Bowden Francis has returned to the big leagues as a brand new pitcher

Since returning to the big leagues, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Bowden Francis has looked like a big league pitcher. The 28-year-old right-hander is getting another shot in the rotation and making the most of it this time around.

After securing a spot in the Blue Jays rotation to begin the season, things didn't go smoothly for Francis. He was optioned to Triple-A before the All-Star break with a 5.82 ERA in 16 games (three starts). He threw a couple of games for the Buffalo Bisons and whatever he worked on is paying off big time now that he's back with the Blue Jays.

Bowden Francis has returned to the big leagues as a brand new pitcher

In three starts since returning to the big club, Francis has a 3.06 ERA with 17 strikeouts and just two walks in 17 2/3 innings. He has held opposing hitters to a .164 average and .190 on-base percentage. The one weakness he has shown is the long ball, with opponents slugging .410.

To be fair, the former seventh-round draft pick didn't get a soft landing in his re-introduction to the rotation. His first two starts came agains the American League powerhouse Baltimore Orioles.

Francis' progress as a pitcher was evident in his most recent outing on Monday. He tossed a career-high seven innings in the Blue Jays' 4-2 win against the Los Angeles Angels. He was absolutely dominant, allowing just one hit, a solo home run, while striking out eight — also a career-high — with no walks.

He retired seven straight Angels to start the game and then finished his superb outing by retiring 14 straight batters.

Francis, now 5-3 on the season, explained his new approach after the game, according to Doug Padilla of AP News.

“I think efficiency was the biggest thing for me,” Francis said, per Padilla. “I just feel like I haven’t been scared. Obviously, the home runs happen, but that’s just me attacking it and not being timid. I’m just trying to be in the zone as much as I can.”

He has indeed been pounding the zone, with 57.6 percent of his pitches in the zone — the league average for starting pitchers is 51.4 percent, per Statcast. Over his last two starts, he has generated a 13.6 percent whiff rate, compared to a 9.3 percent rate in his first 16 games, leading to an impressive 34.1 percent K-BB rate.

Francis' plan of attack certainly worked for him on Monday. Hopefully, he can continue this run of success through the remainder of the season and give himself a leg up on the competition for a rotation spot in 2025.