Education
He graduated and played for Oregon State University for 4 years.
He graduated and played for Oregon State University for 4 years.
Boyd pitched for Oregon State University before being drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays, and played three seasons in their minor league organization before earning a promotion to MLB.
Early and minor league career
Boyd played his freshman high school season at Mercer Island High School before transferring to Eastside Catholic School. In the 2012 Major League Baseball Draft, he was selected in the 13th round by the Cincinnati Reds, but did not sign. In the 2013 Major League Baseball Draft, Boyd was drafted in the 6th round by the Blue Jays and received a $75,000 signing bonus.
Boyd was initially assigned to the Class-A Lansing Lugnuts, where he recorded a 0.64 earned run average in 14 innings before being promoted to the Advanced-A Dunedin Blue Jays, where he would spend the remainder of the 2013 season.
He would post an 0–2 record in Dunedin with a 5.40 European Research Area in 10 innings pitched. In 2014, Boyd pitched 902⁄3 innings with Dunedin, earning a 5–3 record, 1.39 European Research Area, and 103 strikeouts before earning a promotion to the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats.
He would struggle in his first trip to New Hampshire, pitching to a 1–4 record, 6.96 European Research Area, and 44 strikeouts in 422⁄3 innings. Through his first 9 starts with the Fisher Cats in 2015, Boyd lead the league in both European Research Area (105) and strikeouts (56).
He was promoted to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons in June 2015, and made his first start on June 14 against the Charlotte Knights.
Boyd took the loss, yielding 2 runs (1 earned) with 8 strikeouts and no walks in 7 innings pitched for the Bisons. At the time of his call-up, he was considered the number 19 prospect in the Blue Jays organization by MLB. Toronto Blue Jays
On June 26, 2015, Boyd was called up by the Blue Jays to start against the Texas Rangers the following day. He pitched 62⁄3 innings against the Rangers and took the loss, yielding 4 runs while striking out 7.
Boyd"s 7 strikeouts tied the Blue Jays franchise record for strikeouts in a debut.
Detroit Tigers
On July 30, 2015, Boyd was traded to the Detroit Tigers along with Daniel Norris and Jairo Labourt in exchange for David Price. He was assigned to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens.
Boyd was recalled by the Tigers on August 5. Before being recalled, Boyd posted a 9–2 record and a 1.65 European Research Area in 19 starts between Double-A New Hampshire, Triple-A Buffalo and Toledo.
This money is distributed amongst the team and staff
Typically, players who were traded or released through the year are awarded partial shares or grants from the playoff pool. Although Boyd was shut out, monetary grants were awarded to several other Blue Jays players whose contributions were minimal, including Philosophy Coke (22 innings pitched), Colt Hynes (30 innings pitched), and Chad Jenkins (32 innings pitched). Boyd is distantly related to Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller, as well as former First Lady of the United States Dolley Madison.
In his debut for the Tigers on August 5, Boyd pitched 7 innings, allowing seven hits, and one earned run, with two strikeouts, and no walks, earning his first career major league win, in a 2–1 Tigers victory over the Kansas City Royals. Despite having pitched 6.2 innings for the Blue Jays in 2015, the Blue Jays (who made the 2015 ALDS playoffs) elected to not award Boyd any money from the available pool of playoff share funds.
