Toronto Blue Jays: Nate Pearson to make long-awaited MLB debut

Toronto Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo has confirmed that Nate Pearson will make his long-awaited debut against the Washington Nationals.

If you had told Nate Pearson a year ago that he would make his MLB debut for the Toronto Blue Jays against the defending World Series champions, and pitch head-to-head against one of the best in the game in Max Scherzer, I’m sure he would have been thrilled.

To do it in a shortened season and with no fans in attendance is another story. Still, this is the moment that every prospect dreams of and one that Blue Jays fans knew was coming sooner rather than later.

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It was no surprise when it was announced that Pearson would be held back from starting the season on the active roster. That was done purely so the organization could gain an extra year of control on their top prospect before he’s eligible for free agency. The cutoff is tomorrow, July 29th, so the Blue Jays are wasting no time giving him his first start of the season.

He made one start in an exhibition game against the Boston Red Sox, going 3.2 IP and giving up four earned runs and striking out five batters. It was his first start in an MLB stadium, and nerves were surely a factor. Still, there’s no denying the pure stuff that Pearson brings to the table. He features a fastball that routinely touches the high 90’s and can even surpass 100 m.p.h. To go along with it he’s got great secondary pitches with his slider, changeup, and curveball.

He split his 2019 season between single-A, double-A, and triple-A spending the majority of it pitching in AA for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. There he started 16 games and had a 1-4 record with a 2.59 ERA. He struck out 69 batters over 62.2 innings. Pearson is the Blue Jays consensus number one prospect and is ranked seventh overall in the majors by Baseball America.

Pearson should stick in the rotation for the entire season barring any major setbacks. The Blue Jays will need all the help they can get if they expect to compete for a spot in the post-season in a very shortened campaign. With true ace potential, Nate Pearson could lead this Blue Jays pitching staff for years to come.

How excited are you to watch Pearson make his debut? What do you expect from the top pitching prospect? Let us know in the comments below.