Blue Jays: All-Time Drafted and Developed Relievers

#2 – Casey Janssen

Similar to Brett Cecil, Casey Janssen originally came up with the Blue Jays as a starting pitcher, however, excelled out of the bullpen and became the team’s closing pitcher for three seasons.

The Blue Jays took Janssen in the fourth round of the 2004 MLB draft out of UCLA after coming off a 10-4 senior season in college with a 3.16 ERA.  Immediately after being drafted Janssen was assigned to Auburn of Short-Season A baseball and was developed as a starting pitcher through the minors.  In 2005, which was his first full year of professional baseball, Janssen jumped three levels finishing the season in New Hampshire.

Janssen was able to jump to the majors in less than two years as on April 27, 2006 he made his major league debut against the Baltimore Orioles.  Janssen would make 17 starts that season and post a 6-10 record with a 5.07 ERA, but the club would move him almost full-time to the bullpen after that.  In his first full season with the Blue Jays in 2007 he would make 70 appearances out of the bullpen and collect six saves with a 2.35 ERA.  Things were looking up for him, however, during Spring Training in 2008 he suffered a torn labrum and would miss the entire season.

It would take Janssen a couple seasons to rebound from the injury and in 2010 he seemed to finally be fully recovered.  He went on a five year stretch where he had a sub 3.95 ERA in each year and became the closer in three of those years.  During that stretch Janssen record 83 saves and had a 2.99 ERA.   He finished his Blue Jays tenure with 29 wins and 90 saves in total, which puts him fifth all-time for Blue Jays closers.

Janssen would leave after the 2014 season in free agency and signed with the Washington Nationals.