Two years ago, Ryan Borucki had one of the best stories on the Pittsburgh Pirates.

After spending parts of five seasons in the big leagues, Borucki had yet to truly establish himself at the major league level. His rookie season was arguably his best, when the Toronto Blue Jays used him as a starter, and he pitched a 3.87 ERA over 17 starts. But by 2022, that limited success was years in the rearview mirror. 

That June, he was traded to Seattle and subsequently not retained at the end of the year. His fall from grace forced him to settle for a minor league contract to keep his baseball career alive. He signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs ahead of the 2023 season.
Despite surrendering 12 earned runs in as many innings with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, Borucki was recalled to the majors but did not see any action in a Chicago uniform. After he was designated for assignment on May 7, Borucki opted for free agency. 

Four days later, the Pirates picked him up on a minor league deal, assigning him to their Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis. He tossed 8.1 scoreless innings in Indianapolis before the Pirates recalled him to Pittsburgh, and soon enough, a star was born on the North Shore. 

The crafty southpaw had finally put together that breakout year he was looking for. Borucki shined in 40.1 innings for the Pirates in 2023, propelling his name, turning into one of the team’s best relievers that year and posting a perfect 4-0 record. 

Borucki’s 0.744 WHIP far and away led the Pirates and led all MLB relievers in that category, among arms that had thrown at least 40 innings. His 2.45 ERA was third-best on the Pirates, bested only by All-Star David Bednar and Carmen Mlodzinski.
Though not really known for his strikeouts, he punched out 33 that season. Borucki was incredible at limiting free passes, issuing just four walks and plunking four batters. His 8.25 strikeout-to-walk ratio was more than double the next-highest Pirate and was one of the top marks in baseball. 

He was also extremely effective against both lefties and righties. Left-handed batters hit .149/.230/.254 against him, and right-handed hitters only fared marginally better, at .213/.224/.373. 

The Pirates had found the ultimate diamond in the rough, and the organization was eager to extend him. He and the club avoided arbitration and agreed to a $1.6 million deal over the winter. 

But his success did not translate to 2024. 

A year after his best season in the bigs, Borucki’s follow-up year was unfortunately marred by injuries. He threw just 3.1 innings before he landed on the injured list with left tricep inflammation. Nearly a month after that initial injury, a carpal tunnel diagnosis shut Borucki down for most of the year, eventually transferring him to the 60-Day IL. 

Borucki would not return until Sept. 1, but he was not the same coming back from such a lengthy absence. He allowed seven earned runs in 7.2 innings in the season’s final month. Opponents batted .323 against him and had an OPS of 1.030. 

He ended his brief 2024 season with nine earned runs, a pair of homers against him and a meme every Pirates fan can relate to. During the winter, Borucki was back to where he started, signing a minor league deal with the Pirates and trying to reestablish himself as a major league reliever. 

That process saw the first big step earlier this week when news broke that the Pirates were adding Borucki to the 40-man roster and promoting him to the major league squad — an early birthday gift for the almost 31-year-old. 

Borucki’s spot was made in part by the surprise optioning of Kyle Nicolas on Sunday, but he did plenty to earn this spot out of spring training. He appeared in 8.2 innings over nine games and held his opponents to just five hits, five walks and one earned run. He struck out a third of the 36 Grapefruit League batters he faced. 

Getting Borucki back to his production from two years ago — or even back to 75% or 80% of his 2023 levels — could massively boost the Pirates’ bullpen in 2025. 

Pittsburgh’s bullpen has taken a step back this season. Heading into last year, it was projected as the team’s best strength, headed by Bednar, who was coming off two consecutive All-Star campaigns, and Aroldis Chapman, a flamethrowing ex-closer who was taking on the role as eighth inning setup man. They were supposed to help rescue an unproven and shaky rotation. 

Ironically, the bullpen ended up as the weakness in the team’s pitching staff. The rotation held its own, but the team’s once-reliable relievers could not sustain the success of the team’s starting pitching, which started to gain national notoriety after the arrival of Paul Skenes in May. 

This season, the Pirates took a near-opposite approach. They stocked their bullpen with lottery ticket types that the team is hoping can all return to form. That group includes a duo of lefty free-agent signings in Tim Mayza, who posted a 6.33 ERA last year, and Caleb Ferguson, who posted a 4.64 ERA. It also includes Justin Lawrence and his 6.49 ERA, who the Pirates claimed off waivers from Colorado. 

Instead of investing aggressively into one addition to the bullpen like they did with Chapman last season, the Pirates snagged all four guys for under $10 million. It’s a risky endeavor to try for such a volatile position, but if the Pirates can get some of them to bounce back, it’s a great investment. 

While all four guys had reasons — but not necessarily excuses — for their down years last season, Borucki’s primary setback was his health. If he can stay in the lineup, there’s a solid chance he can rebound in 2025. 

For this organization’s many flaws, one thing they have shown they are capable of is developing and rehabbing pitching. For bullpen arms in particular, Dennis Santana was a terrific example of that last season. 

Borucki has the talent and arsenal, and the Pirates can get him back to where he was.