Nate Pearson has reportedly made the Blue Jays Opening Day roster

It was reported on Wednesday evening by Jays Journal’s Eric Treuden that Wes Parsons has made the Blue Jays Opening Day roster, meaning that Pearson will grab the last bullpen spot.

While it isn’t official, Mitch White will likely fill the final spot in the bullpen, as the 29-year-old doesn’t have options remaining. If the Blue Jays wish to demote the right-handed pitcher, they’ll have to designate him for assignment, where he’ll surely be claimed due to his velocity spike we saw last season in Buffalo.

As for Pearson, the former top 100 prospect in baseball didn’t have a great Spring Training. The 27–year-old posted a 6.52 ERA and a 5.39 FIP in 9.2 innings pitched, along with a 26.2 K% and a 9.5 BB%. There’s still a lot to like about Pearson, as his fastball averages in the upper-90s and has touched 101 mph. Moreover, the secondary stuff isn’t bad by any means, as the knuckle curve is a deadly pitch, and he’s even developed a splitter.

Still, it feels like this season could be the last for Pearson as a Blue Jay. The “top 100 prospect in baseball” label shed a while ago, and all the Jays have is a guy with high potential due to the velocity, but seemingly can’t figure it out.

The big righty threw 63.1 innings last season, which was the most since the 2019 season, the first and only time he pitched over 100 innings. Health has been a problem in Pearson’s professional career – some is just rotten luck,  like a comebacker breaking his ulna bone in 2019 or contracting mononucleosis prior to the start of the 2022 season. However, it’s good to see Pearson stay healthy for a full-season.

We’ll see how he performs in 2024, but when Erik Swanson and Jordan Romano return, it’s likely Pearson and Parsons will be the first ones heading to Buffalo.