The Blue Jays Bullpen
With Spring Training games fast approaching, it’s worth looking at the Toronto Blue Jays bullpen. According to Baseball-Reference, the Blue Jays bullpen was 8th in wins above replacement in 2019. Now with veterans like Daniel Hudson and David Phelps no longer on the team, the bullpen will look a lot different in 2020.
The Closer
Ken Giles
Since coming to the Blue Jays in 2018, Ken Giles has established himself as the team’s closer. In 53 innings, he managed an ERA of 1.87 and a WHIP of 1.000. What sets Giles apart is his strikeouts/9 which is 14.1. Unfortunately, Giles had some trouble with his elbow in 2019, which left him injured for a significant part of the season.
Giles has a repertoire of three pitches; his fastball, slider, and sinker. Despite common belief, Giles has a faster sinker (97.4 mph) than his four-seam fastball (96.9 mph). Giles only had 24 save opportunities for the Blue Jays in 2019 in which he got the save 23 times. Hopefully, Giles can have more save opportunities in 2020.
8th Inning Pitchers
Anthony Bass
Anthony Bass spent the 2019 season with the Seattle Mariners. In 48 innings pitched, Bass produced an ERA of 3.56, a WHIP of 0.979 and 43 strikeouts. In 2019, the right-hander was used primarily in the 8th inning. The Blue Jays could likely use him in the same role. His primary pitch is his sinker (95.3 mph), but the pitch he uses to strike out batters is his slider (87.3 mph).
A.J. Cole
A.J. Cole is a right-hander who spent the 2019 season with the Cleveland Indians. In 25 games, Cole pitched in 26 innings, with a WHIP of 1.500 and 10.4 strikeouts/9. Last year, the Indians used him mostly in the 8th inning. As the Blue Jays need a setup man, Cole has the chance to fill that role. Cole primarily uses his fastball and his slider; however, he also has a curveball, that he uses when ahead in the count and a change-up.
7th Inning Pitchers
Jordan Romano
Jordan Romano is a relief pitcher who grew up in Markham, Ontario. The 26-year-old made his debut with the Blue Jays in 2019. Romano pitched just 15.1 innings with the Blue Jays in 2019. However, with Triple-A Buffalo, he had an ERA of 5.73, a WHIP of 1.375 and 12.7 strikeouts/9. Romano primarily uses his four-seam fastball (94.6 mph) and slider (84.7 mph).
Justin Miller
Justin Miller received an invite to the Toronto Blue Jays Spring Training. In 2019, Miller pitched just 15.2 innings with the Washington Nationals. During last season, he produced an ERA of 4.02 with a WHIP of 1.277. Miller relies on his fastball (92.2 mph) using it about 70% of the time. Miller has spent most of his career pitching in the 7th and 8th innings.
Long Relievers
Sam Gaviglio
Sam Gaviglio is a crafty right-hander in the Blue Jays bullpen. His fastest pitch is his sinker (89.2 mph), which he uses to get strikes. His other pitch is the slider (84.3 mph) which he uses to chase hitters out of the strike zone. In 95.2 innings with the Blue Jays last season, he had an ERA of 4.61 with a WHIP of 1.118. The Blue Jays can use Gaviglio for multiple innings at a time.
Thomas Pannone
Originally, the Blue Jays used Thomas Pannone as a starter. However, last season Pannone only started 7 games. In 73 innings pitched, he had an ERA of 6.16 with a WHIP of 1.425. He is reliant on his four-seam fastball (89.7 mph) but also uses a curveball and a change-up. If he were to start the 2020 season in the bullpen, there’s a good chance that he could be a long reliever.
The Opener
Wilmer Font
The Toronto Blue Jays were the third team Wilmer Font played for in 2019. After coming to the Blue Jays in July, Font was used primarily as the team’s opener. Of the 23 games he pitched, he produced an ERA of 3.66 and a WHIP of 1.144. Moreover, the 29-year-old right-hander has 5 pitches; his four-seam fastball, his curveball, a slider, a sinker, and a split-finger fastball. Fans can expect Font to remain as an opener, with the odd appearance late in the game.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the Blue Jays bullpen consists of players that have to prove themselves. However, the Blue Jays have brought in some new faces to help fill those spots. While the Blue Jays’ starting rotation may be better on paper, these relievers will be relied upon to pitch in key situations throughout the season.
