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Former Blue Jays pitcher is thriving in Japan proving he belongs in the MLB
Photo credit: Blue Jays Nation
Tracking down the 2019 Toronto Blue Jays pitching staff for a «where are they now?» project would take considerable research, given how frequently the roster changed. Still, that doesn't mean those pitchers haven't found success in other places.
Anthony Kay, who joined the Blue Jays from the Mets in the 2019 Marcus Stroman trade, has spent the past year or so playing for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in Nippon Professional Baseball, Japan's top professional league.
Former Blue Jays pitcher Anthony Kay is thriving in Japan.
Evan Stack from Blue Jays Nation writes that so far, Kay has made six starts, compiling a 3-1 record with a 0.86 ERA, 0.929 WHIP, 7.7 strikeouts per nine innings, and 2.4 walks per nine. His ERA currently ranks second in the Japan Central League, behind only Iori Yamasaki of the Yomiuri Giants.
In his most recent outing, Kay threw seven scoreless innings against the Hanshin Tigers, giving up three hits, five walks, and recording three strikeouts. While the game ended in a 1-1 tie, it helped keep the BayStars at a 16-16 record, just three games out of first in the Central League standings.
"Kay has pitched at least seven innings four times, and he's posted at least eight strikeouts twice, a mark that he reached only twice in his 44 career major league appearances. Jeremy Beasley and Foster Griffin, a pair of former Jays, also pitch in the Central League for Hanshin and Yomiuri, respectively." -Stack
Kay was selected by the Mets in the first round of the 2016 MLB Draft out of the University of Connecticut. In 2019, he earned a midseason promotion to Triple-A after posting a 7-3 record with a 1.49 ERA and 0.92 WHIP over 12 starts at the Double-A level. Just hours before the trade deadline that July, he was dealt to the Blue Jays along with pitching prospect Simeon Woods-Richardson in exchange for Marcus Stroman. Kay made his MLB debut with Toronto a little over a month later.
"Kay would spend the rest of the 2019 season and the 2020 season with the Blue Jays, with the team moving him from a starter to a reliever. He bounced between triple-A and the majors for the next couple of seasons while working between the rotation and the bullpen, but was ultimately DFA'd in December of 2022. Before pitching in Japan, he had a pair of stints with the Cubs and Mets in 2023." -Stack
Perhaps Kay could be the next to earn another shot with an MLB team. In the meantime, the Yokohama DeNA BayStars might be picking up a few new fans from the Blue Jays faithful.
Source:
Blue Jays Nation
Former Blue Jays pitcher Anthony Kay is flourishing in Japan with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars
Blue Jays Nation
Former Blue Jays pitcher Anthony Kay is flourishing in Japan with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars
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MAI 14 | 1199 ANSWERS Former Blue Jays pitcher is thriving in Japan proving he belongs in the MLB Can former Blue Jays pitcher Anthony Kay make a return to the MLB? | ||
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