5 Blue Jays players who were cursed in 2023

Nate Pearson

When it comes to Nate Pearson, it just felt like he has been cursed all this time since his MLB debut back in 2020 with the ballclub. With his amazing stuff, he was expected to be a top-notch, front-end of the rotation starter for many years to come when he made his rapid ascension from the minors to the major leagues. However, it just seemed like every time he was about to break out, something would happen to him, whether it be losing his consistency and command, or falling to injuries that would put him out for a period of time, setting him back.

Nevertheless, he had put all of that behind him as he started the 2023 season with a clean bill of health and full of promise heading into his seventh professional baseball season. When he was promoted once again to the big league club at the end of April, Pearson took off as he finally displayed the dominant form many expected him to be all these years.

In his first 17 appearances, Pearson was lights out, going 4-0 with a 1.96 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, giving up only five earned runs with five walks and 26 strikeouts in just 23 innings pitched. To everyone, it seemed like he has finally arrived and here to stay. Unfortunately, things unravelled for him quickly as he practically fell off a cliff in the following couple of months. With his effectiveness and confidence all shattered, he was ultimately sent back down to the minors once again, going back to the drawing board once more.

The curse apparently still remains as Pearson still hasn’t had the breakthrough season everyone has been waiting for. But time is beginning to run out, so hopefully for 2024, Pearson will finally have both fate and luck on his side and ultimately show everyone once and for all that he could indeed be an effective MLB player.