Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | TOR | RHP | 1 | 55 |
Grades Update: Mar 2021
| OFP | Role | FB | CB | SL | CH | Cnt/Cmd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | 60 | 60 | 45 | 70 | 50 | 50/45 |
Mar 2021 Report
Evaluator: Geoff Pontes
Age: 24 yr
Height: 6-6
Weight: 250 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2017 Round 1
RuleV: On 40-Man Roster
Physical Description: Gargantuan size on the mound, broad shouldered with a thick lower half and defined glutes. Not a muscular build, more country strength and size. Will need a fair amount of maintenance long term to maintain conditioning. Long track record of injuries, dealing with soft tissue injuries as well as a freak broken ulna in his elbow on a comebacker during his 2018 debut.
Delivery & Mechanics: Throws exclusively from the stretch; step and throw; drop and drive; moderate leg lift; short arm action; high 3/4 slot; average extension; gets downhill quickly using his long limbs in synced up motion. Will fly open and lose command of his fastball in the upper quadrants.
Fastball: Plus pitch; sits 95-99 mph touching 100 consistently. Gets above average ride on the fastball but limited run. Will get straight at times and hittable despite velocity. Does a good job of using his height to his advantage, creating downhill plane and locating in the lower quadrants. He commands the pitch best when locating low gloveside, but will elevate for swings and misses on his best days. Shows the ability to generate groundballs and whiffs when needed simply by locating north or south. Grade: 60
Curveball: 12-6 curveball, downer action and good drop; sits 77-79 mph. Mostly used early in the count against left handers. Will generate whiffs but it's primarily a change of pace offering. At times it's interchangeable with his changeup in function and situational usage. Likes to attack glove side and low off the plate. Grade: 45
Slider: Plus, plus pitch; sits 84-87 mph, touching as high as 93 mph. Tight spin and gyro movement profile. The spin and arm action allow him to straddle the line of slurve and sweeper, showing serious two-plane break. His go-to swing and miss pitch. Looks to tunnel off his fastball and attack low gloveside, with the break to catch hitters off guard as it sweeps and tumbled downward. Grade: 70
Changeup: Average pitch, but improving. Sits 86-89 mph, average run and tumble. Has improved his feel and ability to pronate. Used primarily against lefties, but it looks to be his true third pitch over the curveball based on his confidence to throw it in two strike counts. Still learning feel for the pitch, and he will struggle to kill rise at times. Has shown improvement in this area over the last two seasons Grade: 50
Control and Command: Average strike thrower and manages to get it over the plate with consistency despite the challenges of his movement and long limbs. This is what separates Pearson from many other hard throwers. While it is by no means above average control or average command, he has shown the ability to work around the plate and locate to the zones each pitch requires. Working north to south with his fastball and gloveside with his slider, armside with his curveball and changeup. Changing eye levels and keeping hitters off balance. Could improve in the realm of command and locating more effectively elevated with his fastball and turning over his changeup. Control: 50 | Command: 45
Overall: Strong middle of the rotation type starter with the stuff to be a bullpen star should his health require a move. The questions around Pearson's health and reliever risk keep him out of the 60 OFP sphere. He does however have that upside with his highest outcome. It's a matter of staying healthy and sharpening his command across the board. A truly maxed out Pearson could develop into one of the most fearsome starters in the game. His warts however make it a hard conclusion to come to. An electrifying arm talent.
OFP: 55
Role: 60 - Mid-Rotation SP or Above-Average High Leverage Reliever
Risk: High
