Former Blue Jays fan favorite pitcher retires after nine MLB seasons

In 2022, Ross Stripling pitched his way into Blue Jays’ lore with a second half for the ages on Toronto’s quest toward a postseason berth. 

On Monday, the 35-year-old Striping officially called it a career after nine MLB seasons. He spent all of the 2024 season with the Oakland Athletics and was in camp with the Kansas City Royals this spring, but wasn’t able to earn a roster spot at the start of the season.

Former Blue Jays fan favorite pitcher retires after nine MLB seasons

Stripling joined the Blue Jays in 2020 in a minor trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and it took a bit for the deal to become a win for the Blue Jays. 

Stripling had a 6.32 ERA in the second half of 2020 with the Blue Jays before posting a 4.80 ERA in 101 innings out of the rotation in 2021. Solid numbers, sure, but a bit less than what the Blue Jays wanted from him. 

That changed in 2022. After bouncing between the bullpen and starting rotation in the first two months of the season, Stripling became the Blue Jays’ full-time No. 5 starter after Hyun Jin Ryu was placed on the 60-day injured list. 

That set off one of the best spans of Stripling’s career, as he posted a 2.64 ERA across his final 19 starts of the year (102 1/3 innings). He only allowed more than three runs in one of those 19 starts. 

Those strong stats helped the Blue Jays earn their first postseason berth in a full 162-game season since 2016. 

He finished that year with a 10-4 record with a 3.01 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 134 1/3 innings. 

Gausman used those strong stats to earn a two-year, $25 million deal with the San Francisco Giants. The Blue Jays declined to offer Stripling a $19.6 million qualifying offer after the season, so the writing on the wall when it came to his departure. 

He had a 5.36 ERA in 86 innings with the Giants in 2023, and was traded to the Athletics in the offseason in exchange for minor league outfielder Jonah Cox.

He had a 6.01 ERA in 85 1/3 innings with the Athletics. 

His best non-Blue Jays season came in 2018 when he was an All-Star with the Dodgers. He went 8-6 with a 3.02 ERA in 122 innings. He worked as both a starter and a reliever. 

Stripling was the kind of pitcher that every championship team needs. He was never a No. 1 starter, but was a high-ceiling No. 3 or 4 starter who always seemed to keep the Blue Jays in his starts.

Stripling’s time with the Blue Jays wasn’t the longest, but he still found a way to make a mark on the city.