The Toronto Blue Jays are looking to enhance their starting pitching staff by targeting Joe Ryan, aiming to improve their rotation as they pursue their first American League Division Series (ALDS) bye since 2022. Despite having reliable veterans like Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, and Jose Berrios, the Blue Jays’ rotation lacks the elite edge necessary to contend with top teams this season.
Their top three starters do not rank among the top 25 in either ERA or FIP, which underscores the need for an upgrade in this area. The Blue Jays face pressure to reinforce their pitching rotation ahead of the postseason run, with Joe Ryan emerging as the most sought-after available starter in the market.
Joe Ryan’s Outstanding Performance and Pitching Skillset
The 29-year-old right-hander from the Minnesota Twins is enjoying the best season of his career, boasting a 2.82 ERA and recording 137 strikeouts with only 24 walks over 121 1/3 innings. Ryan’s ability to limit walks and avoid balls in play, reflected in a 24.4 percent K-BB%, ranks third in Major League Baseball, demonstrating elite control and efficiency on the mound.
Ryan utilizes a six-pitch arsenal, led by a four-seam fastball that he throws just over half the time. This pitch is ranked as the best in baseball by Statcast with a plus-21 run value, aided by exceptional location skills rather than sheer velocity. Clocked at 93.5 m.p.h., his fastball features 13.5 inches of vertical movement, and his pitch placement ranks third among starters when adjusted for count and pitch type.
Alongside his fastball, Ryan employs a sweeper, splitter, sinker, slider, and an occasional curveball. His sweeper generates the highest whiff rate in his repertoire at 37 percent due to its significant horizontal movement, while his sinker stands out for generating a putaway rate of 24 percent, contributing effectively to strikeouts.
His most recent outing showcased his dominance: seven innings pitched, five hits allowed, zero walks, and 11 strikeouts.
Contract Details and Trade Considerations
Ryan is under team control for two more years of arbitration before reaching free agency in 2028, making him a valuable asset but a costly acquisition. His salary for the current season stands at $3 million, with expectations of increased arbitration raises in coming years.
The Blue Jays appear willing to invest heavily to secure Ryan given their strong position in the division race and the desire to clinch a postseason bye. This strategy reflects the urgency in assembling a rotation capable of competing at the highest level and overcoming their playoff inconsistencies.
Impact of Joe Ryan on Blue Jays’ Postseason Prospects
Adding Joe Ryan would immediately establish him as Toronto’s premier starter, potentially slotting ahead of veterans like Kevin Gausman in the pitching order. This pairing would provide the Blue Jays with dependable starting options for the opening games of a playoff series, boosting team confidence.
While Chris Bassitt and Jose Berrios remain viable playoff starters, their uneven performances and concerning underlying stats, especially in Berrios’s case, highlight why a move for Ryan makes sense. Ryan’s status as a younger, prime-age, and controllable starter makes him significantly more valuable than the Blue Jays’ previous acquisition of Berrios, which involved trading top prospects Simeon Woods Richardson and Austin Martin to Minnesota in 2021.
With the Blue Jays currently holding a 95.5% chance of reaching the playoffs and a 7.2% probability of winning the World Series, according to FanGraphs, securing a pitcher like Ryan is not a short-term rental but a long-term investment expected to fortify their rotation over the next few seasons.