The Blue Jays have added multiple pitchers this offseason. Hyun-Jin Ryu, Tanner Roark and Chase Anderson are scheduled to be pitching their first season as Blue Jays in 2020. A solid rotation can accommodate some young position players like Bo Bichette and Vlad Guerrero Jr.
The Blue Jays can contend in the AL East as the team north of the border has potential going into the 2020 season. Here is a potential pitching rotation for the Blue Jays to start the 2020 season.
The Blue Jays were able to sign Hyun-Jin Ryu to a four-year contract. Their potential ace finished second to Jacob deGrom in the NL Cy Young voting last season. Ryu posted a 2.32 ERA with a 1.007 WHIP in the 2019 regular season. That was over 29 starts and 182 2/3 innings pitched. He also only gave up 24 base on balls, and he recorded 163 strikeouts. The Blue Jays could use similar numbers this coming season from Ryu.
Tanner Roark started just 10 games for the A’s, posting a 4.58 ERA. (Image courtesy of NBC Sports)
Veteran starter Tanner Roark will be on his third team since the 2019 season. Last year he pitched for both the Reds and the Athletics, where he ended the regular season with a 4.35 ERA over 165 1/3 innings pitched. He finished 10th in the NL Cy Young voting in 2016, so Roark can provide some productive innings in Toronto. The offseason isn’t over yet, so if the Blue Jays add another notable pitcher, Roark may be lower than this to start the season.
Chase Anderson is in the American League for the first time in his career. He’s spent some time with the D-Backs before playing four seasons in Milwaukee. He’s had a pretty consistent career to this point, having a career 3.94 ERA with 4.39 being his highest ERA in a single season. Anderson could be a solid three starter in multiple big league rotations. However, being in the AL East could be challenging with teams like the Yankees and Rays on the schedule multiple times a season.
Matt Shoemaker only started in five games for the Blue Jays in 2019, but he provided some solid innings for the club. He posted a 1.57 ERA over 28 2/3 innings pitched. It’s a small sample size, but it can help show that Shoemaker is still talented enough to pitch at the big league level. The 33-year-old can be a helpful pitcher in this Blue Jays rotation.
Trent Thornton (Image courtesy of Daily Hive)
After his first big league season, Trent Thornton has an ERA of 4.84. He pitched 154 1/3 innings and made 32 appearances, including 29 starts. His 61 walks are kind of high, which contributed to his 1.406 WHIP. Adding some veteran pitchers to the roster can be beneficial for Thronton, who can develop with some help from those guys. If he does earn a spot in the rotation, he has potential to put up some impressive numbers at 26 years old.
Feature Image Courtesy of pitcherlist.com
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