Blue Jays' Pearson to make MLB debut Wednesday vs. Nationals
Nate Pearson is headed to the show.
Pearson, the Toronto Blue Jays' top prospect and one of the most highly regarded pitching prospects in baseball, will make his major-league debut Wednesday against the Washington Nationals, manager Charlie Montoyo announced Monday, according to Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic.
Pearson will oppose Nationals ace Max Scherzer in a matchup of high-powered arms.
The 23-year-old opened the season on Toronto's taxi squad, and it was widely expected he would eventually join the team's rotation. He allowed four runs on five hits in 3 2/3 innings in an exhibition game against the Boston Red Sox last week, though he did strike out five batters.
He's known for his electric fastball that regularly reaches triple digits. His arsenal also features a slider that sits in the mid-to-upper 80s.
The Blue Jays selected Pearson 28th overall in the 2017 MLB Draft out of the College of Central Florida. He rocketed through their system last year, posting a 2.30 ERA and 0.89 WHIP while averaging 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings in 25 starts across three levels. Pearson finished his 2019 season at Triple-A Buffalo.
Toronto will start Pearson on Wednesday in order to give ace Hyun-Jin Ryu some extra rest, Montoyo said, according to TSN's Scott Mitchell. Ryu will instead start Thursday in Washington.