Ryan Joseph Borucki (born March 31, 1994) is an American professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
for the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
of
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...
and
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...
.
High school
Borucki attended
Mundelein High School
Mundelein High School (MHS) is a public four-year high school located in Mundelein, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. The school serves the Village of Mundelein and parts of surrounding villages, include Verno ...
in his hometown of
Mundelein, Illinois
Mundelein is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States and a northern suburb of Chicago. Per the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 31,560, making this the fourth largest town in Lake County. The village straddles ...
.
In his junior year, Borucki had a 7-1 record with a 1.20 ERA and 57 strikeouts, leading to all-conference, all-Lake County, and all-academic honors. He was considered the number one prospect in Illinois, according to Prep Baseball Report. Borucki did not pitch for much of his senior season due to a partially torn
ulnar collateral ligament Ulnar collateral ligament (or UCL) may refer to:
* Ulnar carpal collateral ligament
* Ulnar collateral ligament of elbow joint
The ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) or internal lateral ligament is a thick triangular ligament at the medial aspec ...
(UCL).
Professional career
Toronto Blue Jays
Minor leagues
Borucki was selected by the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...
in the 15th round of the
2012 Major League Baseball draft
The 2012 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 4 through June 6, 2012, from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Houston Astros, with the first overall pick, selected Carlos Correa from the Puerto Rico Baseball Ac ...
, and was signed away from his commitment with the
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized int ...
with a bonus of $426,000.
He was assigned to the
Rookie-level
Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National L ...
Gulf Coast League Blue Jays
The Florida Complex League Blue Jays are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Prior to 2021, the team was known as the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays. The team plays its ...
, where he pitched six innings and posted a 1–0 record and a 3.00 ERA before undergoing
Tommy John surgery
Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, sometimes referred to as Tommy John surgery is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's body, ...
to repair his UCL, which caused him to miss the entire 2013 season.
In 2014, he pitched for the
Rookie Advanced
Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...
Bluefield Blue Jays
The Bluefield Blue Jays were a minor league baseball team of the Rookie Appalachian League representing the twin cities of Bluefield, West Virginia, and Bluefield, Virginia. The team played their home games at Bowen Field at Peters Park, a histori ...
and the
Short Season-A Vancouver Canadians
The Vancouver Canadians are a Minor League Baseball (MiLB) team located in Vancouver, British Columbia. They are members of the Northwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. The Canadians play their home games at Nat Bail ...
, and earned a combined record of 3–2, a 2.37 ERA, and 52 strikeouts in 57 innings pitched.
Borucki made only three appearances in the 2015 season, posting an 0–1 record, 3.18 ERA, and seven strikeouts in 5 innings pitched.
He was assigned to the
Advanced-A Dunedin Blue Jays
The Dunedin Blue Jays are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and are the Single-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball club. They are located in Dunedin, Florida, and play their home games at TD Ballpark, ...
to open the 2016 minor league season.
Borucki struggled with Dunedin, posting a 14.40 ERA through six starts before being reassigned to the
Class A Lansing Lugnuts
The Lansing Lugnuts are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Athletics (baseball), Athletics. They are located in Lansing, Michigan, and play their home games at Jackson Field (Lansing), Jackson Fie ...
. He fared much better with Lansing, making 20 starts and posting a 10–4 record, 2.41 ERA, and 107 strikeouts.
The Blue Jays added Borucki to their 40-man roster after the season to protect him from the
Rule 5 draft
The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball (MLB) player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor lea ...
.
Borucki was assigned to Advanced-A Dunedin to begin the 2017 minor league season. After posting a 6–5 record, 3.58 ERA, and 109 strikeouts in 98 innings, he was promoted to the
Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats
The New Hampshire Fisher Cats are a Minor League Baseball team based in Manchester, New Hampshire. The team, which plays in the Eastern League (1938–present), Eastern League, is the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Ja ...
. In seven starts with the Fisher Cats, Borucki went 2–3 with a 1.94 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 46.
He made a single start with the
Triple-A Buffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Fiel ...
before the season ended, going six scoreless innings. Borucki was named Toronto's Minor League Pitcher of the Year on October 5, 2017. He began the 2018 season with Buffalo, and through June 24, had posted a 6–5 record, 3.27 ERA, and 58 strikeouts in 77 innings pitched.
Major league
On June 26, 2018, the Blue Jays recalled Borucki from Buffalo. He made his Major League debut that night at
Minute Maid Park
Daikin Park (originally Enron Field and formerly Astros Field and Minute Maid Park) is a retractable roof stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. It opened in 2000 and is the home ballpark of the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). ...
against the
Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...
, taking a
loss
Loss may refer to:
*Economic loss
*Grief, an emotional response to loss
**Animal loss, grief over the loss of an animal
Mathematics, science, and technology
* Angular misalignment loss, power loss caused by the deviation from optimum angular al ...
after allowing two runs on six hits over six innings with three strikeouts. Borucki became the twelfth pitcher in franchise history to throw at least six innings and allow two or fewer runs in his debut, and the first to do so since
Zach Stewart in 2011. Borucki made his first start at
Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre (originally SkyDome) is a retractable roof stadium in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated at the base of the CN Tower near the northern shore of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989 on the former Railway Lands, it is home to t ...
on July 2 against the
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
, allowing two runs over seven innings with eight strikeouts, which tied him with
Roy Halladay
Harry Leroy Halladay III (May 14, 1977 – November 7, 2017) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies between 1998 and 2013. His nickname, "Doc ...
for the second-most strikeouts for a Blue Jays' pitcher in a home debut. On July 14, Borucki was optioned to the minors. He was recalled again on July 24. On August 3, Borucki earned his first major league
win
Win or WIN most likely refers to:
* A victory
Win, Winning, WIN or Winner may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film
* '' Win!'', a 2016 American film
Literature
* ''Win'' (Coben novel), 2021
* WIN (pacifist magazine)
* WIN (wrestling ma ...
when he threw eight innings and allowed one unearned run in Toronto's 7–2 victory against the
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...
. Borucki finished the 2018 season with a 4–6 record and a 3.87 ERA over seventeen starts, eleven of which were
quality start
In baseball, a quality start (QS) is a statistic for a starting pitcher defined as a game in which the pitcher completes at least six innings and permits no more than three earned runs. The quality start was developed by sportswriter John Lowe in ...
s, the most of any American League rookie that year. On December 5, the Toronto chapter of the
Baseball Writers' Association of America
The Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) is a professional association for journalists writing about Major League Baseball for daily newspapers, magazines, and qualifying websites. The organization was founded in 1908 and is known fo ...
voted Borucki the Blue Jays' Rookie of the Year for 2018.
Borucki missed the first half of the 2019 season after suffering from elbow inflammation, which was later identified as a
bone spur
An exostosis, also known as a osteochondroma, is a benign chondrogenic lesions derived from aberrant cartilage from the perichondral ring. Exostoses can cause chronic pain ranging from mild to moderate, but rarely severe, depending on the shape, s ...
, during spring training. He made his season debut on July 22, allowing four runs (two earned) and striking out three over 4 innings in a loss to
Cleveland
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...
. After making two starts, Borucki returned to the injured list on July 31. On August 9, it was announced that he underwent surgery to remove bone spurs from his left arm and would miss the remainder of the season.
As the
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
-shortened 2020 Major League season began in late July, Borucki failed to make the Blue Jays' 30-man Opening Day roster. He was beat out by rookie
Anthony Kay for the final spot in the team's starting rotation. However, he was soon activated on July 27 and added to the team's bullpen. He made his season debut that night, pitching 1 scoreless innings and earning the win against the
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
. With the
2020 Toronto Blue Jays, Borucki appeared in 21 games, compiling a 1–1 record with 2.70 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 16.2 innings pitched.
On July 6, 2021, Borucki was placed on the 60-day injured list with a left forearm flexor strain. Borucki was activated off of the injured list on July 16.
On September 22, 2021, he "intentionally" hit
Kevin Kiermaier of the
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...
on a pitch that made the benches clear. Borucki and pitching coach
Pete Walker were ejected, and Borucki was suspended for three days. He appealed and his suspension was reduced to two games.
On March 22, 2022, Borucki signed a one-year, $825,000 contract with the Blue Jays, avoiding salary arbitration. He was designated for assignment on May 31.
Seattle Mariners
On June 4, 2022, Borucki was traded to the
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...
in exchange for minor leaguer Tyler Keenan. He made 21 appearances for Seattle, posting a 2-0 record and 4.26 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 19.0 innings pitched before he was placed on the injured list with a left forearm strain on August 8. He would spend the remainder of the year on the injured list, and was removed from the 40-man roster and sent outright to the Triple-A
Tacoma Rainiers
The Tacoma Rainiers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Tacoma, Washington, and play their home games at Cheney Stadium, ...
following the season on November 9. He would subsequently reject the assignment in lieu of free agency.
Chicago Cubs
On January 4, 2023, Borucki signed a minor league contract with the
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
. He was assigned to the Triple-A
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They are located in Des Moines, Iowa, and are named for their Major League Baseball (MLB) affiliate. T ...
to begin the year, where he made 8 appearances and struggled to a 12.00 ERA with 11 strikeouts in 9.0 innings pitched. On April 30, Borucki had his contract selected to the active roster. He did not appear in a game for Chicago, and was designated for assignment on May 2 following the promotion of
Miguel Amaya. He cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A Iowa on May 5. Borucki chose to reject the outright assignment and elected free agency on May 7.
Pittsburgh Pirates
On May 11, 2023, Borucki signed a minor league contract with the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
organization. In 8 appearances for the Triple–A
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory ...
, he tossed scoreless innings with 4 strikeouts. On June 18, the Pirates selected Borucki's contract, adding him to their active roster. He found immediate success in the Pirates' bullpen, finishing out the 2023 season with career bests in wins (4), ERA (2.45), and WHIP (0.744) across a career high 38 appearances.
On November 9, 2023, Borucki came to a $1.6 million agreement with the Pirates, avoiding arbitration. After four appearances in 2024, he was placed on the injured list with left triceps inflammation on April 7. On May 1, Borucki was shut down following a diagnosis of
carpal tunnel syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a nerve compression syndrome associated with the collected signs and symptoms of Pathophysiology of nerve entrapment#Compression, compression of the median nerve at the carpal tunnel in the wrist. Carpal tunn ...
, and he was transferred to the 60–day injured list on June 6. Borucki was activated on September 1. In 14 games for the Pirates, he struggled to a 7.36 ERA with 13 strikeouts over 11 innings of work.
On January 27, 2025, Borucki re-signed with the Pirates organization on a minor league contract. On March 27, the Pirates selected Borucki's contract after he made the team's
Opening Day
Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent year ...
roster.
Personal life
Borucki's father, Raymond, was an infielder who signed with the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
as an undrafted free agent in 1979 but never advanced beyond
Triple-A ball. Growing up in the Chicago suburb of
Mundelein, Borucki was a fan of the
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
as a child.
Borucki married his wife, Leah, on October 5, 2020. The couple has an
elf sphynx cat named Dobby, who is featured on one of Borucki's practice gloves.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Borucki, Ryan
1994 births
Living people
Altoona Curve players
Baseball players from Lake County, Illinois
Bluefield Blue Jays players
Bradenton Marauders players
Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players
Dunedin Blue Jays players
Gulf Coast Blue Jays players
Indianapolis Indians players
Iowa Cubs players
Lansing Lugnuts players
Major League Baseball pitchers
New Hampshire Fisher Cats players
People from Mundelein, Illinois
Pittsburgh Pirates players
Seattle Mariners players
Toronto Blue Jays players
Vancouver Canadians players