Pendleton

https://torontosun.com/sports/baseball/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-nate-pearson-stopped-beating-himself-up-and-may-have-saved-his-career There was the time back in 2018 when he threw a fastball 104 miles per hour in an Arizona Fall League game, an eye-catcher that took the Nate Pearson hype to silly levels. A day before Vlad Guerrero Jr. stole the show at the Home Run Derby in Cleveland in 2019, there was a dominating Pearson inning in the Futures Game, an all-star week showcase for the game’s top young players. And of course, there were all those years as the Blue Jays top prospect, a fireballing right arm waiting to be unleashed but never quite getting there. It hasn’t worked out as predicted for the Jays’ 2017 first-round draft pick, who has had more downs than ups but isn’t out yet. And it is with a fresh new attitude that the 26-year-old returned to the major leagues this week — for the first time since October 2021, in fact — embracing a new role and a new lease and look at baseball life. “I was way too hard on myself,” Pearson told the Toronto Sun, minutes after walking on the Rogers Centre field, beaming at the place he’s been pining to call home since he was drafted by the Jays. “The expectations I put on myself were sky high. And when expectations aren’t met, it can really get you down. And that’s exactly what happened. I went through a lot of stuff.” The list of stuff reads like a classic tale of an overhyped prospect failing miserably. But there was far more to Pearson’s story than failure, especially given how he’s picked himself up and focused on being a shut-down reliever. In that regard, the 6-foot-6, 255-pounder is a tantalizing possibility for the Jays bullpen should things work out this time. There was injury, almost too many to list, but enough to almost completely write off two seasons of a career that has forever been seeking traction. There was self-doubt, often visible in his mound presence when things got tough in an inning or even an at-bat. And then there was being a slave to the radar gun as he became almost a cult hero with prospect devotees blown away by his extraordinary fastball heat. All of those are in the past, as Pearson showed up in the Jays clubhouse this week healthy, confident and ready to make an impact. “Being here now, it’s just peace of mind,” Pearson said. “Just knowing I can have fun playing baseball again and I’m here at the Rogers Centre with the guys really for whatever happens but mostly ready to just go out there and compete. “I’ve definitely grown mentally. Just accepting whatever comes.” Just being here in April — anywhere in uniform in April — is a big thing for Pearson. As the hard-throwing righty noted, for example, he hasn’t made it out of each of the past two spring trainings due to injury. When you’re looking to prove yourself all over again, running into roadblocks makes it a challenge. But you can add perseverance to Pearson’s toolbox now, a character trait the club has noticed. “He’s matured a bunch,” said Jays assistant pitching coach Jeff Ware, who worked with Pearson in triple A Buffalo last season but was also the organization’s pitching coordinator from 2017-2019, the formative years of the prospect’s career. “The first couple of years he was with us, he didn’t have a whole bunch of innings and that was difficult. “But being around the game year after year, you grow, you learn, you know what it takes and you see what other big leaguers around you do to be successful. “He’s learned a lot about those things and he’s starting to mature. Hopefully he can have a long, successful career.” If that indeed happens, the turning point may well have been when the team told him that his best place to be an impact arm in the big leagues would be in the bullpen. Pearson accepted and then dove into the challenge. “You can see it in him now, you can see that confidence,” Ware says. “He knows what his plan is to get hitters out and what he’s going to do to execute that plan. You definitely see the fire in him now.” Along the way, there has been an important shift for Pearson, a move to release the self-imposed pressure and compete. “I definitely feel different and I’m happy to get this opportunity again,” Pearson said. “It’s been a long journey for me. “Last year was a long year with a lot of time in rehab and I realized I had to find a way to get guys out. You can’t survive on talent and velocity alone. “All those years as a top prospect — I had big expectations of myself and I let myself get too far ahead. I definitely have a different mindset now. It’s focused on the day-to-day and let the opportunities take care of themselves.” The approach is getting places, both in the eyes of the front office and the coaching staff working with him. “This is the best spot he’s been in in his career and he had to fight to get here,” Ware said. “I’m so happy for him that he’s here and getting an opportunity again.”

Great hustle Bo!!

Game has already started, where is everyone?

2022 3rd rounder Alan Roden is hitting .321/.487/.500 early on for Vancouver, after going .383/.484/.640 in two seasons at Creighton with outstanding K/BB rates. No margin for error as a LF/1B/DH type athlete, but might be a lefty bat in the system.

Maybe it's just me, but I find the biggest issue with Richards is consistency during each outing. He can look really good working a hitter over one AB and then struggle to locate either of his pitches to the next guy. That changeup can be a legit weapon though

It says a lot about their lineup when a late 20s failed prospect can get hot for a couple weeks and is suddenly batting in the #3 hole every game. That said, it would be kind of neat if Rooker goes full EE

Should land them a good spec or two, looking like a great signing for them.

Far too small of a sample and too old for the level to get excited about, but a notable early power uptick from our 15th round pick in 2022. https://www.fangraphs.com/players/michael-turconi/sa3020195/stats?position=SS

Cellulose (plant fibre) is extracted from wood pulp and is used in the food industry for thickening and emulsifying certain products. That's where the whole "fast food places put sawdust in their food" rumor started.

This account posts the most obscure baseball facts possible

Haha yeah I don't think posting that ended up going the way he thought it would. He comes across pretty entitled and out of touch.

90+ mph breaking pitches are just fun to watch

The ABs have been much better since the very start of the year. He was flailing so bad in the first few games.

I was thinking half that many starts at worst (4-5) but either way, moving him after one is quite bizarre. They gave him back end SP money, and he definitely seemed to believe he was signing there to be a starter. https://www.tsn.ca/mlb/mlb/san-francisco-giants-sign-ross-stripling-toronto-blue-jays-1.1892652 Stripling, who went 10-4 for Toronto last season, is now eager to be part of a San Francisco rotation featuring Logan Webb, newcomer Sean Manaea, Alex Cobb and Alex Wood. Giants President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi has told Stripling that's the plan. “I expect to start. I had a good year as a starter. I feel like the couple times I’ve gotten a runway as a starter in the big leagues where I kind of knew my position in the rotation as a starter was safe is when I’ve done the best,” Stripling said in a video call. “I made an All-Star game in 2018 with the Dodgers and then this year with Toronto and I knew they basically didn’t have anyone and they gave me some runway and I was able to do well."

https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/04/14/farhan-zaidi-sean-manaea-has-earned-rotation-spot-stripling-to-bullpen/?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_content=tw-mercnews&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=social The Giants are moving Stripling to the pen

Based on his usage in Buffalo early on this year, one would not come to the conclusion that they are angling to have Barger take over at 2B. He's started four games at SS, three at 3B, two as DH and one in RF. Nearly everywhere but the keystone, although it's still early. Edit - actually no playing time at 2B at all last year either. None since his late season promotion to HiA in 2021. If he's going to play there in the bigs, they'd surely want to get him some reps.

It's not a reach or random accusation. He openly brags about shopping for people, in those words.

I wanted us to sign him and thought he was a good bounceback candidate, but yeah - early returns say we should be glad we avoided that one.

The bat to ball skills are encouraging for a kid in A Ball, who won't turn 19 for a couple more months (Beltre). Hopefully can grow into some pop.