Hear from the Herd: Lazaro Estrada

Buffalo, N.Y. – Starting pitcher Lazaro Estrada has had a remarkable baseball journey, beginning in Cuba and culminating in his first major league appearance in 2025.

The right-hander was born in La Habana, Cuba, on April 24, 1999. He was drawn to baseball thanks in part to someone close to him.

“My father, he inspired me to play baseball,” Estrada said through his translator, bench coach Cesar Martin. “He played on the national team in Cuba, and I saw him, and he inspired me.”

Estrada, the Toronto Blue Jays’ 24th-ranked prospect, began pitching full-time in 2016 and signed as an international free agent in 2018. He started his professional career in the Dominican Summer League, posting a 2.06 ERA in 14 starts that year.

In 2019, Estrada made his first trip to the United States to play for the now-defunct Bluefield Blue Jays. He recorded a 5.85 ERA in 11 games, including nine starts.

“In Cuba, we play good baseball, but this is the best baseball in the world,” Estrada said, reflecting on the difference between pitching in Cuba and the U.S.

Estrada made his minor league debut in 2021 but only threw 39 1/3 innings over 13 games in Single-A Dunedin and High-A Vancouver across his first two years due to injuries. He posted a 2.77 ERA across the 2021–22 seasons at those levels.

He spent the entire 2023 season with Dunedin, recording a 2.83 ERA over 28 games (nine starts) and racking up triple-digit strikeouts for the first time in his minor league career with 103 punchouts.

The Cuban right-hander rocketed up the Blue Jays' ranks in 2024, starting in Dunedin and finishing with Double-A New Hampshire. He posted a 3.29 ERA in 22 starts and tallied a career-high 113 strikeouts.

Estrada’s strong performance earned him a spot in Triple-A Buffalo to begin 2025, where he met a key mentor.

“Obviously, the pitching coach, Drew Hayes, he’s the one I’ve been working with, but all of the coaches have also been teaching me a lot,” Estrada said.

His hard work paid off in May and June, during which he recorded a 2.55 ERA over 35 1/3 innings in seven starts. That stretch included his first Triple-A quality start on May 15 against the Worcester Red Sox.

Over three appearances during that stretch, Estrada pitched 5 2/3 innings each time, giving up a total of four earned runs on nine hits and three walks. He also recorded seven strikeouts on June 28 against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, matching his season high.

Estrada was called up to the Blue Jays for the first time on July 4. The next day, he pitched four strong innings out of the bullpen, allowing just two hits and one earned run to help lead the Blue Jays to a 4–3 win over the Los Angeles Angels in 11 innings.

“It’s a great experience, just like every player who wants to accomplish their dream to go pitch in the big leagues,” Estrada said. “I won’t forget that, and it’s something I’m going to keep working toward, to go back there.”

He made one more major league appearance on July 29, as part of a day-night doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles.

So far in 2025, Estrada has pitched in 18 games with 17 starts for the Buffalo Bisons, posting a 5.17 ERA. He’s also struck out 77 batters, ranking him among the top 35 in the International League.

Looking ahead, Estrada has made himself available to represent his home country in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, potentially bringing his baseball journey full circle if selected to return to where it all began.