EXCITEMENT BUILDS FOR PEARSON DEBUT
Baseball world following fireballer’s rise the way it watched Guerrero Jr. last year
Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins will never get tired of being the steward of some of the top prospects in baseball, even with the inherent and sometimes overhyped expectations that come with it.
So, while it’s not even March yet, there will be more than passing interest in Nate Pearson’s debut with the Jays here on Tuesday.
Atkins won’t get ahead of himself yet, but given the admiration the baseball world is heaping on him, it’s hard not to view the rise of Pearson through the same lens as the one we viewed Vlad Guerrero Jr. through a year ago. “One of the biggest parts to being the best in the game is what happens when you’re in Yankee Stadium, or what happens when hall of famers are alongside you, and managing all the expectation,” Atkins said prior to Monday’s 4-3 win over the Atlanta Braves at the renovated TD Ballpark.
“We feel Nate has a chance to be great. We’ll focus on getting better one day at a time, though.”
The “one day at a time” approach includes one of the most anticipated outings by a homegrown Jays pitcher in years, followed by the remainder of a spring training that will see him move on to begin 2020 at triple-a Buffalo.
After that, the Jays will monitor Pearson’s arm strength and just how well his supplementary pitches develop to complement his 100-mile-per-hour fastball.
“There are several variables with Nate,” Atkins said. “There are the obvious ones: what happens on the baseball field. Then there’s what goes into it and how he prepares, and how much confidence that gives us.
“Not only his work ethic, but his curiosity, his intelligence (and willingness) to tap into coaches, to tap into information, and then if that’s successful, what that means for everyone who follows and the impact that has.
“There’s a lot to be excited about ... I think it’s realistic to think he can impact the team this year.”
BLUE JAYS’ YAMAGUCHI STRUGGLES IN DEBUT
The North American debut of Japanese pitcher Shun Yamaguchi was underwhelming in Monday’s first home game of the spring.
In fact, the off-season signing didn’t make it through the first inning as he allowed three runs on three hits while getting just a pair of outs.
In fairness, Yamaguchi likely was a bundle of nerves as he attempted to make a strong first impression in a new land, a new league.
“Training-wise I haven’t had any problems,” Yamaguchi said through interpreter Yoko Sakurai. “But it’s more the ball that’s different compared to Japan. I’m trying to get used to it as quickly as possible and make adjustments there.”
The Jays certainly won’t read too much into one dodgy outing.
“It’s a big transition, if you think about it, for the first time being in a different country,” Atkins said. “The food is different. The beds are different. The baseball is slightly different. The humidity is different. We believe a guy that gets the number of strikeouts he did in a contact-driven game in Japan is something that will translate well.”
GAME ON
No matter that Yamaguchi struggled, as the Jays rallied for a 4-3 win, the go-ahead run coming across as a balk.
Also of note, closer Ken Giles made his first appearance of the spring, pitching a 1-2-3 third inning and earned the win.
Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio (with an RBI double in the first) and Vlad Guerrero Jr. each recorded hits in the win.
The victory pushed the Jays Grapefruit League record to 2-0-1 in advance of a split-squad doubleheader on Tuesday. Newcomer Chase Anderson will be in Clearwater to face the Phillies while Pearson makes his debut against the Yankees at TD Ballpark.
THE FIFTH STARTER?
It’s hard not to see Trent Thornton as the early front-runner after Yamaguchi was shelled in his North American debut and Montoyo admitted that Ryan Borucki is out of the race, at least initially.
At least there was good news for Borucki, who played catch for the first time in almost two weeks after being shut down with elbow tightness. The team has decided on a cautious approach with the left-hander, who could still emerge in the rotation mix.
“He could be competing for the team on April 15,” Atkins said. “It’s just being cognizant of the fact that he was just shut down, he’s coming off an injury, and we want to make sure that we’re not artificially ramping that up to be making the (club’s) fifth start of the season.”
SPEED KILLS
Count Atkins among those impressed with the work of outfielder Anthony Alford thus far, specifically his three stolen bases in one inning during Saturday’s win over the Yankees.
“The speed, the explosiveness ... he has the abilities,” Atkins said. “It has been disrupted by injuries and he missed a lot of playing time because of (his football career), but man, he’s exciting.”
AROUND THE BASES
Matt Shoemaker has recovered from an illness and threw a bullpen session on Sunday while Tyler Roark, who had also been felled by the flu, has also recovered ... The Jays have added reliever Marc Rzepczynski, who is in camp in a minor-league role. The veteran lefty spent his first three seasons in the majors with Toronto (2009-11) ... Outfielder Jonathan Davis is expected to arrive in camp on Thursday after being absent to attend the birth of his son.