The Toronto Blue Jays entered 2025 with great expectations, following significant offseason acquisitions. However, the early story of the season has taken a few bad turns, especially on the mound. A storm of pitching struggles has muddied their dreams, raising difficult questions. This team finds itself fighting more than opponents, it’s fighting perception. So can the Jays prove everyone wrong and save their season from the brink?

Currently, the Blue Jays hold a challenging 22-24 record in the middle of May 2025. That leaves them five games behind the division-leading New York Yankees in the AL East.

Their pitching staff gives up home runs at an alarming rate. They are on pace to surrender a staggering 245 homers this season. This would break their franchise record. The team already has surrendered 68 long balls, the most in Major League Baseball. This troubling 1.51 home runs per game rate starkly contrasts with their 2023 success.

Sportsnet insider Arden Zwelling recently offered a blunt assessment on the “At the Letters” podcast. He stated, “…that’s just a sign that you’re more of an average team than a great team, right?” Zwelling continued, “The Blue Jays look like an ordinary team at this point.”

He questioned if they could be “on the good side of ordinary,” noting, “starting pitching just not producing… there’s room for improvement here.” This “ordinary” tag definitely stings a team aspiring for greatness.

But the numbers paint a vivid picture supporting Zwelling’s view.

The team’s ERA is 4.31, a noticeable jump from their 3.78 figure in 2023. And their home runs per nine innings allowed is a problematic 1.49. Compare this to 1.23 in 2023. Ace Kevin Gausman’s ERA has ballooned to 4.59 from 3.16 two seasons ago. In 46.1 innings, Bowden Francis has allowed 14 homers. Their 2024 bullpen ranked 29th in MLB, prompting a re-tool that still battles inconsistency.

Where do the Jays go from here?

Those pitching problems have recently been on full display. On May 13th against Tampa Bay, the Jays lost a wild 11-9 contest. They gave up four home runs, including the game-winning grand slam in the ninth, off closer Jeff Hoffman. The game demonstrated the bullpen’s failure to close out victories. It was a sour loss that fed worries about their capacity to close games well, and left fans clueless.

Two days later, on May 15th, Kevin Gausman faltered against the Rays in an 8-3 loss. The staff ace gave up six runs and three homers in just 5.2 innings. Bowden Francis then allowed two more home runs against the Tigers the next day, May 16th. The Tigers won 5-4 as the Jays’ pitchers surrendered three homers. These starting pitching woes put immense pressure on an often-inconsistent offense, creating a tough cycle.

And the wave kept going against Detroit in a tight 3-2 defeat on May 18th. José Berríos pitched a solid six innings, allowing two runs. But the bullpen was unable to hold up the tie. A reliever gave up the go-ahead run in the seventh. This pattern of either starters struggling early or the bullpen faltering late has become all too common. It leaves very little margin for error for the Toronto club.

There is no question that injuries have hurt Blue Jays’ pitching depth, worsening an existing issue. Key arms like Erik Swanson (elbow) and big addition Max Scherzer (thumb/back) faced significant IL stints. Former All-Star Alek Manoah is working his way back from UCL surgery. Top prospect Ricky Tiedemann is also sidelined after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Relievers Ryan Burr (shoulder) and Zach Pop (elbow) have also been sidelined for a while.

This relentless wave of injuries has stretched their resources perilously thin.

Now, the Toronto Blue Jays face a critical juncture in their 2025 campaign. The pitching staff must urgently find solutions to their home run epidemic and stabilize performances before it’s too late…