When the Toronto Blue Jays traded Cavan Biggio for Braydon Fisher in June 2024, the deal went fairly smoothly. Biggio was a familiar name, while Fisher was just a fourth-round draft pick from 2018, recently traded by the Dodgers. No one considered it a turning point.
But less than a year later, the story took a very… Blue Jays turn.
Fisher arrived in the Toronto system and immediately impressed. After the trade, he pitched for New Hampshire and Buffalo, then closed out the 2024 season with an ERA of 1.62 in 14 games for the Bisons. Despite becoming a free agent at the end of the season, the Jays quickly secured him with a minor league contract—a move that at the time seemed purely for depth.
Then 2025 arrived.
Fisher started the season at Buffalo, was called up to MLB on May 7th, sent down on August 21st, and then returned on September 4th. The ups and downs of the game are a familiar pattern for a young reliever. But the results on the field are completely unfamiliar.
In 52 MLB games, Fisher threw 50 innings with an ERA of 2.70. Opponents only hit .181/.269/.282 against him. 62 strikeouts in 50 innings. 7 wins, no losses, and 5 holds. That’s not just “good for a rookie.” That’s the numbers of a true bullpen asset.
Of course, the postseason wasn’t perfect. An ERA of 6.43 in 7 playoff games is a stumble, but not unusual for a pitcher experiencing that intensity for the first time. If anything is noteworthy, it’s that the Blue Jays still trusted him in the playoffs, instead of avoiding him.
Technically, Fisher isn’t a fussy pitcher. Three main pitches: slider (38.3%), curveball (36.6%), and four-seamer (22.1%), averaging 95.5 mph. A little cutter for tempo changes. But that very simplicity proved effective. He strikeout 30.7% of batters—an elite number—though this decreased slightly towards the end of the season as workload increased.
The problem is: heading into 2026, Fisher’s path to high-level play is no longer as wide open as it was a year ago.
Yimi García is back. Tyler Rogers has signed. Louis Varland has solidified his position after appearing in almost every playoff game. Jeff Hoffman is still there, likely closer. Bullpen is more crowded. Competition is fiercer. And Fisher, despite having had an excellent rookie season, has been pushed down several places on the depth chart.
This is the paradox.
Fisher didn’t lose his position because he played poorly. He lost it because the Blue Jays’ bullpen has become too full. Steamer projects him to pitch 52 games, 52 innings with an ERA of 4.08 and a K-rate dropping to 25.1%. If that happens, he’ll most likely not get 52 pitches — as an ERA above 4 is rarely favored for long-term play in Toronto.
But if there’s one thing 2025 has proven, it’s this: Braydon Fisher doesn’t need to be “projected” to create value. He emerges from nowhere, takes on a crucial role, and maintains it with performance.
The question for 2026 isn’t whether he’ll be good enough. He’s already answered that.
The question is: in a crowded bullpen, will the Blue Jays have the patience to let Braydon Fisher…do it again?
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