As the Toronto Blue Jays bid farewell to Cavan Biggio, <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-trade-cavan-biggio-to-los-angeles-dodgers?utm_source=dlvr.it&amp;utm_medium=twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acquired by the Los Angeles Dodgers via trade Wednesday morning</a>, the organization added some much-needed pitching depth in the way of right-handed reliever Braydon Fisher. 
So what&#8217;s to know about the 23-year-old pitching prospect?
Fisher, a 2018 fourth-round selection out of Clear Falls HS in League City, Texas, began his professional career with the Dodgers organization later that year. He was originally drafted as a starter &#8212; as many pitchers are at that age &#8212; and made nine starts (11 total appearances) in rookie ball, pitching to a 2.05 ERA with 19 strikeouts across 22 innings.
In 2019, Fisher hyper-extended his right elbow during a bullpen session in spring training, causing damage to his UCL, which ultimately required surgery and forced him to miss the entire season. And with the COVID-19 pandemic cancelling the 2020 minor-league campaign, he didn&#8217;t return to a live-game setting until &#8217;21.
Strikeouts were front and centre for the young righty over his five partial seasons in the Dodgers organization, as he punched out 294 hitters over 228.2 innings. But he is as effectively wild as it gets.
The 6-foot-4 hurler often struggles to command the strike zone, just as he has this season, issuing 15 walks despite recording 30 strikeouts in 19 innings across double-A and triple-A. Though he&#8217;s yet to allow a home run in 2024, those free passes have helped inflate his ERA to 5.68 thus far.
Fisher&#8217;s biggest appeal, by far, is his curveball. Not all of his triple-A games have featured data tracking, but for the ones that have, he&#8217;s utilized his primary breaking ball 50 per cent of the time, inducing six strikeouts to five walks. Plus, opponents are hitting just .118 against it over 24 plate appearances.
His arsenal also includes four other pitches: a four-seamer averaging 92.9 m.p.h. this season, a mid-80s cutter and slider and a low-90s sinker.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Here&#8217;s a look at Braydon Fisher, the newest <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlueJays?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlueJays</a> arm:<a href="https://t.co/gpLp8k91yw">pic.twitter.com/gpLp8k91yw</a>
— Thomas Hall (@Hall_Thomas_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Hall_Thomas_/status/1800886119955108283?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2024</a></blockquote>
The key for Fisher &#8212; who&#8217;ll report to double-A New Hampshire, <a href="https://x.com/ShiDavidi/status/1800899196121502099" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first reported by Sportsnet&#8217;s Shi Davidi</a> &#8212; will be throwing enough strikes with his fastballs to force opposing hitters to chase at his breaking balls outside the zone.
As a former starter, the Texas native can provide length out of the bullpen, considering he&#8217;s recorded more than three outs in seven of his 15 relief outings in 2024. Of those seven, he&#8217;s completed two innings of relief twice, both at triple-A.
If successful, Fisher &#8212; eligible for the Rule 5 draft this fall &#8212; could advance to Buffalo rather quickly to help a Bisons pitching staff depleted by injuries and struggling performances. And the same could be said regarding his chances of earning a shot with the big-league club, too.
Toronto&#8217;s bullpen is currently without closer Jordan Romano (elbow) and the struggling Erik Swanson, who&#8217;s working through his command woes at triple-A. Thus, the team has needed to rely on depth pieces such as Nate Pearson, Zach Pop and Brendon Little.
If those injury woes continue, or if the Blue Jays opt to sell at the July 30 trade deadline, or both, it may necessitate the need for someone like Fisher, who&#8217;d first need to be added to the franchise&#8217;s 40-man roster that currently sits at 39 players after Biggio was designated for assignment last week.

As the Toronto Blue Jays bid farewell to Cavan Biggio, <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-trade-cavan-biggio-to-los-angeles-dodgers?utm_source=dlvr.it&amp;utm_medium=twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acquired by the Los Angeles Dodgers via trade Wednesday morning</a>, the organization added some much-needed pitching depth in the way of right-handed reliever Braydon Fisher. 

So what's to know about the 23-year-old pitching prospect?

Fisher, a 2018 fourth-round selection out of Clear Falls HS in League City, Texas, began his professional career with the Dodgers organization later that year. He was originally drafted as a starter -- as many pitchers are at that age -- and made nine starts (11 total appearances) in rookie ball, pitching to a 2.05 ERA with 19 strikeouts across 22 innings.

In 2019, Fisher hyper-extended his right elbow during a bullpen session in spring training, causing damage to his UCL, which ultimately required surgery and forced him to miss the entire season. And with the COVID-19 pandemic cancelling the 2020 minor-league campaign, he didn't return to a live-game setting until '21.

Strikeouts were front and centre for the young righty over his five partial seasons in the Dodgers organization, as he punched out 294 hitters over 228.2 innings. But he is as effectively wild as it gets.

The 6-foot-4 hurler often struggles to command the strike zone, just as he has this season, issuing 15 walks despite recording 30 strikeouts in 19 innings across double-A and triple-A. Though he's yet to allow a home run in 2024, those free passes have helped inflate his ERA to 5.68 thus far.

Fisher's biggest appeal, by far, is his curveball. Not all of his triple-A games have featured data tracking, but for the ones that have, he's utilized his primary breaking ball 50 per cent of the time, inducing six strikeouts to five walks. Plus, opponents are hitting just .118 against it over 24 plate appearances.

His arsenal also includes four other pitches: a four-seamer averaging 92.9 m.p.h. this season, a mid-80s cutter and slider and a low-90s sinker.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Here's a look at Braydon Fisher, the newest <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlueJays?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlueJays</a> arm:<a href="https://t.co/gpLp8k91yw">pic.twitter.com/gpLp8k91yw</a>
— Thomas Hall (@Hall_Thomas_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Hall_Thomas_/status/1800886119955108283?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2024</a></blockquote>
The key for Fisher -- who'll report to double-A New Hampshire, <a href="https://x.com/ShiDavidi/status/1800899196121502099" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first reported by Sportsnet's Shi Davidi</a> -- will be throwing enough strikes with his fastballs to force opposing hitters to chase at his breaking balls outside the zone.

As a former starter, the Texas native can provide length out of the bullpen, considering he's recorded more than three outs in seven of his 15 relief outings in 2024. Of those seven, he's completed two innings of relief twice, both at triple-A.

If successful, Fisher -- eligible for the Rule 5 draft this fall -- could advance to Buffalo rather quickly to help a Bisons pitching staff depleted by injuries and struggling performances. And the same could be said regarding his chances of earning a shot with the big-league club, too.

Toronto's bullpen is currently without closer Jordan Romano (elbow) and the struggling Erik Swanson, who's working through his command woes at triple-A. Thus, the team has needed to rely on depth pieces such as Nate Pearson, Zach Pop and Brendon Little.

If those injury woes continue, or if the Blue Jays opt to sell at the July 30 trade deadline, or both, it may necessitate the need for someone like Fisher, who'd first need to be added to the franchise's 40-man roster that currently sits at 39 players after Biggio was designated for assignment last week.

Get to know Braydon Fisher, the newest Blue Jays minor-league pitcher

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