Toronto Blue Jays pitchers may prefer Buffalo over Dunedin

The Toronto Blue Jays pitchers may actually prefer Sahlen Feld in Buffalo rather than the warmer confines of Dunedin, Florida.

Blue Jays pitcher Ryan Borucki recently appeared on teammate Ross Stripling‘s Big Swing Podcast and shared his experiences pitching in Dunedin and how he thinks the team can once again use Buffalo to their advantage.

Borucki enlightened listeners with some bullpen tales along with his prediction for the upcoming Super Bowl but what stuck out to me was his preference to pitch in Buffalo over Dunedin. Borucki described the Dunedin stadium as a bandbox in the early months where balls fly out at a rapid pace

The southpaw indicated that the fences were brought in when the renovations were completed and now the ball flies out twice as much as Sahlen Field. The hurler joked about having PTSD from his days in Dunedin during his minor league stint where he gave up 10 homers in the span of four starts.

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Borucki also noted that the sun sets right in the crosshairs of third base making it difficult in the late afternoon for fielders. Borucki shared a story where third baseman Josh Donaldson booted three balls in one inning on a rehab assignment due to the sun.

Stripling also felt the Blue Jays had a clear advantage in Buffalo versus their opposition last year and the team clearly made the best of their situation. There is still no definitive answer on where the team will play in 2021 but all indications seem to point toward Dunedin.

The new facility would offer world class training resources for the team regardless of the propensity for home runs. The team could also begin the season in Florida and then shift to Buffalo once the thermometer becomes more baseball friendly.

If you haven’t given the podcast a listen, it is well worth your time. Stripling and his co-host Cooper Surles have had the likes of Robbie Ray, Bo Bichette and Clayton Kershaw on the show.