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Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Bowden Francis leads the MLB in this very concerning stat

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
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May 22 2025, 10:52 pm
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Bowden Francis leads the MLB in this very concerning stat
John E. Sokolowski/Imagn Images

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Bowden Francis is struggling to build off what was a very impressive 2024 season.

The 29-year-old earned a spot in the starting rotation to kick off the 2024 campaign, but it was in the second half of the season that he really started to make a name for himself.

Francis had a stretch last August during which, over four starts, he gave up just six hits and two earned runs while punching out 32 batters in 29 innings. He also set a new MLB record in those four starts, posting a WHIP of just 0.31. Unsurprisingly, he was named the AL’s Pitcher of the Month with the historic showing.

The strong ending to the 2024 season essentially guaranteed Francis a spot in the Blue Jays’ rotation once again in 2025, with the hope being that he could continue the dominant stretch. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened.

The right-handed pitcher had another rough start on Thursday afternoon, lasting just four innings versus the San Diego Padres. He gave up two earned runs in the short start while walking three on 75 pitches. Even worse for Francis was that he gave up his MLB-leading 15th home run, this one off the bat of Gavin Sheets.

Keeping the ball in the park has been a major issue for Francis this season. He’s given up a home run in eight of his 10 starts and has allowed multiple homers in four of those, which has played a huge part in his 5.54 ERA. Thankfully, the Blue Jays were able to pull off a 7-6 win in extra innings, which didn’t allow his 2-6 record to worsen further.

It’s been a big fall from grace for Francis, who registered an impressive 3.30 ERA a season ago. Given the Blue Jays’ lack of depth in the pitching position, it’s unlikely at this point that he will lose his spot in the rotation, meaning he should be back on the mound next week versus the Texas Rangers.

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