How do you feel? I, I, I know that, you know, it's the first time you've ever been on the injured list this year twice, but how do you feel about your year as a whole?

Yeah, I mean, there's a lot of things I like about it.

I think, you know, not, not finishing the strongest has kinda left a little bit of a, a bitter taste, taste in my mouth and, and, uh, you know, I...

Y- you know, obviously there was a lot of really good performances and, and, um, you know, I just-- I think just the way I'm kinda wired, I kinda look at it in the areas that I'm a little more disappointed in and, and obviously finishing not the strongest is disappointing.

Uh, I think I could've been a little more consistent, you know, especially with command and, and whatnot.

So it's like, while there were a lot of good things and, and, um, a lot of things I'm proud of, you know, by no means so I feel like it was just a perfect, flawless year.

I really feel like there's still a lot of room for me to, to be better.

What have you found, uh, around here that you've enjoyed?

How do you deal with expectations? Because obviously your name's been surrounded in Cy Young, and then right now I think you're tied for MLB in the most strikeouts.

Uh, I mean, the biggest thing is just, I try to just stay grounded in the process and not, uh, I don't know, not to get too far ahead of myself.

Um, at the end of the day, all you can really do is put in is focus and try, you know, so I just try to focus on that and, and let whatever results happen, happen.

Was it a recent watch?

Quigley Down Under was, yeah, I mean, Quigley Down Under was like recent.

Mr.

Baseball was a little earlier in the year, but I watched Quigley Down Under and I was like, man, I just want to know more about Tom Selleck.

So I went on YouTube and I tried to learn a little bit about him.

But that's a part of you that has to have a, a switch that you flip, that you, you're sad for your friend, but you can't think about it.

Yeah, I mean, you can think about it.

It's just you have to go out and perform.

You gotta go out and, and leave it on the field, you know? So it's like, you know, we all feel bad about it.

We don't, w- it's, it's obviously, you know, about the last thing you want to happen, but, you know, uh, the, the game, games go on.

So, you know, all we can do is, is just hope that he comes back as quick as possible and, and, uh, I, I know he wants to be back.

I know, you know, he's, he's been pitching so well lately.

What do you think has been the biggest thing, difference being a Blue Jay and having the year that you're having?

Can you just talk a little bit about how that works? 'Cause I think a lot of people think when you're out there, you're going through all the X's and O's.

Yeah, I mean, it, it's, you know, the ideal place to be in out there is just you're competing, you're trusting your body, and you're just being aggressive, you know? And, and it's easy as athletes to, well, maybe something feels a little off or you're not getting the results, so you wanna tweak and you wanna focus on one thing, focus on something mechanical or, or whatever it is.

And, um, that can most certainly take away from, you know, our, our natural abilities.

So, you know, it's just one of those things.

I mean, it's, it's, baseball's a hard game, you know? It, it's, we're not robots.

We're, we're trying to do what we can to make our bodies do the same thing every day and make the ball move the same way and, and command the ball.

And, you know, there's a lot of variabilities, but I can tell you that having the right focus and, and preparation is probably the, 95% of it really.

For me, it feels like they gotta score for you, but, uh, that sounded to me like you were being a little hard on yourself.

Uh, how have you felt so far? What is, what has it been like for you to pitch in a Blue Jay uniform so far?

Yeah, it's felt, uh, you know, felt good.

I mean, I, I feel like there's a lot, a lot more room for some, some more, uh, more consistent execution, but the results have been decent.

I've given us a chance to win every time, which, you know, I'm happy with, but, uh, at the end of the day, I, I do want more out of myself.

I'd like to go a little deeper and, and, uh, you know, be in the strike zone more.

But, uh, it- it's been a, it's been a solid start.

Not, I wouldn't say it's been a s- a spectacular start, but it's been really solid.

What has that been like to work on some of your, you know, tertiary pitches or your fourth pitch and fifth pitch to get them more involved in the mix?

Hard not to chase strikeouts?

Yeah, I mean, you know, there's, there's certain situations where, you know, I really, I wouldn't mind contact.

It's just, I feel like, you know, I can go through spurts where my stuff's not really getting put in play and then, you know, maybe I'm, I'm not pinpoint and I, I throw a ball here, a ball there and, and, you know, all of a sudden it's, it's, it's 2-2.

But, um, you know, I mean, I, I like strikeouts.

If I can get 0-2, 1-2, you know, ahead in the count, I, I don't mind maybe chasing it for a pitch.

But, you know, I, I really would rather go deeper and, you know, for instance, last start, I mean, I was, I was talking to Max about this, you know, if it's ...

If I can go 6 and 10, I, I would probably take that over 5 and 12.

You know, where did you come up with that from, and how hard is that to find your target again?

... how do you stay so durable? And what you do to stay so durable, because it's incredible.

Uh, like, like I was saying, it's, there's probably a genetic factor.

There's, there's, you know, I, I put in the work in the off-season.

I lift my weights and all that.

Uh, and then a little bit I think is just, like, no matter what, no matter what, I, I take the ball and I pitch.

If my body hurts, if I'm sick, if I didn't get sleep, if, if whatever, um, you know, I mean, I, I don't know, I just take the ball.

So o- obviously I think everyone would probably do that and, and s- people's bodies fail them and they don't.

... it's not like it's coming out the same way at all times either.