Right-hander Nolan Perry entered the 2024 season looking to make an impact across a full season in the Blue Jays minor league season.

After spending the previous year in rookie ball within the Florida Complex League, the New Mexico product was making the jump to single-A Dunedin in the Blue Jays system and looking ahead to a full season that lies ahead.

“With rookie ball, it’s a shortened season compared to the other leagues within the farm system,” said Perry, speaking to Blue Jays Nation. “That was one of the biggest differences I saw right out of the gate with Dunedin, just the schedule being longer and having to manage your routine and timelines across more months. You also see more advanced hitters in single-A, where they have more plate discipline and won’t swing at too many pitches outside the zone.”

Even with the uptick in games throughout the year, the 21-year-old started out well with Dunedin. Perry allowed just one earned run throughout May, striking out 14 batters across nine innings and four starts. In June, the Jays starter saw his innings workload increase per start and he was hitting at least three innings per outing throughout the rest of the season outside of one outing in August.

Perry’s best start came on July 27th against the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, where through five innings – a single season high – he struck out eight batters and allowed just three hits and three walks with zero runs allowed. He generated 23 swings and misses on the day and was using his fastball, curveball, and slider effectively throughout the start.

“Pitching at TD Ballpark is such a cool experience,” said Perry. “Having fans in the stadium there to see you play and being able to work and use the facilities that the Blue Jays have built, it’s incredible.”

For the year, Perry amassed a 2.93 ERA across 46 innings and 14 starts. He limited hitters to a 6.8 H/9 and allowed just 15 earned runs while pitching to an 11.2 K/9, striking out five or more batters through five starts this season. One thing Perry acknowledged was the walks, which were a bit higher than what he was hoping for but the Jays prospect kept tinkering with his mechanics and working with the coaching staff to better himself on the mound.

“Mid-season, I was focusing a lot on mechanics and talking with the coaches about my game plan and attacking hitters to try and limit the free passes,” said Perry. “I was working on being as athletic as possible and quick moving which helped with the mechanics portion of my game as well.”

The right-hander was cruising along and was heading into August on a high note when he felt a bit of a pull in his elbow in a start against the Daytona Tortugas. He was able to finish the outing and made his next start against the Palm Beach Cardinals but had to leave in the fourth inning with an elbow injury. Shortly after, he was heading to surgery to repair his UCL.

“I got through that inning against Daytona and figured it was just a bit tired from it being the end of the year,” said Perry. “It was that next game against the Cardinals where I felt that sharp pain in my elbow and I had to come out in the fourth inning. After the surgery, it was tough to grasp at first that you are pretty much getting a brand new elbow. I know in the long run things will be all right but it was definitely a tough task at first.”

For a Blue Jays organization that has experienced their fair share of elbow injuries this season – Alek Manoah, Landen Maroudis, Ricky Tiedemann, and more – Perry was another prospect heading to the sidelines. UCL injuries are a part of the game and the Jays farm system was in the midst of one of their worst bouts we have seen in quite some time.

It was frustrating to see Perry have to go under the knife given the strong season he was putting forward but the 12th-round pick from the 2022 MLB Draft is taking the rehab process in stride as he looks to return to the diamond.

Once healthy, he has some goals to get him motivated for when he is ready to step back on the mound and face opposing hitters either late next year or in 2026.

“Right now, I am just working out and starting to get that strength back into my elbow,” said Perry. “Once I am throwing again and working on the mound, I want to work on throwing more strikes and just making sure I hit my zones will all my pitches. Attack hitters and just go get them.”