Pitching prospect’s debut short but sweet for Jays
DUNEDIN, FLA. There was ever the slightest fist pump as Nate Pearson left the mound at TD Ballpark after his first foray into pitching in a Major League Baseball game.
Use all the excuses you want — spring training, one inning of work and the fact that hitters are usually well behind pitchers in late February — but the Toronto Blue Jays’ top-rated prospect was impressive in his much-anticipated debut.
With his vaunted high-heat fastball hitting 98 miles per hour, Pearson struck out all three New York Yankees batters before exiting the game.
Just 12 total pitches, but nine were strikes with a pair of Bronx Bombers going down swinging, and one more looking.
“I had a lot of nerves being first big-league spring training outing, had a lot of family and friends here but I used it to my advantage and threw pretty well,” Pearson said after the Jays lost 4-1 to the reigning American League East champions. “It was pretty good for my first spring training outing.”
It most certainly was, especially judging by the look on the faces of Yankees batters as the 23-year-old from Odessa, Fla., was bringing the much-hyped heat.
Somehow, the TD Ballpark radar gun isn’t functioning yet, which takes away some of the fun watching Pearson pitch. Fans love to see the triple-digit readings and Pearson himself likes to steal a glance when he feels he’s let one rip particularly hard.
“I knew it wasn’t going to be on,” said Pearson, who in order gunned down shortstop Tyler Wade, third baseman Miguel Andujar and centre-fielder Mike Tauchman. “A lot of guys were messing with me and saying no one’s gonna know how hard you’re throwing.
“Just reading off the hitters’ reactions, I was throwing pretty hard.”
Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo noticed.
“That ball was getting on the hitters pretty quick and there were three big-league hitters, so that was good,” Montoyo said. “It was impressive.
“He only had (101 innings) last year, so he’s still got to develop more, but man, I’m really happy from what I saw.”
After missing all but two innings of the 2018 season with a broken arm, suffered right here while pitching for the single-a Dunedin Blue Jays, Pearson rocketed through the ranks in 2019, ending the season at triple-a Buffalo.
He’s expected to start the season there, but it might not be for long.
“That’s the first time I’ve seen him (in a game),” Montoyo said. “You can hear everything about it until you see it and say ‘OK, that’s a power arm.’
“That’s part of the future.”
GAME ON
To less fanfare but a similar strong impression, Julian Merryweather followed Pearson in the second inning, and in his Jays debut struck out a pair while also hitting 95 with his fastball ... The lone Jays run against the Yankees came on a solo homer from Santiago Espinal in the sixth ... The Jays fell 4-1 to the Yankees but the team’s offence didn’t take the day off — it was just at another park. For the first of four split-squad days this season, the group that made the short trip over to Clearwater was stellar in a 13-6 drubbing of the Phillies. First baseman Rowdy Tellez led the way in that one with four RBIS, including a three-run homer in the first and a double later. Kevin Smith, Billy Mckinney and Reggie Pruitt also hit homers ... The Yankees had far more pressing issues than a spring training game against the Jays. GM Brian Cashman announced during the game that starter Luis Severino needs Tommy John surgery and will be out for the season ... With the split, the Jays’ spring record stands at 3-1-1.