Jays GM Atkins not putting limit on prospect Pearson
Ross Atkins’ compliments about pitcher Nate Pearson on Friday were coming out as quickly as Pearson fastballs.
Atkins, the Toronto Blue Jays’ general manager, was in town for the Vancouver Canadians’ annual Hot Stove Luncheon at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. The C’s are the Blue Jays’ short-season, single-A affiliate and, as part of the proceedings at the event, it was announced Vancouver and Toronto had extended their player development contract through the 2022 season.
Nat Bailey Stadium has been home to Toronto farmhands since the 2011 season and, in that span, the C’s have won the Northwest League title four times, including last summer, when right-hander Pearson was one of the local stars.
Pearson routinely hit 100 m.p.h. on the radar gun at The Nat last season, and Atkins wasn’t shy about praising him on Friday.
He also wasn’t offering up at what level Pearson, 21, might begin this coming campaign, and it’s certainly even tougher to guess where he could be stationed by year’s end.
Pearson, the 28th overall pick in last June’s draft out of Central Florida Community College, was 0-0 with a 0.95 earned-run average in seven regular-season appearances with Vancouver last summer. He struck out 24 and walked five in 19 innings.
“The best thing about Nate is how hard-working he is and how smart he is and that he’s passionate about learning about his craft,” Atkins said of Pearson, a 6-6, 245-pound pitcher. “It’s unusual for someone to be — I don’t like the word ‘gifted’ — but as talented as he is and as strong and as powerful with the tactical and technical attributes. It’s rare.
“We don’t put ceilings on guys. We don’t put limits. He’s special. No doubt about it.”
Baseball America pegged Pearson as Toronto’s fourth-best prospect, after third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., shortstop Bo Bichette and outfielder Anthony Alford.
That trio all skipped stays in Vancouver.
Baseball America has Guerrero as the No. 3 prospect in all of baseball and Bichette as No. 8. Alford comes in at No. 60 and Pearson is No. 91.
“These guys are young and they have plate discipline and power and play good defence and they love the game,” Atkins said of Guerrero, 18, and Bichette, 19, who finished last season two rungs up from Vancouver, with the advanced single-A Dunedin Blue Jays of the Florida State League.
“They’re doing things that most young hitters don’t do. Those are the type of players we don’t need to talk about. It’s all in their production. Already what they’ve accomplished is remarkable.”
As for the affiliation with Vancouver, it would probably be easier logistically for Toronto if they had their short-season, single-A team in the New York-Penn League, like their four American League East Division rivals do.
Having a team at The Nat, though, gives players early on in the development cycle a sampling of Canada. For some, particularly from Latin America, it’s often their first experience here.
As well, the atmosphere in Vancouver is like few in the minors. The announced attendance average was 6,303, better on a nightly basis than 11 of the 30 triple-A teams.
“This is a remarkable city in a remarkable country with great team ownership,” Atkins said. “It’s great for our players to be introduced to the environment and understand that this (the Blue Jays) is the nation’s team.
“It’s such an easy thing to repeat. I say it all the time, and it never gets anything but inspiring. It (Nat Bailey) is a great place to come and watch a game. Our players love it. Our coaches love it. We’ve got coordinators and staff lining up to make the trip out here.”