The Toronto Blue Jays are looking to bolster their starting pitching position this offseason, despite retaining Shane Bieber, who opted to stay with the team. Bieber currently has Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, and Trey Yesavage, but how they’ll fill the remaining starting pitching position is a big question mark. Names like Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt are about to hit free agency, and while Berríos is likely to stick around after his season-ending injury, the Blue Jays are likely to sign another starter from the free-agent list.
One name worth noting is Brandon Woodruff — a 6-foot-3 right-handed pitcher who has been a top performer in the National League when fully fit. Since joining the Milwaukee Brewers’ starting rotation in 2019, Woodruff has posted a 2.93 ERA from 2019-2023—fourth among all starting pitchers in MLB, behind only Jacob DeGrom, Justin Verlander, and Clayton Kershaw.
His most notable season was 2021: he posted a 2.56 ERA, a 10.6 strikeouts-per-9 (K/9) ratio, and a 2.2 walks-per-9 (BB/9) ratio in 30 starts, finishing fifth in National League Cy Young voting.
Woodruff has also been very good in the playoffs: from 2018-2021, he posted a 3.18 ERA, 1.90 FIP, 0.84 WHIP, 12.7 K/9, and 1.4 BB/9 in 28.1 innings. He has been outstanding in big games with his ability to create lots of “whiffs” and keep the ball in the strike zone. He primarily uses four pitches: the four-pack fastball, sinker, changeup, and cutter; he also throws a curveball and sweeper, but they only account for about 5% of his pitches.
However, Woodruff’s big issue is his health. Shoulder surgery in October 2023 caused him to miss the entire 2024 season, only returning in July 2025. The 2025 season was a good one, but he only started 12 times: 3.20 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 11.6 K/9, and 1.9 BB/9—numbers that would have been career highs if he had played the entire season. At the same time, his average fastball velocity dropped to 93.0 mph from over 96.0 mph before the injury. He was also hampered by ankle tendinitis in May, an elbow injury in June, and a back strain in September that kept him out of action.
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