERA, a 13:3 strikeout-to-walk ratio, with batters hitting .130 against him. In his past two seasons, according to Baseball Savant, Nance has favored his curveball, throwing it at least 37.6 percent of the time amongst his four-pitch arsenal, which includes a sinker, slider, and four-seam fastball. A possible contributor to the righty's success this season is that he has stopped throwing the fastball and is favoring his slider over his curveball and sinker, which was his third-most thrown pitch. He's thrown the slider 42.8 percent of the time, with batters hitting .176 off of it and a 16.2 whiff percentage. What's surprising is that although Nance's curveball is thrown the least at 27.8 percent, it's been his most effective pitch. Batters are hitting only .056 off of it, and the pitch has a 36.0 whiff percentage. He's been using it as his strikeout pitch with a 29.4 putaway percentage, compared to 17.6 percent from his slider. The bullpen depth is getting thin, with Yimi García originally on the injury list on July 5th, with a sprained ankle, but is now dealing with ulnar nerve symptoms in his throwing elbow. The Blue Jays hope to get him back by the end of August. Nick Sandlin has been out since July 8th due to right elbow inflammation. He's started playing catch but has no timetable for a return. After the August 14th win, 40 games are remaining this season. The Blue Jays hold a half-game lead over the Detroit Tigers for the No. 1 seed in the AL, and lead the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees by five and six games in the AL East, respectively. The team needs all hands on deck to finish out the season with hopes for the postseason and the World Series that the team and fans have developed as the season has unfolded. That includes Nance continuing his dominant pitching and being a reliable mid-game reliever. View full article

Trey Yesavage has rapidly advanced through the Blue Jays' system in his first pro season. After his promotion to Triple-A Buffalo was reported on August 11, MiLB.com ranked him the organization's new No. 1 prospect. Yesavage excelled in college. In 2023 and 2024 at East Carolina University, the righty posted 2.61 and 2.03 ERAs, with 105:29 and 145:36 strikeout-to-walk ratios. The Blue Jays appear to have gotten a steal with the 20th pick in the 2024 draft; MLB.com had ranked him 11th in the class. The fireballer has been able to bring his strong college performances to the Blue Jays' farm system. In his first professional season, he's pitched at Single A, High A, and Double A. At those three levels combined over 80 2/3 innings, Yesavage has posted a 3.01 ERA and a 134:31 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He has held batters to a .160 batting average off him. However, his ERA is heavily skewed by his success in Dunedin and Vancouver, where he had 2.43 and 1.05 ERAs, respectively, over 50 2/3 innings. The 22-year-old struggled a bit more over 30 innings with New Hampshire, posting a 4.50 ERA, although his strikeout-to-walk ratio (46:11) was still excellent, and he held batters to a .198 batting average. Despite the high ERA in Double A, Yesavage showed flashes of massive potential and earned his promotion to Triple-A Buffalo. The Blue Jays have done a good job managing the phenom's workload, limiting him to four or five innings at most and 70-75 pitches for all but one game in his first minor league season. He did throw 89 pitches out of the bullpen in his last outing, over five innings, but that may be a sign of the Blue Jays ramping up his workload for his last few outings after he was limited for most of the season. The Blue Jays now find themselves with a tricky decision to make: give Yesavage a September call-up or wait until next season to let him make his MLB debut. The team is leading the AL East by 4.5 games as of August 11. The Boston Red Sox, currently in second place, experienced a surge at the end of July and the beginning of August, posting a 10-3 record before losing their last three games. The Blue Jays also have to hold off the New York Yankees, who trail by six games, though they are 3-7 in their previous 10. The Blue Jays have the eighth toughest schedule over the rest of the season (per Tankathon), with three games against each of the Red Sox and Yankees amongst their 43 remaining games. Boston and New York have the ninth and fourth easiest schedules, respectively. With the pressures of the fight to win the AL East down the stretch, the Blue Jays may feel the need to bring Yesavage up. The decision will be determined by whether they believe they've managed the righty's workload properly and, therefore, if he has innings left in him. This is the time in the season when teams start to weigh the decision of easing their young pitchers' workloads to ensure they stay healthy for the future. Yesavage's highest single-season innings total in college was 93 1/3 in his last year at ECU. The fact that his last appearance at Double A was a bullpen outing could indicate that the Blue Jays are seeing how he performs in a relief role, because if he's called up, that will likely be his job. The starting rotation is set, barring injuries, with José Berríos , Kevin Gausman, Max Scherzer, Chris Bassitt, and Eric Lauer. Shane Bieber was acquired from the Cleveland Guardians ahead of the trade deadline with the hopes he'd be available towards the end of the season after recovering from Tommy John surgery. Alek Manoah and Bowden Francis are two more possible starters if they can progress through their respective injury rehabs soon enough. Pitching Yesavage out of the bullpen could be a way to further manage his workload, but the question is, with him 13 innings from his career-high, is it smart for the Jays to extend the 22-year-old and the future of the franchise? He'll likely be competing for a starting role next spring, so it's tempting to give him experience at the highest level. It's a tough decision, but if Yesavage continues to impress in his next couple of outings, and the AL East race gets tighter, the Blue Jays' hands may be forced to bring up their young prospect for some relief. View full article

The Toronto Blue Jays made a monster but risky move to bolster their starting rotation by acquiring Shane Bieber from the Cleveland Guardians. Bieber hasn't thrown a pitch in the major leagues all season, as he is recovering from Tommy John surgery he had in April 2024. The right-hander won the AL Cy Young Award in the 2020 pandemic-shortened season and became the 29th pitcher since 1913 to claim the Triple Crown, leading the majors in wins (8), ERA (1.63), and strikeouts (122). This season, he has thrown 11 innings over four rehab starts for three different minor league affiliates. The 30-year-old has been impressive, pitching to a 1.59 ERA and a 22:2 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and limiting hitters to a .179 batting average. Acquiring the former ace came at a high cost, though. The Blue Jays had to part with Jays Centre's no. 5 prospect, Khal Stephen. Stephen was drafted in the second round in 2024, 59th overall, out of Mississippi State. In that season, he pitched 96 innings, posting a 3.28 ERA with a 107:27 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and opponents hit .213 off the righty. In Stephen's first minor league season, he has been outstanding. Between Single A, High A, and Double A, he has started 17 games with a 9-1 record, 2.06 ERA, and 99:20 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and batters have hit .196 off of him. Plus, he has one save from his only non-start appearance. The 22-year-old was charging through the Blue Jays' minor-league system, and FanGraphs listed him as their 80th overall prospect in their pre-trade deadline rankings. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound pitcher throws a fastball at 92-94 mph and can top out at 96. The movement on his fastball is what has scouts salivating. Stephen has struck out 9.72 batters per nine innings and has found the ability to leave runners stranded on base when they get on, with a 78% left-on-base percentage. Stephen's best offspeed pitch is his mid-80s changeup, but he also has a slider, cutter, and curveball to fill out an impressive pitching arsenal. He slots in as the Guardians' no. 7 prospect (per MLB Pipeline) but is the top pitcher in their system. His slider and curveball will need improvements to build out an MLB-ready arsenal, but if the righty continues to perform at this level, then we can expect to see him in the big leagues within the next two seasons. The Blue Jays needed to add a starting pitcher at the trade deadline, and they paid a high price to obtain one. For a rental, the Blue Jays gave up an arm who has the potential to be a future star. General manager Ross Atkins took a massive swing for the fences, so we will have to see how this plays out over the next few years. That said, if the Commissioner's Trophy finds its way to Toronto at the end of the season, then the risky move will have been well worth it. View full article

Even though the Blue Jays find themselves with a 55-41 record and leading the AL East halfway through the season, the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Tampa Bay Rays are all at most 5 1/2 games behind. The first-place standing is somewhat misleading because the Blue Jays had the 12th-easiest schedule in the first half of the season, but only had a +17 run differential, which is tied for the second-lowest among teams with winning records. It's a different picture looking at the second half's strength of schedule. Staying atop the division will be a challenge since the Blue Jays have the fifth-strongest remaining schedule. Division foes, the Red Sox (sixth-strongest), the Yankees (12th-easiest), and the Rays (10th-easiest), all could pose serious threats to overtaking the Blue Jays and claiming the AL East crown. Even Power Rankings Guru has the AL East title race coming down to the wire. Their current prediction for win total is Yankees at 90.2, Blue Jays at 87.6, Red Sox at 86.2, and the Rays at 84.7. The Blue Jays have 66 games remaining, which are split evenly between home and away games. The team began the second half at home against the San Francisco Giants in a three-game series, followed by a division rival, the New York Yankees. After sweeping the Yankees in a four-game series the first week in July, the Yankees return to the Rogers Centre July 21-23. This three-game series is crucial for the Blue Jays to extend their lead over the other teams in the division race. Excluding the division teams, the Blue Jays also face a challenge playing against four current division leaders: the Detroit Tigers (four games), as well as three games against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Chicago Cubs, and the Houston Astros, each. The Dodgers and Cubs will be a difficult stretch because the Blue Jays play them back-to-back with a travel day after Sunday's game. September will provide ample opportunities to gain ground in the divisional race. The key divisional series in September will be a three-game series from the 5th to the 7th against the Yankees, a four-game series from the 15th to the 18th against the Rays, and a crucial final stretch with six games being at home against the Red Sox and Rays. Even with the daunting schedule ahead, Power Ranking Guru gives the Blue Jays a 75.2 percent chance of making the playoffs as of this writing. This is extremely impressive, considering they received only a 29.5 percent to start the season. The 75.2 percent chance of making a postseason appearance is behind the Yankees (89.5), but ahead of the Red Sox (63.1) and the Rays (47.1). Their graph projects the Blue Jays to be the top Wild Card seed and would host the Seattle Mariners in a one-game series. Regardless of the outcome, after starting the season 14-16 and all the chaos surrounding Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s contract, fans may have felt discouraged about the season. However, the team took care of business against weaker teams, setting themselves up nicely for the second half. It'll be an exciting next couple of months to watch how the AL East title run plays out. View full article

The Blue Jays struggled to start the season, going 14-16 in March and April, but flipped a switch over the past few months. The team went 16-12 in May, 16-10 in June, and 9-3 so far in July. They sit atop the AL East, but have the New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, and Boston Red Sox nipping at their heels, all of whom are within 5.5 games of their spot atop the division. The first place standing is somewhat misleading, as the Blue Jays have had the 12th-easiest schedule thus far, yet they only have a +17 run differential, which is tied for the second-lowest among teams with a winning record. Looking at the fifth-strongest remaining schedule in the second half, to return to the postseason and have a legitimate shot at a World Series run, the front office may need to dip into their big-market wallets to take on massive contracts to receive a superstar or two. General Manager Ross Atkins has already stated they'd be "ultra aggressive" at the trade deadline. The Blue Jays haven't won the division since 1993, didn't qualify for the postseason last season, and haven't advanced past the Wild Card round since 2016 (when they lost to the then-Cleveland Indians). So, the front office doesn't want to waste the opportunity they are presented with, even though the rough second half schedule will be a challenge. The Blue Jays are already more than $30 million over the Competitive Balance Tax Space and have a $10 million penalty for a repeat offense. It's no secret that the Blue Jays need a starting pitcher for depth due to their current injuries. Alex Manoah (starting rehab assignments) has missed the entire season recovering from UCL surgery that he suffered in June last season, and Bowden Francis has been out since June 14 with no return timetable. In their absence, Eric Lauer has done an excellent job filling in, but he's needed in the bullpen as another lefty option. With Lauer starting games, Brendon Little has been left as the only left-hander in the bullpen for the majority of that span. Even when Manoah and Francis do return, if the Blue Jays are all-in for a postseason run, then they need a power arm. Eating all or a big chunk of a contract can help the Blue Jays avoid dealing away their better prospects. Jacob deGrom Over the next two weeks, the Blue Jays need to watch if the Texas Rangers fall further behind in the Wild Card race. They're currently 48-49, 8.5 games behind in the AL West, and 3.5 games behind in the Wild Card race. If they fall out of contention, deGrom should be a name the Blue Jays ask about. The Rangers may be willing to drop the 37-year-old, oft-injured superstar. He has $75 million owed over the next two seasons and a $20 million club option in 2028 that could become a $37 million player option based on performance incentives. Following years of injuries, deGrom has returned to his two-time Cy Young Award-winning form after failing to reach 93 innings in the last five seasons. This season, the ace is 9-2, having recorded a 2.32 ERA over 112 1/3 innings, and a 113:26 strikeout:walk ratio. This acquisition is a long-shot scenario since the righty has a full no-trade clause, but when it comes to flexing your muscles, adding a pitcher of this ilk shows the league you have a championship in mind. Pairing deGrom with José Berrios and Kevin Gausman on the mound in a postseason series would be intimidating for any opponent. Mitch Keller If deGrom's contract proves prohibitive, a (likely) easier starter to acquire would be the Pittsburgh Pirates' Mitch Keller. It's not the sexiest acquisition, but he's a consistent innings-eater. The 29-year-old has thrown more than 150 innings the past three seasons and is only 31 innings away from pushing that streak to four. Keller has three years remaining on the five-year deal he signed in 2024, but the Blue Jays could eat the remaining $54.5 million. The righty has posted a 3.48 ERA and a 92:32 strikeout:walk ratio this season. Out of his 20 starts, 14 have resulted in quality starts, which means he threw more than six innings and allowed three or fewer runs. Since the injury bug has bitten the starting rotation all season, having a reliable arm will go a long way to help the Blue Jays make a deep postseason run. With the Pirates being sure sellers, Keller will be a popular option. The competition may hurt the Blue Jays, as the Pirates will likely be seeking offensive prospects, which is not the strength of the Blue Jays' farm system, with 11 of their top 15 prospects being pitchers. If the Blue Jays take on the rest of Keller's remaining $54.5 million, then mid to lower-tier prospects should seal the deal (assuming Toronto is willing to surrender at least one high-end arm). Either way, a starting pitcher is needed to give the Blue Jays depth at the position. Adding a power arm for a second-half push and potential postseason run will be a significant addition, as will healthy returns from Daulton Varsho and Anthony Santander. It'll be fun to watch how Atkins approaches the next two weeks. View full article

The Blue Jays added 19 prospects during this year's MLB draft. The team had to forfeit their second-round pick to the Baltimore Orioles for signing Anthony Santander, who had a qualifying offer prior to free agency. Hopefully, Santander can make adjustments while on the injured list to improve his struggles from the first half of the season; that way, it won't hurt as much to miss out on a top-50 prospect from the class. Teams and the rest of the draft staff discuss their strategies throughout the year for the upcoming draft. With each pick, certain similarities highlight the prospects and attributes each team wants. General Manager Ross Atkins and the rest of the scouting team did the same by showing a few tendencies that they were focusing on. Let's dive into those tendencies: Big-bodied, middle of the field players on Day 1 Shortstops and center fielders are highly valuable assets when approaching the draft. These positions are considered the most athletic in the field because they can likely play any position on the team. The Blue Jays drafted both positions with their two Day 1 picks, and the prospects are bulky. JoJo Parker, a high school senior, is 6'2" and 200lbs, while Jake Cook, a redshirt junior from Southern Mississippi, is 6'3" and 185 lbs. Both athletes display great vision at the plate and demonstrate a strong ability to get on base. Parker had a batting average of .489 and stole 30 bases this season; Cook hit .350, but although he flashes his speed in center field, he only stole six bases over his 64 career games at Southern Miss. Utilizing his speed on the basepaths should be a major focus in the lower minor-league affiliates. Drafting younger prospects early The Blue Jays drafted a high school senior or redshirt junior with their first six picks. Teams like to draft talented high schoolers early, hoping they will bypass college and provide three or four extra years of service to a team. This strategy is risky, though, because the prospect may have their eye on attending college (and are a lot rawer than their collegiate counterparts). The same applies to redshirt juniors, who can receive an extra year of service instead of being drafted as seniors. However, these players are more likely to start their professional careers rather than return for their senior year of college. When high schoolers are drafted in the early rounds, there has likely been communication between the team and the player regarding the prospect's readiness to begin their professional career. The Blue Jays clearly believe in their ability to 1) coax younger players out of their committments to college, and 2) develop them to mitigate the risks as they mature and grow into their frames. No team wants to waste an early pick, although if the Blue Jays were to fail to sign one of their selections, the team would receive a pick one spot lower than where they made the selection in next year's draft. This compensation only applies to the first three rounds, though. Draft left-handed bats Of the 11 position players selected by the Blue Jays, nine of them bat left-handed, including a switch-hitter. The Rookie League (two lefties and two switch-hitters) and Low-A Dunedin (one) are lacking left-handed bats, where these draftees will likely begin their professional careers. Given that Nathan Lukes and Addison Barger are the long lefties on the big league team with a wRC+ of 100 or greater (minimum 200 plate appearances), it should be no surprise that Toronto chose to invest heavily in that skillset during this draft. View full article

The Blue Jays selected Tim Piasentin at #143 in the 2025 MLB Draft. Piasentin is a third baseman at Foothills Composite HS in Alberta, Canada. The slot value for the pick is $503,800. The Canadian was ranked 116th on our Jays Centre MLB Mock Draft Board. Here's what our write-up of Piasentin by our draft expert, Jamie Cameron: "Piasentin is a physical prep prospect out of Alberta with an imposing, 6'3, 205-pound frame. Piasentin put up one of the more impressive rounds of batting practice and the MLB Draft Combine, underscoring that power is the calling card of the offensive profile. There's some swing and miss in this profile, but that's not uncommon for a prep prospect for whom there's a coat of two of polish to apply. Defensively, it's a plus arm ideally suited to third base. He's not a great mover, and there's work to do on the actions in the infield. Still, with two-plus tools, there's a chance an org takes a chance on Piasentin in the first three rounds and pulls him away from his commitment to Miami." What do you think of the pick? Add your thoughts in the comments. View full rumor

The Blue Jays selected Micah Bucknam at #112 in the 2025 MLB Draft. Bucknam is an RHP at Dallas Baptist (TX). The slot value for the pick is $680,800. Here's what MLB.com says about Bucknam: "One of the best Canadian prospects in the 2022 Draft, Bucknam turned down the Blue Jays as a 16th-rounder to attend Louisiana State. He worked just 16 innings in two seasons in Baton Rouge because of command issues, enjoying more success in two summers in the Cape Cod League before transferring to Dallas Baptist. He became the Patriots' No. 1 starter and has some of the best feel for spin in the college ranks." Bucknam struggled at Louisiana State in 2023 and 2024, posting an 11.57 ERA over seven innings and a 7.00 ERA over nine innings, respectively. He transferred to Dallas Baptist this past spring and threw 62 1/3 innings, posting a 4.62 ERA with an 80:25 strikeout:walk ratio. The righty is still raw, but he has shown he can correct his command issues. He has a four-pitch arsenal that Bucknam will need to improve on, but his fastball ranges in the 92-96 mph range, and curveball, slider, and changeup hang around the low-mid 80s, so this swing and miss potential with his speed differences. What do you think of the pick? Add your thoughts in the comments. View full rumor

As of games on July 6, Blue Jays relievers have the 10th-best ERA in MLB (3.62) and have thrown the second-most strikeouts (377). However, the Jays currently have only one left-handed reliever on the 26-man roster (excluding Eric Lauer, who has now joined the rotation). Brendon Little has been a workhorse in the bullpen, being the only left-handed option at times. He's logged the second-most innings (41 1/3) amongst all Blue Jays relievers while posting an impressive 2.18 ERA and striking out 58. The lefty has been nearly unhittable, allowing batters to hit only .189. Little has been Toronto's only consistent lefty, hence the heavy workload. Other lefty relievers that have logged innings in the big leagues this season are Mason Fluharty (5.57 ERA over 34 innings), Josh Walker (7.20 ERA over five innings), and Richard Lovelady (7.71 ERA over 4 2/3 innings). Fluharty is currently at Triple-A Buffalo, Walker was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for cash considerations, and Lovelady was designated for assignment in April and elected free agency. Bowden Francis or Alek Manoah returning to the starting rotation after recovering from their respective injuries would be a massive boost to an already impressive bullpen, as Lauer would no longer be needed as a starter. He would likely then return to a long-reliever role, unless manager John Schneider decides he needs to relieve Little's workload as a short reliever. Internally, the only left-handed relievers on the 40-man roster are Fluharty and Justin Bruihl. Fluharty had some success early in the season, but there was a good reason the Blue Jays optioned the rookie back down to Triple A. As for Bruihl, he showed success with Toronto (2.70 ERA, 35.7% strikeout rate) but in a very limited sample. So, an additional left-handed reliever to work alongside Little is a need that the team will likely try to address at the trade deadline. However, since Bruihl is in his final optionable season, I assume the Jays have plans for him to gain more MLB experience at some point this year. View full article

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