The Toronto Blue Jays have an exciting pitching rotation heading into the 2023 season. After making the playoffs in 2021 and 2022, the Blue Jays are looking to build on their recent success and contend for a World Series title. Their pitching staff will play a crucial role in helping them achieve that goal. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the key pitchers on the Blue Jays roster and what roles they could fill this season.
Projected Starting Rotation
The Blue Jays starting rotation appears to be set heading into spring training. Here are the five pitchers projected to open the season in the starting rotation:
Name | 2022 Stats |
---|---|
Alek Manoah | 16-7, 2.24 ERA, 196 Ks |
Kevin Gausman | 12-10, 3.35 ERA, 205 Ks |
Jose Berrios | 11-7, 5.23 ERA, 166 Ks |
Yusei Kikuchi | 6-7, 5.49 ERA, 127 Ks |
Mitch White | 1-6, 5.05 ERA, 74 Ks |
Alek Manoah
Alek Manoah will anchor the rotation again in 2023 after emerging as the Blue Jays ace in 2022. He finished third in AL Cy Young voting after going 16-7 with a 2.24 ERA and 196 strikeouts over 196.2 innings. The 24-year-old displays overpowering stuff, averaging 96 mph on his fastball while mixing in a wicked slider. Manoah provides the rotation with a true frontline starter and will likely take the mound on opening day. He’ll be looking to pad his resume with a breakout third season as he establishes himself among the American League’s elite pitchers.
Kevin Gausman
Kevin Gausman will slot in behind Manoah after signing a five-year, $110 million contract last offseason. The veteran right-hander delivered a strong debut season for Toronto, going 12-10 with a 3.35 ERA and 205 strikeouts over 174.2 innings. Gausman features a mid-90s fastball, terrific splitter and improved slider. The 32-year-old has found more consistency the past two seasons and provides the rotation with a high-end No. 2 starter. Gausman should deliver another 180+ inning, 200+ strikeout season while keeping his ERA around 3.00.
Jose Berrios
Jose Berrios is hoping to bounce back in 2023 after struggling to a 5.23 ERA last season. However, the Blue Jays are confident the 28-year-old will return to All-Star form this year. Berrios was an All-Star each season from 2018 to 2021 while pitching for the Twins, twice topping 200 innings and striking out 200+ batters. He has electric stuff, including a high-90s fastball and sharp breaking pitches. Berrios will need to improve his consistency and command after allowing an AL-high 37 home runs last year. If he can rediscover his form, he’ll give the Blue Jays three aces at the top of their rotation.
Yusei Kikuchi
Yusei Kikuchi represents the biggest question mark in the rotation after struggling mightily in his first season with Toronto. The left-hander signed a three-year, $36 million contract last offseason but wound up getting demoted to the bullpen in August after pitching to a 5.19 ERA. Issues with control and home runs plagued Kikuchi all season long. The Blue Jays are hoping the 31-year-old can make necessary adjustments under the guidance of pitching coach Pete Walker. At his best, Kikuchi utilizes a mid-90s fastball and hard slider to miss bats. If he can harness his stuff, he’s capable of posting an ERA around 4.00 over 150+ innings. But Kikuchi will likely have a short leash if he continues to struggle.
Mitch White
Mitch White enters spring training as the front-runner for the final rotation spot after arriving in a midseason trade from the Dodgers. The 27-year-old posted a 2.58 ERA over nine appearances (seven starts) with the Blue Jays last season. However, he previously struggled in the Dodgers rotation which raises some questions. White owns a five-pitch mix highlighted by a low-90s sinker. He doesn’t have overpowering stuff but relies on mixing pitches and locating. If White can carry over his success from last season, he should capably round out the rotation. But he’ll be pushed by fellow young arms during spring training.
Bullpen
Beyond the starting five, the Blue Jays have several key bullpen arms that will be responsible for holding leads:
Jordan Romano
Jordan Romano will return as the team’s closer after an All-Star season. He converted 31 of 33 save chances last year while posting a 2.14 ERA and 83 strikeouts over 63.2 innings. Romano overpowers hitters with a sinker averaging 97 mph along with a slider and forkball. He’s established himself as one of baseball’s most dominant closers. As long as he stays healthy, Romano should rack up another 30+ save season in 2023.
Tim Mayza
Tim Mayza will reprise his role as the top setup man and late-inning lefty specialist. He quietly delivered a breakout season last year, posting a 2.88 ERA with 12.7 K/9 over 58.2 innings. Mayza limited left-handed hitters to just a .483 OPS last season. His heavy sinker and sharp slider is a tough matchup for same-side hitters. Mayza will team up with Romano to lock down the late innings.
Adam Cimber
Adam Cimber was an unsung hero in the Blue Jays bullpen last season, posting a 2.88 ERA over 68.2 innings. While he doesn’t light up the radar gun, Cimber generates tons of weak contact thanks to his funky sidearm delivery. He held right-handed hitters to a puny .520 OPS last season and is absolute death on same-side hitters. Cimber will reprise his role as a high-leverage setup man and provide invaluable middle relief.
Yimi Garcia
Hard-throwing righty Yimi Garcia figures to occupy a late-inning role after signing a two-year, $11 million contract. Garcia has a huge fastball that sits 96-98 mph along with a quality slider. He comes with some control issues but has consistently delivered solid numbers. Over the past four seasons, Garcia has pitched to a 3.88 ERA with 10.8 K/9 over 229.1 innings. He’ll slot in alongside Mayza and Cimber as part of the bridge to Romano.
Anthony Bass
Veteran Anthony Bass gives the Blue Jays another late-inning option from the right side. He delivered a 1.54 ERA over 50 appearances last season before suffering a season-ending injury. Bass doesn’t blow hitters away but succeeds by keeping the ball on the ground and limiting hard contact. He induces plenty of weak fly balls and grounders thanks to a heavy sinker. Bass provides valuable versatility, capable of pitching multiple innings or facing tough righties in big spots.
Zach Pop
Hard-throwing righty Zach Pop showed glimpses of dominance last season as a rookie. While he battled some control issues, Pop averaged nearly 98 mph on his fastball and posted an 11.1 K/9 over 35 innings. The 25-year-old combines electric stuff with an energy-charged mentality. Pop will likely occupy a middle relief role but could see more high-leverage spots if he harnesses his command. His power arsenal gives him late-inning upside.
Others
The Blue Jays haveenviable pitching depth with several other arms capable of contributing in the bullpen. Left-handers like Andrew Vasquez, Matt Gage and Foster Griffin will compete for spots as situational options. Young righties Bowden Francis, Trent Thornton, Julian Merryweather and Casey Lawrence provide starting rotation depth. Top prospects like Ricky Tiedemann, Hayden Juenger and Kendry Rojas could also make their MLB debuts later in the season.
Projected Pitching Roles
Based on the above analysis, here are the projected pitching roles for the Blue Jays:
Starting Rotation
Alek Manoah
Kevin Gausman
Jose Berrios
Yusei Kikuchi
Mitch White
Bullpen
Closer: Jordan Romano
Key Setup Men: Tim Mayza, Adam Cimber, Yimi Garcia
Middle Relief: Anthony Bass, Zach Pop
Situational Lefties: Andrew Vasquez, Matt Gage, Foster Griffin
Spot Starters/Long Relief: Bowden Francis, Trent Thornton, Julian Merryweather, Casey Lawrence
Conclusion
The Blue Jays possess a formidable collection of starting pitching and bullpen arms entering the 2023 MLB season. The rotation features five capable starters, led by budding ace Alek Manoah. Kevin Gausman provides a frontline sidekick while Jose Berrios is primed for a bounce-back. Yusei Kikuchi and Mitch White will battle for the fifth spot.
The bullpen is deep and versatile with defined roles. Jordan Romano headlines the relief corps as an elite closer. Veterans like Tim Mayza, Adam Cimber and Anthony Bass excel in setup spots. New additions Yimi Garcia and Zach Pop add firepower from the right side. Several prospects like Ricky Tiedemann could provide reinforcements later in the year.
With a balanced staff of arms capable of missing bats and keeping runs off the board, the Blue Jays pitching looks ready to help push the team on a deep playoff run this season. The mix of rising stars and established veterans should give Toronto one of the better staffs in the American League. Their development will be key to ending the franchise’s World Series drought dating back to 1993.