Blue Jays reliever Braydon Fisher recognized during the AL Rookie of the Year voting

While Athletics infielder Nick Kurtz was the clear favorite for the honor and received a unanimous selection, Fisher finished tied for 10th and received one fourth-place vote. Voting is done by eligible members of the BBWAA in all Major League cities, with votes associated with corresponding points. Fisher’s fourth-place finish gave him two points and tied with starter Shane Smith (White Sox) and outfielder Cam Smith (Astros). It is unknown at this time who voted for Fisher.

Fisher started the year in Triple-A Buffalo, but was promoted to the big league team on May 7 in a day full of transactions. Steward Berrora was DFA’d, outfielder Alan Roden and reliever Dillon Tate were selected to Buffalo, and outfielder Jonatan Clase and Fisher were brought to the big league squad. The right-hander would spend the rest of the year on the Jays’ roster, barring a two-week option until Buffalo at the end of August.

With the Blue Jays, Fisher posted a 2.70 ERA and 3.02 FIP over 52 games, including one spot start that didn’t go well for the rookie arm. He racked up 50 innings while finishing 12 games, allowing just 32 hits, 19 walks and 15 earned runs on the year with a 5.8 H/9 rate and a 3.4 BB/9. Fisher would also appear in eight postseason games, amassing a 6.43 ERA with 10 strikeouts across seven innings of work.

The 25-year-old was a strikeout artist for the Blue Jays, posting an 11.2 K/9 with his slider, curveball, four-seamer and cutter combo, with all four pitches yielding an xBA under the .220 mark on the year. Fisher didn’t overpower you with his fastball — he was in the mid-90s — but his curveball and slider were deadly pitches mixed with his fastball, with the curve generating a vertical drop of more than 54.9 inches. Statistically, his slider was his best pitch, with a run value of +7 and a whiff rate of 32.1 percent.