How the Cubs plan to get the most out of Nate Pearson

Craig Counsell doesn’t have grand plans for Nate Pearson when it comes to when he’ll pitch.

“Out-getter,” he responded when a reporter unfamiliar with this typical Counsell answer asked what role Pearson would hold in the bullpen.

That’s standard fare for Counsell when talking about any pitcher. He’s not concerned about roles as much as he is about the ability to get outs. A simple thought process that has allowed him to thrive while managing relievers throughout his career.

Pearson is a top-tier talent. In the lead-up to the 2017 draft, he wowed scouting departments with the arsenal he flashed in his bullpens. As a prospect, he immediately opened eyes. He rocketed up the rankings, becoming a consensus top-10 prospect entering the 2020 season and was still among the top 20 a year later.

At one point, Pearson had some looking at four potential plus pitches with his fastball, slider, curveball and changeup. Even lesser outlooks acknowledged the fastball was elite and the slider was plus. After multiple injuries, most of which were non-arm related, slowed his progress through the minors, Pearson has struggled to find success at the highest level.

Pearson has a career 5.14 ERA in 119 innings but remains tantalizing because he still has an upper-90s fastball and impressive breaking stuff.

“We’re excited to acquire what we think is a really talented arm,” Counsell said. “He’s still kind of figuring out his way in the big leagues, trying to figure out his path to being really good. But we think all the ingredients are there and that we’re getting a guy who’s getting better. That’s exciting.”

The fastball that scouts once put an 80 on is a big reason for the issues. Of eligible pitchers, Statcast has the .410 wOBA allowed against Pearson’s four-seamer as the fifth-worst fastball in baseball.

“Some of it is usage,” pitching coach Tommy Hottovy recently said. “A lot of his fastball damage to lefties comes behind in the count. There are opportunities to maximize his repertoire a little more. I think he does a really good job against righties, but there’s some chance to do some similar things versus lefties.”

Lefties are hitting .381 with a .643 slugging percentage against Pearson’s fastball this season. In his first outing with the Cubs, he faced one lefty and started the at-bat with a 98 mph fastball that was promptly launched 402 feet. In his most recent outing, he faced three lefties and retired two. The two he retired he started the at-bats off with sliders.

“For me, I think the slider is a really good pitch,” Hottovy said. “It’s a pitch he uses really well to righties and he uses it more as a putaway to lefties. I think there’s some opportunity to use that slider earlier in the count to lefties. It’s a pitch he commands really well and he can move it around the strike zone.”

Obviously Pearson has to keep using his fastball against lefties. But the point Hottovy is making is that too often pitchers think a slider is just to be used against same-handed batters. That line of thinking isn’t always effective. Hottovy is trying to shift the way Pearson thinks about his slider.

That seems to be the short-term plan with Pearson. The other issue the Cubs identified as far as the fastball goes is that they believe his delivery is leading to left-handed hitters picking up the pitch earlier, allowing them to sit on it. The shape isn’t exactly where they want it – Hottovy said it’s a combo of this and the delivery – but like with Jameson Taillon last season, they can really hone in on this over the winter.

“I don’t think it’s a significant change at all,” Hottovy said. “He’s shown the ability to do the right moves. The moves we feel are his most efficient delivery. But it’s about talking to him about the cues and what he thinks about. A lot of mechanics and the delivery is what the player is thinking about. A lot of times they’re thinking about the right things in the wrong way. There’s so much give and take in getting to know the player.”

Hottovy often talks about how while the result – a pitcher opening too early – is easy to identify, why that happens can be more of a process. Then it’s about finding the best way to fix that issue and allowing the pitcher to feel natural while doing so.

“It’s almost starting from the ground up and working through the process with him to understand what he’s thinking about,” Hottovy said. “Then you come up with a game plan of how we can maximize the most efficient moves for him. He’s a big, strong dude. So it’s about being efficient, eliminating some of his big movements and just letting his natural athleticism take over.”

These next two months will be key in the Cubs learning more about Pearson and in turn, Pearson trusting that what the coaching staff is telling him to do will work. For years, pitchers have talked about how good Hottovy is with identifying delivery cues and getting the best out of pitchers.

The trust is built over time, but Hottovy’s reputation is that of someone who pitchers will go to battle for. He’s helped plenty of talented pitchers get the best out of themselves in the past. It’s never a guarantee though. For every Jake Arrieta there’s an Eddie Butler. But the Cubs believe they may have a long-term piece in Pearson and hope the tide starts to turn for him soon.

(Photo of Nate Pearson: Jason Mowry / Getty Images)