By: Brian Frank
Bowden Francis established himself as an important part of the Blue Jays rotation during an incredible final two months of the 2024 season. He won the American League Pitcher of the Month in August, when he had a 1.05 ERA, held opposing hitters to a .089 batting average, and had 39 strikeouts in 34 1/3 innings pitched. In six starts at the end of August and beginning of September, he only allowed 13 hits in 43 innings pitched – the fewest hits allowed by a starting pitcher in baseball history over a six-game span. His 0.40 WHIP in those six games was the lowest in MLB history over six consecutive starts. In two of those six games, the Tallahassee, Florida native took no-hitters into the ninth inning, before ultimately allowing a base knock.
Francis believes the biggest thing he learned during his breakout campaign was to go out and attack hitters.
“Just to have a lot of trust in myself and trust in the defense and just kind of attack,” Francis said from the Blue Jays spring training camp in Dunedin, Florida.
“I think a lot of us weren’t happy with how the year went,” he added. “So, we just kind of harnessed it and I think in the second half we just kind of said screw it, let’s play hard. It was one of those funny years where it was kind of up and down. It allowed some guys to kind of see what they can do. It allowed some guys to get in there that maybe wouldn’t have gotten in there if we were in the race.”
Francis at Rogers Centre. Photo Credit: Brian Frank, The Herd Chronicles
Francis worked hard in the offseason to build on his success from 2024.
“Just always working on the body and the mind, stability, athleticism, power and durability – all those things go into it,” he said.
“I take a little bit of time off, maybe two weeks and then I start flipping it,” Francis continued. “Just athletic pitch and then slowly taper in to more focused mechanical stuff. But I like to throw. It’s like a muscle, we’re just working it out.”
Francis’s main focus in camp is perfecting his pitching arsenal that made him so effective last year – especially his devastating splitter.
“I just try to refine everything,” he said. “Obviously, my splitter. I just want to really dial that in. And my slider, I want to get that going so I can just trickle that in and add more layers.”
The Blue Jays pitching staff strolls onto the field in Dunedin. Photo Credit: Brian Frank, The Herd Chronicles
Spring training is a great time for any young pitcher in Blue Jays camp to pick up pointers from the many established hurlers on the Blue Jays' staff. It’s an especially valuable time for a young starting pitcher, with veteran starters Kevin Gausman, Max Scherzer, Chris Bassitt, and José Berríos anchoring the Blue Jays pitching staff.
“Oh yeah, of course,” Francis said when asked if he picks the brains of the veteran starters. “Just being near them and just listening. Not as much asking too many questions, I don’t want to fill them with too many. I just am almost like a fly on the wall and just listen to what they have to say. I’m lucky just to be around this staff. It’s pretty special.”
Comments