Refreshed Merryweather Hoping to Live Up to Flame-Throwing Potential

DUNEDIN, Fla. — Julian Merryweather started the 2021 season in the middle of the fire.

The last guy to make the team’s 26-man roster, the right-hander was thrust into an Opening Day save situation against the Yankees—and he shined.

Merryweather froze Aaron Hicks with a slow changeup, whiffed Giancarlo Stanton on a pitch up and in, then breezed a 99-mph fastball by Gleyber Torres to finish the 10th inning at Yankee Stadium. He earned a save on April 1, then another one three days later.

For a moment, it seemed like Merryweather had usurped Jordan Romano as Toronto’s closer. That was, of course, not the case.

The 30-year-old peaked in the second game of the season and toppled off afterwards. An oblique injury on April 13 tanked his season, and multiple setbacks pushed his return to late in the regular season, where things didn’t click—his 7.27 September ERA can attest to that.

“I wasn't in pain or hurt,” Merryweather told Inside The Blue Jays, reflecting on his 2021 return. “I think just mechanically I wasn't feeling the same. There was probably compensation going on.”

The “compensation” note is important here. For an oft-injured player such as Merryweather, the thought of a re-aggravation lingers in the back of their mind. Working past that fear is crucial.

“Throwing bullpens and not thinking about my oblique or anything or my arm at all has been like the biggest mental thing,” he said. “I don't worry about protecting it. Everything is just about executing.”

Merryweather said he’s entering camp with a refreshed approach and has adjusted his throwing program to help stay healthy. The reliever now emphasizes more blood activation movements, uses fewer static warm-ups, and tries to break a sweat with more cardio before entering the game.

The right-hander looked relaxed in his first spring outing Sunday, too, starting the day with a 92-mph fastball, then working it as high as 97.6 mph. Merryweather rolled a one-two-three inning, mixed in a few quality sliders and punched a batter out on a high heater.

He looked calm on the mound at TD Ballpark, but Merryweather is carrying a little more swagger with him at the moment.

“As an athlete, you're always looking for a little edge,” he said. “So I can get fired up about the smallest thing.”

According to Merryweather, there’s a “laundry list” of things that motivate him at this point in his career—including some critical coverage from the media—but his goal is to put a positive spin on all the noise.

“You can totally turn that and make it turn in your favor, which I like to do,” he said.

As a reliever, there’s a delicate balance between energy and focus—when you’ve only got one inning to empty the tank, you best be in a good headspace.

Merryweather describes pitching out of the bullpen as “all gas, no brakes,” and while he’d still love to throw as a starter again one day, he said more prepared than ever for his relief role in 2022.

And his goal for this year is simple: transform back into that guy from April 2021.

“That’s exactly what I’d hope to be again,” he said.

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