Eric Lauer Has Had Historically Strong Start To His Blue Jays Tenure
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The Toronto Blue Jays have had an impressive stretch of baseball over the last month and a half, propelling themselves into the American League East lead with a 50-38 record.
Surpassing both the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays in the process, the Blue Jays have found their stride after hovering around the .500 mark to start the season.
Now they are not only competing, but dominating their competition in many cases.
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This is a much different experience compared to recent years, and it is an exciting time to watch Toronto as they continue to build off of their momentum.
One of the biggest keys to this success has been their bullpen, which is among the MLB's best in many key statistics on the year and has been performing at the highest possible level recently.
A good starting rotation can take a team far, but a good bullpen is what supplements them and ensures games are won.
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One offseason acquisition for the Blue Jays has been involved in both.
Eric Lauer, who Toronto signed this past winter from overseas, has become an important part of this pitching staff with his ability to start games and come out of the bullpen.
He has been so dominant during his tenure with the team that he is now among only two other Blue Jays in history in this specific statistic.
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According to Mitch Bannon of The Athletic, he ranks third among Toronto pitchers all-time in ERA through their first 13 appearances. With a 2.65 ERA currently, the only two who were better during that span of time are Roger Clemens (1.94) and Tom Candiotti (2.58).
Lauer has been exceptional for this team after they were struggling in the rotation for some time, and with just nine earned runs across five starts since he was converted into a starter, his production might have changed the outlook for the Blue Jays going forward.
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Jeremy Trottier started his writing journey with WBLZ Media, and has worked through multiple publications with 247Sports, USA Today, Fansided, SBNation and others. He is an avid fan of motorsports and most sports in general, and has completed a degree in sports management to further understand the sports industry. During his time with sports media, he has been credentialed for coverage of Boston College sports, and can often be found attending their football and basketball games as well as expected coverage of their men’s soccer team in the near future. Sports are a large part of his life and career, as he looks to pursue a full time role within the industry someday.