Top Blue Jays Player #26: Juan Guzman
Position: Pitcher
Seasons With the
Jays: (1991-1998)
All-Star Game
Selection: 1992
Stats: Games Pitched 195 Innings Pitched 1215.2
Wins/Losses 76-62 Saves
0
ERA 4.07 Strike
outs 1030
Games Started 195 Games
Finished 0
Complete Games 15 Shutouts 2
While the Toronto Blue Jays had
a long history of fielding talented players from the Dominican Republic in
their everyday line-up, it wasn’t until Juan Guzman came along in 1991 that the
team had a bona fide Dominican pitcher on their mound. Guzman was originally
signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers in March of 1985, but was traded to the Blue
Jays just over a year later for infielder Mike Sharperson (only the most avid
Blue Jays fans would remember Sharperson).
Guzman came to Toronto at just
the right time. Right-hander Dave Stieb, the ace of the staff for nearly a
decade, went down during the season with an array of back and shoulder
injuries. With Guzman exploding onto the Big League scene, he slotted right in
to the rotation to replace Stieb. His first season in 1991 resulted in a 10-3
record in 23 games started, an impressive 2.99 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 138
2/3 innings. He could have won even more as several times he left the game with
a lead only to have the bullpen fail to hold it. After winning the AL East
title, Toronto lost to Minnesota 4 games to 1 in the ALCS. Guzman was the
winning pitcher in the only game the Jays won.
He would continue his dominant
pitching performances in 1992. Despite missing some starts in September due to
injury, he ended up with a 16-5 record, a 2.64 ERA and 165 strikeouts. In the
ALCS against Oakland, he won both his starts (Games 2 and 6) and had a 2.08 ERA
while striking out 11 batters. He only started one of the World Series games
against Atlanta, a no-decision in which he only surrendered one earned run in
eight innings. Toronto won the game in the bottom of the ninth.
1993 would see a 14-3 record,
and 16 no-decisions. Either not enough run support, or blown leads by the
bullpen prevented Guzman from winning 20 games. His wildness was starting to
haunt him, however, leading the AL with 26 wild pitches. In the ALCS against
Chicago, he won both his starts (Games 1 and 5), but lost his only decision in
the World Series against Philadelphia despite having decent outings in both his
starts.
Guzman’s numbers would start to
decline, however, in 1994. Although he had a 12-11 record, his ERA was a
shockingly high 5.68. It got even worse in 1995 when it rose to 6.32 and he had
a miserable 4-14 record. He gathered himself together in 1996 (11-8, an
AL-leading 2.93 ERA and 165 strike outs), but injuries plagued him in 1997. His
3-6 record and 4.95 ERA were the beginning of the end of his time in Toronto.
After starting the 1998 season
with a 6-12 record, Guzman was traded to Baltimore at the trade deadline in
July. The Orioles would ship him to Cincinnati at the deadline the following
year. In return, the Orioles got B.J. Ryan from the Reds, who would be the
closer for the Jays several years later. In 2000, Guzman signed with the Tampa
Bay Devil Rays but only pitched one game. He was lit up for seven earned runs
in 1 2/3 innings. A once promising career was over at the age of 33.
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