Brett Cecil
A hard-throwing lefty who reinvented himself as a dominant late-inning specialist, becoming one of the American League's most reliable relievers.
Born 1986 (age 40)·American baseball player·Birthday: July 2·Millennials
Biography
Brett Cecil's baseball journey is a classic tale of adaptation. Drafted as a starting pitcher, he showed flashes of potential in the Toronto Blue Jays rotation but found his true calling when moved to the bullpen. There, he underwent a remarkable transformation, trading his starter's repertoire for a devastating curveball that became one of the game's most unhittable pitches. From 2013 to 2016, Cecil was a bullpen cornerstone for Toronto, a left-handed weapon who could neutralize right-handed hitters as well. His signature season in 2015 saw him string together a historic scoreless innings streak, a key factor in the Blue Jays' electrifying run to the American League Championship Series.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Brett was born in 1986, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Brett Was Born
The biggest hits of 1986
#1 Movie
Top Gun
Best Picture
Platoon
#1 TV Show
The Cosby Show
Brett's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1986Born
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1991Started school
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1999Became a teenager
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2002Could drive
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2004Could vote
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2007Turned 21
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2016Turned 30
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 40
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Selected as an American League All-Star in 2013 as a relief pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays.
- Set a Blue Jays franchise record with 33 consecutive scoreless appearances in 2015.
- Pitched in 62 games for the 2015 Blue Jays team that won the AL East and reached the ALCS.
- Threw the first and only solo no-hitter in Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League history in 2005.
Did You Know?
In college at Maryland, he was also a talented hitter and occasionally used as a designated hitter.
He played high school baseball at the famed DeMatha Catholic in Maryland.
His 2015 scoreless streak spanned 40.2 innings over 33 games.
“I had to reinvent myself, find that one pitch I could dominate with.”
