Toronto Blue Jays Biggest Question Lies on the Mound With Starting Rotation
The Toronto Blue Jays are one of the hottest teams in baseball, winning 11 out of their last 14 games to push their record to 36-30 on the season.
Six games above .500 is a watermark for the franchise, which has been as streaky as any team in baseball. Most recently, those streaks have been of the winning variety, not losing, thrusting them into the playoff picture in the American League.
If the Blue Jays are going to remain in the race, they have a few areas of concern to figure out.
More news: Toronto Blue Jays Call Up Veteran Starter After Minnesota Twins Loss
The biggest concern is their starting pitching, where they need to find some depth behind Chris Bassitt, Kevin Gausman and Jose Berrios.
As shared by Tim Britton of The Athletic (subscription required), Toronto is seven games above .500 when one of those three players is taking the mound. When it is anyone else, they are under .500, struggling to remain competitive.
Bowden Francis, who offered plenty of intrigue last year in his first opportunity as a starter at the Major League level, has not come close to replicating that level of success.
He has a 6.12 ERA and 1.56 WHIP across 13 starts and 60.1 innings pitched with 50 strikeouts and 24 walks. That is already more walks than he issued in 2024 despite pitching 42.1 fewer innings thus far.
More news: Watch: Blue Jays Prospect Rafael Sanchez Finish Off Complete Game No-Hitter
His runs and earned run totals in 2025 have also surpassed what he surrendered last year.
The injury to one of their big free agent splashes, Max Scherzer, has also set back the starting rotation.
Scherzer made his debut with the team on March 29 and has not gotten back on the mound yet. But he is making progress through his rehab and should be back in the mix in the near future.
More news: Will Toronto Blue Jays Risk Losing All-Star Slugger in Free Agency?
His presence will be a major boost for the pitching staff. If he can stay healthy, he is capable of providing exactly what Toronto needs to round out their rotation.
Keep an eye on the Blue Jays as a team that will be aggressive ahead of the trade deadline. Given how much they spent over the winter, as long as they have a pulse when it comes to the postseason race, they are going to seek upgrades.
For More Blue Jays Coverage, Check Out Blue Jays On SI
