Beloved former Blue Jays pitcher Jay Jackson flourishing in new role after retirement
Photo credit: https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/article/blue-jays-name-rhp-jackson-as-27th-man-for-doubleheader-vs-white-sox/
Former Toronto Blue Jays reliever Jay Jackson has started the next chapter in his life in a new role as a mentor and coach after retiring earlier this season.
Jackson was a member of a deep, talented bullpen that the Blue Jays put together in 2023, a group that included the likes of Jordan Hicks, Jordan Romano, Tim Mayza, Génesis Cabrera, Erik Swanson, and Yimi Garcia.
Jackson was one of seven relievers to post an ERA under 3.00 with a minimum of 20 appearances for the Jays. As a unit, they posted a 3.68 ERA, good for fifth-best in the American League and eighth-best in the majors.
To Jackson, this was healthy competition.
«We all complemented each other so well. Everybody brought something so different to the table to a certain degree, and we all fed off each other,» Jackson said, speaking to Blue Jays Nation. «It's a healthy competition when you have your brothers around you doing well. It's kind of like an older brother-younger brother kind of thing."
«That ultimately helps and leads to the team having more success because we're all just doing our jobs and going out there and being successful.»
For Jackson in particular, he had one of the best seasons of his MLB career with the Blue Jays, posting a 2.12 ERA in 29 2/3 innings with a 0.910 WHIP, 5.5 H/9, and 8.2 K/9.
Jackson was very successful with his slider, the pitch he threw most often. Opposing hitters hit just .116 with a .261 slugging percentage against the slider, as well as whiffing 35.4% of the time.
In his first 16 appearances that season, a solo home run from Aaron Judge was the only knock that Jackson allowed to cross home plate.
In that same period, he allowed just nine hits and six walks alongside 20 strikeouts and a 65% strike-throwing rate.
Jackson had signed to go play in Mexico for the 2025 season, but before he travelled there to continue playing, he decided to retire.
The decision to do so concluded a 17-year professional career that included stops in the United States, Canada, Japan, Mexico, and Venezuela. Across all levels and leagues, he accrued an 82-78 record with a 3.79 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP over 1,400 2/3 innings.
Following retirement, Jackson stepped right into the coaching world, taking the reins as the pitching coach for the West Virginia Black Bears of the MLB Draft League.
Although the league itself is still very young, the Black Bears have won the MLB Draft League Championship twice during the first four seasons that the league has been active.
They are managed by Jon Nunnally, a former MLB outfielder who played for the Royals, Reds, Red Sox, and Mets.
«The guys that I have this year are a lot of high school and college guys, so this year, I'm going to be trying to teach them how to be the best versions of themselves going forward. Even if they get drafted, there's chance that these guys don't make it to the big leagues,» Jackson said on his role this season. «I definitely want them to have these principles that I'm leaving with them now, not only baseball, but with life to be the best versions of themselves.»
Jackson is a first-class example of how to be a great person on and off the baseball field, and it's something he has taken strides to pass along to the next generation.
Do you think Jay Jackson will make a good mentor and coach?
Tell us what you think in the poll below
Source: Blue Jays Nation
Checking in with former Blue Jays reliever Jay Jackson and his post-playing endeavours
Checking in with former Blue Jays reliever Jay Jackson and his post-playing endeavours
| POLL | ||
JUIN 17 | 113 ANSWERS Beloved former Blue Jays pitcher Jay Jackson flourishing in new role after retirement Do you think Jay Jackson will make a good mentor and coach? | ||
| Yes | 86 | 76.1 % |
| No | 3 | 2.7 % |
| Too early to tell | 24 | 21.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
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