Blue Jays fireballer finds new life as a reliever
This story was excerpted from Keegan Matheson’s Blue Jays Beat publication. To learn the complete publication, click on right here. And subscribe to get it often in your inbox.
DUNEDIN, Fla. — There’s one thing completely different about Nate Pearson this spring.
He’s at all times been large. He’s at all times lit up the radar gun. He’s at all times thrown along with his proper arm. For as soon as, although, we’re not speaking about his physique.
In 2020, Pearson was the Blue Jays’ No. 1 prospect and the second-best pitching prospect in baseball, ranked No. 10 general by MLB Pipeline. A spiral of accidents has haunted Pearson, although, and even when it regarded like he’d have an opportunity to rebound in 2022, he handled an extended bout of mononucleosis. He’s led the league in dangerous luck at instances.
There’s a psychological freedom to Pearson now, although. His prospect standing is gone and his beginning days are over, as a substitute specializing in a shorter reduction function. This winter, he pitched with Tigres del Licey within the Dominican Winter League, dwelling in Santo Domingo. He buzzed by means of 12 scoreless innings, taking dwelling a 0.00 ERA with 16 strikeouts. He felt like “Big Nate” once more.
“I have to get back to what made baseball fun for me,” Pearson stated just lately.
At instances, he admits, baseball stopped being enjoyable.
“It was kind of hard going through all of the injuries and battling through that. But I realized why you play the game,” Pearson stated. “When you’re healthy, it makes all of the rehab and everything worth it. When you get back healthy and do what I was able to do today, facing these guys, it was just awesome. It was a blast.”
What Pearson did that day was face reside hitters on Field 2 on the Blue Jays’ complicated. In the ultimate at-bat, he acquired Matt Chapman to swing by means of a breaking ball for strike three. Asked if that’s the sensation he’s been chasing, Pearson lit up.
There’s nonetheless a lot that should occur between this level and Pearson being a reliable piece of the Blue Jays’ bullpen within the massive leagues, however it is a refreshing start line after years of frustration. Pearson’s bodily instruments didn’t go wherever, although, and he’s nonetheless simply 26. That’s why pitching coach Pete Walker jumped straight to the psychological sport when requested about Pearson just lately.
“There’s not as much pressure on him right now, which is nice,” Walker stated. “He’s just going about his business and I think he looks really comfortable in his own skin right now. His stuff is outstanding. He knows who he is as a pitcher right now. I’m really excited to see him this spring.”
Pearson’s time within the Dominican was necessary, too. He liked the chance to expertise the place so a lot of his Latin teammates grew up, taking part in in entrance of massive, rowdy and drum-banging crowds. He discovered the place to eat — and the place to not eat — and embraced the journey as a lot because the baseball.
Most necessary, although, was that Pearson’s innings within the Dominican mattered. These weren’t rehab outings with pitch counts, they have been significant moments with wins and losses teetering within the steadiness.
“I can do it. I knew I could do it, to be able to go down there and handle business like that, it was a good time,” Pearson stated. “To be able to pitch in leverage was one of the main things I was excited for. I was a leverage reliever. I only came in when the game was close, and if the game wasn’t close, I didn’t come in. Just feeling that pressure and the crowd was fun.”
This is all only a begin, however a contemporary one. Pearson is off the previous starter’s monitor and onto this new bullpen monitor, which isn’t what all of us envisioned years in the past, however this psychological refresh may give Pearson’s profession new life.
