'An easy team to get behind': One-on-one with Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker

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In the decade since the Blue Jays previously generated so much enthusiasm from their own fan base and around Major League Baseball, Pete Walker has seen some things.

The team’s long-time pitching coach was a part of those 2015 and 2016 Jays teams that ended a long drought of playoff absences.

He has seen the rise of the Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette era, the flattening out of a team after a couple seasons of that excitement and in the now, an invigorating renaissance.

And yes, in the current version that is  having the effect of reliving some of those feelings from the summer of 2015, the team’s longest-serving coach sees some parallels.

“There’s absolutely no doubt,” said Walker, relaxed and reflective during our lengthy recent interview in the home dugout at the Rogers Centre. “For me, I’ve experienced both and it feels the same.

“I think these guys are having fun. You can tell. They’re excited for each other. It’s an easy team to get behind, it really is, and the fans are showing it by filling this place every night.”

Walker recognizes the personalities are of a different breed from 2015 to 2025. The previous version was an alpha outfit run by the likes of Jose Bautista and Josh Donaldson.

The current Jays roster has star power in Guerrero Jr. and others, but it is the supporting cast that has elbowed its way into prominence. And it is that group that is helping drive the wagon that now has played in front of a sold out Rogers Centre for 16 consecutive home games.

“It’s the unsung heroes on this team that stand out,” Walker said. “The glue between the cracks type of guys who you don’t figure to be impactful but have really picked up their game when they’re called upon. Fans relate to that.”

Walker and manager John Schneider have a solid synergy, one made even more exhilarating when success has followed so significantly. The 73-52 record through 125 games is actually better than the 70-55 mark from 2015, a season that ended with 93 wins and a division title.

There are still plenty of twists and turns remaining for a group that has already had some highs and lows, but overall Walker likes the potential of his pitching staff finishing strong.

“There are a lot of things you are going to figure out through the course of the season, but we have a group that’s resilient, that seems to be getting stronger at this time of year, which is critical,” said Walker, now in his 13th season as Jays pitching coach. “With the five (starters) and Shane (Bieber) here taking the ball, we’re in a really good position to win a game every night.

“We’re excited about the group moving forward.”

That doesn’t mean Walker’s work is done with a group of starters that has shown some inconsistencies along the way. There are also some tough decisions ahead as well, a luxury given the team’s record. But success so far has only fuelled the thirst for more.

With that in mind, Walker took some time out from his busy game-day regimen to share thoughts on a number of areas.

AS THE ROTATION TURNS

Now that trade deadline acquisition Bieber is expected to be activated for a likely start this weekend in Miami, the permutations surrounding the starting five (or six) will be an almost daily focus of the Jays from today until October.

Will there be a six-man rotation for some of it? Will one of the group get a sustained breather? When will the competition begin for Games 1, 2 and 3 of their post season opener? How to handle those that aren’t in peak form?

What is apparent is that with six starting arms that have all had varying degrees of success, those pitching the best will get the biggest opportunities.

“I think there’s competition, healthy competition,” Walker said. “It’s certainly never rooting against each other, and it’s only trying to make each other better and be accountable to what you’re doing and what kind of work you’re putting in in between outings.

“But I think it’s a contagious vibe that these guys are pushing each other and they want the best out of each other.”

There have been some struggles along the way and it can certainly be argued that starting pitching hasn’t been a season-long strength for the team. Bowden Francis’s woes early in the season and those of Jose Berrios of late have presented challenges.

“If someone struggles, everybody feels it,” Walker said. “With that and especially with the veteran pitchers we have, it tends to make them rise to the occasion.”

As Schneider has hinted regularly, the dialogue on how things will unfold going forward has begun and is ongoing. One of the strengths of the Jays this season has been the cleansing of communication lines and that will continue.

“We are definitely weighing different things,” Walker said. “We try to put those guys in the best position possible to help us out, but also we need to have the best bodies out there to win games. So it’ll be a balancing act. And the communication with the guys is paramount. It’s really important to try to keep those guys in the loop as to what we’re thinking, what we’re doing, get feedback from them.”

Walker feels having seasoned veterans like Scherzer, Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt and Berrios as adults in the room, makes the conversations that much easier.

“They’ve all been around so everybody knows (there are tough decisions ahead),” Walker said. “The last thing you want is pitchers worrying about when their next outing is going to be. It’s just one outing, one pitch at a time. You just have to take care of yourself, give the team the best opportunity to win and things will take care of themselves.

“We couldn’t be more excited about that possibility and the possibilities of what he can do in a stretch run and potentially the postseason. We have pitchers who we feel can pitch big innings for us.”

ON MAD MAX

As a pitching coach, Walker has marvelled at what Scherzer brings to the clubhouse and the mound.

As a former big league pitcher who took care of himself physically to elongate his career, Walker is impressed with what Scherzer’s 41-year-old right arm is doing.

“I pitched until I was 38, but I wasn’t doing that,” Walker said with a laugh.

“I think the guys marvel at him a little with what he’s able to do at this age. But he takes care of his body. He still keeps his arm in great, great shape, and it’s a testament to him. He’s put himself in a position to for us to be a big part of this down the stretch and and I sense that he’s really excited about that.”

Digging beyond the reputation and the persona of Scherzer, Walker is impressed with the two-time World Series champion’s stuff.

“He’s up to 96 (miles per hour) with his fastball again and you see a lot of 94 and 95 in big situations,” Walker said. “His fastball is there. His breaking stuff is there and his changeup. And he’s the ultimate competitor.”

The best part about that toolbox, of course, is what awaits. If you think Scherzer is locked in for starts in July and August, wait until October.

“Every game is a big game, but with him you feel it,” Walker said. “You feel the adrenaline and the excitement because he loves to pitch, he loves to compete, and it rubs off on everybody else.

“He’s getting better each time out. I’ve seen the improvements.”

BIEBER FEVER

Like everyone in the organization, the prospect of adding Bieber to the rotation for the stretch run and beyond is yet another enticing deal to dream upon.

Of course Walker isn’t about to tip the team’s plans for the veteran’s integration into the rotation, but he clearly likes what he sees.

“Watching him pitching in Triple A, you can see he’s very sharp,” Walker said. “He’s at the point in his rehab where things are really coming together. He’s chomping at the bit to pitch in the big leagues.”

Specifically, Walker has been impressed at the way Bieber has thrown in his Buffalo rehab starts, indicating he could perform towards the ceiling of the expectations Jays GM Ross Atkins hoped when he made the high-risk, high-reward swap with Cleveland.

“We just want to make sure he’s feeling good, bouncing back and in a position for us to win some games down the stretch,” Walker said. “He’s an exciting pitcher. He’s been a Cy Young Award winner. He has the potential to be one of the best in the game and we’re really excited about him taking the ball.”

DOWN THE STRETCH

Like anyone around the team, Walker is invigorated with what awaits for this captivating Jays team looking to finish off a last-to-first season and beyond.

Yes, there is still plenty of baseball to be played, but there’s also plenty on the line in the remaining six weeks. There is first place in the East. There is securing one of the top two seeds in the AL and a first-round bye. And at some point there will be monitoring usage to manipulate the rotation for the start of the post season.

“We’ve built a little bit of a cushion so we can afford a bad game and not (panic),” Walker said. “This team, this group is good at bouncing back. They’ve been extremely resilient. They do a 180 just like that.”

While no one with the Jays is taking anything for granted – cushion or not – there are some advantages with having a five-game lead in the division with fewer the 40 games remaining.

“It gives you enough of a buffer to absorb a bad loss,” Walker said. “Then all of a sudden you start playing freer and freer and looser and looser and that’s where they are right now.

“Obviously we’ve seen teams go the other way. I just don’t see that with this group. The vibe is so positive that they could handle a bit of a bump. They’ve shown that all season.”