Ryan Borucki was the Blue Jays 15th round draft pick back in 2012. A left-handed pitcher, he made it to the number 6 spot on our top 40 prospect list in 2018.
He had a crappy spring training that year and didn’t make the team out of spring training, but he got called up near the end of June. He made four starts, the fourth one wasn’t good (7 runs in 3 innings) and back to Buffalo he went. After 10 days he was back up to stay for the rest of the season.
He finished the season with a 3.87 ERA (and a 3.79 FIP), with 33 walks and 67 strikeouts in 97.2 innings. I was hopeful that he would cement his place in our rotation in 2019 but that didn’t happen.
What started as elbow inflammation and his season officially ended in August with surgery to remove bone spurs.
Hopefully, he will be back strong for spring training. Presuming he is 100% he’ll be in the mix for a back end spot in the rotation, but more likely he’ll end up in Buffalo among a handful of guys waiting for a spot to open in the rotation.
The rotation looks to be Ryu, Roark, Shoemaker, Anderson, and someone. Borucki, Anthony Kay, Trent Thornton, Shun Yamaguichi, Jacob Waguespack., T.J. Zeuch and Nate Pearson will all be looking for that fifth spot. I’m going to take it for granted that Peason is unlikely to break camp with the Jays for service time reasons if nothing else. Still, that leaves at least 5 other guys for Borucki to beat out if he is going to be in the rotation to start the season.
If we were to have all the pitching injuries we had last year, Ryan would be sure to be seen in Toronto at some point, but I’m hoping we have more luck this season.
Timing is everything in comedy and life. Without the injury Ryan very likely would have established himself in the rotation and he may have had a spot held for him in the rotation. As it is, his major league career is up in the air. He’ll be 26 in March
Steamer expects him to pitch 91 major league innings with a 5.05 ERA. I’d like to think his ERA will be better. The inning pitched is the question to me. He has a ton of competition. He has an option left so if he could be up and down a few times.
Poll
If the over/under on Borucki’s MLB innings pitched is 90 I’d take the
Poll
Which of these guys make the most Blue Jays starts this year?
This poll is closed
-
16%
Borucki
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8%
Kay
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9%
Pearson
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45%
Thornton
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18%
Yamaguichi
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2%
Zeuch