Breakout Candidates: Ryan Borucki

Ryan Borucki is a former 15 round selection for the Blue Jays who made his MLB debut in 2018, his age 24 season. Drafted out of high school, the career long Jay has been a significant contributor for the team when healthy, and could be a staple in the rotation after the COVID-19 suspensions proved beneficial for the young lefty and his reappearing injuries. He looks to compete for the 5th spot in a rotation full of veterans in the 2020 season.

2018 was a tough year for the Blue Jays. After losing several pieces from the contending core, the team was now ready to commit to a full scale rebuild. Among many of the prospects making their debut was Ryan Borucki. Despite being a rated prospect in the organization, Borucki’s strong rookie campaign was an unexpected surprise for many, as he became arguably the most dependable pitcher in a rotation featuring proven talent and potential, such as Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez, Marco Estrada, top prospect Sean Reid-Foley, and others. He wound up finishing the season with a strong 3.87 ERA, a 1.321 WHIP, and an impressive 0.6 HR/9 in 17 starts. Through his 97.2 innings, he quickly became a favourite amongst fans, and a staple in the 2019 rotation.

After an impressive rookie season, Borucki’s time with the team was put on hold due to an injury out of spring training. The team’s young lefty would be placed on the 60 day DL with elbow inflammation, which originally wasn’t considered serious. The Jays rotation struggled throughout the year, as they kept losing their top arms in Shoemaker (torn ACL), Stroman (traded to Mets), Sanchez (traded to Astros), and of course Borucki. After a long wait, Borucki made his season debut on July 22nd, four months into the season, and it wasn’t pretty. Two starts later with a 10.80 ERA, Borucki would find himself back on the 60 day after undergoing surgery to remove a bone spur in his elbow, which kept him sidelined for the remainder of the season.

2020 has been another tough year for Borucki. After returning early in spring, he was quickly put down again with more elbow pain/inflammation. He was largely no longer being considered for the rotation, but the season suspension could have put him back in the conversation. Without a doubt he is someone the Blue Jays have in their long term plans, and the extra time off could’ve been exactly what he needed to push him to a breakout year. He has proven that he can be successful at the big league level, and the team has few other starting lefty options, proving he is someone the team needs to step up. The only question is if he can remain healthy, which is the clear biggest factor for Borucki in 2020. If he manages to pull together 20-25 starts, 2020 could be a serious breakout season for him. He has proven to be a critical piece for the rotation, but this is likely his last chance to make the rotation, which is why it is such an important year for him to breakout. His previous stats show him as a real breakout candidate, and there is no better time. Otherwise, he could see a move to the bullpen going into the future.