Nate Pearson is on the move up. For a Toronto Blue Jays organization lacking quality starting pitching, there is hope for one of the team’s bright young prospects.
Early Sunday before the Blue Jays took on the Seattle Mariners, Baseball America reporter Carlos Collazo revealed that the 22-year-old pitcher would be promoted to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. Ranked 14th on 2019 Top 100 MLB prospects list (2nd amongst Toronto Blue Jays), Pearson will have a glorious opportunity to showcase his potential as the Bisons seasons winds down.
“We want to ensure that Pearson has a foundation to not just be exciting the day he gets here but to be able to contribute at a major-league level,” stated Blue Jays President Mark Shapiro.
Nate Pearson Hoping to Provide Foundational Pitching for Toronto Blue Jays
In the 2017 MLB Draft, the Blue Jays selected Pearson with the 28th overall pick. The organization was heavily impressed with the power and command on the mound from the Odessa, Florida native.
“I’m a power pitcher,” Pearson said following his first start for the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats. “I’m very fastball-dominant. My four-seamer has life to it — it’s always been my best pitch — and my slider is my second-best pitch. I also have a changeup and a curveball. My changeup has had a lot of depth this year, while my curveball is more of a pitch that I’ll use for a first-pitch strike.”
It is not surprising that during spring training, Pearson clocked a 104 mph fastball. Various moments during his minor league tenure he has thrown 103 mph. The natural power at such an early age is evidence as to why Pearson is deserving of his promotion to Buffalo.
Pearson generated a 2.59 ERA in 16 starts for the Fisher Cats, after beginning the season with the Class A Advanced Dunedin Blue Jays. Despite getting a fractured forearm that ended his 2018 season, Pearson has come back flawlessly, evidenced by four of his 12 pitches in the MLB Futures Game clocking in at 100 mph.
With the departure of Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez at the trade deadline, the Blue Jays are undergoing a massive pitching transition. Ranked 20th in the MLB in ERA (4.67), 21st in earned runs (580), and 16th in home runs given up (173), the grueling pains of developing a solid rotation are apparent.
It is not clear when Nate Pearson will make his debut start for the Bisons. But given the promise he has shown already, Blue Jays management is confident they can turn the 21-year-old pitcher into a future star.
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