DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Part of Spring Training is figuring out what you have right here, right now. The rest is figuring out what you’ll have in your back pocket for down the road when things go wrong.
For Kevin Gausman, Alek Manoah, Chris Bassitt and José Berríos, there’s not much difference between a 0.00 ERA and a 91.00 ERA in Spring Training. They’re here to build up, stay healthy and hit the ground running in the regular season.
For younger prospects like No. 1 Ricky Tiedemann and flame-throwing righty Yosver Zulueta, who both faced live hitters in camp Thursday, it can be tempting to open some eyes.
“There’s some experienced veteran guys getting ready for the season and some young guys looking to make an impression,” said pitching coach Pete Walker. “You want to make sure they don’t try too hard and put themselves in an awkward position. You want them to do the same thing they’ve done all along and [we] get a good look at them. Get them comfortable, get them comfortable around Major Leaguers. A lot of the young guys are asking great questions.”
Here’s a look at each wave the Blue Jays will evaluate over the next five weeks.
Right here, right now
Beyond the four locked-in starters -- who give the Blue Jays a very strong rotation -- it’s Yusei Kikuchi vs. Mitch White for the No. 5 job. Given that a right shoulder impingement delayed White’s ramp-up slightly, Kikuchi is expected to have the inside track. “[Kikuchi's] confidence level is high right now. He’s excited. He told me it’s the best he’s felt in five years,” Walker said.
Kikuchi has added a breaking ball that’s midway between a curveball and a slider. It’s new, but early looks have been encouraging and he’s been working with Toronto’s staff to find the right shape and velocity.
“I’m focusing on the strike percentage [with the breaking ball],” Kikuchi said through a club interpreter. “Last season, mainly, I was focusing on the strike percentage with my fastball. This season, I’m focusing on it with offspeed pitches. That’s what has changed.”
One injury away
Eventually, the Blue Jays will need a sixth, seventh and eighth starter.
First in line will be either Kikuchi or White. Beyond that, Walker mentioned Zach Thompson, who is impressing in camp after making some adjustments since joining the organization. Then there’s Drew Hutchison, the 2015 Opening Day starter who is back on a Minor League deal and could very well be called upon at some point in '23.
“He’s a matured pitcher. He’s been through the wars a little bit and dealt with a lot of adversity,” Walker said of Hutchison. “I wouldn’t say he’s reinvented himself, but I would say that mentally, he’s a different animal. He knows who he is as a pitcher and I certainly think he’s capable of getting Major League hitters out consistently."
The future
Tiedemann drew a big crowd at Field 1 on Thursday, including fellow players and members of the Blue Jays’ front office. Baseball’s No. 32 prospect has ace potential, but before that storyline takes over, Walker just wants him to focus on the basics.
“Right now, we’re not really focused on the next big thing,” Walker said. “I just want him to get through camp, get some exposure, be around the Major League guys, understand what it means to win at the Major League level, pick the brains of Gausman, Berríos and Bassitt. Being around those guys is the most important thing right now.”
Tiedemann looked like he belonged, pitching to a group that included Matt Chapman and Whit Merrifield. His best pitch of the day came on a fastball for strike three that froze Merrifield on the inside corner. His raw stuff has been ready for the big leagues, but the Blue Jays will handle his development carefully as he builds his innings toward the 120 range in 2023. Ideally, the tail end of those would come in the Majors.
Zulueta looked sharp, too, on Field 2. His best pitch of the day came in a 3-2 count to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., whom he caught out on his front foot with a breaking ball and got a swinging strike three.
The Blue Jays plan to keep Zulueta stretched out so that a starter’s workload is still in the picture, but as this organization targets more swing-and-miss from its bullpen and continues to put an emphasis on multi-inning relievers, the hard-throwing Cuban will be one of the most tantalizing arms in the system.