September 18, 2017
The 2017 season was a memorable one for left-handed pitching prospect Jake Fishman.
Fishman’s memorable year began with a brief stint with the big club in spring training. Obviously, this moment was very surreal for the young lefty, who was only experiencing spring camp for the first time.
This opportunity was a tremendous one for Fishman, as he walked away from it with a better understanding of what he needs to do to play in the major leagues on a consistent basis.
“Being in big league camp was super cool,” explained Fishman. “It was cool seeing the differences between the big league guys and the minor leaguers. I quickly noticed that the talent level was very similar with the only difference being the consistency level of the major leaguers.”
With this in mind, Fishman is focused on becoming more consistent with his sinking fastball during the off-season.
“A major focus this off-season is to add velocity to my sinker,” said Fishman. “I’m currently in the 88-to-92 mile per hour range. I feel if I can consistently hit 92 that will help me play up the levels better.”
His velocity hasn’t been an issue yet, as Fishman sported an impressive 1.01 WHIP in 30 2/3 innings pitched among three levels.
But despite the success he had last season, Fishman noticed a change in the talent when he reached Low-A Lansing in August.
“I loved pitching in Lansing,” stated Fishman. “The great thing about pitching in the Midwest League was the talent you went up against every outing. All the hitters I faced we’re great hitters, so I had to limit mistakes. In Vancouver I could get away with a bad pitch here and there, but in Lansing that wasn’t the case. I really learned how to focus better every pitch no matter the count.”
Luckily, challenges are something that fires Fishman up every time he walks out to the mound from the bullpen.
“I go out there with the mentality that I can get this guy out,” stated Fishman. “As a reliever you only face a hitter once, so I tell myself I can get this kid out every time I face a new hitter.”
There’s no question why fans are so high on Jake Fishman’s future in the Blue Jays’ organization.