The Blue Jays starting rotation has avoided major injuries each of the last two seasons, but at some point that string of good luck is going to come to an end. When it does, the quality of depth will determine whether that becomes a minor inconvenience or something that knocks the team out of contention.
Jake Bloss is a member of that first line of defence. The 23-year-old right-hander was acquired in last year’s trade that sent Yusei Kikuchi to Houston. He’s not a threat to crack the opening-day roster, but he figures to factor into the big-league equation when the need arises.
Bloss arrived in the majors prematurely last year when injuries decimated the Astros rotation. But after having time to settle in and make adjustments in the Jays system, Bloss is better prepared for a similar opportunity.
“They’ve been very clear, very straightforward, which I like because you don’t want any ambiguity,” Bloss said this spring. “So right after the trade, I went up to Toronto, talked to Ross (Atkins), talked to Mark (Shapiro) and they let me know the plan going forward, and then I came down to Dunedin for the whole off-season.”
The front office gave Bloss the task of overhauling his workout routine. The Jays wanted him to “clean up” a few things from a fitness standpoint and to gain strength. There were also a few minor changes to his delivery and pitch arsenal.
Getting stronger was a priority because Bloss faded toward the end of a chaotic 2024. He tossed a career-high 105 innings, but perhaps the most physically demanding aspect was that he did it for five teams. Bloss made four starts at Class-A, eight at Double-A, nine at Triple-A and three in the majors with the Astros.
The constant shuffling meant Bloss never felt at home for more than a few weeks at a time. This year should be different. He’ll open the season with Triple-A Buffalo and remain there until his performance or an injury forces the Jays to make a move.
“He’s a cerebral, smart kid,” Jays manager John Schneider said. “Big, athletic, durable guy. We forget how young he is and he’s still learning. But he has big stuff, and I think he has done a good job this off-season of understanding how it works.”
Bloss’s quick rise last year sent him soaring up a lot of prospect rankings. He was considered the Jays’ third-best prospect by MLB Pipeline, trailing infielder Orelvis Martinez and last year’s first-round pick, Trey Yesavage. He was also ranked the No. 66 prospect in baseball by FanGraphs, one of only two Jays to crack the top 100.
If everyone stays healthy this spring, the Jays are set to open the season with a starting staff of José BerrÃos, Kevin Gausman, Max Scherzer, Chris Bassitt and Bowden Francis. Three of those starters — Gausman, Scherzer and Bassitt — are at least 34 years old, while Francis has never been a member of a rotation for a full season.
Bloss, who allowed a pair of solo homers in two innings of work against the Yankees on Friday night, isn’t going to win a job over anyone on that list. But a strong spring, followed by a positive opening stretch in Buffalo, would put him in position to become the next in line. He’ll face competition from swingmen such as Yariel RodrÃguez and Ryan Yarbrough, but considering the lack of prospects, there won’t be too many guys in the minors vying for his spot.
“We have five really good starters right now,” said Bloss, who had a 3.18 ERA while striking out 88 in 93 1/3 minor-league innings last season. “Whatever role they see me filling to help the team win games, I’ll do, whatever capacity that might be. But I definitely want to help the team win this year.”
The Jays required just 10 starters to get through the 162-game schedule last season and three of them — Ryan Burr, Paolo Espino and Trevor Richards — barely count. They had three pitchers make at least 30 starts, and there would have been a fourth if Kikuchi had not been dealt. They needed just eight starters in 2023 and four appeared in at least 31 games.
Compare that to the Astros, who had just one pitcher make 30 starts while using 12 guys in the role. They had two pitchers crack 30 starts in 2023 and required 10 to get through the year. Most teams experience something similar.
The Jays rotation has been an outlier each of the last two seasons. The hope is that trend will continue, but if it doesn’t, they can at least take comfort in knowing they have a competent replacement waiting for his shot.
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation