These Blue Jays Relievers Deserve More Credit So Far This Season
Yimi Garcia
In spring training, Garcia looked solid, and so far he has carried that over into the regular season. He also put up impressive numbers for the Blue Jays last season and was used often in key situations and jams. In 2023, Garcia appeared in a career-high 73 games, the fourth most in the AL. He also set personal bests in innings pitched (66.0) and strikeouts (79). He certainly was dominant, stranding 28 of his 35 inherited runners. There’s no wonder Garcia pitched so often, as he was one of the most consistent and solid pitchers in the pen for the Blue Jays last season. Now, he is picking up where he left off, notching his first win of the season and recording a strikeout against the New York Yankees. The Yankees were shut out in their home opener for the first time since 1967.
If there’s any pitcher that the Blue Jays don’t miss facing, it is Chad Green. Green wore out Blue Jays hitters when he was with the Yankees. They acquired Green from the New York Yankees in last year’s offseason, and he finally pitched for them toward the end of the season as he was recovering from Tommy John surgery. Green has found a nice home with the Blue Jays, and he’s shown consistency. Green picked up his first save of the season against his former team and pitched one inning. While he did give up two hits, they didn’t amount to anything, and he didn’t give up any runs.
Strong Pen Equals Success
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