Entering his second start with the Toronto Blue Jays Friday night, trade deadline acquisition Shane Bieber has joined a veteran laden starting rotation. Along with Bieber, the Blue Jays feature Jose Berrios, Chris Bassitt, Max Scherzer and Kevin Gausman. Bieber is the youngest of the quintet at 30 years old. Before Bieber's start on Friday against Freddy Peralta and the Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto manager John Schneider compared Bieber to Bassitt and Scherzer. Blue Jays beat writer Keegan Matheson shared the manager's thoughts via X, formerly Twitter.
“John Schneider on Shane Bieber's fit with the #BlueJays and his relationship with Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt: “‘He's like the brother that tucks in his shirt and the other two aren't,'” Schneider said to Matheson Friday. “‘He'll put his napkin on his lap and the other two leave theirs on the table. That's Biebs.'”
Despite not pitching all season as he recovered from Tommy John surgery, Bieber's market heated up as he performed well in rehab starts for the Cleveland Guardians. Now, he's a part of a Blue Jays rotation that looks to bring a World Series back to the North for the first time since the early 1990s. Can these five experienced arms accomplish that goal and more over the next couple of months?
Blue Jays look to ride veteran-laden rotation to postseason glory
At the moment, Bieber and Peralta are locked in a timeless pitching duel. Peralta has shut out the Blue Jays offense through five innings, allowing only one hit and one walk while striking out six. Bieber, his counterpart, just left the game after 5.1 innings, with an earned run allowed over five hits. He also struck out six batters. If the Blue Jays can score some runs, it's possible they will bail their starter out of a tough loss.
Nevertheless, a win will allow the Blue Jays to lengthen their AL East lead. With the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees looking to hunt the Jays down, they'll need to be at their best for the rest of the season. Toronto is already essentially playing postseason baseball. The more successful they are, the better their position will be in October. Schneider will undoubtedly lean on his deep and knowledgeable starting staff as they hunt down some elusive postseason glory.
