Better know your Blue Jays 40-man: Ryan Borucki

Unlike most of the Blue Jays pitching prospects, Ryan Borucki had a terrific 2017 season.

He started the season in Dunedin, had a 3.58 ERA in 19 games, 18 starts. In 98 innings he allowed 95 hits, 27 walks with 109 strikeouts.

Moved up to New Hampshire, Ryan made 7 starts, had a 1.94 ERA. In 46.1 innings, he allowed 31 hits, 8 walks with 42 strikeouts. And then he had 1 start in Buffalo.

Ryan’s season went a long way to making up for lost time from his Tommy John surgery. His 150 innings was a career high and makes up almost half the innings he’s pitched in his minor league career. He’s had 2 (relatively) injury free seasons in a row now.

The basic question is:

Will we see him in Toronto this year?

I’d imagine the plan is that he’ll be in the Bisons’ starting rotation to start the season.

But, he’s a 6’4” lefty, who can throw mid-90s and the team only has Loup as a lefty we are, relatively, sure will be in the bullpen. If they don’t get anyone else and if Tim Mayza has poor spring or a slow start to the season, there would be a fair bit of pressure to try Ryan in the bullpen.

The Jays, back in the 80s, would use a young pitcher out of the bullpen, for his first season, figuring putting him in the pen gave him the chance to learn how to get major leaguers out in lower leverage spots.

These days, it seems, if we use a guy in relief early in his major league career, it is tough to have the courage to move him into the rotation.

Considering we’ve used one of his options, odds are we’ll see him at some point. If he’s in Buffalo, he’ll be battling Sean Reid-Foley, Tom Pannone, maybe Joe Biagini and Taylor Guerrieri for a call up when we need someone to come up when there is an injury.