# Brian Wolfe, former Blue Jays pitcher, dies at 45

> The late-blooming pitcher found stardom in Japan after a modest MLB career.
- Title: Brian Wolfe, former Blue Jays pitcher, dies at 45 · Newsweek
- Summary: The late-blooming pitcher found stardom in Japan after a modest MLB career. Brian Wolfe became a successful pitcher in Japan's professional league after…
- Keywords: brian wolfe, blue jays, pitcher, death, nippon ham fighters, shohei ohtani, japan baseball, mlb, minnesota twins, toronto blue jays, Brian, Wolfe
- Source: Newsweek — https://newsweek.com/sports/mlb/former-blue-jays-pitcher-brian-wolfe-dies-at-45-12451614
- Author: Jon Paul Hoornstra
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: brian wolfe, blue jays, pitcher, death, nippon ham fighters, shohei ohtani, japan baseball, mlb, minnesota twins, toronto blue jays
## Former Blue Jays pitcher dies
Brian Wolfe, who played for Toronto from 2007 to 2009, died on September 15 at age 45 after a difficult illness, according to his wife Rachell.

> I'm sorry to write this but after a really really difficult and torturous battle Brian Wolfe passed away early this morning.
## Drafted by Minnesota in 1999
The Fullerton native was selected in the sixth round of the 1999 MLB Draft by the Minnesota Twins and signed a $125,000 bonus deal.
## Six years in the minors
Wolfe spent six years in the Twins' system, reaching Triple-A but never breaking through to the majors before being released in May 2005.
## Late bloomer with Toronto
At 26, Wolfe joined the Blue Jays in 2006 and made his MLB debut in May 2007, appearing in 38 games that season with a 2.98 ERA.
## Star pitcher in Japan
After leaving Toronto in 2009, Wolfe signed with the Nippon Ham Fighters and became a star, starting 77 games from 2010 to 2013 with a 35-29 record.
## Played alongside Ohtani
Wolfe's final season with the Fighters in 2013 was Shohei Ohtani's first year in professional baseball. Wolfe retired in 2018 with a 56-40 record in Japan.
## Key takeaway

Brian Wolfe became a successful pitcher in Japan's professional league after struggling in the American minor leagues, eventually playing alongside Shohei Ohtani.