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.
Last month, the Blue Jays had some 40-man roster decisions to make in advance of this month's Rule 5 draft.
Specifically, they had to decide which of three pitchers who have not competed above A ball, but might make attractive bullpen options at the MLB level, to protect.
This could not have been an easy decision. The trio included:
-Francisco Rios, a 2012 free agent signing from Mexico, began 2016 with Lansing, but after a month of dominating Midwest League hitters, was promoted to Dunedin;
-LHP Angel Perdomo, a 6"6" 2011 late IFA signing from the Dominican, who led the MWL in strikeouts this year, averaging just over 11K/9;
-Southpaw Ryan Borucki, a 2012 15th round pick who has had trouble staying healthy, and just finished his first full season with the organization.
This could not have been an easy decision. Rios and Borucki rely on command and secondary pitches, while Perdomo's main weapon is his 95 mph fastball - Fangraphs' Chris Mitchell suggests that some MLB team may try to stash him in their bullpen as a 3rd lefty/longman. Ultimately, they chose Borucki, whose grit, advanced feel for pitching, and command of his whole repertoire of pitches led the Blue Jays to believe both that he was a better long-term prospect, and that he might be too tempting an arm to pass through the draft.
Borucki was considered one of the top prep lefties in Illinois in his draft year, until a torn UCL caused his stock to fall. The Blue Jays were not put off by his medicals, and took him in the 15th round, signing him for 3rd round money (Borucki had committed to Iowa). Borucki tried to continue to rehabilitate his elbow, but was shut down that year after only four outings with Rookie-Level Bluefield. He ultimately underwent Tommy John surgery the following spring, wiping out his 2013 season.
Borucki came back with a vengeance in 2014, pitching at both Bluefield (where he was named the Appalachian League's 12th best prospect, despite only pitching a month there) and Vancouver. Baseball America was high on him:
He projects for at least average control with a chance to be plus. His delivery has improved significantly, and he throws with significantly less effort from his loose, quick arm, while working over the ball more and not leaking with his hips. Borucki's fastball was 90-94 early in the season and sat 88-92, touching 94 later in the season. He relies on his two-seamer that has at least average sink and arm-side run. Borucki demonstrates advanced feel for a changeup with plus potential. His curveball is a below-average to fringe-average offering, and Borucki could begin throwing a slider this offseason. He has a starter's build at a lanky 6-foot-4 with a high waist and significant projection remaining.
The brakes were applied to his development again in 2015, however, when shoulder, elbow, and back issues limited his season to 6 innings. Borucki was ticketed for Lansing this season, but was held back in Dunedin for April while the weather in the Midwest warmed up, and to be close to the Blue Jays medical facilities. Pitching against the more advanced FSL hitters, Borucki was still shaking off the rust from a year's inactivity off, giving up 40 hits in 20 innings. His career seemed to be in jeopardy when he finally reached Lansing in mid-May.
His turnaround could not have been more sudden or dramatic.
In his MWL debut, Borucki gave up only one earned run in 5 innings. Two starts later, he threw 6 scoreless frames, and in June, threw a pair of back-to-back games that were easily the best of his career: an 8 inning, 5-hit/1ER, 0BB, 8K effort, followed by 7 innings of 4-hit, shutout ball, with 6 strikeouts and (again) no walks. Here's his 6th K from that 2nd start:
Borucki finished 2nd in the league in ERA, 4th in WHIP, and fanned almost a batter an inning while tossing a career-high 115 frames. His August 8th start gave some insight into why the Blue Jays ultimately decided to protect him on the 40-man.
Borucki struggled slightly with his fastball command in the 1st inning of this start against West Michigan, but received a nice 5-4-3 double play after issuing a one out walk to finish his 11-pitch inning. In the 2nd, he began to use his change up, which has excellent depth to it. That pitch may prove one day to be the most effective in his arsenal, and may already be the best in the organization outside of Marco Estrada. After falling behind 2-0 to the leadoff hitter, he fanned that man on a full-count change, then got ahead of the next two hitters, allowing him to use his secondaries to get a 6-3 groundout and a called 3rd strike to end an inning in which he threw 15 pitches.
Borucki gave up his only solid contact on the day, a 1-out single, in the 3rd, and began to spot his fastball and slider more effectively after giving up a walk following that base hit. His concentration wavered a bit with runners on 1st and 2nd, giving up a double steal after failing to look back at the runner on 2nd who had taken a big walking lead the previous pitch. He needed 18 pitches to retire the side in the 3rd. He did not show a great move to first in this outing, and may have to work more at holding runners closer.
The 4th inning saw Borcuki really settle into a groove, retiring the side in order on 9 pitches with a pair of Ks, and 4 whiffs. His fastball sat at 92, and he had improved command of his slider to LHH, and his change to RHH. He was able to locate the ball seemingly at will, setting up hitters by locating to either side of the plate.
The only blemish on Borcuki's 5th inning of work was a two-out, four-pitch walk, with CF Lane Thomas making a sliding catch on a sinking liner to finish the inning. At 67 pitches, Borucki, whose pitch count had been reduced as he blew by his previous career innings high, was finished for the night. He threw 44 strikes, gave up only one hit, while walking three and fanning five. He recorded five outs via groundballs, and two by flyouts. He threw 12 first-pitch strikes to 18 of the hitters he faced, and recorded 9 swings-and-misses on the night. Working from the first base side of the rubber, Borucki's arm angle makes him extremely tough on left-handed hitters, while his change keeps the righties off balance.
Borucki is a student of the game, and watches his teammates' bullpen sessions between starts. His delivery has undergone considerable change over the past year. When he arrived at Lansing, he worked with Lugnuts' pitching coach Jeff Ware and minor league instructor Sal Fasano at adding more deception to his delivery - the thinking was that hitters in the Florida State League were getting too good a look at his pitches. Borucki learned his change from his father, who pitched in the Phillies organization. Dad wouldn't allow him to throw a curve until his senior year of high school, so Borucki learned to change speeds and master one of the more difficult pitches to throw. When his fastball or slider location is off, he always seems to have command of that change.
At 22, there is little projection remaining for Borucki, but we've seen so little of him that it's hard to get a true handle on his ceiling just yet. Of the trio, he probably projects the highest in terms on long-term potential as a starter. He has a solid pitcher's frame, is athletic, and gets a good downward plane on his pitches. He has a four-pitch mix that can turn a lineup over. If he can stay healthy, he can begin to move quickly through the system, now that his option clock will start ticking next year.
OF Anthony Alford and SS Richard Urena were added to the Blue Jays 40-man roster yesterday, along with LHP Ryan Borucki. Teams had until Friday's deadline to add players who met the qualifying minor league service time, or risk losing them in next month's Rule 5 draft.
Alford and Urena were no surprise. Urena finished the season at AA New Hampshire after an August promotion, and will likely begin the 2017 season there, before finishing up with AAA Buffalo. Alford struggled through an injury-plagued 2016 with High A Dunedin, but turned heads in the Arizona Fall League. He will start next season with New Hampshire. While both are not MLB-ready (Urena would be the closest of the pair; Alford has the higher ceiling), the Blue Jays could not risk losing them, even though the team selecting them would have to keep them on their 25-man roster for the season, or offer them back to the Blue Jays for half the $50 000 draft fee. Both are premium athletes, and should be a major part of the Blue Jays roster by 2018, 2019 at the latest.
Borucki was the biggest surprise. With limited room available, the club had to decide between him, fellow southpaw Angel Perdomo, and RHP Francisco Rios. Borucki's road to the 40-man was easily the longest. Considered one of the top prospects in Illinois in 2012, a torn UCL prior to the draft caused his stock to tumble. The Blue Jays, always ones to roll the dice under Amateur Scouting Director Blake Parker during the Alex Anthopoulos era, were not convinced that Borucki's medical reports would necessitate Tommy John, and took him in the 15th round, signing him for 3rd round money. After four outings with Bluefield after turning pro, his elbow had not fully responded, and further rehab was unsuccessful. Borucki went under the knife at the end of spring training the following year, and missed all of 2013. He came back with a vengeance in 2014, pitching at two levels, while being named the Appy League's 12th-best prospect. Baseball America was high on Borucki after that season:
Borucki showed polish and strike-throwing ability, producing the lowest walk rate (1.6 per nine) and highest strikeout-walk rate (5.0) of any lefthander in the league, starter or reliever. He projects for at least average control with a chance to be plus. His delivery has improved significantly, and he throws with significantly less effort from his loose, quick arm, while working over the ball more and not leaking with his hips. Borucki's fastball was 90-94 early in the season and sat 88-92, touching 94 later in the season. He relies on his two-seamer that has at least average sink and arm-side run. Borucki demonstrates advanced feel for a changeup with plus potential. His curveball is a below-average to fringe-average offering, and Borucki could begin throwing a slider this offseason. He has a starter's build at a lanky 6-foot-4 with a high waist and significant projection remaining.
2015 promised to be a breakout season for Borucki. After finishing 2014 with Vancouver, he seemed destined to return to the midwest to start the season with Low A Lansing. Elbow soreness kept him in Florida after spring training camp broke, however, and then shoulder soreness limited him to all of 6 innings before he was shut down in July. Borucki broke camp with Dunedin this year, likely to be close to the team medical facilities and the warm Florida weather, but he struggled with his command, and was hit hard by Florida State League hitters. Finally reaching Lansing in mid-May, he became a mainstay in the Lugnuts' rotation, finishing 2nd in the Midwest League in ERA, 4th in WHIP, fanning just under a batter per inning while tossing a career-high 115 innings.
Despite his success in Low A, Borucki's inclusion on the 40-man came as a surprise to many Blue Jays fans, most of whom had never heard of him before. But this is a guy with great competitiveness, an advanced feel for pitching, pinpoint control, and perhaps the best change up in the organization this side of Marco Estrada. Perdomo the MLW strikeout leader, is a 6'7" fireballer who has battled control problems as a starter, and even though he's a potential power arm out of the bullpen (his fastball can touch 96, and can be very difficult on left-handed hitters), a team who takes him may have to live with that. As Miguel Castro demonstrated in his brief time with the Blue Jays, a four seam fastball is not enough to get MLB hitters out. Rios is intriguing as well, but did not miss as many bats in the FSL after a dominating first month of the season with Lansing. Still, with a fastball sitting 92-94, an above average curve and a slider that made huge strides this year, some team may want to take a chance on the Mexican. If there was one player the Blue Jays left unprotected who may be scooped up in the Rule 5 next month, it may be Rios. If he's moved to the pen, his curve would pair nicely with his fastball, which will likely experience an uptick in velocity. Just the same, having not pitched above High A, Rios would be a huge risk. All 3 pitchers have upside and a possible MLB future. The club obviously felt that Borucki's command would make him a likely target for a team looking for bullpen help.
It's always good to throw in some video. Here's a look at Borucki:
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 Lansing Lugnuts are one of a shrinking number of minor league teams that do not stream their in-game video and play-by-play commentary over MiLB.tv, so my exposure to the Lugs so far this young season has been limited to a few games, and some observations made by eyewitnesses.
This weekend, with Lansing travelling to Midland, MI, to take on the Great Lakes Loons, the games have been streamed, so I've been able to make up for some lost watching.
On Friday, the Loons and Lugnuts played a twilight doubleheader - what made this game interesting was the pair of pitchers Lansing named to start the games - LHP Ryan Borucki, and RHP Patrick Murphy. The two have only recently arrived in the Midwest League, and while they came from different directions, both are trying to re-establish their baseball careers after missing significant time with injuries.
Borucki was considered one of the top high school prospects in Illinois prior to the 2012 draft. A growth spurt of nearly 8 inches between his sophomore and junior years put him firmly on the prospect radar, but after tearing his UCLwhile pitching a no-hitter in his senior year, his stock plummeted. He opted to rehab his elbow, and given his athleticism, build, and 90-93 fastball with late life, the Blue Jays did not give up on Borucki, and took him in the 15th round, and signed him for third round money to talk him out of his college commitment to Iowa.
That UCL finally did give way after 4 promising GCL outings in his draft year (10Ks in 6IP), and he missed all of 2013 recovering from Tommy John surgery.
2014 was a coming out party for Borucki. Starting in Bluefield, he pitched well enough to rank as Baseball America's 12th-ranked Appy League prospect (even though he pitched only a half short season there), and capped his year off with 7 shutout innings for Vancouver in a playoff game. BA ranked him just outsider of the Blue Jays Top 10 prospects, but was quite high on him:
He has shown pitching aptitude by reducing the effort in his delivery and reducing the height of his high elbow in the back, producing more consistent plane to his heater from his loose, quick arm action. His top secondary offering is a plus changeup. He has a feel for his changeup and for throwing strikes. Borucki currently shows a below-average to fringe-average curveball and may begin using a slider that is more conducive to his three-quarters arm slot.
Heading into 2015, I had fully expected to see him make his full season debut with Lansing. He experienced elbow and shoulder soreness throughout spring training, however, and the club opted to keep him in the warmer confines of Extended Spring Training. His only competition in 2015 was one outing in the GCL in early July, followed by a pair with Vancouver, before being shut down for the season.
Finally healthy, the club opted to keep him close to the team's medical facility in Dunedin this year, rather than ship him out to Lansing. And the results were not pretty. Florida State League hitters feasted on Borucki, hitting him at a .421 clip, before the organization decided the time was right to send him once and for all to the Midwest League earlier this month. He had a decent outing in his first start, giving up only 3 hits and 1 run over 5 innings, walking only one batter and striking out 5. His start against Great Lakes was his second since arriving at Lansing.
Borucki threw a tidy 8-pitch first inning, sandwiching a swinging K around a pair of soft flyouts.
Against the heart of the Loons order in the 2nd, Borucki gave up some hard contact, allowing a run on three hits. LF Andrew Guillotte was fooled on a line drive, and took a few steps in before realizing the ball was over his head, resulting in a double and a run scored. Borucki gave up a run-scoring single after that, and in total needed 16 pitches to escape the inning.
Borucki's third inning was a much better effort, a 15-pitch 3-up, 3-down frame that saw a swinging strikeout and a pair of weak groundouts. He needed 20 pitches to finish off the fourth, issuing a one out walk, and finishing with a swinging punch out. Lugs broadcaster Jesse Goldberg-Strassler was impressed with Borucki's change:
Ryan Borucki may be able to toss 95 mph, but his changeup is awesome. Offspeed, offspeed, offspeed. The Loons were helpless in the 4th.
Things unravelled a bit for Borucki in the 5th. Great Lakes scored a pair of runs, but a pair of defensive miscues by 2B Aaron Attaway didn't help. Borucki gave up a leadoff single, then the next batter hit a slow roller to Attaway, who tried to tag the advancing runner but missed, allowing the runner to move to second. Borucki then gave up back-to-back singles, allowing the runner to score. With two out and runners on first and second and two out, Attaway booted a fairly routine groundball, allowing another run to score, and continuing the inning. Borucki seemed to lose his composure a bit, and gave up a rocket to right field to the next hitter, bringing in the fourth run of the inning, which came to and end when RF Josh Almonte threw out the hitter who reached base on Attaway's error at 3rd base. Borucki needed 22 pitches to get out of the inning, and while he left the ball up and gave up some hard contact, he deserved a better fate.
At 81 pitches, Borucki was still allowed to come back out for the 6th inning. As a player who needs to make up for lost development time, the organization seems to want to let him pitch his way back into the prospect picture. It proved to be a good move by Manager John Schneider, as Borucki retired the first two hitters on six pitches, and after a hit batsman, got a swinging strikeout to end his night.
While Borucki touched 95, he sat mostly 90-92 in this game, and maintained that velo throughout. His size allows him good extension on his delivery, and there was some of that late life on his fastball. Borucki shows excellent feel for his change, which has been graded a 60 pitch on the 20-80 scale. His slider is a work in progress. At 6'4", Borucki looks like a starting pitcher - he looks like an athlete on the mound. The time he has missed means that he has dropped considerably behind his draft class peers, but he's well on pace to surpass his career high of 57 innings pitched. Given this lost development time, it's still too early to write him off as a prospect. He has a number of things to work on, pitch economy being among the biggest, but he just needs to pitch.
One note about the game - I was improved by the progress C Ryan Hissey has made behind the plate. He still is a bat-first type of receiver, but his pitch-blocking skills have improved considerably.
Like Borucki, righthander Murphy has missed significant development time due to injury. Taken in the third round of the 2013 draft, he missed his whole senior year of high school due to a torn UCL, but the Blue Jays were prepared to wait. His 2014 season was limited to 4 GCL innings, and he was shut down for all of 2015 after suffering from arm numbness and pain in spring training.
The reports on Murphy from extended were good, and once the midwestern weather warmed up, his promotion to Lansing was only a matter of time. He threw a pair of relief innings on May 14, and made his first start in 22 months this past weekend in the second game of the doubleheader.
Murphy looks something like a right-handed Borucki on the mound, and at 6'4"/220, has a starter's build.
He gets a good downhill plane on his pitches, and consistently pounded the lower part of the strike zone in the first two innings. Murphy needed only 7 pitches to get out of the first, but a 11-pitch AB by Great Lakes Ariel Sandoval to finish the second may have fatigued him. In the third inning, Murphy struggled with his command, falling behind hitters, and getting to three balls to 4 of the 6 hitters he faced. Still, Murphy battled, and was seemingly on his way out of the inning when Lansing SS J.C. Cardenas rushed this throw on a groundball, skipping it to first, where 1B Conor Panas was unable to scoop it. Murphy loaded the bases with a pair of walks, prompting a visit from Lugnuts' pitching coach Jeff Ware. The next batter lined Murphy's first pitch up the middle off of his shin and into foul territory along the first base line. One run scored, but Panas alertly caught the runner rounding third too far in an inning-ending rundown.
Murphy threw 15 pitches in the 2nd, and 32 in the 3rd. He threw 54 pitches, 35 for strikes, and recorded 6 groundouts, against 0 flyball outs. He walked two and struck out a pair. He sat in the low 90s, and showed a curve that was more 11:30-5:30 than 12-6 or 11-5, but he was able to throw it for strikes, dropping it into the strike zone for his two K's - it has plus potential. He's at least a month behind other starting pitchers at this point (truth be told, I was surprised they left him in after pitch number 30 in the 3rd, but since it was his last inning, that had to be why he was left in), and like Borucki, just needs the ball every 5th day. One thing is for sure - the Blue Jays are growing a wealth of promising power starting arms in the system.
The crummy April weather that has had most Southern Ontarians (especially the ones in my household) grumbling this past week also wreaked havoc on the minor league baseball in much of the northeastern section of the U.S.
Buffalo, New Hampshire, and Lansing all had their season openers postponed by weather more conducive to cross country skiing than baseball.
Notes from Dunedin
Dunedin did get their season underway, of course, and there was news to report right from the hop on Opening Day. Conner Greene, who has popped up on the Toronto media's radar, started for the D-Jays, and while he struggled with his command through the early innings, he pitched well over 5 innings.
Conner Greene 94-96 T97 in the 2nd. Gave up an oppo HR & 2B to RC. Started mixing in secondaries well. Nasty CH at 84 #BlueJays
I did utter a curse when my good internet friend @BaseballBetsy DM'd me to say that Anthony Alford was taken out of the game after a home plate collision, but later we learned that he was only spiked, but was placed on the 7-day DL on Sunday. Word is that the injury is not that serious, but Alford will need a little time to recover.
Chris King also had some nice things to say about C Danny Jansen, who I've lauded for his defensive skills for some time now:
Danny Jansen looking very solid behind the plate. Drop & blocking with control. Nice catch on pop up against the backstop nets #BlueJays
For a big kid (6'2", 230), Jansen moves well behind the plate, and can set up a nice target low in the strike zone. He's already a good pitch framer, and his handling of pitchers has been praised since rookie ball.
Many eyebrows were raised when both Greene and Alford were sent to High A; both had impressed at big league camp, and while Greene had finished at AA, Alford was outstanding in half a season at High A. But last year was their first in full season ball, as Blue Jays MiLB field co-ordinator Doug Davis pointed out in the link above, and the pair still need reps. Just the same, unless they take drastic steps backward in their development, the pair should be in New Hampshire by June.
Jon Harris: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly The Blue Jays 1st round pick in 2015 is the only 1st rounder in Lansing's lineup at the moment.
He struggled at times last year with Vancouver in his pro debut, although there were some shining moments. Harris was fatigued after a lengthy college season, and all indications were that he was good to go this spring.
The Good Harris did not make it out of the first inning on this cold, windy April day in Midland, MI. The Lugnuts had their home opener postponed by rain and snow, as well as the game the next day, so this proved to be their first game of the season.
So, it might not be easy to find anything good to say about his 37-pitch, 2/3 of an inning performance, but there were some positives. Harris hit 94 with his fastball on a day that would have been tough to get loose, and his breaking ball showed considerable depth. He struck out the first batter on a breaking ball that dove sharply for the outer part of the plate, and struck out another batter later in the inning with a similar pitch.
The Bad Harris lasted 8 batters before having hit his pitch limit. He walked the last four batters he faced before being pulled.
The Ugly Harris, at 6'6", has a lot of moving parts to his delivery, and can lose the strike zone when he rushes his windup, which he did often in this outing. When he did so, he tended to land on his front foot too early, and did a bit of a stutter step fall off to the 1st Base side of the mound. He had considerable difficulty repeating the delivery that featured a longer step, as the walks and 18 strikes he threw on the day demonstrated, but when he did, he was more successful in keeping the ball down and hitting his spots.
Despite not getting out of the first inning, there's not a great deal to be concerned about Harris just yet. He was squeezed a bit on two of the walks, and a bloop opposite-field double on what looked like it was about to be a lovely outside corner strike three changed the complexion of the inning. There was only one ball hit hard off of Harris, and the cold weather no doubt made things difficult for him, and made it difficult for him to make adjustments.
Surprisingly, these were not the chilliest conditions he had ever pitched in:
@Clutchlings77 played in 18 with snow on championship Sunday when I was 14 back home
Three Returning Arms
Three Blue Jays minor league pitchers made their return to action with Dunedin over the past few days. Adonys Cardona signed for a $2.8 million bonus as an international free agent in 2010, but has had difficulties both staying healthy and finding the strike zone. Promoted to Lansing in 2014, Cardona felt something snap in a game, and was diagnosed afterward to have broken the olecranon bone, which is the bony point on the elbow.
Fully recovered, reports from Florida this spring said that Cardona was throwing an "easy 95, with the heaviest fastball you'll see." 100 weeks after his injury, he was back in action, throwing a scoreless inning for Dunedin on Friday.
After allowing only an unearned run on 4 hits over 6 innings to the Pirates GCL entry on August 13th, 2013, Chris Rowley got into a trainer's car and headed to the airport, off to fulfill his commitment to the US Military. The undrafted free agent spent the next couple of years serving his country, which included a deployment to Eastern Europe. He did not give up on his baseball dreams, however, even keeping up a regular throwing program with the company medic. Rowley applied for an exemption to the remainder of his five-year obligation last May, and received it in October.
Rowley returned to baseball action with Dunedin this weekend as well, 32 months since his last professional pitch. He's had a pair of scoreless outings for the D-Jays, the most recent being a 2.1 inning stint. He's yet to give up a run.
LHP Ryan Borucki was taken in the 15th round of the 2012 draft. He was one of those rolls of the dice by Toronto, overlooked because of concerns about his pitching arm.
He pitched in the GCL in his draft year, but underwent Tommy John surgery in March of 2013. A year later, he pitched very well in short season ball, ranking as the Appalachian League's 12th Top Prospect in Baseball America's ratings despite spending only half a season there:
Borucki’s fastball was 90-94 early in the season and sat 88-92, touching 94 later in the season. He relies on his two-seamer that has at least average sink and arm-side run. Borucki demonstrates advanced feel for a changeup with plus potential. His curveball is a below-average to fringe-average offering, and Borucki could begin throwing a slider this offseason. He has a starter’s build at a lanky 6-foot-4 with a high waist and significant projection remaining.
The organization has long been a fan of his makeup and advanced feel for pitching. Coming into 2015, he seemed destined for full season ball, but tendinitis in his throwing arm caused him to be shut down, He was limited to an early July inning in the GCL last year, and 5 in the Northwest League before his season ended in late July.
The Blue Jays opted to keep Borucki in Florida and assigned him to Dunedin so that the medical staff could closely monitor him. In his first competition in almost 9 months, Borucki was hammered by Clearwater on Saturday, surrendering 8 runs on 9 hits before reaching his pitch limit with one out in the 5th. An observer at the game said that he was hit hard. A silver lining would have to be the 7 groundouts Borucki recorded.
It's only one start, but the road ahead for Borucki is long.
Saying Good-bye Phil Kish played mostly short stop in high school for New Smyrna Beach (FL) High, and headed off to play for Daytona State College as a pitcher. After a year, he transferred to West Florida, but saw limited action due to inflammation in his throwing arm. Kish then got in touch with the coach at Southeastern University, an NAIA school in Lakeland, who had recruited him in high school. The coach told Kish that his starting rotation was full, but he did have need of bullpen arms. Kish went on to set the NAIA all-time saves record with 44 in his four years with Southeastern, and graduated with a finance and accounting degree.
Because he was from an NAIA school, Kish was lightly scouted, and wasn't drafted when he graduated in 2013; his age (24) deterred scouts as well. The Blue Jays have proven adept over the last number of years at unearthing that kind of hidden talent, and signed Kish after the draft, and sent him to the GCL, where the younger hitters were no match for him.
Kish skipped the rest of the short season levels and was assigned to Lansing to start 2014. He pitched well in the back end of the bullpen on a young Lugnuts team that didn't provide a lot of save opportunities. Kish was shipped to Vancouver in August of that year to help the C's in their pursuit of a fourth consecutive NWL title, and saved 9 games in as many opportunities as Vancouver's title dreams just fell short.
Kish's 2015 did not go as well as he had hoped. Opening the season with Lansing, he spent some time in Dunedin before finishing the season with the Lugnuts. A pair of stints on the 7-Day minor league DL, as well as some inconsistency with his mechanics caused Kish to be hit fairly hard in 2015. By October, he was ready to put the season behind him and resume his internship with the accounting firm Ernst and Young, where he started in the auditing department the previous off season. "They have been working with me by being flexible with my start date," he said last fall. Much to Kish's surprise, he received a call from the Blue Jays, inviting him to spend a winter with Canberra of the Australian Baseball League.
Kish jumped at the chance, and after a few rough outings at the start of his Aussie career, pitched well over the rest of the season, which concluded at the end of January. Reporting to the Jays minor league camp at the beginning of March, the clock was ticking loudly for Kish, who will turn 27 in August. The Blue Jays gave him his unconditional release at the end of the month, which is not surprising - top draft picks, who the organization lavished huge signing bonuses upon, tend to get far more chances and time to prove themselves than non-drafted free agents.
Picking a highlight of his time in the Jays organization was tough, but Kish listed playoff runs and spending some time living in Vancouver as times he'll always remember.
Phil likely considered giving independent ball a try after his release, but with an offer waiting for him from Ernst and Young, he decided to hang up his cleats. Unlike a lot of other minor league ball players who reach the end of the line, Kish had a good backup plan, and had already started laying the groundwork for his life beyond baseball during his playing days.
We wish him all the best with his new career.
Random Scouting Reports When you scan your Tweetdeck timeline as regularly as I do, you come across some good scouting nuggets. CJ Wittman, who has filed scouting reports for Baseball Prospectus and 2080baseball.com, tweeted some notes from spring training:
#bluejays 3B Bryan Lizardo projectable physical body; plus bat speed from both sides. Feel for barrel w/ leverage; avg. raw power. Like him.
Lizardo had received positive reviews in 2014, but struggled in his first season of stateside ball last year. Wittman also praised Lizardo's baseball IQ and approach at the plate. He will start in Vancouver or Bluefield, but is worth keeping tabs on. Only 19, there's plenty of development time ahead of him.
#bluejays Jose Espada projectable frame. FB 88-92; downhill w life. CB 75-77; 11/5 shape w sharp break, shows feel. CH 82-83; fade. Solid.
In the "if he ever finds the plate" department, you will find reliever Jose. The July, 2013 IFA has hit triple digits with his fastball in the past. He has struck out over a batter per inning so far in his young career. Bluefield should be where he starts, Vancouver where he finishes.
#bluejays SS Kevin Vicuna solid app. Projectable frame and avg bat speed. Clean swing path. Needs strength. Solid reads/reactions at SS.
The 18-year-old Venezuelan was the 30th-ranked IFA by BA two years ago. He played in the DSL this year, and will most likely start in the GCL once short season play begins.
#bluejays Juan Meza live arm, projectable frame. 88-90; downhill. CH 85; fade and good arm speed. Front side can open early. Raw feel.
Meza was the 10th-ranked IFA in 2014. He pitched in the DSL last summer, and made a brief appearance at the end of the GCL season. Will likely repeat the GCL to start, but could move quickly. The velocity may seem to be a bit low, but Wittmann pointed out in a subsequent tweet that it was still relatively early in spring training.
The Gabe Noyalis Story Continues
I wrote about Noyalis last fall. He walked away from college ball several years ago, but found an outlet in weightlifting. The lifting resulted in new life on his fastball, which he discovered when he was asked to pitch batting practice for his former high school team before an upcoming playoff game.
Encouraged by the uptick in velo, Noyalis began throwing in his gym's basement. He was scouted by the Braves and Phillies before being signed by Blue Jays scout Matt Anderson, his 7th Grade basketball coach. Noyalis was up to 95 last fall.
I caught up to him this spring, and he reported that he was working on his change and slider. I asked him if the club had given him any indication where he would start the season, and he responded:
Not too sure yet, they haven't really said anything besides I have to make a club and they just started working on me on tweaks and things like that after watching me for a while and seeing what I have so I think it'll depend on how fast I can progress with the tweaks and everything they make with my.. Also I'd like to get my arm stretched out more I was 90-93 first outing 92-95 2nd outing and today 90-93 again I'd like to see those numbers creep up a little more and sit around 94 eventually.. Definitely feeling confident in the change up and slider at the moment and as a 1 inning guy I'll only need those 3 pitches and just bag the curve
A week later, he reported that he would be kept in Florida for extended spring training: "Yeah I'm not upset about it I figured they'd keep me in extended since I haven't played since 2012 so it makes sense and I just want to get better." When asked what he was working on, he said, " mechanical things, throwing a slider, only going from the stretch.. Things like that, plus just getting my body adjusted to the grind of playing everyday."
This is a labour of love for me, reflective of my long involvement in the grassroots level of the game. As I stood behind the backstop of one of the minor league fields at the Phillies spring training complex last month, watching as they played the Jays High A and AA teams, I was taken back to my youth. Growing up in Midland, Ontario, a small town on Georgian Bay 90 minutes north of Toronto, I spent many a summer night in the same position as our town's local senior men's team, the Indians, took to the field. On game nights, the crowd would slowly file in. Seniors with lawn chairs would occupy spots behind the home plate screen along the 1st base (Home) side, and the bleachers behind would slowly fill up with fans. The 3rd base stands behind the Visitor's bench would be sparsely populated. The sportscaster for the local radio station, 1230 CKMP, would set up his equipment on a little swing-up shelf on the screen directly behind home plate. The smell of hand cut french fries from a little kiosk behind the backstop run by John Deakos, who operated a larger chip stand in nearby Little Lake Park, wafted through the pre-game warmups. I would stand with my friends somewhere between there and the radio man, watching the game, and dreaming of the day I could patrol center field for my hometown nine one day.
The team, unfortunately, folded the year I graduated from Midland's minor baseball system, because the field was left unplayable when our ancient arena beside it burned to the ground one summer night.
Because this is a labour of love, if you were to follow me on Twitter (@Clutchlings77), like my Facebook page, or click on some ads when you read this blog, that would help, in small part, fund my writing and research efforts.
