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Nate Pearson 2021 Player Outlook: Needs More Time to Reach Full Potential
4 years agoToronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Nate Pearson made his major league debut in 2020 with mixed results. The top prospect in the Blue Jays organization, Pearson pitched 18 innings over five appearances and posted a 19.8 percent strikeout rate and 16 percent walk rate to go along with a 6.00 ERA, 7.19 FIP, 6.04 xFIP and 5.95 SIERA. Now this all took place in a small sample size, but the strikeout and walk rates were a significant step down from his career 31.1 percent strikeout rate and 6.8 percent walk rate in the minors. On top of that, there's a question of how Pearson can hold up over a full season of work, as his 101.2 innings pitched in 2019 marks the only time in his four-year professional career that he has thrown more than 20 innings in a season. Right now, Pearson is projected to be in the Toronto rotation to open the season and he's being drafted as a late round flyer. The potential is there for Pearson to be a solid fantasy pitcher, but he might not reach that potential for another year. Hang on to him in dynasty leagues, but in redraft leagues managers should probably wait and grab him off the waiver-wire later in the season.
