Blue Jays 2024 Player Review: Ryan Burr was one of the few bright spots in the bullpen

Originally posted on Bluejaysnation | By Ryley Delaney | Last updated Oct 26, 2024 8:00 AM ET

The 2024 Toronto Blue Jays had a revolving door of relievers, especially toward the end of the season.

It was a far cry from the 2023 roster, which was not only good, but had a regular cast that included Erik Swanson, Jordan Romano, Tim Mayza, Trevor Richards, and a handful of others.

Two relievers weren’t on the 2023 roster that became somewhat of a regular before the Jays decided to sell, Brendon Little and Ryan Burr. In this article, we’ll look at Ryan Burr’s 2024 season.

Ryan Burr in 2024…

ERA: 4.13

Innings Pitched: 32.2

fWAR: 0.4

FIP: 3.07

Strikeouts: 47

Walks: 12

K%: 33.6

BB%: 8.6

WHIP: 1.26

Salary: $740,000

At the end of May, the Blue Jays traded cash to the Philadelphia Phillies for Ryan Burr. In return, Toronto received a solid reliever who could pitch for the team from 2025 onward. He became a regular in early July finishing with a 4.13 ERA and a 3.07 FIP in 32.2 innings pitched, with a 33.6 K% and an 8.6 BB%.

The most intriguing part about Burr is the high strikeout rate. Of pitchers with five or more innings pitched with the Jays in 2024, Burr’s 33.6 K% ranked second on the team, only behind Yimi García before he was traded. Those were the only two pitchers with a K% above 30% as the team just didn’t strike out many batters.

Burr also has some versatility for the Jays, starting four games over the last month and a bit of the season. Of course, the Blue Jays returned to an opener, where Burr had a 3.38 ERA and a 0.92 FIP in 5.1 innings pitched, with a 37.5 K% and a 4.2 BB%. Hopefully, the Blue Jays actually contend in 2025 and don’t need an opener, but if they do, Burr would be a good option.

Despite only averaging 94.1 mph with a slider, Burr is terrific at generating whiffs (31.9%) and had a great chase rate of 33.8%, ranking him in a high percentile according to Baseball Savant if he had enough innings pitched. Moreover, his fastball plays up thanks to his extension, being in the 90% percentile.

Burr may not make the 2025 Blue Jays out of Spring Training depending on the moves the team makes. However, he has one more option season remaining in 2025, meaning he’s a great depth piece for the Blue Jays.