Pearson will start for Blue Jays on Wednesday

We now have a liftoff date for one of the game's top pitching prospects.

The Blue Jays are calling up top prospect Nate Pearson for his Major League debut against the Nationals on Wednesday, according to MLB.com's Keegan Matheson.

Pearson has been on the Toronto taxi squad since the 2020 season began last week, meaning he traveled with the club to its opening series against Tampa Bay and will be with the team in Washington this week. However, he's not yet on an otherwise full 40-man roster, so the Jays need to make a corresponding move to make room for him before Wednesday.

Pearson pitched last Tuesday in a Summer Camp exhibition against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. He allowed four earned runs on five hits and two walks over 3 2/3 innings in an 8-6 win, but also managed five strikeouts -- including three in a row to end his outing. All four of those earned runs came in the first inning, and three were served up on a homer by Boston first baseman Mitch Moreland. Pearson threw 63 pitches, 36 for strikes, and sat around 94-96 mph with his trademark heater. In fact, he threw seven of the game's 10 hardest pitches and topped out at 98.1 mph, according to Statcast.

Velocity is the key to Toronto's excitement about the 23-year-old right-hander. Ranked as MLB.com's No. 8 overall prospect, Pearson receives 80 grades for his fastball, which has hit triple digits in the past. His slider is also a plus pitch, and his changeup has shown enough improvement to look like an above-average offering. As if the arsenal wasn't enough, he has also shown solid control, helping him remain a starting option in the Blue Jays system.

Pearson posted a 2.30 ERA and 0.89 WHIP with 119 strikeouts and only 27 walks in 101 2/3 innings with Class A Advanced Dunedin, Double-A New Hampshire and Triple-A Buffalo last season.

The 2017 first-rounder's debut will allow the Jays to push Hyun-Jin Ryu back one day after the ace threw 97 pitches in Friday's season opener. If Toronto waits until Wednesday to call Pearson up, the righty will have his free agency delayed by one season since he won't be able to accrue one year of service time in the shortened 2020 campaign.