It’s been a tough few years for left-hander Brandon Barriera.

Drafted by the Blue Jays in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft, injuries have limited Barriera to just 27.1 innings heading into the 2026 campaign. He even landed on the IL this season after seven appearances, but since returning from this most recent IL stint in mid July, Barriera is finding success on the mound.

Since July 23rd, which includes one outing in the FCL, Barriera owns a 3.38 ERA with just seven hits, five earned runs, and nine walks compared to 21 strikeouts through 13.1 innings of work. Opposing hitters have posted a .533 OPS and one home run since that July outing, while Barriera is also limiting the contact to a .152 average. The walks have raised opponents’ OBP to .316, but outside of the free passes, the contact has not come back to bite Barriera, evidenced by the .217 SLG and a .250 BABIP.

Even more impressive is that if you exclude his first outing back with Dunedin, the earned run total would be completely gone, and he would have just three hits on the line compared to the seven. The St. Lucie Mets tuned Barriera through 1.1 innings, and the 22-year-old has rebounded with three scoreless outings.

Facing the Lakeland Flying Tigers and the Tampa Tarpons (x2), Barriera struck out 15 batters while allowing just three hits and five walks with zero earned runs. The walks kept a few of Barriera’s outings interesting, but zero runs crossed the plate across those 9.2 innings. He is also tossing at a 57% strike rate.

Barriera is in a tough spot heading into the winter months. He’s Rule 5 eligible this winter, and while he likely isn’t going to get picked up given the injury history and limited time on the mound, there is the threat of some team coming in and doing what the Jays did this past offseason with Spencer Miles and the Giants. It’s an extreme example, and the looming CBA lockout might help the Jays here if the R5 draft gets delayed or even cancelled, but it’s something to keep in mind for the front office.

Ideally, Barriera finishes the season healthy and heads off to the Arizona Fall League to get some more innings under his belt. Staying on the mound and off the IL is the biggest goal, and then bringing down the walks will be second on the list. If the last three appearances are a sign of what’s to come this season, Barriera is poised to finish the 2026 season on a high note.

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