The Blue Jays have spent this month winning with arms, and the numbers back it up. They’re 10-6 so far in August with a 2.87 ERA, easily their best pitching month of the season.
At the top of the list is Dylan Cease, who has looked every bit like a front-line starter. Over three outings, he’s gone 0-0 with a 2.45 ERA in 18.1 innings, holding hitters to a .158/.236/.274 line with 27 strikeouts.
The damage against him has been light, though runners have been able to move once they reach base: opponents stole 14 bags in those 18.1 innings, with only two caught. He’s had two Quality Starts and another outing that would have qualified if he had gone one more inning.
Even in his best start - seven innings, two hits, one walk and 10 strikeouts - the Jays still couldn’t get him a win. In all three starts, he struck out more batters than innings pitched.
Shane Bieber has also done his part, even if the results have been a little uneven. He’s made three starts, gone 2-0 with a 3.63 ERA, and worked 17.1 innings while allowing a .271/.329/.414 line.
Two of those starts were excellent, with him giving up just one run in 5.2 innings and six innings, respectively. The third was rough: five earned runs in 5.2 innings, in a game the Jays lost in 12.
He hasn’t looked like an ace, but he’s been solid enough, and the source material notes that the bad outing came right before the trade deadline, which was taken as a sign of how much he wanted to stay with the team. What happens in free agency will be worth watching.
Max Scherzer has kept rolling too. In three starts, he’s 0-1 with a 2.20 ERA across 16.1 innings, and hitters have managed just a .197/.234/.328 line against him.
He’s given up two home runs, three walks and 13 strikeouts. One start qualified as a Quality Start, and the other two would have if he’d worked six innings instead of five.
All three were good: one run, two runs, one run. The expectation was that this would be his final season, and the source flatly says it really should be, but he’s still getting outs.
The bullpen has had its own set of bright spots. Braydon Fisher has been outstanding in a heavy workload, appearing in 10 games - including one opener - and posting a 0.82 ERA over 11 innings.
Opponents hit just .156/.325/.250 against him, and he’s picked up four holds. Yes, the walks are a problem, but the run prevention has been elite.
He allowed two runs in his most recent outing and took the loss, but those were the only runs he’s surrendered. When your ERA starts with a zero, that’s usually a good sign.
Tyler Rogers has been just as effective in his own way. He’s made nine appearances, gone 1-0 with two saves, and posted a 0.96 ERA in 9.1 innings.
Batters are hitting .182/.308/.182 against him, with six walks and only two strikeouts, and he’s added three holds. The strikeout total is ugly, but the overall results have been excellent.
There’s some concern about how he’ll age next year, especially since submarine pitchers often have that pattern of one strong year, one decent year and then a drop-off, but the source says Rogers looks better than most.
Mason Fluharty has been perfect in the run column: nine games, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, and no earned runs allowed in 6.2 innings. Hitters haven’t touched him at all, batting .000/.091/.000, and he’s struck out four while walking two.
He’s been especially strong against left-handed hitters, who are at a .453 OPS, while right-handed hitters have hurt him more at .918. John has been using him carefully, and that has paid off.
Brendon Little has been messy but effective. In seven games, he’s 0-1 with a 1.59 ERA in 5.2 innings, and hitters have posted a .235/.500/.294 line.
The walks are out of control - nine of them - but he’s also struck out nine, and the source makes clear that this is simply who he is. He’s brought his ERA under 10, though there’s no guarantee it stays there.
He’s arbitration eligible through after next year and also has an option left for next year, so the Jays are likely to keep him around.
José Soriano has been a useful short sample addition, too. In two starts, he’s 0-0 with a 1.69 ERA over 10.2 innings, allowing a .216/.310/.351 line with one home run, five walks and seven strikeouts.
One start lasted only 4.2 innings, but he allowed just one earned run. The other went six innings with one earned run again.
The source calls him a good pickup, while also noting that it’s only 10 innings.
Not every pitcher has been in the hot or cold lanes. Louis Varland sits in the middle after eight games with a 3.24 ERA, two wins, four saves and one blown save.
In 8.1 innings, hitters have gone .235/.294/.296 against him. He allowed three earned runs, plus four unearned runs, and hasn’t been quite as dominant as earlier in the season.
John appears to be handling him more carefully, which makes sense given the bullpen’s thin late-inning depth after the Hoffman trade. The source even points out that Lázaro Estrada got a save before being DFAed later.
Spencer Miles also lands in between. He’s appeared in seven games, gone 1-0 with one save and a 2.25 ERA, while hitters have tagged him for a .313/.324/.469 line in eight innings.
He’s limited the scoring, but the contact has been loud. After throwing just 8.2 innings in the Arizona Fall League and nothing before that last year, he’s now up to 78 innings.
The Jays are expected to be cautious with him the rest of the way, and unless injuries pile up, the source expects he won’t get beyond 90 innings.
There were plenty of other arms who logged a few innings here and there this month. Simeon Woods Richardson pitched in two games and threw 5.1 innings, allowing one run on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
The source says the team doesn’t seem to have much confidence in him, though he’s been pretty good. Lazaro Estrada worked in four games, covered 3.2 innings, and went 1-1 with a save, but also allowed three earned runs, walked five, struck out three, hit a batter, and added a balk and a wild pitch before being DFAed, though he remains in the system.
Chase Lee appeared in four games, picked up a win, and gave up five earned runs in 4.2 innings on six hits, including a homer, with four walks and one strikeout; he’s in Buffalo after another up-and-down stretch. Chad Dallas threw one game, allowing a run in 3.2 innings on two hits, two walks and two strikeouts.
Ricky Tiedemann was called up for one outing, worked 1.2 innings, allowed two hits and one earned run with two strikeouts, and was then sent back down. The source says that move didn’t make sense, especially since he wasn’t bad.
Matt Waldron pitched in three games, had two solid outings with a hold in one, and then got shelled in the other, allowing three runs while recording only one out. He’s still on the roster.
On the injured list, Spencer Arrighetti is dealing with Morton’s Neuroma in his right foot, a condition the source says includes sharp pain and burning, though he might still pitch for the team this season. Patrick Corbin is not expected back soon. Yimi García has thoracic outlet syndrome and may need an operation, which would likely end any chance of him pitching this year, though the source notes it’s still possible he could return before the season ends.
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