Pearson’s rocket arm almost ready for blastoff
With injury woes in past, top Jays prospect regularly hurls pitches north of 100 m.p.h.
It was one pitch in one game that neither Nate Pearson nor Riley Adams will ever forget.
And it happened right here at TD Ballpark, the Toronto Blue Jays’ spring training home.
The strapping young man they call Big Nate was already pegged as one of the top prospects in the game and was on the mound for the high-a Dunedin Blue Jays.
It was May 7 and Pearson’s first start of a 2018 season already delayed by an oblique injury when a comebacker off the bat of Bradenton’s Tyler Gaffney rocketed toward him before he had time to recover and shattered a bone in his right forearm.
“It was a pretty loud thud for sure,” Adams said on Tuesday.
“It was his first start and he was just trying to feel his pitches and he left a fastball hanging. It was a hotshot right back at him, a pretty hard-hit ball. It was a tough day. Tough to see.”
Tough indeed as that first start was Pearson’s final appearance of the year, temporarily muting the loud expectations trailing one of the hardest-throwing pitchers in baseball.
“Like any pitcher would be, I was just sad that I wasn’t going to be able to compete and that basically my year was going to be over,” Pearson said. “Missing that year probably delayed me being in the big leagues. Who knows?
“But I’m thankful they let me move quickly last year, up three levels to try to get back on track to where I was planning on going. This year should be a pretty big year for me.”
Thanks to a meteoric 2019, the No. 8-ranked prospect in the game according to the MLB Pipeline is the source of considerable excitement around the team once again. His ability to routinely fire a fastball north of 100 miles per hour has built an almost cultlike following. His first big-league camp will be the source of much attention once he gets into games.
As was the case with Vlad Guerrero Jr. a year ago, the anticipation is building for Pearson’s promotion to the Jays, both with the player and the Jays’ fan base anxious to see a homegrown first-round draft pick become ace material.
Don’t expect it to happen in late March or early April, a fate Pearson has accepted, for now.
“Me breaking camp is going to be a little bit of a stretch and it probably won’t happen, but I’m ready to go off to Buffalo and get off to a good start,” the personable and well-grounded Pearson said in an interview. “Obviously I want to make the team, everyone here wants to make the team.
But (management) has been up front about things. I know what my future is for the next couple of months, so I’m excited to get going.”
In the meantime, the 23-yearold, who the Jays selected 28th overall in the 2017 draft, is soaking up the accoutrements of big-league life while trying to learn at every turn.
“Through the roof,” Pearson described the experience. “My first big-league camp, I couldn’t be more excited. I’m anxious to get going and glad to be up here.”
Adams is enjoying his first bigleague camp as well, albeit with considerably less fanfare. He’s well-versed in all things Nate, however, after rooming with him in the minors and catching him at stops in Vancouver, Dunedin and New Hampshire.
“Obviously everybody knows what he’s got in terms of how hard he throws,” Riley said.
“But he’s a super nice guy in general. I know when I see he’s on the mound and I see I’m behind the plate, I’m pretty excited.”
Other than making sure the mitt cushions his fastball, Riley said that catching Pearson is a treat.
“You hope it doesn’t hit your hand and just hits the mitt,” Adams said. “The crazy part about him is he can spot up so well. When you want a pitch in a certain location, you know he’s going to hit it. It’s a pretty unique thing when you’re throwing 103 and you can hit your spots that well.”
The vaunted Pearson velocity is certainly eye-catching, but even more so when witnessed five feet behind catcher Reese Mcguire as we did during his side throwing session on Tuesday.
Pearson knows people love to see the smoke, but plans to be selective in turning up the heat as spring training evolves.
“I’ll flash some big numbers, but right now I’m still building up, getting that arm strength going,” Pearson said. “By the end of camp I’ll be able to let it rip and get up to 100-plus. Right now it’s working out and fine tuning my off speed pitches and making sure I’m ready to go and face hitters.”
He’ll get plenty of opportunity to do that before starting the season in Buffalo. Manager Charlie Montoyo said that Pearson will be part of his Grapefruit League rotation.
As for what at the time seemed like disaster, Pearson never looked back after suffering his broken forearm that put him on the disabled list for all but one abbreviated outing two seasons ago.
He began his bounceback campaign here in Dunedin where he was a sharp 3-0 with an 0.86 ERA, which sent him up to New Hampshire where he thrived again, posting a 2.59 ERA over 16 starts. That earned the flame-throwing youngster a season-ending trip to triple-a Buffalo, where he had a 3.00 ERA in three starts.
“I know what I had to get done and I didn’t give myself time to get depressed or all woe is me,” Pearson said of the potential disaster of 2018. “I had a good support system and I just went and worked harder. It’s made it even better to celebrate every milestone in my career so far.”
With the biggest one yet to come.
I’m thankful they let me move quickly last year, up three levels . ... This year should be a pretty big year for me.