Cecil Breaks Jays Record: 38 Straight No Hits

Apr 25, 2013; Bronx, NY, USA; Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Brett Cecil (27) stands on the mound against the New York Yankees during the eighth inning at Yankee Stadium. Yankees won 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY SportsBrett Cecil hasn’t given up a hit to 38 straight batters. That’s a Toronto Blue Jays record. The previous record was 36 by David Cone.

You know David Cone, The 50 year old Yankees broadcaster that hasn’t played for the Blue Jays since 1995.

If something hasn’t been done since Cone played for the Jays you know it’s a hard thing to do.

Cecil tied and broke Cone’s record in style also retiring 36, 37 and 38 on 9 pitches. All strikes no balls.

It speaks to how dominant Cecil has been this season. On one hand it’s shocking, one the other hand it’s not at all.

Cecil is going to be just 27 years old in about 2 weeks.

He was once one of the Jays top prospects and had similar or maybe even better numbers to DAVID PRICE in the minor leagues. So if you need proof you shouldn’t take prospect scouting reports or rankings that seriously that’s it.

Cecil did have a good season with the Jays in his first full season starting games in 2010. He put up a 2.5 WAR in 28 starts with a decent enough strikeout per 9 innings rate of 6.10.

Cecil made 20 starts for the Jays in 2011 but he wasn’t as good but his strikeout per 9 went up to 6.33.

Going into 2012 Cecil was supposed to start for the Jays. But he had such an awful Spring Training that he didn’t make the team and was sent to the minors. A big part of his awfulness was that the velocity on his pitches magically went down.

Cecil eventually made it back to the big league team in 2012. He made 9 starts and 11 appearances out of the bullpen. His velocity still wasn’t back but his strikeout per 9 still went up to 7.48!

Little did we know Cecil was just getting started.

During the 2012 season the Jays traded for Steve Delabar. That has been as big a part of Cecil’s success this season as anything.

Delabar gave Cecil has workout program to use during the offseason.

Cecil used it and all of a sudden his velocity is back up to 94 this season.

That has helped Cecil take his strikeout per 9 to 10.22 this season!

That’s better than any other season Cecil has had including when he was in the minor leagues as a top prospect.

And what a season it’s been. In 37 innings Cecil has a 1.46 ERA, giving up just 6 runs to be exact, 17 hits, 42 strikeouts, 10 walks, batting average against of 137 and a 0.73 WHIP.

If he wasn’t a middle reliever for the Toronto Blue Jays those are going to the Al Star Game numbers.

A 26 year old lefty that used to be a top prospect and starter, getting his velocity back, pitching limited innings out of the bullpen, being good shouldn’t surprise anyone. But Cecil hasn’t just been good, he’s been outstanding.

And now his name is at the top of a Blue Jays franchise record with a current streak of 38 straight batters faced without giving up a hit.