Toronto Blue Jays Draw Ire For Compete Lack of Young Pitchers on MLB Roster

With Alek Manoah turning 27 years old last month, the Toronto Blue Jays do not have a single major league pitcher under the age of 26 entering the 2025 season.

Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays pitchers (left to right) Alek Manoah, Chris Bassitt, Jose Berrios, Bowden Francis and Kevin Gausman prior to the game against the Oakland Athletics at Rogers Centre. / Gerry Angus-Imagn Images

The Toronto Blue Jays are heading into a critical 2025 season relying on a veteran-laden pitching staff, for better or worse.

Yahoo Sports' Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman have sifted through every team's roster and farm system, grading each franchise's collection of talent aged 26-and-under. They broke down the teams ranked No. 25 through No. 21 in an article published Wednesday, with the Blue Jays coming in at No. 25.

Toronto earned an overall grade of 12-out-of-30, despite their young MLB hitters garnering an 8-out-of-10. Their young MLB pitchers, meanwhile, earned a 0-out-of-10, as they do not currently have any.

The youngest pitcher projected to make the Blue Jays' Opening Day roster is Cuban swingman Yariel Rodríguez, who is set to turn 28 years old before the regular season gets underway. The youngest member of their starting rotation is Bowden Francis, whose 29th birthday is April 22.

The rest of the Blue Jays' rotation is made up of 30-year-old José Berríos, 34-year-old Kevin Gausman, 36-year-old Chris Bassitt and 40-year-old Max Scherzer. As for their bullpen, 31-year-old Erik Swanson, 32-year-old Jeff Hoffman, 33-year-old Chad Green and 34-year-old Yimi García are slated to taken on the highest-leverage roles.

Toronto's pitching prospects earned a 2-out-of-5 grade from Mintz and Shusterman, with Jake Bloss, Ricky Tiedemann and Trey Yesavage standing out as the top arms in their farm system.

Bloss made his MLB debut with the Houston Astros in 2024, but the Blue Jays kept him stashed in the minors after acquiring him at the trade deadline. And considering he went 0-4 with a 6.91 ERA with Triple-A Buffalo, Bloss probably won't be making the big league roster out of spring training.

Tiedemann and Adam Macko are working their ways back from Tommy John and meniscus surgeries, respectively, while Yesavage was drafted just seven months ago. As a result, the Blue Jays don't seem likely to get many internal reinforcements to their big league pitching staff any time soon.

Should Bassitt and Scherzer leave in free agency next winter – let alone first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or shortstop Bo Bichette – Toronto's front office better hope its prospects can develop and get healthy in time to contribute in 2026.

Related MLB Stories

• TIEDEMANN EYING 2025 RETURN: Ricky Tiedemann underwent Tommy John surgery in July 2024, likely knocking him out until the tail end of the 2025 season. CLICK HERE

• JAYS LAND YARBROUGH: Toronto picked up Ryan Yarbrough on a minor league deal, taking a flier on the former Rays and Dodgers left-handed swingman. CLICK HERE

• MACKO UNDERGOES SURGERY: One of the Blue Jays' top prospects, pitcher Adam Macko, underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee and will miss some time. CLICK HERE

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