The Blue Jays’ starters present a volatile mix of breakout potential and glaring uncertainty as the 2025 campaign approaches. DD
The Toronto Blue Jays had a starting rotation that certainly had some ups and downs during the regular season.
The members of the Toronto Blue Jays who swung bats were constantly stealing the show during the 2025 season and then again during the playoffs. But without their pitching staff there is no way they make it into the World Series. Still, was that their Achilles’ heel this year?
Ultimately it is hard to say that the Blue Jays didn’t win the Fall Classic because of their pitching staff. This is a team game and there were many moments in the matchup with the reigning world champions that the ballclub failed to capitalize on both at the plate and in the field.
However, at first glance, it is obvious that the pitching staff was ultimately not nearly as strong as their roster full of sluggers. By the end of the season as only 12 teams had an ERA over 4.00 by the end of the year and that included the Jays.
It isn’t necessarily fair to say that the whole season represented the pitching staff however as the team only got better as the year went on especially during the final month of the season and into the playoffs where they dropped their 4.19 regular season ERA to 3.86.
Blue Jays Main Arms in the RotationEmpty heading
Chris Bassitt and Kevin Gausman were the go-to men for the Jays this season with Gausman leading the charge across the board as easily the best pitcher on the team. Even though he was the headliner, Bassitt was right behind him across the board.
*Note* These are looking at Gausman’s stats in 32 starts (most on the team).
- 10-11 Record
- 3.59 ERA
- 189 Strikeouts
- 1.06 WHIP
- .216 Opponent’s Batting Average
- 50 Walks
The problem outside of Gausman and Bassitt is that no other guys, besides Eric Lauer who was moved into the bullpen, who posted an ERA under 4.00 including Max Scherzer, Bowden Francis and José Berríos.
The Blue Jays didn’t have the elite rotation that a ballclub would hope for during the regular months of the season, specifically after the trade deadline, which has to give management a lot to be excited about.
The turnaround started with the trade for Cy Young winner Shane Bieber and even though he had yet to throw a pitch on a Major League mound when he arrived it was the right call. Bieber combined with the young phenom that is Trey Yesavage could easily put Toronto on the map as one of the best in baseball.
It is hard to look at the 4.19 ERA and 1.27 WHIP that the Blue Jays had this season and think many good things happened, but they did and it isn’t necessarily about how the pitching staff started, but how they ended which gives a lot to look forward to for 2026.
