If can find his control consistently, the Blue Jays prospect could take control of his baseball future.
The hard-throwing Cuban right-hander with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons was named to his second straight Prospects Game this week. He’ll be joined in Seattle by Sem Robberse, a right-hander with the Jays’ Double-A team in New Hampshire. The minor-league showcase is July 8, part of the all-star festivities at T-Mobile Park.
Zulueta’s four-pitch arsenal and a fastball that he throws in the high 90s were enough to get him to all-star weekend, but it’s his command — “probably consistency with delivery,” Jays director of player development Joe Sclafani said — that will dictate when he gets to the majors. And, despite 33 walks in 39 Triple-A innings this season, he has shown some progress.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
After opening the season as a starter and walking 13 in 15 innings through May 10, the 25-year-old shifted to the bullpen, where 17 of his last 18 appearances have come. Zulueta, the No. 3 prospect in the Jays’ system, could follow the path of former top prospect Nate Pearson, who went from hard-throwing starter to one-inning wipeout specialist.
“The ball explodes out of (Zulueta’s) hand,” Sclafani said, “(We’re making) sure things like stride length and release points come at the same time. He shows flashes of it and it’s tantalizing.
“The consistency with throwing strikes hasn’t quite been there this year, but he’s really picked it up the past month or so.”
Still, there are times when Zulueta slides back, like Friday against Worcester when he walked two batters and gave up three runs in 1 2/3 innings. His earned run average, which he had lowered to 4.34 by not allowing a run in five of six appearances, shot up to 4.85. And the walks — five in his last four innings — haven’t gone away.
There are positives. Zulueta is averaging 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings over the season. He has also remained healthy after missing 2020 because of Tommy John surgery and much of 2021 after tearing an ACL while covering a base. He played at all four minor-league levels last season.
“The bulk role (the pitcher that handles the majority of innings on bullpen days) is something we’re looking at now,” Sclafani said, “but we’re seeing how things went with Nate Pearson, who went through a variety of roles but is down to one inning now and it seems to work well for him. You look at all kinds of things.”
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
The Jays will keep looking for the positives in Zulueta’s performances. Another big arm in the bullpen wouldn’t hurt, especially with the American League East seemingly always in an arms battle.
“He’s healthy this year, he’s committed to his routines,” Sclafani said. “He has pitched multiple innings two to three times a week. I’m sure he’d tell you he’s disappointed with the start of the season but, if he keeps trending in the right direction, he would be an option for the big team. We just want to make sure that the trending stays consistent.”
Mark Zwolinski is a Toronto-based sports reporter for the Star.
Follow him on Twitter:
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation