Shane Bieber Was As Advertised in Spectacular Blue Jays Debut
In this story:
It had been over 500 days since Shane Bieber threw on a major league mound during a game, but in his Toronto Blue Jays debut, he didn't disappoint.
After getting Tommy John surgery in April of 2024, the road back was a long one. But during his highly-anticipated first outing for the Blue Jays on Friday, the past AL Cy Young-winning version of Bieber was on display.
He found a rhythm early in the contest after his offense put up a three-run first inning that was led by Daulton Varsho. This allowed Bieber to step on the mound with an immediate lead. The right-hander didn't squander that advantage as he struck out nine batters while giving up just one run on two hits across six innings with no walks, mixing a heavy dose of his fastball and slider, both of which he threw around 29% of the time.
The Blue Jays held on to win in Bieber's team debut, and they now own the third-best record in the MLB at 75-54. With a five-game lead in the AL East entering play on Saturday, Toronto should only grow stronger as they head into the final month of the season with their new ace in the rotation.
Bieber Fever
The Blue Jays acquired Bieber from the Cleveland Guardians ahead of the trade deadline even though he was still working through his rehab process. His performance against the Marlins showed why they were willing to wait for his return to the mound.
“I was able to fall into a nice little rhythm pretty early tonight, and that’s a big part of pitching, especially for me,” Bieber said, per MLB.com. “It felt very familiar. I was happy with how everything felt. It didn’t feel foreign whatsoever.”
His changeup also proved to be effective, garnering three strikeouts despite only being used 11 times. It generated a 66.7% whiff percentage, which is an incredible number. His storied slider also saw the same success, as Miami whiffed on it 41.2% of the time and failed to get a hit off of it through the six innings of work.
“I’m very happy with how tonight went. It’s been a long road. I’m happy to continue to build off how I was 16 months ago. I feel like I’m continuing to get better. A lot of positive signs. It’s just a matter of continuing to put one foot in front of the other and building,” Bieber added.
With Bieber's return and Max Scherzer becoming an effective starter once again, the Blue Jays enter the most critical time of the season with one of the best rotations in the MLB if that trend continues. Pair that with the lethal offense that has been on display throughout the year, then expectations should be high heading into October.
More Blue Jays News
JD Andress is an accomplished sports writer and journalist with extensive experience covering a wide range of collegiate sports. JD has provided in-depth coverage of the TCU Horned Frogs and the Texas Longhorns. He looks forward to being part of the coverage of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. His experience spans various sports, including football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, rifle, equestrian, and others, reflecting his broad interest and commitment to sports journalism.