Brett Cecil

3.1.1. Starting Pitcher Years (2009-2012)

Cecil was called up to the Toronto Blue Jays on May 1, 2009, and made his Major League debut as a starting pitcher against the Cleveland Indians on May 5 at home. In his debut, he pitched six innings, allowing two runs (one earned) and six hits, receiving a no-decision in a game Toronto eventually won. His next start on May 10 against the Oakland Athletics saw him pitch 8 scoreless innings to earn his first Major League win. He followed this with a win against the Chicago White Sox, which kept Toronto in first place. However, on May 21, he gave up five home runs to the Boston Red Sox, suffering his first loss as Toronto embarked on a nine-game losing streak and fell out of first place. Cecil was subsequently returned to Triple-A.

Due to continued injury problems for Blue Jays pitchers, Cecil was recalled on June 18 and started against the Washington Nationals on June 20, filling in for injured pitchers Casey Janssen and Roy Halladay. He pitched 7 innings, allowing 3 earned runs in a no-decision. Later in the season, he experienced a left knee injury in August, which caused him to miss a start. He ended his rookie season after starting against the Minnesota Twins on September 10, having reached the team's annual innings limit. He concluded 2009 with a 7-4 record and a 5.30 ERA.

In 2010, Cecil started the season in Triple-A after sustaining a finger injury while cooking at home. However, he was recalled on April 23 due to Brian Tallet being placed on the disabled list. He became a regular in the Blue Jays' rotation alongside Ricky Romero, Shaun Marcum, and Brandon Morrow. On May 3, 2010, he carried a perfect game into the seventh inning against the Cleveland Indians before walking Grady Sizemore and later allowing a single to Jhonny Peralta, ending his no-hitter and shutout bid. He ultimately pitched 8 innings, allowing one hit, two walks, one run, and 10 strikeouts. Despite not making the original team out of spring training, he led the Blue Jays with 15 wins (15-7 record) and improved his ERA to 4.22. He was particularly successful against the top three teams in the American League East, recording a 9-2 record (3-1 vs. Tampa Bay Rays, 4-0 vs. New York Yankees, and 2-1 vs. Boston Red Sox), showcasing a competitive edge against strong opponents. However, he also had seven starts where he allowed five or more earned runs, indicating some inconsistency.

The 2011 season began with Cecil struggling with reduced velocity, leading to his optioning to Triple-A on April 21 to make room for Chris Woodward on the 25-man roster. He was recalled in late June and lost his first start against the Pittsburgh Pirates. On July 24, he pitched his first career complete game shutout against the Texas Rangers. Cecil finished the 2011 season with a 4-11 record and an ERA of 4.73.

Cecil did not make the Blue Jays roster out of spring training in 2012 and was assigned to Triple-A Las Vegas. He was called up on June 15 after Kyle Drabek was placed on the disabled list. After posting a 2-4 record with a 5.72 ERA through nine starts, Cecil was demoted to Triple-A Las Vegas on August 4. He was recalled on September 3 and primarily pitched in a relief role for 12 appearances for the remainder of the season.

3.1.2. Bullpen Success and All-Star Selection (2013-2016)

Cecil began the 2013 season as a full-time member of the Blue Jays bullpen. On June 19, against the Colorado Rockies, he broke the club record for facing the most consecutive batters without allowing a hit, surpassing David Cone's mark of 36. Cecil's hitless streak ultimately ended after 43 consecutive batters on June 25, against former teammate Yunel Escobar and the Tampa Bay Rays. On July 6, Cecil was named to the AL All-Star Team, a rare achievement for a middle relief pitcher. In the All-Star Game, he pitched one-third of an inning, striking out Domonic Brown on 3 pitches. On July 31, Cecil recorded his first career save in a 5-2 win over the Oakland Athletics. He was placed on the disabled list on September 17 due to a left elbow injury, ending his 2013 season with a 5-1 record, a 2.82 ERA, and 70 strikeouts over 60 and two-thirds innings pitched. His strikeout rate of 10.38 per 9 innings was notable.

In January 2014, Cecil filed for salary arbitration with Toronto but agreed to a one-year, 1.30 M USD contract on January 17. He pitched the entire season out of the bullpen, making a career-high 66 appearances. In 53 and one-third innings pitched, Cecil posted a 2-3 record with a 2.70 ERA and 76 strikeouts. He also recorded 5 saves and gave up only 2 home runs for the entire season, achieving his best ERA and a high strikeout rate of 12.8 per 9 innings.

On January 15, 2015, Cecil signed a one-year, 2.48 M USD contract with Toronto to avoid salary arbitration. With the departure of Casey Janssen in the offseason, the role of closer was vacant. On March 24, manager John Gibbons named Cecil the Blue Jays' closer to open the 2015 season. However, Cecil struggled early in the season, losing the closer role to rookie Miguel Castro. He was moved back into the closer role on April 28, but after yielding 8 earned runs in his previous 2 and one-third innings pitched, he was again removed from the closer role on June 23. From June 24 through the end of the season, Cecil did not allow an earned run, lowering his ERA from 5.96 to 2.48. He made 63 appearances, marking his third consecutive season with over 60 games played, and continued to maintain a strikeout rate above 10.0 per 9 innings. He was named to the postseason roster and appeared in the Blue Jays' first two games, but suffered a calf injury in the second game. It was determined that he would miss the remainder of the postseason with a tear in his left calf muscle.

On January 15, 2016, Cecil and the Blue Jays avoided salary arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, 3.80 M USD contract. On April 4, he pitched his 38th consecutive scoreless appearance against the Tampa Bay Rays, tying the MLB record for consecutive scoreless appearances set by Craig Kimbrel in 2011. In 2016, he made 54 appearances, the fewest since his transition to a relief role, with a 1-7 record and a 3.93 ERA. His strikeout rate remained high at 11.0 per 9 innings. Following the season, he became a free agent.

3.2.1. Initial Seasons and Injuries (2017-2018)

Prior to the 2017 season, on February 9, Cecil was selected to the United States national baseball team for the 2017 World Baseball Classic. In 2017, he finished with a 2-4 record and a 3.88 ERA in 73 relief appearances. Although he initially wore jersey number 21 for the Cardinals, he switched back to his preferred number 27 on June 16, 2017, after Jhonny Peralta was released.

Cecil began the 2018 season on the 10-day disabled list and was activated on May 11. He was placed on the disabled list again on July 27 due to right foot inflammation and was activated on August 15. He appeared in 40 games, with a 1-1 record and a significantly elevated 6.89 ERA in 32 and two-thirds innings pitched.

3.2.2. Final Years and Release (2019-2020)

For the second consecutive year, Cecil began the 2019 season on the 10-day injured list. He was transferred to the 60-day injured list on March 29 and underwent surgery in April to alleviate carpal tunnel syndrome in his left wrist and forearm, causing him to miss the entire 2019 season.

During the offseason from 2019-2020 and the quarantine caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, he attempted to develop a sidearm delivery. This experimentation was encouraged by Cardinals pitching coach Mike Maddux, who suggested that pitchers should try anything they wanted during the quarantine period. Despite these efforts, Cecil did not pitch in any official games in 2020 and was eventually released by the Cardinals organization on July 22, 2020.