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Can Paxton Schultz and Justin Bruihl be Toronto's answer in current pitching woes?

Relievers may add some swing-and-miss to bullpen in need of fresh arms.
ByJoe Olenick|
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Paxton Schultz throws a pitch against the Minnesota Twins earlier this month.
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Paxton Schultz throws a pitch against the Minnesota Twins earlier this month. | Ellen Schmidt/GettyImages

The Toronto Blue Jay newest relievers may bring something extra to a bullpen in need of some fresh arms. Right-hander Paxton Schultz and lefty Justin Bruihl joined the parent club Thursday, additions that were among a flurry of moves the Blue Jays made prior to playing the Arizona Diamondbacks. Schultz, 27, may be more familiar to fans, seeing as he appeared in eight games for the Jays before being sent to Buffalo a couple of weeks ago.

The arrival of these two pitchers could add some more swing-and-miss stuff to the Blue Jays relief corps. Strikeouts were the highlight when Schultz made his major-league debut April 20, as Schultz fanned eight Seattle Mariners over 4.1 innings. That tied a MLB record for the most strikeouts in a debut for a reliever. Schultz went on to strike out 24 over 17.1 innings, posting a 3.06 ERA and 1.24 WHIP.

With Buffalo, Schultz pitched to a 3.13 ERA and 1.08 WHIP over 23 innings, striking out 26 and walking eight. Schultz's strikeouts-per-9-inning ratio has continued to improve over the last couple of seasons, with his 10.2 rate this year in Buffalo among the best in his minor-league career. But it's actually below the 12.2 strikeouts-per-9-innings ratio he has with Toronto so far.

Bruihl, 27, has appeared in 25 games with Buffalo, pitching to a 3.81 ERA and 1.23 WHIP over 28.1 innings. His strikeout numbers have been good as well, as he has struck out 36 but walked 12 over
that span, averaging 11.4 strikeouts-per-9-innings and a slightly high 3.8 walks-per-9-innings. He gives Toronto another southpaw in the bullpen, as well as a reliever with an arsenal of pitches. Bruihl throws four pitches: a splitter, cutter, sinker and a sweeper/slider that he calls his best pitch.

Bruih
Aug 11, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Justin Bruihl (55) throws to the plate in the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Bruihl also comes with major-league experience and some postseason innings under his belt. He broke into the majors in 2021 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, posting a 2.89 ERA in 21 games. Bruihl even made the Dodgers' NLCS roster, appearing in three games, striking out five in two scoreless innings of work, allowing just a lone single.

Since then, Bruihl has bounced back and forth between the minors and majors, pitching for the Colorado Rockies and the Pittsburgh Pirates. He's logged 76 innings in 79 games at the major-league level, with a 4.62 ERA, a 1.27 WHIP and 51 strikeouts.

Both Paxton and Bruihl also offer flexibility, as both pitchers have options remaining. That means they can be sent back to Buffalo for fresh arms without fear of the Blue Jays losing them.