Blue Jays Minor League Watch: Brett Cecil Throws CG Shutout, Arm Strength Returning?

When Brett Cecil was slotted as the #3 pitcher in the Blue Jays rotation at the start of the season, I think a number of fans out there (myself included) expected something of a regression from the success of ’10, where Cecil posted a 4.03 ERA and a 2.17 K/BB ratio en route to a 15-win season (not that wins mean a whole lot). Opponents hit just .261 against Cecil last year partly due to his good control (2.81 BB/9), and part luck (.293 BABIP). Either way, it was the former that completely abandoned the starter at the beginning of the ’11 season, when he would make just 4 starts before being demoted to AAA, posting an ERA of 6.86 and a 4.71 BB/9 over 21 innings.  The problem was rooted in the fact that Cecil had lost a couple of ticks on his 90 MPH fastball; so he was sent to AAA to work on getting his arm strength right. It hasn’t been a smooth journey on his road back to the big club, but he has made some significant progress on the way. Making his 10th start for ...