Toronto Blue Jays Depth Chart: Young Starters Want To Build on 2010

Starting Rotation

Ricky Romero wants to be the Opening Day starter.  He made quite the case for being the starter in 2010 after having a strong spring training, but in the end the veteran Shaun Marcum was picked for the privilege.  Marcum has since been traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for the infield prospect Brett Lawrie, which effectively clears the way for Romero.

Romero had a stellar year in 2010 at just 25 years old, going 14-9 with a 3.73 ERA, three complete games, one shutout and 174 strikeouts with 82 walks.  In only his sophomore year, he showed marked improvement in all his major stat categories, as well as his composure on the mound.  

While it would be a challenge for Romero to record more than the 210 innings he pitched and the 32 games he started, he will likely attempt to lower his walk totals and increase his winning percentage.

Brandon Morrow emerged in 2010, also at just 25 years old during the season, showing the Blue Jays that they had made the right move in assuring him a starting job.  When Morrow was with the Seattle Mariners, he struggled mightily as he was bounced between the bullpen and starting.  

When Anthopoulos traded Brandon League for Morrow, they told the new acquisition that they acquired him as a starter.  The move seemed to settle him and with a lot of work with the coaches and the new camaraderie of the rotation, he began to quickly show what he was capable of.

Morrow went 10-7 on the year, with a 4.49 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP, with 178 strikeouts and 66 walks.  Morrow was the league leader in strikeouts per nine innings pitched at 10.95, over the 146 innings he pitched in 2010.  Tim Lincecum was the next closest pitcher at 9.79, except that he did it over 212 innings.  If Morrow continues to work on his control and composure, his walk ratio will likely fall in 2011, giving him the chance to work longer into games and a better chance to win.

The third starter in the Jays rotation, and also the youngest of the three, Brett Cecil was just 23 years old when the season started.  Perhaps even more so than Romero or Morrow, Cecil was a surprise on the season, showing impressive maturity on the mound and the ability to become a solid starter at the major league level.

Cecil was the win leader for the Blue Jays, going 15-7 on the season with a 4.22 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP, as well as 117 strikeouts and 54 walks.  He doesn't quite have the same impressive stuff that Romero or Morrow have, but he is a smart pitcher who works on control, just like Shaun Marcum.  If Cecil continues to study the batters he will face, and can exploit their weaknesses, he can likely improve on his major stats in this his third year.  Though an improvement on his win total could be tough.

Kyle Drabek, the promising pitching prospect received in the Roy Halladay deal, will likely occupy the fourth slot in the Jays rotation.  Drabek proved last year that he wasn't fazed by pitching in the majors, but it will take time and a lot of work for him yet to be a consistent pitcher at that level.  

Drabek was called up from his Double-A team after he won the Eastern League Pitcher of the Year award, but was unlucky in the majors with an 0-3 record.  In his three starts he had 12 strikeouts and five walks, but allowed three runs in each.  Drabek has the arm and pitches to be a frontline starter with the Jays, but as with all players, especially rookies, he will go through some growing pains.

This is where it could get tricky for the Blue Jays, as Jesse Litsch seems to be the frontrunner for the final spot in the rotation.  He has competition though from another talented prospect in Zach Stewart, a struggling starter Marc Rzepcynski, and from one veteran possibly returning from injury, Dustin McGowan.

Litsch has been rehabbing his arm after injury troubles last year, but it is said that he will be ready for spring training, and that he is determined to make the rotation.  He would look to regain his 2008 form where he went 13-9 with a 3.58 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP.

Stewart was said to be considered for a call-up at the end of last year, but the organization thought that he was too close to his innings limit for the year and decided to let his arm rest.

Rzepcynski also struggled last year, going 4-4 for the season, but started to become more consistent at the end of the year.  He worked on his game deeper into the year in the Arizona Fall League and won Pitcher of the Week honors in early November.  Rzepcynski could start, but the lefty could be more suited to Brian Tallet's former role as long relief in the bullpen.

McGowan has suffered far too much bad luck for one person in terms of injury troubles.  He is currently rehabbing his arm, and if everything goes right could make a return to the mound in 2011.  The Blue Jays' most improved player of 2007 is no doubt itching to get back at it after a long hiatus.