The Dunedin Blue Jays are Toronto's longest-serving minor league affiliate. Toronto has fielded a team in their Florida State League home since 1987, when they revived a franchise that had been mothballed since 1978. Local ownership could not be found, so the team assumed control of the team when it returned to FSL play. The D-Jays are one of the lowest-drawing teams in the league, consistently ranking last or next-to-last in attendance for two decades. The FSL is not one of the minors' attendance leaders, but Toronto prospects usually play for crowds of about 750 in their home park. That's probably not a major concern for the organization, however. In addition to acting as another rung on the developmental ladder, Dunedin is a place where prospects with some medical issues can be housed in order to keep a closer eye on them.
Hopefully, with the stadium upgrades that the Blue Jays and the City of Dunedin agreed upon last fall, that might translate into more fans for the players when they are completed by the spring of 2019.
These roster projections are a matter of conjecture. I make them by considering the development of each player, and trying to match it with the goals the organization likely has for that player. With minor league spring training still just under two months away, many changes can take place. Injuries, stalled or accelerated development, and roster moves at other levels all could have an impact on prospect placement.
Catcher
Position
Age
2016 team
Ave/OBP/SLG
C
Max Pentecost
23
Lansing-Dun
.302/361/.486
C
Ryan Hissey
22
Lansing
.246/.310/.337
Pentecost DH'd exclusively since returning in early May last year, his first game action in almost two years while he recovered from shoulder surgeries. While his ultimate position may be somewhere else on the diamond, the plan for this year is to have him return behind the plate to get much needed reps. Hissey did the bulk of the Catching at Lansing last year, and even though his bat tailed off a bit from 2015, he improved his receiving skills by leaps and bounds. Michael De La Cruz and Justin Atkinson have served in back up roles (Atkinson in several positions), but the Blue Jays would likely prefer a more polished receiver like Hissey to give Pentecost regular breaks.
Infield
1B
Juan Kelly
22
Lansing
.274/.356/.448
2B
John LaPrise
23
Lansing-Dun
.261/.336/.318
SS
JC Cardenas
22
Lansing
.206/.279/.294
3B
Carl Wise
22
Lansing
..240/.291/.329
UT
Ryan Metzler
23
Lansing
.164/.260/.246
1B/OF
Connor Panas
23
Lansing
.231/.343/.430
Not the strongest assemblage of talent in the organization, Kelly made the most progress of the group, and Panas tied for 3rd in the Midwest League in Home Runs.
Outfield
Position
Player
Age
2016 team
Ave/OBP/SLG
OF
Josh Almonte
22
Lansing-Dun
.199/.245/.275
OF
DJ Davis
22
Dunedin
.197/.295/.263
OF
Andrew Guillotte
23
Lansing-Dun
.244/.315/.337
OF
Lane Thomas
21
Lansing
.216/.330/.348
Again, not a stronghold of prospects. Davis will likely repeat High A, and Thomas has had trouble staying healthy the last two seasons, although moving him back to CF seemed to help his game last year.
Starting Pitching
Position
Player
Age
2016 team
WHIP/K/9/BB/9
SP
Jon Harris
23
Lansing-Dun
1.15/6.9/2.6
SP
Franciso Rios
21
Lansing-Dun
1.14/8.1/2.2
SP
Angel Perdomo
22
Lansing
1.18/8.7/3.9
SP
Ryan Borucki
22
Dunedin-Lan
1.35/7.8/2.5
SP
Jordan Romano
23
Lansing
1.05/8.9/3.3
SP
Clinton Hollon
22
DNP
This is one of the strongest rotations in the system. Depending on what kind of roster additions are made at New Hampshire and Buffalo, Harris may begin the year at AA, despite the organization preferring to keep prospects at one level for at least the equivalent of one full season.
Rios was dominant at Lansing before his May promotion to Dunedin, and despite his numbers taking a bit of a step back at the higher level, he missed more bats in the FSL. Perdomo and Rios both were left unprotected at Rule 5 draft time, but both went unclaimed. Borucki, making a comeback after missing most of 2015, started in Dunedin last year, but struggled, and went to Lansing when the Michigan weather warmed up. He finished 2nd in the MWL in ERA, and was added to the 40-man roster in November. Romano came back from injury as well, and quietly had one of the best seasons of any Blue Jays pitching prospects, striking out a batter an inning - his 2.11 ERA would have led the MWL if he had enough innings to qualify. Hollon is the forgotten man, his career interrupted by Tommy John, and a pair of drug suspensions. Hollon was invited to Instructs last fall, and is looking to get his career back on track.
Relief Pitching
Position
Player
Age
2016 team
WHIP/K/9/BB/9
RP
Andrew Case
24
Lansing
1.10/7.2/2.3
RP
Dusty Isaacs
25
Lansing-Dun
1.11/10.6/2.3
RP
Dan Lietz
22
Lansing
1.35/7.1/3.9
RP
Danny Young
22
Lansing
1.50/6.9/3.9
RP
Kirby Snead
22
Lansing
1.34/6.0/1.1
RP
Tom Robson
23
Dunedin-Lan
2.07/6.6/6.5
RP
Josh DeGraaf
23
Lansing
1.23/7.4/2.5
Again, another strength of this potential roster. Case missed part of 2016 after failing to take a drug test, but was solid along with Isaacs, Lietz, Snead, and Young in Lansing's bullpen last year. In his return from Tommy John, Robson seemed poised for great things last spring, but struggled with his command all year, and was eventually moved into relief. DeGraaf's starting and relieving versatility will be a help when double headers start to pile up.
If you've been keeping track, this list actually has 26 names on it, instead of the maximum of 25, because I had trouble finding places for some of these players. Pentecost and maybe Panas are the only impact bats in this lineup, but the pitching staff will likely keep the D-Jays in the majority of their games. Still, while the post-season is not a priority, it's hard to see this team earning a playoff berth.
If you want to follow the D-Jays progress this year, your options are limited. Games are not streamed through MiLB.com's website, so listening online is about the only way to follow.
At the end of the winter meetings last month, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet mentioned that the Blue Jays have filled their vacant minor league pitching coordinator position with Jeff Ware, who has served as Lansing's pitching coach the past two seasons.
Ware was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 1st round in 1991, but shoulder injuries derailed his career. He did pitch in 38 games for the team from 1995-96. He began his coaching career with the Yankees in 2001 before joining the Blue Jays and serving as Vancouver's pitching coach in 2014.
The work Ware has done in his two years with the Lugnuts has been impressive. Under his watch, first-time full season players like Conner Greene, Jesus Tinoco, and Chase DeJong became stalwarts in the Lansing rotation. This year, he helped 2015 1st rounder Jon Harris get back on track before his promotion to Dunedin, and helped Ryan Borucki, who had been sent down to Lansing after giving up 40 hits in 20 Florida State League innings, add some deception in his delivery. Borucki went on to become one of the top starters in the Midwest League, and was added to the Blue Jays 40-man roster this fall. Ware also helped to change and simplify Sean Reid-Foley's delivery, and helped the Top 10 prospect post the lowest BB/9 rates of his career.
Markham, ON's Jordan Romano came back from Tommy John surgery in June to pitch for the Lugnuts, and credits Ware for much of the success he experienced last summer. Under Ware, Romano pitched out of the stretch at all times, and Ware helped him get the proper angle on his fastball. "Sometimes, I would be working side to side with my fastball, instead of up and down," he said. "Whenever I would have a good angle on my fastball, it would be a tough night for the hitters, so we worked on that a lot."
Ware has some big shoes to fill in replacing Sal Fasano, who was revered by many Blue Jays pitching prospects. Ware is quieter and not as outgoing as the departed Fasano, but he has just as many admirers in the system, and has quietly put together an impressive body of work. Ware is not just adept at correcting mechanical flaws in a pitcher - he understands the psychology of working with young pitchers, as well. Blue Jays Director of Player Development Gil Kim confirmed Ware's hiring, saying, "Jeff possesses a high standard of excellence for both himself and his teammates, a competitive drive to get better every day, and a humble personality who has a passion for helping people."
The Blue Jays may have more pressing needs at the moment (ie the team's 25-man roster), but this was an excellent hire.
A year ago, it was difficult to come up with this past of the Blue Jays Top Prospects list.
Alex Anthopoulos' prospect wheeling and dealing had emptied the system of much of its depth.
This year, it's a different story.
Aided by the rapid ascendancy of prospects like Vladimir Guerrero Jr, and the addition of draft picks like T.J. Zeuch, the system now boasts a wider base of talent than it did a year ago. A stellar 2016 draft also helped to re-stock the system quickly. Players who may have cracked the top 10 list of other organizations found themselves on the outside of the Toronto list.
If the front office decides to re-tool the major league roster next season, they have far greater prospect currency to deal with than they did a year ago.
11. Justin Maese, RHP ETA: 2019 Future Outlook: Mid to back of the rotation Calling Card: bat-breaking, ground ball contact Maese definitely merited consideration for the Top 10. In only his second year of pro ball, he advanced as far as Lansing, progressing from the GCL to Low A in about one season's worth of starts.
The 2015 3rd rounder had an impressive debut with the GCL Jays, and quickly picked up and perfected a slider at Instructs that fall with former Blue Jays minor league pitching co-ordinator Sal Fasano. Held back in extended to build his innings and arm strength up this year, he skipped Bluefield, and began the season as Vancouver's Opening Day starter. Maese made only 5 starts for the C's, but the front office had seen enough (as had Baseball America, which named him the league's 8th best prospect on that small sample size), and promoted him to Lansing in July. Despite being one of the youngest players in the Midwest League, Maese fared well in full-season ball.
Sitting 91-93 and touching 95, Maese's fastball has a ton of natural sink to it, and when he's pounding the bottom of the strike zone with it, he's extremely tough to barrel up. Add to that his 89 mph slider, and Maese keeps hitters off balance. He does tend to give up ground ball contact, but he's the type of pitcher who can only be a pitch away from getting out of trouble with a double play ball. You really get a sense of his ground ball-inducing abilities with this chart:
Maese is the latest in a long line of lean, tall and downward-plane pitching, athletic pitchers. The former HS QB fields his position well, and credit goes to Blue Jays Texas scout Gerald Murray for going off the beaten baseball path to find this gem. He should begin the season with Lansing next year, but will likely finish in Dunedin.
12. Angel Perdomo LHP ETA: 2019 Future Outlook: Back of the rotation, or back of the bullpen power arm Calling Card: Premium velocity Perdomo was in the back end of my Top 10 last year, and even though he slipped a bit due to the new depth of prospects in the organization, I have always been a huge fan of the 6'7" southpaw.
Brought along slowly, Perdomo remained at Lansing for the full season, even though rotation mates like Sean Reid-Foley, Jon Harris, and Francisco Rios were promoted to Dunedin with numbers that were not that much better than his.
Fastball command has long been an issue for the lefty, and that's what kept him in Lansing for the year. But few pitchers in minor league baseball missed as many bats as Perdomo did in 2016 - his 156 Ks lead the organization and the Midwest League, and was the second highest total in all of minor league ball. When you faced Perdomo this year, chances were good that you would go down swinging:
s
Perdomo's numbers in the second half were not as sizzling as they were in the first. That may because he was tiring in his first year of full season ball, or it may owe to the fact that he was working more on his secondaries.
When he is on his game, Perdomo sits 93-94 with his fastball from a delivery that can be very tough on left-handed hitters, and uses a slider that flashes plus, and a change up that grades at least as average to complement his fastball. The thinking is that as he moves up the ladder, more advanced hitters may lay off his four seamer up in the zone, and that he may profile as a bullpen arm one day. Repeating his delivery consistently to improve that fastball command has been Perdomo's biggest challenge. He sometimes falls off to the 3rd base side, or rushes his arm. Tall southpaws tend to take longer to develop, and even though Perdomo will be exposed to the Rule 5 draft next month if he's not put on the 40-man roster, the organization will likely keep him in a starter's role in Dunedin next year.
13. Reese McGuire, C ETA: 2017 Future Outlook: defence-first, steady MLB back up Calling Card: superior receiving skills Catching depth has been something of a weakness in the organization. With the acquisition of McGuire at the trade deadline, the return to health of Max Pentecost, and the development of several lower level Catching prospects, it has now become a strength.
In McGuire's draft year (2013), I followed scouting reports on him closely, because several had suggested he might land where the Blue Jays were drafting at the 10 spot (the Jays chose fellow California high schooler Phil Bickford, who chose not to sign, and re-entered the draft a year later). BA's draft report on McGuire looks much the same as a scouting report about him might look now:
He is a natural behind the plate. He remains loose, even after adding strength to his 6-foot-1, 190-pound build. His receiving, blocking and arm strength are all above-average, and he has been calling his own games since he was 10 years old. He has a high baseball IQ and game awareness. The question will be how much McGuire will hit. He has a smooth lefthanded swing with strength and bat speed and shows the tools to be an above-average pure hitter with average power. The San Diego recruit runs better than most catchers. Even if he doesn't reach his offensive ceiling, McGuire's defense will allow him to be a big league backup, but if he hits he has all-star potential.
McGuire has risen as far as AA in four pro seasons, so there's always hope that his bat will come around, but a career line of .267/.324/.329 suggests it may not. He was once a BA Top 100 prospect, but has fallen out of their rankings. McGuire had a decent showing the Arizona Fall League last year, has decent bat speed, and he tends to make contact and put balls in play, so there's always a possibility that his swing plane can be altered to hit more line drives than his customary ground ball contact.
With the future of R.A. Dickey and his personal catcher Josh Thole uncertain, there could be a battle for Russell Martin's back up job next spring, depending on what the club does with Dioner Navarro. Unless a Catcher from outside the organization is brought in, McGuire could be battling A.J. Jimenez for that spot.
14. Francisco Rios, RHP ETA: 2018 Future Outlook: Bullpen Power Arm Calling Card: Barrel-dodging slider Rios is perhaps the most under-the-radar prospect on this list, and no one broke out more than this 2012 late IFA signing from Mexico.
Rios posted reasonably good numbers with Vancouver last year, but there was little to prophesize the start he had with Lansing, posting a 1.20 ERA over his first 6 starts, fanning 43 in 30 innings. That performance landed him a promotion to Dunedin (and a spot on the World roster at the Futures Game), where he gave up more contact, but still gave an indication that he's headed higher in the organization.
Rios has added some jump to his fastball, hitting 95 early in the season, and sitting 91-93. His delivery does present with some deception on his fastball, and even more on his slider, which flashes plus potential. He commands both sides of the plate, and is not afraid to bury that slider when he's ahead in the count. He also tries to elevate that fastball to generate swings and misses, but he was not successful with it in the FSL as he was the MWL.
What may limit Rios' ascension up the ladder is his other secondary pitches - his change is inconsistent, his curve would need to improve greatly to even reach that level. While he should return for at least a half season at Dunedin next year, he may eventually move to his pen, where his fastball may tick up, and be complemented even more by his slider.
15. Harold Ramirez, OF ETA: late 2017 Future Outlook: Corner MLB OF Calling Card: Above-Average Hit Tool One may think that since McGuire and Ramirez ranked higher on most Pirates' prospects lists than I have, that I'm not that high on either. To be truthful, I'm not sure there are two prospects in the Blue Jays top 20 that are closer to MLB-ready than this pair.
Ramirez has something of an unorthodox approach at the plate, but all he's done as a prospect is hit. A knee injury after joining the organization limited him to one Eastern League game, but this is a player who has posted a .306/.364/.407 line since turning pro.
Reports suggest that Ramirez profiles as a corner OF because of his arm, but the Jays thought enough of him to push incumbent Roemon Fields to LF in New Hampshire when Ramirez arrived at the trade deadline.
MLB Pipeline's evaluation of RHH Ramirez:
He hits the ball hard to all fields and while he has a line-drive, crush-the-ball-to-right-center approach, he certainly has the strength and bat speed to grow into more power. He has a solid approach and will take a walk.
Ramirez has had a history of injuries, but if he's healthy, he should start the 2017 season in Buffalo, where he should also continue to hit. The outfield was a bit crowded in the Pirates' system, hence their willingness to part with him, and with only perhaps Dalton Pompey realistically ahead of him, if change comes to the Blue Jays outfield this off season, Ramirez could find himself in the big leagues at some point next year.
16. J.B Woodman, OF ETA: 2019 Future Outlook: MLB right fielder Calling Card: Five Tools The first of the two 2nd round picks the Blue Jays had this past June, Woodman tied for the Southeastern Conference lead in Home Runs this past season. In naming him the Northwest League's 6th prospect, BA observed:
Evaluators around the league noted that Woodman made a lot of hard contact and showed the ability to hit both fastballs and offspeed pitches equally well. He showed contact problems by ranking fifth in the league with 72 strikeouts. He’s a steady defender who gets good jumps and reads on balls and has speed enough to steal double-digit bases.
A centre fielder in college and with Vancouver for this past season, scouts think his arm and bat play better in right field. It is true that he swings and misses a lot, but he also works the count and draws walks. He finished the last week of the season in Lansing, and will return there next spring. Several reports I have received about Woodman comment on his bat speed and pitch recognition skills, which will help him make a successful jump to full season ball. While Woodman hit the ball to all fields, the LHH hit his three Homers to the opposite field:
With the emphasis the organization has placed on HS pitchers over the last several drafts, a toolsy, athletic player like Woodman is something of a novelty. Of all the players on this list, he's the one that I'm most interested to follow next year.
17. Ryan Borucki, LHP ETA: 2019 Future Outlook: back of the rotation starter Calling Card: MLB-ready change-up If there was an award for Grit and Resilience in the organization, the next two pitchers on this list would have shared it for 2016.
A 15th round pick in 2012 whose stock had fallen due to a torn UCL, Borucki has missed two full seasons since joining the organization (Tommy John in 2013; elbow and shoulder issues last year).
The Appy League's 12th-ranked prospect in 2014 despite only spending a month there, Borucki seemed ready to head to full season play in 2015, but was limited to only 5 innings.
Finally healthy this year, the club opted to keep him in Florida when spring training camp broke, assigning him to Dunedin. Whether this was designed to challenge him, keep him in a warm climate until the weather further north warmed up, or have him close to the team's medical facilities in the case of a breakdown is unknown, but he was overmatched, as Florida State League hitters pounded him at a .421 clip over his first 6 starts.
Sent down a level to Lansing, Borucki turned his season (and possibly his career) around with a Midwest League 2nd-best 2.41 ERA, and a 10-4 record. Borucki fanned 107 in 115 innings, walking only 26. Working with Lugnuts pitching coach Jeff Ware and then-Blue Jays minor league pitching instructor Sal Fasano, he added some deception to his delivery, and began missing barrels with greater regularity.
The tall, athletic lefthander can dial it up to 95 with has fastball, but sits in the 90-92 range. He complements it with what might be the best change up in the organization, a pitch with great deception and depth that MWL hitters had little or no chance against. Perhaps the most encouraging sign this season was the career-high 135 innings he threw this year.
Borucki has lost some development time, but showed the determination and pitchability that led the organization to roll the dice on him 4 years ago. He should return to Dunedin and pitch with greater success next year, and might move quickly now that he has a healthy full season under his belt.
18. Patrick Murphy, RHP ETA: 2020 Future Outlook: Back of the rotation Calling Card: If Borucki is medium-grade sandpaper, Murphy is the coarse-grade variety. His has been the longest road among the prospects on this list.
He missed his senior year of high school due to a torn UCL, but the Blue Jays still took him in the 3rd round that year (2013). His pro debut, delayed to 2014, lasted all of 4 innings.
Shut down early in 2015 due to lingering arm numbness and pain, Murphy missed the entire 2015 season after surgery to remove a rib to help lessen pain in the arm. Held back in extended this year, he pitched in 8 games for Lansing before heading to Vancouver when the Northwest League season opened.
Murphy found himself with the C's, anchoring their rotation, pitching in the league's All Star game, and being named the loop's 12-best prospect. His work drew notice from the opposition, according to BA:
Managers praised Murphy for the angle on his 92-96 mph fastball and ability to pound the bottom part of the zone with his entire arsenal. He couples his fastball with a 12-to-6 curveball that rates as an above-average pitch and a changeup he spent time developing at Vancouver
Having not pitched in almost two calendar years, Murphy showed some rust with Lansing, walking 14 in only 21 innings. His command improved with Vancouver. His development will likely be slow and steady, with a return to Lansing next season
19. Jordan Romano, RHP ETA: 2019 Future Outlook: Back of the rotation innings-eater Calling Card: Pounder of the lower part of the strike zone If you can remember only one thing about the Markham, ON, native it should be this: toward the end of spring training in 2015, Romano threw a pitch in a game that made the count full - and also made his UCL give way. He felt it, but stayed in the game for one more pitch, uncorking a hellacious slider to strike the hitter out. A few weeks later, he underwent Tommy John surgery, wiping out his season.
I have followed Romano's career closely since the Blue Jays made him their 10th pick in 2014 out of Oral Roberts, where he was 3rd on their all-time Saves list -despite only playing one season there.
As someone who grew up playing on some of the fields Romano played on in Southern Ontario (albeit a couple of decades earlier), it's easy for me to feel an affinity for someone who defied long odds to get drafted, and may beat even longer ones to pitch in the majors one day. He kept me up-to-date with his progress throughout his rehab, and impressed me with his positive attitude.
Romano spent part of the off season working out with Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez, and it showed. He faced live hitters for the first time in April in Extended, and, converted to starting, made his first appearance in 22 months for Lansing, throwing a complete game, 7-inning 2-hit/1-run gem in early June, walking none and striking out 7.
Romano was consistent for the Lugs all summer, failing to go at least 3 innings in only 1 of his 14 starts. His 2.11 ERA would have led the Midwest League if he had enough innings to qualify. He walked 27 and fanned 72 in as many innings. I watched Romano's final start of the season, a 10-strikeout command performance over 6.
Romano sits 92-93 with his fastball, and is adept at getting ahead of hitters, commanding both sides of the plate. He can elevate his fastball when he has two strikes on a hitter, but it will be interesting to see how hitters at the next level handle it. At 6'4", he gets good extension and downward plane on his pitches. He complements that fastball with a slider that has good bite, and a change up that improved with each start. Staying ahead of hitters makes his subsequent pitches that much better, and is a key for Romano as he moves up to Dunedin next year.
Harris, Perdomo, and Rios may have been a new version of the Lansing Three earlier in the season, but Borucki, Romano, and Maese formed their own version in the second half.
20. Josh Palacios, OF ETA: 2019 Future Outlook: 4th outfielder Calling Card: outstanding athleticsim
He may not have made the NWL top prospects list, but Palacios may already be one of the best athletes in the organization. The 4th rounder from last June's draft hit .355/.437/.473 for Vancouver, and while scouts forecast a fourth outfielder-type projection for him, it will be interesting to see what a year of full season ball in 2017 will do in terms of developing his bat speed and base running abilities. Palacios has quick hands, looks like a hurdler, and gets around the bases in a hurry.
A sage baseball man once told me when in doubt, go with projection. Palacios may not have drawn rave reviews, but the organization still thought enough of him to take him in the 4th round. There may not be much room for projection left for him in terms of tools, but the athleticism is there - enough to make him worth following when he begins full season play with Lansing next year.
The veteran Blue Jays farmhand tweeted the above comment in the wake of Tim Tebow signing with the Mets for a $100 000 bonus after a whirlwind courtship with several teams, the Blue Jays reportedly being one of them.
There is no doubt about Tebow's athleticism, but at age 29, and not having stepped on a ball diamond for 11 years, he just not was worth the relatively small signing bonus (albeit one that far outnumbered the one Lawrence and hundreds of other minor leaguers received).
Tebow will report to the Mets' Instructional League camp later this month, but he will be taking one day off per week to honour his college football broadcasting commitment.
He will no likely help generate some early buzz for the Mets next spring training, but it's hard to see him breaking camp with a team at the end of March. Never one to turn down a look at an athlete with some projection, the Blue Jays likely considered the lengthy odds against Tebow, and said no, thanks.
Former Toronto Sun Blue Jays beat reporter Bob Elliott reported on the Canadian Baseball Network site that the Blue Jays have cancelled the annual (since 1982) R. Howard Webster Award winners weekend. Named for one of the Blue Jays founders, the Award recognizes the MVPs of each Blue Jays affiliate. For 30 years, the club has brought these prospects to Toronto late in the season to meet the media, and generally become familiar with the city.
It's not surprising that the new regime has opted to discontinue this tradition, and may hold some sort of ceremony next spring. With a full house in attendance almost every night, and tv ratings experiencing a boom, it's hard to think that the bottom line might be one of the reasons this event was cancelled. Bringing the players to the city (as well as the organization's top scout for the year) was a great PR gesture, and introduced these future Blue Jays to the fans. It was also great recognition for the players, many of whom toil in anonymity. Few would be able to afford a weekend on a minor leaguer's salary, as well.
Inquiries to the Blue Jays as to why the event has been ended have gone unanswered.
Peering into the crystal ball, the Webster Award winners would be:
Buffalo - Jesus Montero
New Hampshire - Rowdy Tellez
Dunedin - Ryan McBroom
Lansing - Ryan Borucki
Vancouver - Joshua Palacios
Bluefield - Bradley Jones
GCL Blue Jays - Bo Bichette
DSL Blue Jays - Yorman Rodriguez
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Three affiliates were involved in playoff races that went down to the final days of their respective regular seasons, but in the end, only Dunedin made it to the post-season. With 10 days to go, both Bluefield and Lansing were in playoff positions, but both stumbled down the stretch, and found themselves on the outside looking in when the season was over.
Dunedin played a lot of baseball in their best of three division final with cross-town rival Tampa, a Yankees affiliate. While the major league partners were doing battle last week in New York, the minor league teams played an epic series, with Tampa the eventual winner.
Game 1, played in Tampa, was a classic pitcher's duel. The teams traded runs in the 3rd inning, then were shut down the rest of the way by the Yankees' Yefrey Ramirez, and the D-Jays' Luis Santos, who struck out 10 over 8 innings. The end of 9 innings saw the teams still deadlocked at 1. Both had runners in scoring position with two outs in their halves of the 11th, but couldn't score. Tampa finally scored in the top of the 13th when top prospect Gleyber Torres cashed in the winning run on a double to left. The D-Jays were blanked in their half of the inning, and Tampa had a 1-0 lead in the series.
Facing elimination in game 2, the D-Jays got to work quickly, as an Anthony Alford walk to lead the game off eventually came around to score on a Max Pentecost sac fly. Dunedin added a pair in the top of the 2nd, but Tampa got those two runs back in their half of the 2nd on a Home Run off of starter Jon Harris. The teams traded zeroes until the bottom of the 8th, when Tampa tied the score. Not to be undone, the D-Jays re-took the lead in the top of the 9th, only to have Tampa tie things up in the bottom half.
Headed to extras again, the bullpens for both clubs held the fort until things burst open in the top of the 15th for Dunedin:
Tampa failed to score in their turn at bat in the 15th, so the series was headed to a third and deciding game.
The home Yanks scored first in the bottom of the first inning, but Dunedin got that run back on a solo HR by Ryan McBroom in the 2nd. Tampa scored again in the bottom of the 4th, but the D-Jays matched that with a run in the 5th, and took the lead with 4 more in the 6th.
The bottom of the 6th proved to be the turning point in the series, however, as Tampa scored 6 times against tiring Dunedin starter Connor Fisk, taking a 9-6 lead. The D-Jays scored a run in the 7th, and narrowed the lead to one by scoring a run in the top of the 9th, but stranded pinch-runner Josh Almonte, who came into the game to run for Pentecost after he had doubled in Dunedin's 8th run. With the tying run in scoring position and only one out, Tampa reliever Jordan Foley struck out Matt Dean and Mike Reeves to preserve the win, giving the Yankees the series win in the process.
It was a great series for both sides. Dunedin's J.D. Davis hit .467 for the series, including a 5-7 night in game two. Dunedin rode a 43-23 second half to reach the post season, one of the best half season records for a Toronto affiliate in recent memory.
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They came to pro ball from three different, non-traditional directions. But 2016 ended on a high note for right-handed pitchers Jordan Romano, Jackson Lowery, and Gabe Noyalis.
Romano, a Markham, Ontario native, was playing for the Ontario Blue Jays (a Toronto-based travel ball team), when he played in a tournament in Oklahoma. The former Canadian national junior team member caught the eye of a recruiter at Connors State, a junior college in Muskogee. He pitched for the Cowboys for two seasons before moving to Oral Roberts, a Division 1 school about an hour away. Romano served as the Golden Eagles closer, and was drafted after his junior year in the 10th round by the Blue Jays in 2014.
Romano had a strong pro debut, striking out 34 hitters in 28 innings (all but 3 of them with Bluefield), and headed into 2015 full of optimism. A torn UCL near the end of spring training put his plans on hold, as Romano underwent Tommy John surgery, and missed the entire season.
Lowery attended Central Arkansas out of high school as an infielder, but transferred after his freshman year to Meridian (MS) Community College to become a pitcher. The next year, the Arkansas native returned home to realize a dream and pitch for the Razorbacks. In his senior year, he became a mainstay in long relief for Arkansas late in the season. Undrafted after that season, the sinker/slider pitcher signed as a free agent in early July of 2015. Lowery was determined to prove the teams that passed on him wrong. He pitched in the GCL and at Bluefield last summer. Gabe Noyalis may have taken the most unconventional route to pro ball of this trio. Noyalis pitched for Bucknell in his first year of college play, then transfered to D3 powerhouse Misericordia for his sophomore season, only to walk away from the game completely after that campaign. He did start to hit the weight room regularly after that, and fell in love with lifting. Baseball was off his radar until the spring of 2015, when his former high school coach asked him to throw some BP to the team prior to a state playoff game. Noyalis hit 91 with this fastball, and with some encouragement got in touch with Blue Jays scout Matt Anderson, who was his 7th Grade basketball coach. After auditioning for a few teams, Noyalis signed with the Jays after hitting 98 at Anderson's baseball camp in Texas.
Romano threw himself into his rehab after his surgery last spring, was pitching off a mound again by January, and was throwing batting practice a month later. Held behind as spring training camp broke, he was itching to get into game action. Romano, who was told he would be a starter this year, began pitching in two and three inning stints in extended in April, and was sitting 92-94 with his fastball. By late May, he was up to 5 innings, as the club determined his readiness to get back into competition. His first appearance in 22 months came on June 13th, as he limited Great Lakes to one run and two hits over 7, striking out 7. He struggled at times with his fastball command, but it improved as the summer progressed, and he described his slider as, "the best it's ever been." He put everything together in a late August start against Dayton, fanning 10 in 6 innings in one of the best starts by a Blue Jays minor league pitcher this year. He was removed from the start for precautionary reasons in the top of the 7th after losing control of a couple of fastballs and was shaking his arm as he walked off the mound, but tests revealed no damage, and he returned to action in a piggyback role with top draft pick T.J. Zeuch before the season ended.
For the season, Romano was 3-2 with a 2.11 ERA, which would have led the Midwest League if he had enough innings to qualify. He struck out 72 hitters in as many innings, walked 27, and MWL hitters managed only a .191 average against him.
When asked what he learned from his first year of full season ball, Romano responded, "(I) Learned a good routine with throwing and working out that helped my arm feel good. A big thing is that if I had a bad start or two I shouldn't try to change a bunch of things. Just try to stick with what got me here." His plan for the off season is to improve his fastball command. For next year, his goals are to improve his change up to the point where it's a viable third pitch, and make it as high as AA.
Lowery stayed behind in extended when spring training broke, and was sent to Vancouver when short season play began in June. Northwest League hitters were over matched against him, and after 9 appearances, he was on his way to Lansing. Lowery was lights out for much of August for the Lugnuts, reeling off 8 scoreless outings at one point, but he had a couple of rough outings down the stretch as Lansing fell out of a playoff spot, and it weighed heavy on him, saying, "I didn't finish like I wanted and let my team down a few times. (It) will make me better this off season."
As to what lessons he took away from this season, Lowery observed:
I learned a lot this year. One of the biggest things I learned is to focus more on certain things in pregame throwing and limit my throws. I could definitely feel a difference when I didn't throw as much and made each throw important to what I needed to work on.
He also joked that he learned that the higher the level, the less he needs to throw his fastball. Sometimes the best lessons are the most painful ones.
Lowery's plan for the off season is to get stronger and put on weight - at 6'/175, Lowery has always been viewed as undersized. He may have been a bit disappointed with how his season finished, but he put together an impressive body of work this year.
Noyalis headed northwest with Lowery to begin the season with Vancouver as well, and had a pair of scoreless outings in his first mound action in four years. The next six weeks did not go as well, and Noyalis' ERA ballooned to 8.41 by mid-August. His final two weeks in the Northwest League were a much different story, as Noyalis ended the year with 4 scoreless outings in his final 5 appearances, striking out 4 in 2 innings in his final game.
Noyalis reflected on his first pro season:
I learned a lot, mostly how to handle the workload of a professional season, the pace of the game, the ins and outs of a professional organization and how it's ran from a players perspective, what kind of pitcher I am/aim to be, things of that sort.
One of the reasons the Blue Jays like having Vancouver as an affiliate is that it gives their prospects a brief taste of living in Canada, with it's different currency, and cross-border travel. Noyalis enjoyed his time in British Colombia:
(It) was a great experience that I'll never forget, the city was amazing and I couldn't have asked for a better host family.. I got to see Stanley Park but didn't make it to the (Grouse) Grind and I'm not sure if I saw the (Capilano) bridge but I was on a few of them.. I was also at Granville Island and I got to go downtown quite a bit.
Noyalis' off season plans include getting as strong as possible while still maintaining his mobility, and when he resumes throwing at the end of October, he wants to focus on his fastball command by getting more consistent with his mechanics.
All three took circuitous routes to get there, but they've already outlasted hundreds of other players to make it to full season ball (where Noyalis will be next year). The road ahead is still a long one, and the trio faces tall odds to make it to MLB despite the progress they've made so far. All three are reflective, articulate, and motivated young men, and it has been fascinating to follow their progress so far and have them share their thoughts on the journey.
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The Lugnuts and Michigan State Spartans play an exhibition game every April on the eve of Lansing's home opener. This year's game was snowed out, so it was moved to the day after Labour Day, which gave a chance for prospects Vladimir Guerrero Jr and Bo Bichette to suit up for the Lugs. Along with Toronto's own Connor Panas, who hit 16 round trippers for Lansing this year, the three took part in a pre-game Home Run Derby.
Panas ultimately won the Derby, but Vlad Jr gave us all to look forward to next spring (when he should break camp with Lansing:
Thanks to Chad Hillman for the video. Chad watches a lot of Lugnuts and Tigers games, and live tweets his great insights. Follow him at @HillmanChad.
Florida Auto Exchange Stadium - ballparkreviews.com photo
Every two years (in even-numbered years), Player Development Contracts between MLB teams and their minor league affiliates come up for renewal in September.
In the standard PDC, the MLB team agrees to provide players and coaching staff to the minor league team. The MiLB team agrees to provide a small-scale MLB experience, with standard training facilities.
The agreement between the two hinges on many aspects, but from the MLB's team point of view, they want a good atmosphere for their prospects to develop in, and the MiLB team wants a good supply of quality prospects to make the team competitive.
AAA Buffalo has been a Blue Jays affiliate since 2013, and it has been highly successful relationship for both sides. The Blue Jays can quickly recall a player from Buffalo, and the team has been very successful both on the field and at the gate during their partnership. The team drew over 551 000 fans last year, and will come close to that mark again this year. With prospects like Rowdy Tellez, Reese McGuire, Richard Urena, and Conner Greene likely to be donning Bisons colours at some point next season, Bisons fans on both sides of the border should have plenty of reason to head to Coca-Cola Field, one of the top venues in the minors. Because their affiliation has been so successful, the Blue Jays and Bisons put to rest any doubts about their collective future in early April when they extended their PDC to 2018.
Toronto is the only MLB affiliation the AA New Hampshire Fisher Cats have known since coming into existence in 2014. There was talk a few years ago about the Blue Jays switching affiliation in the event of a shift of an existing Eastern League team to Ottawa, and while several prospective ownership groups offered to run the team, no one (including Ottawa City Council) stepped forward to fund necessary stadium improvements. New Hampshire has been competitive as a Blue Jays affiliate as well, wining a pair of league titles since their inception. Both sides agreed to a four-year extension in May of 2014.
Dunedin is owned by the Blue Jays, so there is no PDC coming up for renewal between the two sides.
Lansing has been another highly successful partnership, dating back to 2005. It's a little surprising that no extension has been announced (often, they aren't - they just continue) to date, but indications are that both sides are pleased with their agreement. Lansing is fairly easy to access for Blue Jays roving instructors and front-office executives. Cooley Law Stadium is a top-notch facility, and the team draws well. One has to feel for Lansing fans, however, because by being on the bottom of the full season ladder in the system, they often are the first to lose players to promotion. With the Lugs fighting for a playoff spot as the season winds down, they likely would be headed to the post-season if the still had some or all of promoted players like Jon Harris, Francisco Rios, Sean Reid-Foley, or Max Pentecost, but that is the reality of life in the minors. Toronto did airlift in high profile June draftees like Cavan Biggio, Josh Palacios, J.B. Woodman, and T.J. Zeuch to help with the playoff push, which is good, because the Lansing fans deserved it.
Vancouver is the Blue Jays' top short season affiliate, and the pairing has been a runaway success since it started in 2011. It's a natural match in many ways - it helps to grow the Blue Jays brand, and it gives prospects a taste of living in Canada, albeit a brief one. The C's won the Northwest League title in their first three years as a Blue Jays farm team, and made it to the final in the 4th, but missed the playoffs last year, and are headed to one of their worst finishes of all time as a NWL franchise. Additions to venerable Nat Bailey Stadium have allowed Vancouver to become the league's runaway attendance leader this year (setting a franchise attendance record in the process, averaging over 6 000 fans per game), but the quality of prospects the team was provided has fallen short, with starting pitching being a huge concern. One of Mark Shapiro's first acts in 2016 was to get Canadians' ownership to agree to a PDC extension to 2018. Let's hope the team can be competitive next year, because the C's fan base is deserving of it as well.
Bluefield is the other PDC that is up for renewal. The town had a long relationship with the Orioles before becoming a Toronto affiliate in 2011. The Appalachian League is a nice buffer between the complex leagues and short season play, and there have been no suggestions from either side that there are problems in their relationship. It's reasonable to assume that it will continue.
From a purely personal standpoint, it would be nice one day to see a Blue Jays affiliate in the New York-Penn League (which, over half a century ago, was known as the Pennsylvania Ontario New York - PONY - league). The NY-Penn league is a short season loop on par with the Appy League, and Toronto did have a franchise there for a number of years based in St Catharines, ON, but a declining Canadian dollar saw the team move to Queens, NY for the 2000 season.
The Blue Jays have known only one spring training site since their first spring almost 40 years ago.
Times have changed, and the club has looked at other sites in Florida and possibly Arizona over the past few years, as talks with the City of Dunedin have lagged. The club would like a new facility - currently, the minor league complex and Florida Auto Exchange Stadium are about a 10-15 (depending on traffic) bus ride away. With other teams in the Tampa area having had huge sums of cash thrown at them over the past decade to remain in the region with upgraded, all-at-one-site complexes, the Blue Jays would like to have a similar one.
The current agreement between the two sides expires in 2017, and talks have been quietly ongoing to broker a new deal. The city, of course, would like the team to stay - reports suggest the six weeks of spring training has an economic impact of about $85 million. The Blue Jays, for their part, would like a considerable upgrade to either FAES or the minor league complex. Both sides seem to have reached the conclusion that a "one address" site probably is not feasible in Dunedin. The question becomes which facility will receive upgrades, and how will they be paid for.
FAES, originally named Grant Field, was built in 1990, and seats 5 000. The website ballparkdigest.com calls the park, "outdated yet charming," but it pales in comparisons to the aesthetics and amenities of other stadiums in the area. Its landlocked location limits parking, there is no concourse, and the facility's infrastructure is outdated. The Florida State League Dunedin Blue Jays draw sparse crowds that number in the hundreds, and while FAES is a good place to watch a game, it does feel on the antiquated side.
There are some quaint features to the stadium. Located just blocks from the waterway which separates the mainland from Clearwater Beach and the Gulf of Mexico, the park is in a very picturesque setting. Both teams have to walk down their respective base lines to get to their clubhouses, giving fans ample access for autographs. Quite a group gathers down the right field line to see their Blue Jays heroes, and the players seem to enjoy interacting with the fans.
A block west of FAES stadium - Clutchlings photo
The city is in the process to applying to local and state sources of funding to secure financing for the project, and a group of city officials met with the Blue Jays in Toronto in late July. Megan Reeves of the Tampa Bay Times writes that an announcement from the city should be forthcoming sometime in the next few weeks. It does appear that funding will be available, but as with most government processes, it takes some time to secure.
The Blue Jays, for their part, understand the history of their team and Dunedin, and also realize how accessible the city is for Canadians. Spring training has become an important marketing vehicle for the team, and relocating (especially to Arizona) would hamper those efforts.
The short take on this is that the Blue Jays will not have their spring training and minor league complexes under one roof, but significant changes should be coming to one of them, meaning that the team will remain in Dunedin. Word should be coming sometime in the next month about what those changes will look like.
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Just before hitting the "publish" button, I noticed that Lansing RHP Jordan Romano, who threw a lights-out 10Ks over 6 IP in his last start, went on the 7-day DL. He was removed from the 7th inning of that start for precautionary reasons, and said he felt fine and wouldn't miss his next turn in the rotation, but with Romano coming back this season from Tommy John surgery, and at a career-high 100 innings, the club opted to shut him down. The move was retroactive to August 27th.
Romano threw a bullpen session with no ill effects yesterday, and will likely come off the DL and pitch in a piggyback situation before the season ends.
The club and Romano, a Markham, ON native, have to be thrilled with his first full season, and his first one as a starter to boot. Romano missed all of 2015, and went 3-2 with a 2.17 ERA in 14 starts for the Lugnuts. He struck out 69 in 70 IP, allowing only 48 hits. Midwest League hitters managed only a .192 batting average against him.
You could call Toronto Blue Jays right-handed pitching prospect Jordan Romano an "accidental pitcher"; the Markham, ON, native was a catcher for his high school team, but a broken foot forced him to switch to the mound. Three years later, after a pair of seasons at an Oklahoma junior college, and a year closing games for Oral Roberts, he was selected in the 10th round of the 2014 draft. After blowing out his elbow the following spring, the tall, lanky prospect had to sit out the 2015 season, and didn't make his 2016 debut until June. Call him whatever you want, but after 6 innings of 2-hit ball, with 10 strikeouts for Lansing against Dayton in Midwest League action last night, you can also call him a Blue Jays prospect on the rise.
It would be cliche to call Romano a typically gritty Canadian (one of five on the Lugnuts' roster, in fact), but consider this: when he tore his UCL toward the end of spring training in 2015, he stayed in for one more pitch, and retired the hitter on a wicked slider. His has been a long and winding road, but he has firmly placed himself on the prospect map this season.
The 6'4", 200 Romano is an imposing presence on the mound. Working from a simplified delivery, he parts his hands during his delivery for some scapular loading. With his size, he does take a while to deliver the ball, but he has worked hard to vary his timing to help keep runners on.
After an hour long rain delay, Romano took to the mound against Dayton, the Reds' Low-A affiliate. Usually, they field a competitive team, and the Dragons are one of the best-drawing teams in minor league baseball, but this year's edition is some 40 games under .500. They proved to be giant killers against Lansing in the first two games of the series, however, storming back from a 10-3 deficit with 8 unanswered runs (in what may become known as the Rally Skunk game one day) to take the second. With Lansing locked in a battle for the final Eastern Division playoff berth, this game had added importance to the Lugnuts.
In the first inning, Romano perhaps showed the effects of the rain delay, as he walked the leadoff hitter, then gave up a single. Facing Nick Senzel, the 2nd overall pick in the June draft (and a leader in most MWL offensive categories if he had enough ABs to qualify), Romano gave up a long fly ball that LF Connor Panas had to make a leaping catch against the wall on to record the first out of the inning.
Romano quickly regained his composure, and struck out the next two hitters swinging to end the inning. In fact, he set down 17 of the next 18 hitters he faced after Senzel's flyout, and could have easily retired 17 straight if not for RF Lane Thomas taking a circuitous route to a deep flyball by Senzel in the swirling Dayton winds in the 4th.
Romano came back out for the 7th inning, but was removed after only 4 pitches. With the count at 1-1 on the lead off hitter, Romano let loose with a pair of wild pitches up and out of the strike zone. He seemed to flinch after what proved to be his final pitch, quickly bringing out Manager John Schneider, Pitching Coach Jeff Ware, and the Lansing trainer to the mound. At that point, the Dayton feed on milb.tv put a Dragons' logo up on the screen, so it was impossible to judge from Romano's reaction the potential extent of his injury - something clearly was not right, and with one Tommy John surgery already on his medical record, Schneider immediately called to the bullpen. Romano said this afternoon that his removal was precautionary, and he should be on track to make his next start.
Romano ended this contest with a career-high 10 Ks. After his 19-pitch first inning, he was very economical with his pitches, needing no more than 13 to get through any other frame. He threw 76 pitches on the night, an incredible 58 of them for strikes. To left-handed hitters, Romano was very efficient at painting the outside corner, and to righties, he threw a devastating fastball with good armside run to get up under their hands. The pitch would start in the middle of the plate, then tail to the inside, and hitters could not lay off of it when he elevated it with two strikes. Romano also had more zip on his fastball than usual last night, sitting 94-95, and touching 96 - he still had gas in that last inning, hitting 94.
Romano also showed good command of his slider. "I've definitely had nights where my slider was sharper but I could throw it where I wanted yesterday," he said when it was pointed out how effective the pitch was.
Romano threw 15 first-pitch strikes, and was behind only one hitter - the leadoff batter - the whole night. He had an astounding 18 swings-and-misses. Only two pitches were truly squared up on him (both by Senzel). It was truly a dominant performance, but unfortunately, Lansing was unable to provide him with much run support, and relievers Jackson Lowery and Andrew Case, who have both been lights out this month, allowed the tying and winning runs to score in the 7th and 8th.
Over the course of just over two months, Romano has firmly established himself in the top tier of the next wave of prospects in the system. He may not have the profile of a Jon Harris or even a Francisco Rios, but he's still developing, and still learning to pitch. With his height, he gets good extension, and creates a good downward plane with his fastball. The Blue Jays may have uncovered yet another good arm.
The MLB draft, Dominican Summer League action already well underway, short season rosters are taking shape the return of Jordan Romano, and some mid-season promotions head up a busy edition of the notebook.....
The Draft Given the gestation period of 3 to 5 years for most MLB draftees, we really can't fully evaluate this one until 2019 at the earliest. And although the team will be limited to bonuses of no more than $300K during this year's international free agent signing period after going over cap to sign Vladimir Guerrero Jr last year, you have to keep in mind that the draft is just one method of acquiring players.
It is interesting to see the apparent change in drafting philosophy in this the first draft of the Mark Shapiro/Ross Atkins regime. After going all in on high school arms under previous GM Alex Anthopoulos, the Jays took three college position players in the first 5 rounds of the draft, and they did not select a high school pitcher with one of their top 10 round picks since the J.P. Ricciardi era.
It's hard to say if this apparent paradigm shift is a long term development, or just reflective of this year's draft crop. The former regime valued projection above all else, and while the success of that strategy can be debated, one thing is certain: the trading spree that saw Anthopoulos deal almost 20 prospects in less than a year has emptied the system of much of its upper level talent, and that as much as anything may have dictated this year's draft strategy. Any deadline dealing this year will be limited by the lack of depth in the system, and the club likely viewed this year as an opportunity to quickly re-stock. A review of the Indians' approach over the last few years shows some flexibility from year to year. Blue Jays director of amateur scouting Brian Parker was pleased with the haul the club landed, telling mlb.com:
"I think we got a good mix .We got some position players up high -- three of our first five picks were position players. I think [J.B.] Woodman is at a premium position in center field, Bo Bichette is an up-the-middle infielder, [Joshua] Palacios from Auburn can play all three outfield spots."
The top pick, Pitt RHP T.J. Zeuch, had been linked to the Jays in the last few weeks heading into the draft, and other than his college background, fits that long, lean, and athletic profile the team covets in pitchers. Baseball America is bullish on the main Zeuch's main components:
Zeuch's best pitch is his fastball, which sits at 92-94 and sometimes touches higher. Zeuch's extra large, 6-foot-7 frame allows him to generate solid extension towards home plate, making his pitches even more difficult for hitters to pick up out of his hand. His fastball also shows both sink and arm-side run, making it an effective ground ball-inducing pitch.
His secondaries are a different matter, rating as fringe-average among most scouts, and will determine his ultimate future. You can bet that he will be given every opportunity to make it as a starter, and Zeuch should head west to Vancouver once he signs. Slot value for this pick is just under $2.3 million, and early reports indicate that a deal may be close at hand.
Mississippi OF J.B. Woodman, taken with the 57th pick as compensation for failing to come to terms with Florida HS P Brady Singer last year, checks a lot of boxes as an athletic outfielder who is projected to stay in CF. The second of the club's 2nd round picks was Florida HS SS Bo Bichette, son of former MLB OF Dante Bichette. Atkins was ecstatic to land the toolsy Bichette, telling Sportsnet's Shi Davidi:
“You always have the outlier in the evaluation where someone is going to be lower, but with him it was unanimous that our evaluators felt like if he was still around for us at that round, we would be absolutely elated,” said Atkins. “The ability to hit, the athleticism, the pedigree, the drive, the passion, it was really our scouts’ evaluations that we really liked as an organization.”
BA was very impressed with Bichette's hit tool:
Bichette shows a mature approach at the plate and plus power. The righthanded hitter has exceptionally fast hands, allowing him to whip the bat through the zone and drive the ball. His swing includes a deep load and an exaggerated back elbow swoop, but his bat works through the zone well and he controlled at-bats against elite competition on the showcase circuit.
A throwback to the projection era was the selection of 3rd rounder Zach Jackson from Arkansas, who has reportedly come to terms with the club. Jackson misses bats and the strike zone with almost equal frequency, but the organization is apparently going to give him an opportunity to have a trial as a starter. Dominican Summer League
Play in the Dominican Summer League began this week. Founded in 1985, it houses international free agent signees at teams' minor league complexes in the Dominican Republic. Teams play a 72-game schedule, followed by an abbreviated playoff season. With the political unrest in Venezuela, that country's summer league has been shuttered, and teams have moved to the Dominican, resulting in a record-number (42) of teams (some MLB clubs have multiple entries) taking part in the league this season.
This is the absolute lowest rung on the professional baseball ladder, and the average age of the league is typically just over 18. IFA's can be signed as young as 16, make their pro debuts at 17, and many players spend at least a season in the DSL before moving onto stateside play in the Gulf Coast League.
The 2015 DSL Jays were one of the most successful editions in club history, tying for their division lead before losing in the first round of the playoffs. Because these players are so far away, it may be a while (if ever) before we hear the names of some of the better players on that team like Juan Meza, Lupe Chavez, or Norberto Obeso. Many names we will never hear of - most players on any given DSL roster will not make it off the island.
The Blue Jays had their Latin operations run during the Anthopoulos era by Ismael Cruz, who left last fall to join his former boss in Los Angeles. Sandy Rosario took over from Cruz, and given the more active presence of the Indians when Mark Shapiro was running the organization. the Blue Jays may be a greater player in the IFA market in years to come. This year, they are limited to offering bonuses to players of no more than $300 000 after going over their cap to sign Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Information about the DSL is pretty much limited to perusing box scores and second hand accounts. Here is a compilation of some of the players to watch on this year's edition of the DSL Blue Jays:
McGregory Contreras OF
-termed a "Sleeper" who showed good hit and run tools when he signed last July 2nd, his tools have reportedly ticked upward since then. Maximo Castillo RHP
The Venezuelan had a deal in place with the Yankees, but arm problems caused the deal to fall through. A storied youth player in his home country, Castillo is built more like a young Roberto Osuna, but already hits 93 with room for more projection. Command has been an issue for him.
Orlando Pascual RHP
-has hit 97 with his fastball
Ronald Concepcion SS
-projected to stay at the position
-good glove/average speed/gap power
Jesus Navarro SS
This is easily an essay topic for another time, but one thing that can hold Dominican prospects back when compared to their Venezuelan and Mexican peers is the lack of grassroots baseball in their country.
Sometimes, grinder/high baseball IQ players slip through the signing cracks, because their skills come out more in game situations than they do individual workouts.
Navarro may be one of those types. Described as an offensive minded SS with a line-drive stroke and occasional gap power, he's repeating this level, but may move stateside before long.
Jordan Romano Returns Markham, ON native Jordan Romano came up through the excellent Ontario Blue Jays development program. He was travelling with the club in Oklahoma several years ago, and caught the eye of Perry Keith, legendary head coach of junior college power Connors State. Keith was already familiar with the young Canadian, having recruited his brother Chris two seasons before.
Romano caught the eye of the Oral Roberts coaching staff while pitching for Connors State, and he joined the nearby Golden Eagles for what would be his final season of collegiate play before being taken by the Blue Jays in the 10th round of the 2014 draft after saving 12 games for ORU.
Given the load he shouldered in the 2014 college season, the Blue Jays limited him to 11 games, all in relief, for Bluefield in his first pro season.
Ready for his first full season, Romano was up to 95 with his fastball before tearing his UCL mid-way through spring training last year. The tear was complete, so the club opted for surgery at the end of March over rehab, and Romano's season was over.
Romano threw himself fully into his recovery, and two weeks after the surgery was eagerly rehabbing his right arm. By summertime, he was working on strengthening his shoulder four times per week, and was doing cardio work six times per week. On August 18th, he was able to throw from 45 ft off flat ground at about 80% effort for 80 pitches 3 times per week, and was throwing from 60 ft a month later. By December, he was throwing off a mound again at max effort, but was not allowed to throw breaking balls.
When asked what the worst and best part of his recovery was, he responded:
I had to watch gcl games when I was down there. And It really sucked seeing everyone play and know that I couldn't even throw a baseball. The best part was kinda the healing process of my elbow. Like day by day it got better. At first It looked pretty bad and slowly my body just started to heal it. That was pretty cool.
By March, he was facing live hitters in batting practice, and found that both his former velocity and command had returned. Kept behind for extended spring training in Dunedin, Romano learned that the club planned to stretch him out in a starter's role. His innings were slowly built up, and when the warm weather returned to the midwest for good, he was promoted to Lansing last week to make his full season debut.
And what a debut it was: in his first pro start, Romano pitched a 7-inning complete game in the first half of a doubleheader, allowing only two hits and a walk while striking out a career-high seven batters.
During his recovery, Romano had plenty of time to think, and one thing that he spent considerable time pondering was his mindset as a starter. He decided, "The biggest thing for me is not letting a bad or good inning effect my mindset for the next inning. Keep the same mentality going into every inning." After the start, he admitted to some pre-game nervousness:
Before the game of course I was a bit nervous even though I told everyone I wasn't haha. Honestly I had the mindset that I was gonna go the whole game. I waited almost 2 years to pitch so I didn't wanna go just 2-3 innings. After the game was done it felt good just to help contribute to a team win.
At 6'4/200, Romano checks all the physical boxes for the prototypical Blue Jays pitching prospect. At 23, he's also not necessarily a kid, despite his lack of pro experience. Romano has much lost development time to make up for, and he bears watching closely. He could move quickly.
Short Season Rosters
Next to Opening Day, this is one of my favourite times on the baseball calendar. Play will begin for the Blue Jays in three short season leagues next week, featuring several of some of the more promising prospects in the organization.
Vancouver
The Canadians are a runaway success story, one of the top franchises in all of minor league baseball.
The C's won the Northwest League title in their first three seasons as a Blue Jays affiliate, made it to the final in their fourth, and while they failed to make the post-season last year, smashed gate records in leading the NWL in attendance, averaging just under 6 000 fans per game.
After fielding a team that was thin on top prospects last year, this year's edition promises to be more competitive, led by RHP Justin Maese, a 3rd round Texas high schooler who put together an impressive pro debut season in the GCL. Maese featured an advanced three pitch mix that overmatched GCL hitters, and earned him a skip of the Appy League this year.
C Javier Hernandez is a 19 year old Venezuelan whose hit tool has yet to really materialize, but has already earned rave reviews for his handling the GCL Jays pitching staff last year.
6'8" 2012 comp pick Matt Smoral is returning to Vancouver to try to resurrect his career. The southpaw suffered through back issues last year before being shut down in late August after taking a line drive off of his left forehead. Reliever Gabe Noyalis, who gave up the game after this sophomore college season, was signed by the Jays in the off season after rediscovering his love for the game and some new velo on his fastball, will also start the season with the C's.
Just-signed 2nd rounder OF J.B. Woodman should find his way to Vancouver shortly, as should Zeuch, Palacios, and Jackson, which should give the C's a tremendous boost. Bluefield The Appy League is the first level where travel and "under the lights" play is involved, so prospects there tend to be more advanced. Bluefield's roster will not be made official until early next week, but the persistent rumour since March has been that 3B Vladimir Guerrero Jr will begin his pro career there.
Even if Vlad Jr doesn't begin the season with the B-Jays, they should still inherit a fairly talented roster from last season's GCL Jays, which was the most successful entry in the Blue Jays' Gulf Coast history. The GCL Jays were a more veteran outfit than the Blue Jays have fielded there in the past, but youngsters like OF Reggie Pruitt, and P's Jose Espada, Juan Meza, triple-digit reliever Kelyn Jose, and Lupe Chavez should all start the season with Bluefield.
GCL Jays Their games are played at noon under the scorching Florida sun, usually in front of a smattering of family, girlfriends, and scouts. The Gulf Coast League is truly the lowest rung on the stateside baseball ladder. 2016 HS draftees like Bichette should start the season with the GCL Jays, as well as late-round choices from small colleges, and some members from the strong 2015 DSL Jays roster like OF Noberto Obeso, SS Kevin Vicuna, and P Jonathan Torres.
