Bowden Francis has been the Blue Jays' best uncovered gem in 2024

The Toronto Blue Jays had a stacked rotation going into 2024. The likes of Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios, and Chris Bassitt were among some of the most reliable arms to anchor a rotation. Fast forward to August, and the new name on everyone's radar is none other than Bowden Francis.

Francis, acquired in 2021 in exchange for Rowdy Tellez, got his first exposure in 2023 as a relief pitcher, and a good one, at that. With his promise beginning to bloom, and a great showing in Spring Training, Francis had earned a job in the Blue Jays starting rotation to open 2024. It was an early struggle for the 28-year-old out the gate, pitching to an 11.81 ERA in his first 3 games, while allowing 4 home runs in 10.2 innings pitched. Francis was quickly demoted to the bullpen, but this was just the beginning.

Francis had the month of champions in August. Not only has he been an absolute catalyst for the Blue Jays, but he's come out as one of the best pitchers in all of MLB. Look at any metric leaderboard for the past month, and Bowden Francis will be right there at the top.

This dominant stretch for Francis marks a historic run. His last 4 starts are among the best consecutive starts of all time. He's allowed a miniscule 6 hits in his last 29.0 IP and just 10 total baserunners. This hasn't been done by the likes of Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux, etc. This August, Bowden Francis stands alone.

“I’m trying to go out there and win every game I’m pitching,” Francis said. “I think the numbers will take care of themselves if you’re thinking about the right stuff, going about your business the right way, and treating people the right way, I think the universe has a way of unraveling things. It’s just something I’ve got to keep level headed (about).”

Right now, everything is clicking for Francis. He's emerged as a real bright spot in 2024, even with all of the underperformance the team has gone through up to this point. He's most certainly pencilled himself into a key role for 2025, and has all the support in the world from his manager and teammates alike.

“He was just in total control,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “He’s got such a good way about him — mentally, physically, execution-wise. His pitch mix is awesome. Not much more to say other than that. He’s really f*cking good right now.”

Francis hasn't become a household name, but at the current rate he's going, he is putting the entire league on notice. In a season where so much has gone wrong, the future of Francis has felt absolutely right, and he'll keep letting his stuff eat, as long as he gets the chance.