Blue Jays Bullpen Debate: Ryan Borucki vs. Mason Fluharty
Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Sep 8, 2025, 09:00 EDTUpdated: Sep 7, 2025, 19:38 EDT
The Toronto Blue Jays have a decision to make.
Left-hander Mason Fluharty, who was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo on August 24th, could return to the big leagues for Tuesday’s contest against the Houston Astros now that the 15-day window has come and gone. That’s the minimum amount of time he needs to stay in the minors after being optioned unless a big league arm becomes injured.
When the rosters expanded on September 1st, the Jays recalled Dillon Tate from Buffalo and added Isiah Kiner-Falefa to the roster, who was picked up the day before on waivers. There would be a few bullpen movements to start the month, and the eventual landing point was former prospect Ryan Borucki, who signed a MiLB deal with the Jays on August 25th and was back in the big leagues.
Borucki has spent the past three seasons split between the Pittsburgh Pirates’ minor league system and the big leagues. Since early 2023, the left-hander has authored a 4.17 ERA through 82 innings, crafting a 3.96 FIP and a 1.049 WHIP. He dealt with some injuries during that time, and the Pirates eventually gave him his walking papers on August 18th. This year, he posted a 5.28 ERA and a 4.35 FIP through 30 2/3 innings of relief for Pittsburgh.
Since being recalled by the Blue Jays, Borucki has seen just three batters through 1/3 of an inning. He came in relief on the Wednesday night contest against the Reds in the bottom of the seventh and immediately walked a batter, gave up a single (which allowed a runner to score) and then struck out Elly De La Cruz to send the Jays back to the sticks.
The sample size is limited, given he faced just three batters, but with Fluharty eligible to return from the minors, is he an upgrade over the left-hander?
Comparatively, Fluharty wins in quite a few categories:
The left-hander boasts a better ERA, more strikeouts, a higher K rate, and has appeared in more games. Fluharty also just edges out Borucki in terms of FIP (4.34 vs. 4.37), and he boasts a slightly better WHIP at 1.268 vs. 1.290, respectively. Where Borucki has the upper hand is in the walk rates, where the more veteran arms own a 3.8 BB/9 to Fluharty’s 4.6 mark.
When looking at the hits-related stats, Fluharty boasts better numbers when it comes to H/9 (6.8 vs. 7.8) and HR/9 (1.1 vs. 1.2). He also has stronger slash line metrics compared to the veteran arm and boasts better OPS and BABIP numbers as well:
| Rk | Player | G | IP | 1B | 2B | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | OPS+ | BAbip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ryan Borucki | 36 | 31.0 | 15 | 8 | .241 | .320 | .420 | .740 | 104 | .280 |
| 2 | Mason Fluharty | 51 | 47.1 | 22 | 8 | .211 | .310 | .363 | .672 | 84 | .254 |
Stats alone, Fluharty is the arm of choice compared to the former Blue Jays hurler. The biggest question will be whether Fluharty can find the form that made him such a dominant pitcher compared to his most recent downfall.
Things started to go off the rails for the rookie pitcher in early June, when he was giving up more contact and struggling to find the strike zone at times. Through 27 appearances from June 1st to his demotion in August, Fluharty authored a 6.29 ERA and a 5.61 FIP. He allowed 24 hits, 17 earned runs, five homers, and 16 walks through 24 1/3 innings of work down the stretch, and this is one of the reasons he was demoted. There were some memorable moments mixed in, such as earning his first career save against Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers, but there were a few outings where he really struggled to find a groove on the mound.
Another interesting tidbit is Fluharty’s recent work in the minors following the demotion. He had three appearances (2 1/3 innings) where he didn’t allow a single run despite three hits, but got tormented for three runs when he lost his command against Syracuse last night. This recent outing may see him stick in Triple-A a bit longer, although a few arguments are going for him that he is still an upgrade over Borucki at this point (and potentially a few others as well).
If I had any say on the matter, I would think Fluharty is back with the Blue Jays this Tuesday and Borucki is given his walking papers. There is more faith in the younger southpaw compared to Borucki, and the last few weeks of the season aren’t a proving ground to see if the 31-year-old has what it takes to stick around.