4 Blue Jays players who have no business being on the 2023 playoff roster

Nate Pearson

For the former first round pick from the 2017 MLB Draft, this was suppose to be the year that Nate Pearson finally breaks out and flourishes at the major league level. After running into a string of injury woes the previous years, Pearson finally had a clean bill of health heading into the 2023 season and was strong as ever. Initially, he began the year in Buffalo to start the season, but he was later summoned to the big club near the end of April.

After being called up, Pearson displayed the type of dominance that many had expected from him all these years, as in his first 17 appearances, he posted a stellar 4-0 record with a 1.96 ERA, .193 opponents batting average, 0.913 WHIP, giving up only five earned runs, five walks and 26 strikeouts in just 23 innings pitched. It appeared as though Pearson’s time has finally arrived.

However, his season would suddenly take a 180 degree turn for the worse as in his next 16 appearances, he completely fell apart with a 9.53 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, giving up 18 earned runs and 11 walks in just 17 innings of work. Consequently, he was optioned back down to the minors once again, with all the hope and promise disappearing in a flash. With a plethora of more reliable arms available in Jay Jackson and Bowden Francis, added to his unfortunate monumental slide midway through the season, Pearson has most likely been pushed out of the conversation completely in terms of getting a spot on the Jays’ playoff roster.