Blue Jays pitching prospect eyes rotation for 2025
If the Toronto Blue Jays do not sign a starting pitcher by opening day, Buffalo Bisons right-handed pitching prospect Jake Bloss may be the next man up.
It's easy to forget that Jake Bloss just completed his first full professional season.
The Blue Jays' No. 3 prospect made his Major League debut, pitched at four levels of the Minors and was traded to a new organization in 2024.
MLB Pipeline ranked Bloss as the No. 178 prospect in the 2023 Draft class.
The Houston Astros selected him in the third round with the No. 99 overall selection, making him the highest drafted player in Georgetown history.
But the turbulent season was an objective success.
Bloss started the 2024 season in High-A, where he had a 2.08 ERA and a 2.81 FIP in 17.1 innings pitched, with a 36.8 K% and an 11.8 BB%.
In Double-A, Bloss authored a 1.61 ERA and 3.30 FIP in 44.2 innings pitched, with a 21.2 K% and a 7.9 BB%.
He also had a one-game stint in Triple-A with the Astros, where he didn't allow a run in four innings of work.
Needing starters to eat innings as they dealt with rotation injuries in June, the Astros turned to Bloss.
He went just 3⅔ innings in his debut before exiting with right shoulder discomfort.
After a stint on the injured list and a rehab start for Triple-A Sugar Land, Bloss returned to the Houston rotation and made two more starts before being traded to the Blue Jays.
The Blue Jays first sent Bloss to their complex in Dunedin, Fla., wanting to limit his innings after the trade.
He then went to Buffalo and a pair of ugly outings inflated his ERA to 6.91 over his final eight appearances.
Bloss's first three starts didn't see him allow an earned run, before giving up 21 in 17.2 innings in his last five starts.
The Blue Jays don't have a whole lot of depth in the upper minors for starting pitchers.
Ricky Tiedemann and Chad Dallas were seen as depth options, but both dealt with injuries and eventually went down with Tommy John.
Alek Manoah also had Tommy John surgery and isn't expected back until August.
Yariel Rodriguez seems to be destined to be part of Toronto's bullpen after an underwhelming 2024 as a starter.
If the Blue Jays do not acquire a back end starter for their rotation by Opening Day, this will be an opportunity for Bloss to win a job in the rotation this spring.
Toronto made eight deals and landed 13 players, including eight of their top 30 prospects, in what could be a franchise-changing Trade Deadline.
Bloss seems best suited among that bunch to provide quick and significant impact.
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