Toronto Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker shares thoughts on Brendon Little's struggles
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Toronto Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker offers some insight into Brendon Little's ongoing struggles, and remains confident in the 29-year old left-hander.
Command continues to be the biggest obstacle for Brendon Little.
In an interview with Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun, Toronto Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker offered insight into Little’s ongoing struggles.
Longley noted that Little dedicated himself to improvement over the offseason, focusing on building upper-body strength, especially in his left shoulder.
Those adjustments appeared promising during spring training, where he introduced a four-seam fastball capable of reaching 98 mph.
The plan behind those changes was clear: use that high-velocity fastball at the top of the strike zone to complement his already sharp breaking ball and keep hitters off balance.
On paper, the approach made perfect sense. But in reality, the issue persists—Little is still not throwing enough strikes, something evident in his first two difficult outings.
Walker remains confident Little's stuff, command will return going forward
“He took some heat at the end of last year, but we used him a lot,” Walker told Longley in spring training. “He had some months that were nasty. Unhittable. His goal is to get a hitter in swing mode. “If he’s throwing strikes, he’s one of the best lefties in the game.”
If only it were that straightforward. As Longley points out, that’s exactly where the challenge lies.
Whether it’s mechanics on the mound or the mental side of the game, consistently commanding the strike zone remains out of reach.
Little still has minor-league options and could be sent to Triple-A Buffalo to continue refining his game and build on the progress he has made.
“Obviously this game’s tough and the better your team is, the bigger the stage, so when you do have a tough outing, it’s magnified,” Walker told Longley when asked how Little handled the negativity last fall. “But he never went into a shell. He always wanted the ball and we wanted to get him back out there."
During spring training, Longley also spoke directly with Little, who expressed genuine excitement about his offseason adjustments, especially the potential impact of his revamped fastball.
He put in significant work to improve his physical strength, aiming to avoid the fatigue that affected him late in the 2025 season, and was eager to return to a key role in the bullpen for the Blue Jays.
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