Toronto Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker revealed what his vision is for new starting pitcher Jose Soriano.
The Blue Jays traded top prospect Arjun Nimmala and two other prospects to the Los Angeles Angels in a trade deadline blockbuster on Monday, August 3.
On Friday, August 7, Soriano made his Blue Jays debut against the Philadelphia Phillies, going 4.2 IP with 1 ER on 4 hits and 3 BB with three strikeouts. Since Soriano did not go the required 5 IP, he was not the pitcher of record when the Blue Jays edged out the Phillies for a much-needed 5-4 win.
Pete Walker Comments on Jose Soriano
Speaking to reporters as Soriano made his first start for the Blue Jays, the team’s famed pitcher coach, Walker, who has been known for “fixing” many pitchers over the years, explained what he wants to see from Soriano going forward with Toronto.
“When a pitcher first gets here, I’ve never been one to be like, hey, this is what we’re going to do, this is the way you need to do it, because that could be the kiss of death if it doesn’t work,” Walker said (via Sportsnet).
“Our vision for him is to be an elite strike-thrower, to locate his fastball and breaking ball at will, he’s got a tremendous split and to be dominant for nine innings. Right now, it’s attacking some small things. It could be catcher targets, approaching that a little differently. And then maybe some fine-tuning pitch usage. Other than that, we’re going to keep it relatively simple for him where he doesn’t feel overwhelmed.”
Blue Jays Rotation
Now that Soriano is on the Blue Jays, he figures to line up behind ace Dylan Cease at the top of the team’s pitching rotation for the rest of this season, barring health.
Rookie Trey Yesavage is currently injured, but figures to slot in behind both of them when he gets healthy. The team also has veterans Shane Bieber, Max Scherzer, and Jameson Taillon in their rotation this year.
Going forward, look for Soriano and Cease to form a two-headed monster atop the Blue Jays’ pitching rotation.
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