"Francis struggled mightily in 2025. The right-hander recorded a 6.05 ERA and 1.53 WHIP across 14 ineffective starts before landing on the injured list with a right shoulder impingement in June that sidelined him until the end of the year. Much of the damage done against Francis came via the long ball; he allowed a staggering 19 home runs in just 64 innings pitched."
"His underlying metrics weren't pretty, either. He ranked in the third percentile or worse among qualified pitchers in average exit velocity, barrel rate, and hard-hit percentage. His walk rate jumped to 9.4% while his K-rate fell to just 18.8%. Now, a year removed from seemingly having a rotation spot locked down after a breakout back-half 2024 campaign, Francis is on the outside looking in with no clear path forward - and the Blue Jays shouldn't force opportunities for him next season."
"Having Francis start the season in Triple-A Buffalo probably makes the most sense if the organization still sees him as a starting pitcher long-term. Relegating him to mop-up duty out of the MLB bullpen won't afford him the opportunities he needs to get back on track. Deploying Francis as part of a six-man rotation, meanwhile, would unnecessarily disrupt the routines and rhythms of the club's established starting pitchers."
Bowden Francis posted a 6.05 ERA and 1.53 WHIP across 14 starts in 2025 before a right shoulder impingement ended his season. He allowed 19 home runs in 64 innings and ranked in the third percentile or worse among qualified pitchers in average exit velocity, barrel rate, and hard-hit percentage. His walk rate rose to 9.4% while his strikeout rate fell to 18.8%. The Blue Jays project a deep rotation including Dylan Cease, Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber, and José Berríos, with Adam Macko and Ricky Tiedemann as depth. Starting Francis in Triple-A Buffalo preserves development without disrupting the major-league rotation.
Read at BlueJaysNation
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