What Gabriel Moreno Can Learn From Other Blue Jay Debuts

DETROIT—Gabriel Moreno is here for a reason.

He slashed his way to the big leagues at the plate and proved his defense is MLB-ready. But before the top prospect makes his Blue Jays debut this weekend in Detroit, Toronto manager Charlie Montoyo had a single piece of advice for him.

“Don’t come here and give the big leagues credit,” Montoyo said. “Do what you do, have fun, you got the tools to do well in the big leagues.”

Montoyo has watched plenty of touted youngsters make their MLB debut over his three-and-a-half years with the Jays, so it’s not the first time he’s given that advice. The Jays are full of former top prospects, with a core of young hitters and a rotation built around prospect studs from the past. From Kevin Gausman to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., every member of Toronto’s roster has their own debut story, and a few shared advice for Moreno ahead of his first game.

Kevin Gausman — May 23rd, 2013 — 5IP 4ER vs Blue Jays

The Major League environment has changed a lot in the nine years since Gausman made his MLB debut with the Orioles. He was Baltimore’s top-ranked prospect and one of the best minor league pitchers in baseball. But like most rookies back then, he was expected to be quiet and keep his head down in the big leagues.

“Almost like don’t be yourself,” Gausman said.

While it took years for Gausman to truly feel comfortable in the big leagues, his advice to guys like Moreno cracking into MLB now is to be yourself from day one. An MLB debut is “the best time of their life,” Gausman said, so be yourself and enjoy it.

Cavan Biggio — May 24th, 2019 — 0/3 vs Padres

When Cavan Biggio made the big leagues, he felt new nerves. For the first time in his baseball career, he was more anxious to play defense than step into the batter’s box. While Biggio went hitless in his MLB debut, he had a perfect scorecard in the field, cleanly fielding the only grounder hit to him at second base.

While Moreno, too, will surely have defensive pressures in his MLB debut, Biggio’s advice to his new teammate is to tackle the experience himself. Everyone can give you tips or tell you what it's going to be like, but the first big league game is something everyone has to go through by themselves, Biggio said, and embracing the new, bigger emotions is the easiest way to have early success.

“I think this is going to be the start of a special career for him,” Biggio said.

Bo Bichette — July 29th, 2019 — 1/4 vs Royals

Bo Bichette started his big league career on a tear. He had nine hits in his first five games, hitting .406 after his first two series. But the young shortstop didn’t realize how good he could be at the MLB level until the eighth game of his campaign.

Heading into Tampa, Bichette and the Jays matched up against Rays starter Charlie Morton, four months into dominant season. At the time, Morton had a 2.77 ERA and was one of “the best three pitchers in baseball,” Bichette said. So when Toronto's shortstop popped a double and homer—scoring the game’s only two runs—Bichette knew he belonged.

Bichette’s advice for a debuting young star is to keep perspective and be grateful, but to also enjoy playing with and against the best players in the world. While Moreno is set to begin his MLB career against the Tigers and Orioles, his moment, against his Morton, will come soon enough.

Alek Manoah — April 11th, 2021 — 6IP 0ER vs Yankees

Moreno is set to debut under similar circumstances to Alek Manoah. After scorching through the minors, Manoah earned a big-league call ahead of a series against the Yankees last year, but his first start was delayed a day due to weather in the Bronx. Much like Manoah, Moreno is with the team for at least one rainy road day before he officially debuts—a “dress rehearsal” as Manoah called it.

It gives Moreno an opportunity to experience everything outside the game, before stepping between the lines. Manoah’s advice was to enjoy those little things. Enjoy the bullpen sessions, enjoy watching from the dugout, enjoy playing catch before the game, and then put it all to the side and “get going.”

“Once you start getting into the swing of things, it’s very easy to start getting lost in the little things a bit,” Manoah said. “And then it’s just a routine and schedule. I think it’s really important to enjoy the first one, enjoy the first few ones.”