November 8, 2023
Right-handed pitcher Carson Pierce is focusing on a few areas of his game during his first professional off-season. Pierce, who signed with the Toronto Blue Jays’ organization in August as an undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma University is looking to tweak a couple of his pitches this winter.
“My main focus this off-season is to get my velo back up,” explained Pierce. “I’m also trying to improve my slider. That has been a work in progress for me the last couple months.”
“It has been really good,” Pierce added about the development of his slider. “Last year at OU and a couple years before that I couldn’t throw a slider. But once I got to summer ball and around the pitching coaches with the Blue Jays’ – they really helped me find what works for me, and now I’m just trying to tweak it here and there to make it better.”
Pierce also uses a 4-seam fastball, a sinking fastball, and a changeup; to go along with his slider.
The righty uses his 4-seam fastball primarily against lefties while getting ahead of righties with his sinker.
“I usually only throw 4-seams to lefties at the top of the zone,” stated Pierce. “Off my fastball, I usually throw things towards the middle. I feel my pitches have enough movement to find the corners.”
Pitching 11 1/3 innings between the FCL and the FSL in 2023; Pierce racked up 14 K’s and held opposing hitters to a .250 average against him.
Pierce talks about the difference between the two levels, “The guys in the Florida State League have more of an approach,” said Pierce. “In rookie ball, the guys came up there looking to swing on the first pitch. They didn’t have much of an approach.”
Working exclusively out of the bullpen at Oklahoma, Pierce talks about what he likes about being a reliever.
“I like being able to throw more than one day a week,” stated Pierce. “Even though, you might not get four to six innings a week, there’s just something about throwing constantly. I like it more.”
Be sure to follow Carson Pierce next season, as he logs more professional innings for one of the Toronto Blue Jays’ affiliates.