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	<title>Toronto &#187; Anthony Alford</title>
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		<title>Blue Jays Avoid Arbitration with Ezequiel Carrera; Raise Floor in Outfield</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/01/12/blue-jays-avoid-arbitration-with-ezequiel-carrera-raise-floor-in-outfield/</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 12 Jan 2018 14:33:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kyle Matte]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anthony Alford]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ezequiel Carerra]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Steve Pearce]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teoscar Hernandez]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=14903</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On Thursday night, the Toronto Blue Jays came to terms with outfielder Ezequiel Carrera on a one-year contract to avoid arbitration. The Blue Jays, a file-and-trial team, have a 1:00 pm ET deadline on Friday by which they must either reach an agreement or exchange figures with all of their arbitration eligible players. After this [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>On Thursday night, the Toronto Blue Jays came to terms with outfielder Ezequiel Carrera on a one-year contract to avoid arbitration. The Blue Jays, a file-and-trial team, have a 1:00 pm ET deadline on Friday by which they must either reach an agreement or exchange figures with all of their arbitration eligible players. After this deadline the club will only consider multi-year extensions in lieu of seeing the arbitration process through.</p>
<p>The one-year, $1.9 million contract signed by Carrera makes sense in a vacuum, and in fact is exactly what he was <a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/10/projected-arbitration-salaries-for-2018.html">projected to receive</a> by MLB Trade Rumors back in October. The outfielder made $1.2 million when first eligible for arbitration last winter and the $700,000 raise is fair and reflective of his .282/.356/.408 performance in 131 games played in 2017.</p>
<p>Carrera has been worth 1.6 WARP over 827 plate appearances (1.2 WARP/600) across three seasons in Toronto, which cements him in the “good bench player but not someone you should rely upon as a starter” category. What makes this signing slightly unsettling for some Blue Jays fans, however, is that alongside Kevin Pillar and Steve Pearce, Carrera makes three outfielders signed to, or soon to be signed to, major league deals. The outfield still needs help on the top end and this agreement doesn’t preclude a run at the highly sought after Lorenzo Cain, but it could potentially take away opportunities in the short term from a quartet of young outfielders.</p>
<p>For arguments sake, let’s say the Blue Jays sign Lorenzo Cain and he agrees to be the everyday right fielder. With Kevin Pillar’s defensive prowess buying him another season in center, left field falls into the hands of another Pearce and Carrera platoon, with the optionable contracts of Teoscar Hernandez, Dalton Pompey, Dwight Smith, and Anthony Alford all bound for the minor leagues. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.</p>
<p>At this very moment, given that we simply haven’t seen enough consistent performance at the highest level to blindly depend on them, I don’t think anyone would argue that a bit of seasoning in Buffalo or New Hampshire would hurt any of the four. But what if Teoscar Hernandez spends the month of March crushing balls around Florida Auto Exchange Stadium and looks a whole lot like the guy who had 14 extra base hits and a .302 TAv in September? What if Anthony Alford is an on-base machine and appears to be the ideal solution to the revolving door of leadoff hitters the club struggled with last season?</p>
<p>What this Carrera signing does is raise the floor for the outfield jobs and almost perfectly encapsulates the <em>modus operandi</em> of the Shapiro and Atkins tenure: protect from the replacement level through low risk options without suppressing the <i>ceiling</i> of the roster. Having Carrera in place for $1.9 million pushes Teoscar Hernandez and Anthony Alford to earn the job and supplant the veteran, rather than running the risk of an under prepared rookie getting the job by default. If the best case scenario occurs and space needs to be made available for Hernandez and/or Alford in the short term, one or both of Pearce and Carrera can be sent to the bench, or to another organization altogether thanks to their cost-effective contracts.</p>
<p><i>Lead Photo © Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports</i></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>It’s Time for the Blue Jays to Trade Kevin Pillar</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/11/10/its-time-for-the-blue-jays-to-trade-kevin-pillar/</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 10 Nov 2017 11:46:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Gideon Turk]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anthony Alford]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kevin Pillar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teoscar Hernandez]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Toronto Blue Jays]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=14078</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;ve written my fair share of articles on Kevin Pillar over the years, most of them praising him and looking optimistically at his future with the Blue Jays. However, this one is not going to be like the others. This one is going to advocate for the Blue Jays to trade Kevin Pillar. Everybody knows [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I&#8217;ve written my fair share of articles on Kevin Pillar over the years, most of them praising him and looking optimistically at his future with the Blue Jays. However, this one is not going to be like the others. This one is going to advocate for the Blue Jays to trade Kevin Pillar.</p>
<p>Everybody knows why Kevin Pillar is valuable; there are no ambiguities about where his talents lie. The 29-year-old&nbsp;is good because he gets to balls in the outfield that a lot of other plays can&#8217;t get to, thus making life a lot easier on the Blue Jays&#8217; pitching staff. But&nbsp;it&#8217;s an oversimplification to&nbsp;just assume that reputation holds as true now as it did when Pillar started to burst onto the scene&nbsp;and into walls in 2015. In fact, the evidence suggests that Pillar has had quite a dramatic downturn in his defensive skills recently. Going by the Statcast numbers, Pillar completely changed in 2017, costing the Blue Jays two outs relative to the average fielder, whereas he earned them an extra 15 outs in 2016.</p>
<p>That difference can be seen most dramatically in what Statcast refers to as four star and five star plays, the hardest outfielders can make. In 2016, Pillar converted 64 and 22 percent of his opportunities for making these plays, respectively. That accounts for 16 four star plays made, and nine five star plays. In 2017, those percentages shrunk to 26.7% and 0.0%, equaling raw totals of 4 and 0 plays made respectively. That is a big swing in plays that Pillar once made, that he didn&#8217;t convert on in 2017.</p>
<p>This is important because Pillar is who he is at the plate. He won&#8217;t be changing anytime soon. He has talked about being a different hitter many times in the past, but in the end, once the sample size increases and small discrepancies are weeded out, Pillar is still the player who is overzealous at the plate and is very liberal with what he swings at. Because of that,&nbsp;the value he provides offensively is virtually non-existent, if not detrimental&nbsp;in the aggregate. Therefore, his entire value lies with his fielding. And if his fielding has shrunk as the statistics would seem to say (If Statcast data wasn&#8217;t enough for you, FRAA, DRS, and UZR all agree with the sentiment as well), then we have already seen Pillar&#8217;s prime, and it would be wise to get off the train now.</p>
<p>If the Blue Jays decide to make Pillar available, they are in a unique situation this winter because there are not many&nbsp;centre field options available on the open market, yet there are a few suitors. Lorenzo Cain is the only free agent who is definitively better than Pillar at this time, as Jarrod Dyson has faded and is now recovering from surgery, while Carlos Gomez probably should be in a corner outfield spot when play starts in 2018.&nbsp;As for teams that could use a centerfielder, the lists includes the Rangers, Royals, Brewers, Mets, Giats, and Mariners, though&nbsp;I&#8217;m sure that list would expand if the Blue Jays were looking to trade Pillar.</p>
<p>Of course, trading Pillar doesn&#8217;t make much sense if the Blue Jays don&#8217;t have a replacement for him. Making one hole to fill another isn&#8217;t how you build a good baseball team. Luckily, the Blue Jays have accrued outfield depth in recent years and would be able to replace Pillar if traded. The list of possible names include Anthony Alford, Teoscar Hernandez, and even Dalton Pompey, if you somehow believe there is something left there.</p>
<p>Alford had a very good 2017 campaign when he wasn&#8217;t dealing with the injury he suffered in his brief call up to Toronto and although the team was dealing with a roster situation when they originally brought him up, they wouldn&#8217;t have made that move and started his clock without the belief that he could play in the majors. Scouts rave about his defense and when the bar to clear offensively is Kevin Pillar, it&#8217;s hard to believe that he wouldn&#8217;t be able to at least mimic that performance.</p>
<p>For Hernandez,&nbsp;I think most would agree that his offensive talent exceeds that of Pillar&#8217;s. The question for him would be if his defense translates to centre field or if he is better suited for a corner spot. More than likely the answer is that he does belong in left or right field, but again, if the bar to exceed is the value Pillar puts up, I think it would be reasonable to assume that the offensive gain would be bigger than the defensive loss.</p>
<p>The&nbsp;reasoning behind all of this is that the Blue Jays must get something in return for trading Pillar. Discussing what they may get is a fool&#8217;s errand, because unless you&#8217;re in the front office, you don&#8217;t know how teams value him. However, no matter what, the Blue Jays would save money from ridding themselves of Pillar and deciding to play Alford or Hernandez. Both of those players are scheduled to make the league minimum in 2018, while Pillar is <a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/10/projected-arbitration-salaries-for-2018.html" target="_blank">projected </a>for a salary of $4.0 million according to MLBTR. Those $3.5 million in savings could go along way to helping this club&nbsp;build when it seems like the team currently only has about $25 million to spend this off-season.</p>
<p>Pillar has had a fantastic career in Toronto, no doubt. He has&nbsp;overachieved since being drafted, but his value is correlated directly to his success in the outfield. If that success is slowly coming to an end as he ages, he all of a sudden doesn&#8217;t become the best use of $4 million when players exist within the Blue Jays system that could provide similar value for an eighth of the cost. If that means Pillar should be traded, it&#8217;s been nice while it lasted. But in the end, the team has to make the smart move to build the best possible roster from player one through 25.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo:&nbsp;Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports<br />
Jays Journal <a href="https://jaysjournal.com/2017/11/06/blue-jays-maybe-now-right-time-trade-kevin-pillar/" target="_blank">recently published</a> a piece on the idea of trading Pillar as well. This article was started prior to the Jays Journal article being released.</em></p>
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		<title>Blue Jays 2017 Farm System in Review: The Hitters</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/09/18/blue-jays-2017-farm-system-in-review-the-hitters/</link>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 18 Sep 2017 10:59:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Tammy Rainey]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anthony Alford]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bo Bichette]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cavan Biggio]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Danny Jansen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hagen Danner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Logan Warmoth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reese McGuire]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Richard Urena]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Riley Adams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rowdy Tellez]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teoscar Hernandez]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vlad Guerrero Jr.]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=13410</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Vancouver Canadians are champions of the Northwest League. The Dunedin Blue Jays are co-champions of the Florida State League. The Bluefield Blue Jays and the DSL Blue Jays made post-season appearances. While there were some setbacks, on the whole, the system was replete with success stories. Let&#8217;s review. The Canadians made post-season magic on [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Vancouver Canadians are champions of the Northwest League.<br />
The Dunedin Blue Jays are co-champions of the Florida State League.<br />
The Bluefield Blue Jays and the DSL Blue Jays made post-season appearances.</p>
<p>While there were some setbacks, on the whole, the system was replete with success stories. Let&#8217;s review.</p>
<p>The Canadians made post-season magic on the strength of shutdown pitching while the tired offense struggled. They went 5-1 in the post-season, winning four of those five by a score of 2-1. &#8220;Big&#8221; Nate Pearson racked up 14 strikeouts in eight innings pitched over two starts, allowing a single run; The piggyback combination of Zach Logue and Justin Dillon (who regularly pitched together this season) combined for 13 innings pitched giving up only two earned runs while striking out 21 in the two games in which they appeared. More impressive yet, the Canadians&#8217; bullpen combined for 25 innings pitched, while giving up one earned run, striking out 31, and walking only five.</p>
<p>The D-Jays had to settle for co-champion status after Hurricane Irma forced the FSL to cancel their championship series. After losing game one, they played a double header against the Tampa Yankees and won both ends behind dominant pitching from T.J. Zeuch and Jordan Romano.</p>
<p>Now, with team news out of the way, I&#8217;ll turn my attention to individual performances. In part one I&#8217;ll review the hitters, by position, and in part two we&#8217;ll take a look at the pitching.</p>
<h3>Catchers</h3>
<p>This is arguably the most well stocked position in this section which is, frankly, a weird thing to be saying about the Blue Jays.  I reviewed this position at some length <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/08/28/blue-jays-minor-league-report-a-cornucopia-of-catchers/">a few weeks back.</a> To that analysis I will only take the time to add this bit of information I discovered about <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=596069#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>Max Pentecost</strong></a>.</p>
<p>If this guy had not had shoulder issues, he might well have already suited up in Toronto. Every quote I&#8217;ve seen from Jays staff is a rave review. He got a gentle re-introduction to catching this season and in light of a recently published comment in which he described finding it harder to stay focused when he wasn&#8217;t behind the plate, I decided to take a deeper look at this season. For starters, they never had him catch back-to-back games, and he only played 72 games in all due to injuries (apparently unrelated to the shoulder, but injury info on prospects is very difficult to access) including missing the last 3+ weeks of the season. What I found was that the results, albeit in a small sample, support his observation. He played 20 games behind the plate, 22 at first and was the DH 30 times. Here&#8217;s his respective slash lines at each position:</p>
<p>In 81 AB as a catcher: .358/.381/.654/1.035<br />
In 86 AB at first base: .196/.250/.337/.587<br />
In 121 AB as a DH: .273/.348/.422/.780<br />
Overall in 288 AB: .274/.330/.431/.761</p>
<p>This is probably just noise, but maybe it means something? We&#8217;ll have to see.</p>
<p>My prediction is that <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=643376#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>Danny Jansen</strong></a> and <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=624512#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>Reese McGuire</strong></a> will begin 2018 sharing time in Buffalo with a high likelihood that one or both will see time in Toronto. Pentecost will slot in at AA and I expect<a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=656180#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong> Riley Adams</strong></a> to leapfrog to Dunedin while the <strong><a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=t517&amp;player_id=670394#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL">Ryan Gold</a>/<a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=660857#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL">Yorman Rodriguez</a></strong> duo will break camp with Lansing. Although due to some crowding at that level the latter might stay back and go to Vancouver. <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=668470#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>Hagen Danner</strong></a>, this year&#8217;s second round choice, could slot into either Vancouver or Bluefield depending on how everyone looks in the spring.</p>
<h3>First Base</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=642133#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>Rowdy Tellez</strong></a> was the one &#8220;buzz&#8221; guy at this position coming into the season and he had the first rough year of his career. Early on he was likely affected by some difficult family issues, but even when his average finally recovered in August the power stroke was nowhere to be found. Thankfully Justin Smoak&#8217;s emergence took the urgency away on Rowdy&#8217;s development. He&#8217;ll no doubt repeat AAA next year.  <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=622806#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>Juan Kelly</strong></a> in Dunedin was good-but-not-great in a pitcher&#8217;s league, but also brings positional versatility being able to also play 3B and even catch in a pinch (he was signed as a catcher).  2017 8th round choice <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=641459#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>Kacey Clemens</strong></a> was a mainstay for the VanCs and 15th rounder <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=t517&amp;player_id=676116#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>Ryan Noda</strong></a> was the Appy League Player of the year and a monster for Bluefield (1.082 OPS). Whomever has a better spring will have the chance to jump to Dunedin next year with the other off to Lansing.</p>
<h3>Second Base</h3>
<p>When one lays aside upcoming minor league free agents, the most advanced 2B in the systems is Tim Lopes. While he came up big for NH often, however, a .729 OPS isn&#8217;t going to get him added to any prospect lists. <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=624415#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>Cavan Biggio</strong></a> is a member of the Jays Second Generation Club, but he also totaled a .705 OPS for Dunedin in his age 22 season—that&#8217;s not going to cut it. That brings us to <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=669392#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>Samad Taylor</strong></a>. He was the second player that the Jays picked up from Cleveland in the Joe Smith deal. After a brief stop in Bluefield, he hit .333 for the balance of August with a hit in every one of those August games save one. Over that stretch his OPS was .848 and he&#8217;ll be someone to watch in Lansing next spring.</p>
<h3>Shortstop</h3>
<p>By now you probably know that spring crush <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=621037#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>Jason Leblebijian</strong></a> went off a cliff in early June and crushed the illusion that he might have a major league role. He&#8217;ll be back in Buffalo as a utility man playing mostly 3B next year. More exciting for Bisons fans is the likely advent of <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=620446#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>Richard Urena</strong></a>. As recently as the first of this month I was convinced that he&#8217;d go back to AA to begin 2018 as his production their this year did not scream, &#8220;promote me.&#8221; However if he can carry over the gains of his September major league hot streak to next spring, that might earn him the bump. It&#8217;s said that the Jays will want to see him get more work in at 2B next spring in anticipation of middle infield injuries, and that positional flexibility is also something they want in <strong><a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=666971#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL">Lourdes Gurriel Jr.</a> </strong></p>
<p>Gurriel himself did not impress offensively either this year (both he and Urena had an OPS of .286 with LGJ slugging slightly higher) there are quite a few caveats. He missed much of the first half with hamstring injuries and when he did return it was after over two years out of organized competitive baseball games. There&#8217;s a reasonable chance that he has a better spring and, given that he&#8217;s 24 (over two years older than Urena) he&#8217;ll get the AAA assignment. There&#8217;s an argument to be made for separating them, so as not to crowd the SS playing time, but if the Jays want both to be highly flexible in the infield then it is also perfectly reasonable for them to pair the two in the middle of Buffalo&#8217;s infield, occasionally rotating back and forth.</p>
<p>Doing so opens up New Hampshire&#8217;s job for <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=666182#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>Bo Bichette</strong></a>. Given that Bichette only got into 40 games for Dunedin, the cautious approach would be to at least let him (and a certain other individual) open the year back there and avoid the spring cold that one must deal with in New Hampshire. But that would certainly be a temporary situation unless he completely fell apart. Whether he plays 140 games in AA or 100, the job is effectively his given he was the most productive hitter (on a full season team) in the Blue Jays system in 2017.</p>
<p>The job Bo leaves behind in Dunedin would likely go to some combination of young Venezuelan shortstops <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=650988#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>Yeltsin Gudino</strong></a> and <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=660631#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>Kevin Vicuna</strong></a>. Both are, to this point, relatively light hitting glove men whom the organization likes, but they&#8217;re not really on anybody&#8217;s top 30 list. With that said, Gudino was considered the No. 8 international signing prospect in 2013 and Vicuna was No. 30 the following year, so there might be some unrealized upside with them . At some point, though, they would likely take a back seat to one of the Blue Jays&#8217; 2017 first round picks: <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=657089#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>Logan Warmoth</strong></a>.</p>
<p>In truth, it&#8217;s not impossible to imagine a scenario where Warmoth leapfrogs the two aforementioned shortstops and goes straight to Dunedin. But given the Blue Jays&#8217; handling of the previous year&#8217;s draft picks as well as the inherent luxury of having impressive depth above him, the 2017 top pick most likely breaks with Lansing. Warmoth did everything the team could have hoped this year in Vancouver, even while the rest of the hitters wore down towards the end of what was, particularly for college hitters, a really long season. Fellow 2017 draftee <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=t517&amp;player_id=675656#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>Kevin Smith</strong></a> deserves a mention here as well, likely taking his assignment one level behind Warmoth wherever that ends up being.</p>
<h3>Third Base</h3>
<p>I know what you&#8217;re thinking, but let me take these in order from the top of the system down&#8230;even though that won&#8217;t take long. Jason Leblijian will just be a placeholder—at best—in Buffalo. Matt Dean will be a minor league free agent who&#8217;ll be very lucky to get an offer. Mitch Nay is still around, after much trouble with injury, but also hasn&#8217;t proven he can hit. So let&#8217;s just move on to discussing <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=665489#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>Vlad Guerrero Jr</strong>.</a></p>
<p>Vlad, whom more and more folks are putting in discussions about the best prospect in the game, is obviously in the same position as Bo. The team could easily justify conservatively leaving him in Dunedin to begin the year in the sunshine until early May, but given that he has yet to experience serious adversity it might be considered advantageous to his development to let him break camp in AA. Whatever the schedule, that&#8217;s likely where he&#8217;ll play most of his games come year&#8217;s end. It&#8217;s also worth noting that how they choose to develop him will be at least somewhat affected by whether they extend Josh Donaldson this winter (or at least the nature of the conversations with his representatives about doing so).</p>
<p>If/when Guerrero settles in at AA, look for <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=641735#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>Bradley Jones</strong></a> to get most of the reps at 3B in Dunedin. While he&#8217;s capable of playing 2B and 1B (and presumably would be a decent enough outfielder) third is where the depth chart is thinnest and so logically he&#8217;d get his best chance here. Jones was so impressive in Lansing that he was their first hitter promoted to Dunedin, but injuries limited him to 17 games and likely underlaid the 0 for 26 stretch that preceded his trip to the DL. The FSL hasn&#8217;t seen the real Jones yet. Below that level it gets dicey. <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=650991#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>Bryan Lizardo</strong></a> was unproductive at Vancouver, <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=t517&amp;player_id=660709#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>Sterling Guzman</strong></a> hit well in Bluefield before a season ending injury. The second highest paid signing by the Blue Jays in this July 2 period was a 3B, Miguel Hiraldo, but he was described in rosey terms for his hitting, little mention was made of his defense, and he a very long way off.</p>
<h3>Outfield</h3>
<p>The top of the list in terms of advancement among outfield prospects is <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=606192#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>Teoscar Hernandez</strong></a>. In fact, he&#8217;s graduated from officially being considered a prospect (joining <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=592647#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>Dalton Pompey</strong></a> in &#8220;prospect but not officially&#8221; status). Barring the real possibility that the Blue Jays bring in someone from outside the organization this winter, I&#8217;d say confidence is high Hernandez has first shot at becoming the Opening Day right fielder in the Spring. Pompey, sadly, did not even get to play enough this year to burn an option, so in the unlikely event he doesn&#8217;t get hurt next spring, the Blue Jays can option him to Buffalo and see if he can consolidate his abilities without breaking again.</p>
<p>Joining him in that outfield will presumably be <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=546990#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>Anthony Alford</strong></a> and <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=596105#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>Dwight Smith Jr</strong></a>. Smith spent 2017 with Buffalo and was mostly okay, but nothing about him suggests anything more than a fourth outfielder ceiling and guy who&#8217;ll probably bounce around the way Zeke Carerra was doing when he came to town. Alford, on the other hand, will surely be the team&#8217;s consensus No. 3 prospect this winter and rightly so. Most observers still think there&#8217;s some unrealized over-the-fence power left in his game, but otherwise he&#8217;s a practically perfect prospect both on and off the field. One reason the team might gamble with a Pearce/Carrera/Pillar/Hernandez outfield is the knowledge that Alford is so close. Alternately (and this is how I&#8217;d play it) they could aggressively shop Pillar and plug Alford into CF, but my guess is this organization is too conservative to break camp with rookies in two-thirds of the starting outfield slots.</p>
<p>Another outfielder who you&#8217;ll potential find in Buffalo in 2018, if he&#8217;s not taken in the Rule 5 Draft, is speedy <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=605231#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>Roemon Fields</strong></a>. He has no power at all, but his OBP was .355 and he stole 43 bases while playing praiseworthy defense, which quite a few teams would tolerate off their bench. Behind this grouping is <strong><a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=623912#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL">Harold Ramirez</a></strong>. At his best in 2015 he was a high OBP guy with a little pop and good speed, but in two seasons AA has exposed him and he&#8217;s at this point looking like a marginal guy who&#8217;s not even as good as Smith.</p>
<p>The next guy you want to get excited about is Toronto native and future fan favorite <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=664768#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>Connor Panas</strong></a>. Panas led the FSL in homers, and finished second in SLG and OPS. He&#8217;ll plug right into AA as the everyday RF and will again be overshadowed by the Bo and Vladdy show. While he&#8217;s not on their level (he&#8217;ll be 25 next year), he&#8217;s got enough going on to deserve some notice. Then there&#8217;s <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=658668#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>Edward Olivares</strong></a>, the other guy who spent 2017 in the shadow of the Show. He was fifth in the Midwest League in OPS, third in slugging. When the 21 year old Venezuelan was promoted to Dunedin on August 13 it took him a few games to find his stroke and he didn&#8217;t manage even one homer at the higher level, but that should not dampen your enthusiasm. He&#8217;ll return to the FSL next spring.</p>
<p>Another interesting guy was Lansing&#8217;s <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=641943#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>Joshua Palacios</strong></a>. The 2016 4th rounder was horrendous to begin the season and did not recover before going on the DL on June 5 with a .541 OPS. Just over two weeks later he came off a changed man. From there on out he hit .38 with an .824 OPS which has me projecting him to be Dunedin&#8217;s opening day CF next spring. The other 2017 draft choice on the Lansing roster was second rounder <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=642223#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>J.B. Woodman</strong></a>. You can&#8217;t entirely dismiss him but 157 strikeouts in 96 games (and only seven homers) won&#8217;t play.</p>
<p>On the short season teams the most well regarded prospect has to be <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=663545#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>Reggie Pruitt</strong></a>. He&#8217;s still exceedingly raw, but after ending June hitting a sub-optimal .102, he posted a .257 BA with a .650 OPS over the second half, while playing big defense and stealing 28 bases in 36 tries. He&#8217;s still years away from refining them, but the tools are there. A couple of other guys in Vancouver hit marginally better, but they seem to have considerably lower ceilings. Another guy I&#8217;ve been watching is <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=t517&amp;player_id=650996#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>Freddy Rodriguez</strong></a>. He was No. 18 in that aforementioned 2013 class and his first two pro seasons were unimpressive, then he was limited by injury to only seven games in 2016. He also missed the first month of the short season this year but when he got to play he showed an improved game. It was only 28 games total, but his OPS was .861 and he&#8217;s still only 20. I&#8217;d speculate he has the chance to open with Lansing but the Jays may opt for caution and assign him to Vancouver. Finally, I&#8217;d be remiss if I did not mention <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=668474#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>Dominic Abbadassa</strong></a> (23rd rd, 2016) who hit .340 in the GCL with an .811 OPS, and 2017 draftee <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=668470#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL"><strong>DJ Neal</strong></a> (26th)  who overcame a 2 for 27 midseason slump and hit .346 in all other games with an .812 OPS. Both will get a chance to prove their mettle in Vancouver next year.</p>
<p>Other names you may see mentioned among OF include Jon Davis, Andrew Guillote, and Brock Luundquist.</p>
<p>That&#8217;s 40 names in bold, dig in because there&#8217;s a boatload of pitchers to talk about ext time.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo: Steve Mitchell —USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
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		<title>Imagining the Ridiculously Athletic Jays Outfield of the Future</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/05/26/imagining-the-ridiculously-athletic-jays-outfield-of-the-future/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/05/26/imagining-the-ridiculously-athletic-jays-outfield-of-the-future/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 26 May 2017 10:53:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Elie Waitzer]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anthony Alford]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dalton Pompey]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kevin Pillar]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=11141</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We&#8217;ve seen Anthony Alford in the big leagues. He struck out a bunch and reached base just once, but the hit tool isn&#8217;t why he was 93rd on Baseball Prospectus&#8217; annual prospect rankings. Baseball Prospectus&#8217; latest eyewitness scouting report from Steve Givarz gives him a 55 glove grade and 70 speed grade. Alford was fresh off [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We&#8217;ve seen Anthony Alford in the big leagues. He struck out a bunch and reached base just once, but the hit tool isn&#8217;t why he was 93rd on Baseball Prospectus&#8217; annual <a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=31160">prospect rankings</a>. Baseball Prospectus&#8217; latest eyewitness <a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/prospects/eyewitness_bat.php?reportid=378">scouting report</a> from Steve Givarz gives him a 55 glove grade and 70 speed grade. Alford was fresh off the DL that day, so the 70 grade might not even be doing his wheels full justice. Now, of course, he&#8217;s <a href="http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/blue-jays-place-outfielder-anthony-alford-disabled-list/">back on the DL</a>.</p>
<p>Alford wasn&#8217;t supposed to be due up until September, or even 2018, but then Kevin Pillar <a href="http://torontoist.com/2017/05/the-blue-jays-have-a-homophobia-problem-how-do-we-fix-it/">said something</a> and Darell Ceciliani <a href="http://www.tsn.ca/mlb/article/jays-ceciliani-headed-to-dl-due-to-shoulder-injury-1.756061">broke himself</a> hitting a homer. His three game stint was hardly enough to show off his tools—Alford had just three opportunities in the outfield and all were routine—but watching him flank Pillar in left last Sunday got me thinking about something exciting: the Kansas City Royals.</p>
<p>Yes, I know, there is perhaps nothing less exciting than the Kansas City Royals in 2017. They just <a href="http://www.upi.com/Sports_News/MLB/2017/05/22/Minnesota-Twins-put-Phil-Hughes-on-DL-for-biceps-injury/1951495493147/">sent Phil Hughes to the DL</a>. It&#8217;s a snoozefest. In 2014, however, the Royals were a base-hit away from winning the World Series. After their dominant bullpen, the most exciting topic in baseball was their ridiculously talented outfield. Ben Lindbergh went so far as to call it the <a href="http://grantland.com/the-triangle/2014-mlb-playoffs-exploiting-kansas-city-royals-ultimate-outfield-jarrod-dyson-alex-gordon-lorenzo-cain/">&#8216;ultimate&#8217; outfield</a>. At Baseball Prospectus, Sam Miller said, &#8220;we’re talking about what one might decide to argue is the greatest defensive outfield of all-time.&#8221; That&#8217;s not even a hot take: Alex Gordon, Lorenzo Cain and Jarrod Dyson collectively led the league in both <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=of&amp;stats=fld&amp;lg=all&amp;qual=0&amp;type=1&amp;season=2014&amp;month=0&amp;season1=2014&amp;ind=0&amp;team=0,ts&amp;rost=0&amp;age=0&amp;filter=&amp;players=0&amp;sort=21,d">UZR </a>and <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=of&amp;stats=fld&amp;lg=all&amp;qual=0&amp;type=1&amp;season=2014&amp;month=0&amp;season1=2014&amp;ind=0&amp;team=0,ts&amp;rost=0&amp;age=0&amp;filter=&amp;players=0&amp;sort=8,d">DRS</a> that season while holding opponents to a minuscule .060 BABIP on fly balls.</p>
<p>Norichika Aoki prevented this from happening every game, but when the Gordon-Cain-Dyson outfield started it wasn&#8217;t just a nice boost for the Royals starting pitcher that night. It was a demoralizing blow to every hitter on the opposing team. It was like Petco Park before they moved the fences in. It was like those three were trying to kill the fly ball revolution before it even happened.</p>
<p>Why did I just write a bunch of words about Kansas City? With Alford patrolling left field and Pillar in centre, it occurred to me that the Jays were just one name away from assembling an outfield that could conceivably rival the 2014 Royals. That name belongs to a slightly concussed 23-year-old who might develop into a better true CF than any of these guys: Dalton Pompey.</p>
<p>With Bautista likely sticking around Toronto for one, maybe two more years, the Alford-Pillar-Pompey überoutfield might not see daylight until 2019. Still, it feels inevitable. And when it hits, it should generate the same buzz that the 2014 Royals got, that the pre-Marte suspension 2017 Pirates outfield got.</p>
<p><a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/scouting-reports-alford-pompey.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-11150" src="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/scouting-reports-alford-pompey-1024x219.jpg" alt="scouting reports alford pompey" width="1024" height="219" /></a></p>
<p>Those are the available speed and defence scouting grades for Alford and Pompey. Don&#8217;t stare too long. Pompey&#8217;s stock has fallen since cracking MLB&#8217;s top-100 list in 2014, but his glove has never been in question. BP scout Chris Mellen gave it a <a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/prospects/eyewitness_bat.php?reportid=145">60 grade</a>,  calling his defence the &#8220;best present aspect of [his] game in terms of polish.&#8221;</p>
<p>In non-scout jargon, he can make plays like this:</p>
<p style="text-align: center"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RsBy7F_vhmQ" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" ></iframe></p>
<p>I don&#8217;t know what the exit velocity or catch probability is on that highlight, but he takes a perfect route and has elite closing speed. Barely needed to dive on a ball most centre fielders would probably try to play off a bounce.</p>
<p>Alford&#8217;s glove comes in a hair below Pompey&#8217;s, with the general criticism being that he uses his plus-plus speed to cover up inconsistent routes. If you read that again it&#8217;s not even a criticism, because plus-plus speed is always a good thing. As for the eye test, here&#8217;s the best highlight I could find:</p>
<p style="text-align: center"><iframe src="http://www.milb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=178465883&amp;width=400&amp;height=224&amp;property=milb" width="400" height="224" ></iframe></p>
<p>Now that you&#8217;re sold on Pompey and Alford, all that&#8217;s left to do is sell you on Pillar. What&#8217;s that? You&#8217;re sold? My job here is done.</p>
<p>Of course, this ridiculously athletic outfield may never fully come to fruition. Injuries can and will strike. Pillar is somehow one of the Jays&#8217; best trade chips after Donaldson should Atkins decide to rebuild. And Gibbons will always be under pressure to play the hot bat at the expense of stellar defence. But hopefully by 2019 the value of defence will be more quantifiable and he won&#8217;t face quite the same pressure that drove Ned Yost to start Aoki over Dyson <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/KCR/2014-roster.shtml">126 times</a>.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports </em></p>
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		<title>Minor League Update: July 30th Edition</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/07/30/minor-league-update-july-30th-edition/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/07/30/minor-league-update-july-30th-edition/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 30 Jul 2016 16:28:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Tammy Rainey]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Minor League Update]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anthony Alford]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[J.B. Woodman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Justin Maese]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Max Pentecost]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[T.J. Zeuch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wilfri Alerton]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=5004</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The two major news items of the past week are not earth shaking news. One is the trade which sent Bluefield RHP Hansel Rodriguez to the Padres. Rodriguez is a slender, big armed right-hander who, most optimistically, is four years away from the majors. While he has potential, it&#8217;s easy to identify 10-15 other SP [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The two major news items of the past week are not earth shaking news. One is the trade which sent Bluefield RHP Hansel Rodriguez to the Padres. Rodriguez is a slender, big armed right-hander who, most optimistically, is four years away from the majors. While he has potential, it&#8217;s easy to identify 10-15 other SP in the Blue Jays minor league system with at least as much (or more) potential.</p>
<p>The other is the publication this week of MLB.com&#8217;s mid-season <a href="http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2016/#list=tor">Top 30</a> list revision. The list contains some surprises, not the least of which was the elevation of SS Richard Urena from #7 pre-season to the #1 spot (not where I&#8217;d have spotted him for sure).  They slotted in three 2016 draftees into the top 11 which plays a major part in pushing Max Pentecost down to #12, which is something else I wouldn&#8217;t have done. The entire last third of the list has points of curiosity (for example, why keep clinging to hope for D.J. Davis?) but if nothing else it provides conversation and scouting reports for players beyond the Top 10.</p>
<h3><strong>Pitchers of the Week</strong></h3>
<p>1. <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=663359#/career/R/pitching/2016/ALL">Justin Maese</a> (19) &#8211; RHP &#8211; Lansing (A)</p>
<p>Week: 2 GS , 11 IP, 13 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K<br />
YTD: 8 G , 43.1 IP, 41 H, 11 ER, 4 BB, 28 K 2.28 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 5.8 K/9, 0.8 BB/9</p>
<p>It was kind of a slow week for outstanding pitching in the system this week. There were a few &#8220;good but not amazing&#8221; performances, but I&#8217;ll take the opportunity to point again to a young man that might not yet be on everyone&#8217;s radar. Maese essentially outclassed Northwest League competition in five starts for Vancouver in which he walked exactly one guy in 26 innings. Upon promotion to Lansing after the major leaguers too their break, he wobbled a bit giving up 4 runs in 6 IP (for comparison, he only gave up four in 35.2 IP at Bluefield last year) but his two outings this week were much better. Smart money says there&#8217;s more to come.</p>
<p>2. <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=631219#/career/R/pitching/2016/ALL">Wilfri Alerton</a> (20) &#8211; LHP &#8211; Gulf Coast Jays (rookie)</p>
<p>Week: 1 GS , 6 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K<br />
YTD: 6 GS, 32 IP, 24 H, 6 ER, 5 BB, 34 K, 1.69 ERA, 0.91 WHIP,  10.1 K/9, 1.4 BB/9</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s a player who didn&#8217;t make that MLB mid-season Top 30 list who most likely should have. He&#8217;s following a similar career path to Angel Perdomo, having been signed out of the Dominican in his first year of eligibility in 2012, he spent his first three seasons playing in the DSL, only making his stateside debut this year at age 20. But he&#8217;s developed both the ability to strike out opposing hitters at a high rate, and also limit the free pass. at 6&#8217;3&#8243; and a slender (listed) 195, he&#8217;s not as big a physical presence as Perdomo, but by the time he hits full season ball, his name will be on those lists.</p>
<p>3. <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=t435&amp;player_id=643615#/career/R/pitching/2016/ALL">T.J. Zuech</a> (20) &#8211; RHP &#8211; Vancouver (Rookie Advanced)</p>
<p>Week: 2 GS , 6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K<br />
YTD: 4 GS, 12 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 8 K, 1.50 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 6.0 K/9, 2.3 BB/9</p>
<p>Another effect of the &#8220;just ok&#8221; week of pitching performances is that it gives me an opening to highlight the Blue Jays most recent first round pick. Reports from those around the organization is that the right hander has made  very good first impression on everyone off the field and on, and the numbers (in a microscopic sample) agree. He got one start in the GCL as he got introduced to the professional system then, as is typical for highly regarded college picks, was advanced to the highest short-season team. The organization has him tightly restricted to 3 innings per outing, so far, regardless of how well he&#8217;s doing. It&#8217;s unclear if this will remain in place for the rest of this season or not.  Or whether they&#8217;ll give him any taste of Lansing a month from now.</p>
<h3><strong>Hitters of the Week</strong></h3>
<p>1. <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=596069#/career/R/hitting/2016/ALL">Max Pentecost</a> (23) &#8211; DH/C &#8211; Lansing</p>
<p>Week: 9/19, 3 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 1 SB, 2 BB, 6 K, .474 AVG, .524 OBP, .789 SLG<br />
Season: 67/215, 13 2B, 0 3B, 7 HR, 4 SB, 21 BB, 46 K .312 AVG, .376 OBP, .470 SLG</p>
<p>Pentecost joins Rowdy Tellez as being the hitter most often recognized in this space, making his fourth featured appearance. The only real line of demarcation in his season is that it took him almost a month to get his power stroke worked out. After homering in his first game, he didn&#8217;t go for extra bases again until June 9. However, from June 9th until today, he&#8217;s not only hit .352, but also posted an OPS of 1.013 in 33 games.</p>
<p>2. <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=t435&amp;player_id=642223#/career/R/hitting/2016/ALL">J.B. Woodman</a> (21) &#8211; CF &#8211; Vancouver</p>
<p>Week: 10/28, 2 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 3 SB, 6 BB, 7 K, .357 AVG, .470 OBP, .500 SLG<br />
YTD: 35/118, 12 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 7 SB, 21 BB, 38 K, .297 AVG, .406 OBP, .415 SLG</p>
<p>Of the Blue Jays higher round draft choices, I&#8217;ll admit that Woodman was the pick that concerned me. Descriptions of him as a high floor/low ceiling guy made me think of him as a hitting equivilant of Chad Jenkins. But you have to give him credit for doing just what you&#8217;d want a college player to do.  He took a couple of weeks to get acclimated, then proceeded to demonstrate the skills that  made the Jays choose him. In the month of July, he&#8217;s slashed .344/.445/.489/.934 and he&#8217;s also stolen 7 bases in 8 attempts and apparently playing solid CF defense. The missing element so far is over-the-fence power. We&#8217;ll have to wait and see how that develops.</p>
<p>3. <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=t424&amp;player_id=546990#/career/R/hitting/2016/ALL">Anthony Alford</a> (22) &#8211; CF &#8211; Dunedin (A Advanced)</p>
<p>Week: 7/22, 2 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 1 SB, 5 BB, 4 K, .318 AVG, .444 OBP, .727 SLG<br />
YTD: 49/229, 11 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 13 SB, 33 BB, 81 K, .214 AVG, .320 OBP, .332 SLG</p>
<p>The Top 30 list I mentioned above seems to have penalized Alford a bit for the succession of injuries that have impeded his progress this season. Alford missed all but one game of April with a knee injury,  then anther 12 days in the heart of June recovering from a concussion. In between, he got hot over the second half of May hitting .339 over that span with an .819 OPS. After he came back from the concussion, again it took  couple of weeks to recover is stroke but since July 10 his OPS is a robust 1.022. For my money, he&#8217;s still be best hitting/fielding prospect in the system, with all due respect to the experts. Urena&#8217;s continued improvement notwithstanding, Alford&#8217;s walk rate is still twice that of the shortstop even if his most difficult season, which is a fairly strong indicator he still has the eye that made him #1 last year.</p>
<h3><strong>Other Minor Notes</strong></h3>
<p>The note this week includes a couple of minor items and a bit of housekeeping.  The last two players signed from the 2016 draft class have now been assigned to the GCL squad, 15th round RHP Josh Winchowski and CF Dom Abbodassa, drafted in the 23rd round.  Also 2015 first rounder Jon Harris was promoted to Dunedin</p>
<p>Now, you&#8217;ll no doubt notice a format change below. It occurred to me that the stat charts we were providing you were simply not adequate. I was giving you only the tiniest sample of relevant stats and if you really were provoked to interest, you&#8217;d only go over to their MiLB.com page and read more. So the charts are gone and in their place are links to their MiLB player page with a small blurb telling you why you might be interested. This gives you direct access to much more info than I could ever put into a chart.</p>
<h3>Other Stat Lines of Interest</h3>
<p><strong>HITTERS</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=592647#/career/R/hitting/2016/ALL">Dalton Pompey</a> &#8211; CF &#8211; came into the week hot, but it wasn&#8217;t a good week.<br />
<a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=642133#/career/R/hitting/2016/ALL">Rowdy Tellez</a> &#8211; 1B &#8211; back after nine days on the DL<br />
<a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=621037#/career/R/hitting/2016/ALL">Jason Leblebijian</a> &#8211; IF &#8211; hasn&#8217;t fallen off yet in AA<br />
<a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=620446#/career/R/hitting/2016/ALL">Richard Urena</a> &#8211;  SS &#8211; The new #1 had a great week too.<br />
<a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=622806#/career/R/hitting/2016/ALL">Juan Kelly</a> &#8211; 1B &#8211; has been playing some 3B lately<br />
<a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=641943#/career/R/hitting/2016/ALL">Joshua Palacios </a>- CF &#8211; since he made the list<br />
<a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=624415#/gamelogs/R/hitting/2016/MINORS">Cavan Biggio</a> &#8211; 2B &#8211; kinda gone south lately<br />
<a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=665489#/career/R/hitting/2016/ALL">Vlad Guerrero, Jr</a> &#8211; 3B &#8211; Because Duh.<br />
<a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=665227#/career/R/hitting/2016/ALL">Nash Knight</a> &#8211; 2B/3B &#8211; as long as he keeps hitting .400 . . .<br />
(Bo Bichette didn&#8217;t play this week)</p>
<p><strong>PITCHERS</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=571800#/career/R/pitching/2016/ALL">Drew Hutchison</a> &#8211; RHP &#8211; bounced back fine from a horrible outing on 7/18<br />
<a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=641632#/career/R/pitching/2016/ALL">Conner Greene</a> &#8211; RHP &#8211; Had his best AA start this year.<br />
<a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=656887#/career/R/pitching/2016/ALL">Sean Reid- Foley</a> &#8211; RHP &#8211; Ranked the #1 pitching prospect in the system<br />
<a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=622247#/career/R/pitching/2016/ALL">Jon Harris</a> &#8211; RHP &#8211; Stumbled in first High A start, but recovered well in 2nd<br />
<a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=642590#/career/R/pitching/2016/ALL">Francisco Rios</a> &#8211; RHP &#8211; Had his first bad outing of the season this week<br />
<a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=622780#/career/R/pitching/2016/ALL">Ange Perdomo</a>  &#8211; LHP &#8211; had his worst outing in six weeks<br />
<a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=621366#/career/R/pitching/2016/ALL">Ryan Borucki </a>- LHP &#8211; didn&#8217;t pitch this week<br />
<a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=605447#/career/R/pitching/2016/ALL">Jordan Romano</a> &#8211; RHP &#8211; had a weird one with neither a K or a BB<br />
<a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=641907#/career/R/pitching/2016/ALL">Patrick Murphy</a> &#8211; RHP &#8211; Made the Top 20 on that list above.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Minor League Update: May 28th Edition</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/05/28/minor-league-update-may-28th-edition/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/05/28/minor-league-update-may-28th-edition/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 28 May 2016 14:28:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Tammy Rainey]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Minor League Update]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anthony Alford]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dwight Smith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jon Harris]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=3124</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Some more familiar names are showing up this time around, plus a special look at some very unfamiliar names to most fans. The third edition of the BPToronto Minor League Update starts now. Pitchers of the Week 1. Jon Harris – RHP – Lansing (Low A) Last Week: 1-0, 1 GS, 7.0 IP, 3 H, [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Some more familiar names are showing up this time around, plus a special look at some very unfamiliar names to most fans. The third edition of the BPToronto Minor League Update starts now.</p>
<p><strong>Pitchers of the Week</strong></p>
<p>1.<a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=622247#/career/R/pitching/2016/ALL"> Jon Harris</a> – RHP – Lansing (Low A)</p>
<p>Last Week: 1-0, 1 GS, 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R/ER, 1 BB, 11 K<br />
Season: 3-0, 32.2 IP, 12 BB, 34 K, 0.83 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 9.4 K/9, 3.3 BB/9</p>
<p>For the second week in a row I have to recognize the 2015 top draft pick. He hass now run his streak to 32 innings without an earned run allowed and his last two starts were nearly identical seven inning outings, striking out 11 and walking only one in each. I&#8217;m frankly surprised that his start today isn&#8217;t in a Dunedin uniform. The Midwest League seems beneath him at this point (which is the kind of thing one usually says right before the player in question gets his butt handed to him).</p>
<p>However, since it is, I have  a hunch they intend to leave him here until the FSL All-Star break. The D-Jays are carrying an organizational filler guy in their rotation, and on the same turn as Harris. But that turn in the rotation falls on an off day two of the three times it comes up between now and that break. The Jays could, of course, see the value of replacing the other guy (named Kyle Westwood) with Harris now, and letting everyone have the extra day of rest a couple of turns through in the upcoming weeks. But if they were going to do that, I think Harris would have been promoted off the results of his last outing. So my prediction is they&#8217;ve elected to let things stand which would give him five more starts in Lansing.</p>
<p>2. <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=622780#/career/R/pitching/2016/ALL">Angel Perdomo</a> &#8211; LHP &#8211; Lansing</p>
<p>Last Week: 0-0, 2 GS, 9.0 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 12 K<br />
Season: 2-1, 36.1 IP, 17 BB, 51 K 1.73 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 12.6 K/9, 4.2 BB/9</p>
<p>Perdomo got two starts this week, as you can see from the stat line, that combine into a nice nine-inning &#8220;complete game&#8221; sample size. But this isn&#8217;t something new. He hasn&#8217;t given up more than two ER in any outing this year. In his last seven appearances (over 28.2 IP) he has a 1.26 ERA and 13.5 K/9. If it weren&#8217;t for the more polished Jon Harris, Perdomo might have been the guy who moves up at the (A ball) All-Star break. However, I&#8217;m disinclined to think they will move both of them up at once. Plus, there&#8217;s Sean Reid-Foley who may well be promoted at some point mid-summer. Wild guess? One or the other will move up when Clint Hollon is (hopefully!) activated in early July.</p>
<p>3. <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=621366#/career/R/pitching/2016/ALL">Ryan Borucki</a> &#8211; LHP &#8211; Lansing</p>
<p>Last Week: 1-0, 1 GS, 6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R/ER, 2 BB, 6 K<br />
Season (Lansing): 1-1, 17.0 IP, 5 BB, 15 K, 2.12 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 7.9 K/9, 2.6 BB/9</p>
<p>The oft-injured 6&#8217;4&#8243; lefty began the current season in Dunedin in what may have been an effort to keep him close to the organizations medical team, but he was well and thoroughly rocked in the Florida State League to the tune of a 14.40 ERA. The organization understandably dropped him back to Lansing, and now he looks like a prospect again. It&#8217;s only three starts, but his ERA at Lansing is 2.12 and the other stats are consistent with that.</p>
<p><strong>Hitters of the Week</strong></p>
<p>1. <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=596105#/career/R/hitting/2016/ALL">Dwight Smith, Jr</a>. &#8211; LF &#8211; New Hampshire (AA)</p>
<p>Last Week: 14/27, 2 2B, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 1 SB, 1 CS, 3 BB, .519 AVG, .581 OBP, .926 SLG<br />
Season: 39/141, 11 2B, 4 HR, 28 RBI, 14 BB, 2 SB, 2 CS, .277 AVG, .342 OBP, .440 SLG</p>
<p>On May 9, 2015, Dwight Smith, Jr finished his day with a robust .860 OPS and seemed to be building off a strong 2014 campaign that had gotten him some prospect buzz despite being considered a &#8220;tweener&#8221; with marginal prospect value. He then proceeded to spend the next 10 weeks wandering in the wilderness offensively, with a .522 OPS over that span and some observers, myself included, began to suspect that the previous production might have been a mirage. After a couple of weeks on the DL he came back and finished the year strong but the season totals didn&#8217;t get him any off-season chatter.  Flash forward to 2016 and he looked to be further burying himself, finishing April with a paltry .392 OPS.</p>
<p>But unexpectedly, Smith picked himself up of the ash-heap of failed prospects and turned it around. In 95 PA in the month of May, he has exploded to the tune of a 1.032 OPS (through Thursday). There are no typos there. It&#8217;s insane. Admittedly, consistency might be something to work on but there&#8217;s definitely ability at the plate.</p>
<p>2. <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=t424&amp;player_id=546990#/career/R/hitting/2016/ALL">Anthony Alford</a> &#8211; CF &#8211; Dunedin (High A)</p>
<p>Last Week: 9/22, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 0 SB, 0 CS, 2 BB, .409 AVF, .458 OBP, .590 SLG<br />
Season: 19/87 1 HR, 9 RBI, 3 SB, 0 CS, 9 BB, .218 AVG, .293 OBP, .276 SLG</p>
<p>We knew it was coming, right? It was just a matter of time until Alford found his groove. Somewhere around May 16, something clicked. Since then, in 10 games through Thursday, he has an .870 OPS. He hasn&#8217;t stolen a base yet, no doubt respecting the recovering knee. The offensive run coinciding with having been moved from lead-off down to the fifth spot in the order is likely a fluke, but he has his confidence back after a really rough couple of weeks and that&#8217;s very important. Big things are likely yet to come.</p>
<p>3. <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=542932#/career/R/hitting/2016/ALL">Jon Berti</a> &#8211; 2B &#8211; New Hampshire</p>
<p>Last Week: 10/30, 2 2B, 1 3B, 3 RBI, 4 SB, 1 CS, 3 BB, .333 AVG, .394 OBP, .467 SLG<br />
Season: 42/145 5 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 19 SB, 8 CS, .290 AVG, .401 OBP, .400 SLG</p>
<p>Berti is 26. He&#8217;s too old, really, to be considered a prospect as a AA player. He&#8217;s one of those guys, like I mentioned with Dustin Antolin last week, who suffers from the organization&#8217;s tendency to stack the Buffalo roster with &#8220;Quad A&#8221; players that serve to provide emergency depth to the major league team. That said, he has never been an impressive hitter. He gets on base pretty well, runs <i>really</i> well, and provides a lot of defensive versatility.  Having played parts of the two previous seasons at AA, he&#8217;s enjoying the best offensive run of his career at the moment. It&#8217;s likely a mirage but if he could sustain a decent bat, he could be a useful shuttle-rider for a few years at some point.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Other Minor Notes &#8211; Unsung Heroes Edition<br />
</strong></p>
<p>I&#8217;m taking a moment this week to give you a look at the guys that basically never get considered prospects because they almost never are. They also aren&#8217;t the sort of players you can get an update on every week or two because of sample size considerations. Still, for the teams for which they play, they can be critical factors in the pursuit of wins (and teams do want their prospects to experience winning). I&#8217;m talking about the guys in the bullpen. Few of them will reach the majors, so I&#8217;m giving them their due here.</p>
<p>The biggest factor in the lack of respect these guys get is age. Being &#8220;too old for the level&#8221; is a legitimate factor in evaluating performance, but in a crowded organization guys with respectable ability can sometimes get blocked and suppressed at an organizational level below their talent level. For example, with Dustin Antolin&#8217;s brief promotion last week, every reliever in Buffalo has major league experience, which is good depth for the major league team but blocks younger players who need to be tested at AAA, who in turn block others. So here&#8217;s a look at 10 relievers worth a mention, only two of whom have ever really enjoyed any prospect cachet:</p>
<table class="tftable" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Pitcher</th>
<th>Age</th>
<th>Lvl</th>
<th>G</th>
<th>IP</th>
<th>ERA</th>
<th>K/9</th>
<th>BB/9</th>
<th>WHIP</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Murphy Smith</td>
<td>28</td>
<td>AA</td>
<td>14</td>
<td>21.1</td>
<td>1.16</td>
<td>12.2</td>
<td>2.8</td>
<td>0.95</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Danny Barnes</td>
<td>26</td>
<td>AA</td>
<td>15</td>
<td>23.1</td>
<td>1.16</td>
<td>9.6</td>
<td>1.2</td>
<td>0.72</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Wil Browning</td>
<td>27</td>
<td>AA</td>
<td>17</td>
<td>17.1</td>
<td>1.56</td>
<td>8.8</td>
<td>3.1</td>
<td>0.98</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>John Stilson</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>AA</td>
<td>12</td>
<td>14.2</td>
<td>3.07</td>
<td>7.4</td>
<td>5.5</td>
<td>1.09</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Matt Dermody</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>AA/A+</td>
<td>18</td>
<td>21.2</td>
<td>1.66</td>
<td>9.6</td>
<td>0.4</td>
<td>1.15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Tim Mayza</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>A+</td>
<td>15</td>
<td>26.1</td>
<td>2.39</td>
<td>10.3</td>
<td>2.4</td>
<td>0.87</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Adonys Cardona</td>
<td>22</td>
<td>A+</td>
<td>15</td>
<td>14.2</td>
<td>2.45</td>
<td>8.0</td>
<td>8.0</td>
<td>1.84</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Colton Turner</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>A+/A</td>
<td>16</td>
<td>21.2</td>
<td>0.00</td>
<td>11.6</td>
<td>2.5</td>
<td>0.83</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dusty Isaacs</td>
<td>24</td>
<td>A</td>
<td>17</td>
<td>22.0</td>
<td>1.23</td>
<td>11.5</td>
<td>1.2</td>
<td>0.77</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Starlyn Suriel</td>
<td>22</td>
<td>A</td>
<td>14</td>
<td>30.2</td>
<td>2.05</td>
<td>8.2</td>
<td>2.3</td>
<td>0.82</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>The two names that are well known &#8211; Stilson and Cardona &#8211; are both one-time prospects who have been plagued by injury. Turner has yet to give up a run in over 20 IP across two levels, Issacs surrendered an earned run for the first time Wednesday night.  Their collective performance? Over 212 IP, 1.29 ERA, 3.8 K/BB</p>
<p>That&#8217;s worth appreciating, even if it&#8217;s as far as they ever get.</p>
<h3>Other Stat Lines of Interest</h3>
<p><strong>HITTERS</strong></p>
<p><strong>Last Week</strong></p>
<table class="tftable" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Hitter</th>
<th>Age</th>
<th>Pos.</th>
<th>Lvl</th>
<th>G</th>
<th>PA</th>
<th>AVG</th>
<th>OBP</th>
<th>SLG</th>
<th>HR</th>
<th>SB</th>
<th>BB</th>
<th>K</th>
<th>TB</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dalton Pompey</td>
<td>23</td>
<td>OF</td>
<td>AAA</td>
<td>6</td>
<td>28</td>
<td>.273</td>
<td>.407</td>
<td>.364</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>5</td>
<td>4</td>
<td> 8</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Roemon Fields</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>CF</td>
<td>AA</td>
<td>6</td>
<td>28</td>
<td>.125</td>
<td>.250</td>
<td>.125</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>3</td>
<td>9</td>
<td> 3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Rowdy Tellez</td>
<td>21</td>
<td>1B</td>
<td>AA</td>
<td>6</td>
<td>27</td>
<td>.240</td>
<td>.296</td>
<td>.440</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>4</td>
<td> 11</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Richard Urena</td>
<td>20</td>
<td>SS</td>
<td>A+</td>
<td>5</td>
<td>22</td>
<td>.250</td>
<td>.318</td>
<td>.500</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>3</td>
<td> 10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Max Pentecost</td>
<td>23</td>
<td>DH</td>
<td>A</td>
<td>8</td>
<td>32</td>
<td>.269</td>
<td>.343</td>
<td>.269</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>4</td>
<td>4</td>
<td> 7</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><strong>Season</strong></p>
<table class="tftable" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Hitter</th>
<th>Age</th>
<th>Pos.</th>
<th>Lvl</th>
<th>G</th>
<th>PA</th>
<th>AVG</th>
<th>OBP</th>
<th>SLG</th>
<th>HR</th>
<th>SB</th>
<th>BB</th>
<th>K</th>
<th>TB</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dalton Pompey</td>
<td>23</td>
<td>OF</td>
<td>AAA</td>
<td>28</td>
<td>120</td>
<td>.271</td>
<td>.345</td>
<td>.355</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>4</td>
<td>12</td>
<td>21</td>
<td> 38</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Roemon Fields</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>CF</td>
<td>AA</td>
<td>42</td>
<td>192</td>
<td>.236</td>
<td>.298</td>
<td>.270</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>15</td>
<td>15</td>
<td>43</td>
<td> 47</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Rowdy Tellez</td>
<td>21</td>
<td>1B</td>
<td>AA</td>
<td>42</td>
<td>180</td>
<td>.216</td>
<td>.333</td>
<td>.412</td>
<td>7</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>28</td>
<td>36</td>
<td> 61</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Richard Urena</td>
<td>20</td>
<td>SS</td>
<td>A+</td>
<td>32</td>
<td>126</td>
<td>.191</td>
<td>.273</td>
<td>.287</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>9</td>
<td>11</td>
<td>39</td>
<td> 33</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Max Pentecost</td>
<td>23</td>
<td>DH</td>
<td>A</td>
<td>14</td>
<td>57</td>
<td>.327</td>
<td>.386</td>
<td>.388</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>5</td>
<td>6</td>
<td> 19</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><strong>PITCHERS</strong></p>
<p><strong>Last Week</strong></p>
<table class="tftable" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Pitcher</th>
<th>Age</th>
<th>Pos.</th>
<th>Lvl</th>
<th>G</th>
<th>IP</th>
<th>ERA</th>
<th>K/9</th>
<th>BB/9</th>
<th>WHIP</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Drew Hutchison</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>SP</td>
<td>AAA</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>12.2</td>
<td>3.55</td>
<td>5.7</td>
<td>5.0</td>
<td>0.95</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Shane Dawson</td>
<td>22</td>
<td>SP</td>
<td>AA</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>1.2</td>
<td>32.40</td>
<td>10.8</td>
<td>16.2</td>
<td>3.60</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Conner Greene</td>
<td>21</td>
<td>SP</td>
<td>A+</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>8.0</td>
<td>1.13</td>
<td>9.0</td>
<td>5.6</td>
<td>1.75</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Francisco Rios</td>
<td>21</td>
<td>SP</td>
<td>A+</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>7.0</td>
<td>3.86</td>
<td>9.0</td>
<td>1.3</td>
<td>1.43</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Sean Reid-Foley</td>
<td>20</td>
<td>SP</td>
<td>A</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>11.2</td>
<td>4.63</td>
<td>10.0</td>
<td>3.9</td>
<td>1.48</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><strong>Season</strong></p>
<table class="tftable" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Pitcher</th>
<th>Age</th>
<th>Pos.</th>
<th>Lvl</th>
<th>G</th>
<th>IP</th>
<th>ERA</th>
<th>K/9</th>
<th>BB/9</th>
<th>WHIP</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Drew Hutchison</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>SP</td>
<td>AAA</td>
<td>9</td>
<td>51.0</td>
<td>3.18</td>
<td>9.2</td>
<td>3.7</td>
<td>1.14</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Shane Dawson</td>
<td>22</td>
<td>SP</td>
<td>AA</td>
<td>7</td>
<td>32.2</td>
<td>4.13</td>
<td>8.0</td>
<td>5.2</td>
<td>1.65</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Conner Greene</td>
<td>21</td>
<td>SP</td>
<td>A+</td>
<td>10</td>
<td>51.0</td>
<td>2.82</td>
<td>5.1</td>
<td>4.2</td>
<td>1.45</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Francisco Rios</td>
<td>21</td>
<td>SP</td>
<td>A/A+</td>
<td>9</td>
<td>49.1</td>
<td>2.01</td>
<td>11.3</td>
<td>2.0</td>
<td>1.05</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Sean Reid-Foley</td>
<td>20</td>
<td>SP</td>
<td>A</td>
<td>8</td>
<td>37.0</td>
<td>3.65</td>
<td>9.7</td>
<td>4.9</td>
<td>1.46</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><em>Lead Photo: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Minor League Update: April 15th to May 11th Edition</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/05/12/minor-league-survey-1/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/05/12/minor-league-survey-1/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 May 2016 15:45:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Tammy Rainey]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Minor League Update]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Angel Perdomo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anthony Alford]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dalton Pompey]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dustin Antolin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Francisco Rios]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jon Berti]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jonathan Davis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Juan Kelly]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sean Reid-Foley]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=2496</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This week BP Toronto is bringing back the Weekly Minor League Update. The format is slightly revised but if you followed the old Blue Jays Plus site, you’ll recognize the framework. What’s different? I’ll be choosing up to three top hitters and pitchers each week, instead of one. And the Other minor league notes section [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This week BP Toronto is bringing back the Weekly Minor League Update. The format is slightly revised but if you followed the old Blue Jays Plus site, you’ll recognize the framework. What’s different? I’ll be choosing up to three top hitters and pitchers each week, instead of one. And the Other minor league notes section will lean towards placing recent performance in the context of year-to-date work rather than just being a snapshot of some random hot or cold streak. Of course, for this first edition, with a full month worth of states, I’m probably going to say a lot about the entire month this time, not just the most recent week. In this and future entries, which beginning with next week will be appearing on Saturdays, all references to current stats are through the games of the previous Wednesday. For this post, I used game stats through Sunday.</p>
<p><strong>Pitchers of the Week/Month</strong></p>
<p>1. <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=642590">Francisco Rios</a> &#8211; RHP &#8211; Lansing (Low A)</p>
<p>6 G &#8211; 30 IP &#8211; 1.20 ERA &#8211; 0.97 WHIP &#8211; 12.9 K/9 &#8211; 2.4 BB/9</p>
<p>In the time I spent reviewing Top Prospect lists in preparation for last week’s Aggregate List, some of them 30 or more names deep, only one of them made mention of Rios. To be fair, a look at his stats coming into this season would not have indicated there was any reason to. But the 2012 signee out of Mexico seems to have discovered something as he’s completely dominated the Midwest League in the first month of 2016. He had his best outing yet on Friday, which happened to be his 21st birthday, striking out 10 betters in 5.1 IP. Coming into the season, his K/9 was 7.6, and his BB/9 was 3.3 and a completely unimpressive 4.84 ERA over three years. Whether or not this is something promising, or a mirage, remains to be seen. Reports say he’s using four quality pitches now and the Blue Jays have decided to let him try his luck at Dunedin. His promotion was announced earlier in the week.</p>
<p>2. <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=656887#/career/R/pitching/2016/ALL">Sean Reid-Foley</a> &#8211; RHP &#8211; Lansing</p>
<p>4 G &#8211; 18.2 IP &#8211; 1.93 ERA &#8211; 1.13 WHIP &#8211; 9.6 K/9 &#8211; 4.8 BB/9</p>
<p>In contrast to the unheralded Rios, Reid-Foley has had one of the highest profiles in the organization as a 2014 draftee out of high school, and he was surprisingly assigned to full season last spring. The book on him is well known and a not-unfamiliar tale for pitchers with his ability. If he can minimize the free pass and control the strike zone he’ll earn the considerable praise that’s being heaped on him. The hidden story of the season so far is the (small sample caveat obviously in force) trend in a positive direction on that front. In his last two outings he struck out 12 and walked 2 over 8 innings.  He&#8217;s just off a stint on the 7-Day DL.</p>
<p>3. <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=622780">Angel Perdomo</a> &#8211; LHP &#8211; Lansing</p>
<p>6 G &#8211; 23.1 IP &#8211; 2.31 ERA &#8211; 1.03 WHIP &#8211; 12.4 K/9 &#8211; 4.6 BB/9</p>
<p>Perdomo was a huge (6’6”) specimen signed out of the DR in December 2011, and he was brought along quite slowly. He accumulated almost 80 IP over three seasons on the lowest level (two in the Dominican Summer League, then another in the Gulf Coast League) and one might have been forgiven for assuming the team saw something they didn’t like. However, he broke out last year in a season split between Bluefield and Vancouver and he’s only increased that dominance in 2016. That said, he suffered his first setback Saturday on his 22nd birthday, so watch to see how he deals with that adversity.</p>
<p><strong>Hitters of the Week/</strong></p>
<p>1. <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=622806#/career/R/hitting/2016/ALL">Juan Kelly</a> &#8211; C/1B &#8211; Lansing</p>
<p>99 PA &#8211; .293/.353/.522 &#8211; 2 HR &#8211; 2/2 SB &#8211; 7 BB &#8211; 21 K</p>
<p>A slender 21 year old Dominican who, like Perdomo, got his first professional work in 2012, Kelly is a relatively light hitter but he has lots of room to get stronger. His best talent so far is a robust career .358 OBP (though his walk rate is down a bit this year). At the moment, he’s part of a trio of hitters (along with Gunner Heidt and Andrew Guillote) carrying the Lugnuts offense.  He’s listed as a catcher, but also gets time at 1B when others are behind the dish.</p>
<p>2. <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=542932">Jonathan Davis</a> &#8211; OF &#8211; Dunedin (High A)</p>
<p>115 PA &#8211; .269/.424/.484 &#8211; 4 HR &#8211; 9/10 SB &#8211; 22 BB &#8211; 28 K</p>
<p>One of the other Davises playing the outfield in the Toronto minor leagues (there are 3 in all), the 2013 15th round selection is another unheralded player but in a month of largely ordinary, or worse, hitting performances he’s the one doing almost everything right. Even though he’s tied with Rowdy Tellez for most walks in April, and only Dom Brown has more homers, he’s never shown a particular talent for either before, so he won’t be climbing the prospect lists just yet.</p>
<p>3. <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=542932">Jon Berti</a> &#8211; 2B &#8211; New Hampshire (AA)</p>
<p>91 PA &#8211; .291/.411/.405 &#8211; 1 HR &#8211; 14/18 SB &#8211; 12 BB &#8211; 13 K (AA)</p>
<p>22 PA &#8211; .150/.227/.350 &#8211; 1 HR &#8211; 2/2 SB &#8211; 2 BB &#8211; 3 K (AAA)</p>
<p>Berti is a guy who, if you made a long enough prospect list, you’d start considering once you got into the 40s or so. And that&#8217;s only because he’s a gifted fielder and a very skilled baserunner with enough speed to steal 30 or more bases every year (his career high was 56 for Dunedin in 2013) and he already has 16 this year in the first month of the season alone. Berti, a college draftee, was moving one level at a time, reaching AA in 2014 at the age of 24. He started 2015 back there, before receiving a mid-season promotion to AAA Buffalo. He didn’t put the bat on the ball as well at the higher level, but one would have assumed the natural move would have been to assign him there, rather than back in AA this season, but with the Jays having packed the AAA roster with veteran talent, there was no room. All this is to express a bit of caution about his April performance. He’s 26 now, having his third go at AA, so it’s not a true reflection of his ability anymore. Still, under the right circumstances, probably in a different organization, he could get at least a little occasional major league time one of these years.</p>
<p><strong>Other Minor Notes</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=546990#/career/R/hitting/2016/ALL">Dalton Pompey</a> &#8211; OF &#8211; Buffalo (AAA)</p>
<p>59 PA &#8211; .226/.305/.264 &#8211; 0 HR &#8211; 2/2 SB &#8211; 6 BB &#8211; 11 K</p>
<p>Open the season sidelined with a foot injury suffered in late spring, played a week, had to sit again for five days, came back for 2 games then sat again for eight days. He’s on his third game back and went 2/4 on Sunday to break up a disjointed stretch of games in which he went 1 for 28. Badly needs an extended run of games to get on track.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=542884#/career/R/pitching/2016/ALL">Dustin Antolin</a> &#8211; RP &#8211; Buffalo<br />
10 G &#8211; 18 IP &#8211; 3.00 ERA &#8211; 1.39 WHIP &#8211; 11.5 K/9 &#8211; 5 BB/9</p>
<p>If you don’t count the fact that he was technically a minor league free agent last winter, Antolin is the longest serving player in the Jays minor league system (and only Brett Cecil outranks him on the major league squad), having been selected in the 11th round in 2008. The 26 year old Hawaiian has moved through the system with excruciating slowness. That was largely due to elevated walk rates which he seemed to have conquered in the two most recent previous seasons. He needs to get back to that if he wants to work his way into a crowded shuttle reliever contingent.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&amp;player_id=546990#/career/R/hitting/2016/ALL">Anthony Alford</a> &#8211; CF &#8211; Dunedin</p>
<p>7 G &#8211; 27 PA &#8211; .111/.200/.111 &#8211; 0 HR &#8211; 1/1 SB &#8211; 3 BB &#8211; 16 K<br />
Alford has only been back a week from a leg injury suffered on Opening Day on a play at the plate. So far he hasn’t gotten on track at all, and of course we can’t know if he’s still playing in some discomfort. Obviously we can’t read anything significant into the first week back after a month long layoff.</p>
<h3>Other Stat Lines of Interest</h3>
<table class="tftable" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Hitter</th>
<th>Age</th>
<th>Pos.</th>
<th>Lvl</th>
<th>G</th>
<th>PA</th>
<th>AVG</th>
<th>OBP</th>
<th>SLG</th>
<th>HR</th>
<th>SB</th>
<th>BB</th>
<th>K</th>
<th>Misc.</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> Rowdy Tellez</td>
<td> 21</td>
<td> 1B</td>
<td> AA</td>
<td>28</td>
<td> 117</td>
<td> .168</td>
<td> .314</td>
<td> .337</td>
<td> 4</td>
<td>0</td>
<td> 22</td>
<td> 25</td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> Roemon Fields</td>
<td> 25</td>
<td> CF</td>
<td> AA</td>
<td> 28</td>
<td> 128</td>
<td> .263</td>
<td> .320</td>
<td> .314</td>
<td>0</td>
<td> 11</td>
<td> 10</td>
<td> 21</td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> Richard Urena</td>
<td> 20</td>
<td> SS</td>
<td> A</td>
<td> 26</td>
<td> 114</td>
<td> .296</td>
<td> .345</td>
<td> .344</td>
<td> 3</td>
<td> 3</td>
<td> 6</td>
<td> 13</td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> D.J. Davis</td>
<td> 21</td>
<td> OF</td>
<td> A</td>
<td> 25</td>
<td> 104</td>
<td> .200</td>
<td> .276</td>
<td> .295</td>
<td> 1</td>
<td> 7</td>
<td> 9</td>
<td> 34</td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> Jesus Montero</td>
<td> 26</td>
<td> 1B</td>
<td> AAA</td>
<td>31</td>
<td> 131</td>
<td> .297</td>
<td> .333</td>
<td> .407</td>
<td> 2</td>
<td> 0</td>
<td> 5</td>
<td> 25</td>
<td></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<table class="tftable" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Pitcher</th>
<th>Age</th>
<th>Pos.</th>
<th>Lvl</th>
<th>G</th>
<th>IP</th>
<th>ERA</th>
<th>K/9</th>
<th>BB/9</th>
<th>Misc.</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> Shane Dawson</td>
<td> 22</td>
<td> SP</td>
<td> AA</td>
<td> 4</td>
<td>20</td>
<td> 2.70</td>
<td> 7.7</td>
<td> 4.5</td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> Danny Barnes</td>
<td> 26</td>
<td> RP</td>
<td> AA</td>
<td> 10</td>
<td>15.1</td>
<td> 1.17</td>
<td> 10.6</td>
<td> 1.2</td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> Conner Greene</td>
<td> 21</td>
<td> SP</td>
<td> A</td>
<td> 7</td>
<td> 37.1</td>
<td> 3.13</td>
<td> 4.6</td>
<td> 4.1</td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> Adonys Cardona</td>
<td> 22</td>
<td> RP</td>
<td> A</td>
<td> 10</td>
<td> 11</td>
<td> 0.00</td>
<td> 4.1</td>
<td> 6.5</td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> Jon Harris</td>
<td> 22</td>
<td> SP</td>
<td> a</td>
<td> 4</td>
<td> 13.2</td>
<td> 1.98</td>
<td> 6.6</td>
<td> 5.3</td>
<td></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><em>Lead Photo: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>The Comprehensive Blue Jays Minor League Primer</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/04/07/the-comprehensive-blue-jays-minor-league-primer/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/04/07/the-comprehensive-blue-jays-minor-league-primer/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 07 Apr 2016 17:19:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Tammy Rainey]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anthony Alford]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Conner Greene]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dalton Pompey]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Minor Leagues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Prospects]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rowdy Tellez]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sean Reid-Foley]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=1154</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Today is the big day for fans of the Toronto Blue Jays prospects. Today, weather permitting &#8211; given that three of the four full season teams play in northern climates &#8211; is opening day for all four full season affiliates. Since full (tentative) rosters were announced at the first of the week, you have probably perused [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Today is the big day for fans of the Toronto Blue Jays prospects. Today, weather permitting &#8211; given that three of the four full season teams play in northern climates &#8211; is opening day for all four full season affiliates. Since full (tentative) rosters were announced at the first of the week, you have probably perused them by now if you’re really interested in knowing all the finer details. So I won’t bother to repeat those for you here. Instead I will provide appropriate links to the full roster for each team to browse at your heart&#8217;s content. This review will focus on the prospects and players that should be commanding your attention for various reasons as the season gets underway, starting at the top of the system and working our way down the ladder.</p>
<h3><a href="http://www.milb.com/roster/index.jsp?sid=t422">BUFFALO BISONS</a></h3>
<p>The Buffalo team is packed out with players with major league experience, and relatively light on legitimate prospects, so I&#8217;ll have to fudge a bit on this one. That’s not really unusual for the Jays or across the league. Major league teams like to have veteran depth they can summon if an injury creates a need on the big club. It’s not my purpose here to review those guys, however I will toss a shout-out to Drew Hutchison who had fewer than 32 IP above Hi-A ball when he was first promoted to Toronto at the age of 21. An argument could be made that on a stricter development plan, he’d have been a major league rookie at best last year. He’s still just 25.</p>
<h4><em><strong>Star Turn</strong></em></h4>
<p><strong>Dalton Pompey </strong>of course<strong>.</strong> No longer in possession of rookie eligibility, he’s still legitimately a prospect even if he doesn’t appear on the lists. He only really needs to consolidate his hitting progress. His bat is probably major league ready. But the team believes the CF needs more consistency, that is more reps, on the defensive side of the ball. The 23 year old is another player that on another course might just now be arriving at AAA, and would probably be in the major leagues if not for last year&#8217;s breakout from Kevin Pillar.</p>
<h4><em><strong>One to Watch</strong></em></h4>
<p><strong>Andy Burns</strong>, 3B, 2B, LF, sometimes SS, and more in a pinch, has slowly and steadily built his credibility in the Blue Jays system, culminating in his head-turning spring training performance. He was drafted as a SS and put up interesting slash lines in his first full professional season in 2012, and was even better in 2013. The offensive numbers cooled a bit in the last couple of years but his versatility has steadily increased. That factor alone may put him in a major league uniform sometime this season.</p>
<h4><em><strong>Don’t Sleep on…</strong></em></h4>
<p><strong>Jesus Montero</strong>. So okay, he’s not a prospect at all, but he’s only 26 and if the Jays can fix his swing to complement the power. . .</p>
<h4><em><strong>Remember Him?</strong></em></h4>
<p><strong>Darrell Ceciliani</strong> is another guy you don’t really think of as one of the Blue Jays prospects, as he has never been a top 10 prospect in the Mets organization (the team from whom he was acquired). He was quite good in the Florida State League a few years ago, then raked in the high-octane Pacific Coast League last year before impressing Jays decision-makers in Spring Training with his power. Keep an eye on how he handles International League pitching, as he very likely will see time in Toronto this season.</p>
<h4><em><strong>There’s No Such Thing as A (Relief) Pitching Prospect</strong></em></h4>
<p>To be abbreviated henceforth!</p>
<p><strong>Chad Girodo</strong> is a 25 year old lefty that stuck around a long time in Spring Training. While the Blue Jays’ relief depth is pretty impressive, this is a guy you may well see do some work for the team, if not this year then next. With rare exception, minor league relief pitchers hardly qualify as “prospects” but sometimes a guy comes through the system in the ‘pen and still makes an impact (Aaron Loup, for an example). A side-armer who dominates left-handed hitters, Girodo had a 0.62 ERA in AA New Hampshire last year with an 11/1 K/BB ratio. That’ll play.</p>
<p>Other notes &#8211; RH RP Blake McFarland is another guy that might sneak up on you this year. You don’t add a somewhat older, former undrafted free agent to the 40 man roster unless you think he can pitch in the bigs in a pinch.</p>
<h3><a href="http://www.milb.com/roster/index.jsp?sid=t463">NEW HAMPSHIRE FISHER CATS</a></h3>
<p>Often double-A is viewed by major league teams as the real prospect proving ground and the best of them might leap-frog over the veteran-laden triple-a. Still, even when the Blue Jays are well stocked with prospects it always seems like the F-Cats have a rather plain roster. There&#8217;s only one real star here to start the season but look for that to change as the summer heats up.</p>
<h4><em><strong>Star Turn</strong></em></h4>
<p><strong>Rowdy Tellez</strong>, the 21 year old first baseman with the nickname that demands your adoration, was raking in Dunedin last year when he was hit in the hand by a pitch that cost him the rest of his team’s season. He did come back strong in the Arizona Fall League, but given that he only played in 35 games in Dunedin, it’s a mild surprise he was assigned to New Hampshire right out of the gate. He has an advanced feel for hitting, both for average and for power, so it will be interesting to see how he handles the higher quality arms in double-A.</p>
<h4><em><strong>One to Watch</strong></em></h4>
<p>LHP <strong>Shane Dawson</strong> is an even more surprising assignment at this level. The Alberta-born starter is widely regarded as having marginal stuff but is also described as a player who maximizes his results with an advanced feel for pitchability. The surprise here is that the 22 year old pitcher got a mere 5 starts in Dunedin after a second-half promotion in 2015. I&#8217;m guessing not one observer had penciled him in for AA.</p>
<h4><em><strong>Don’t Sleep On…</strong></em></h4>
<p><strong>Roman Fields</strong>. He’s always likely to be a guy with, at most, a barely tolerable bat but he also features impressive outfield defense and blazing speed. If the team can turn his bat up even a little, he could be a valuable bench outfielder. Remember, the upcoming season will only be his third in professional baseball.</p>
<h4><em><strong>Remember Him?</strong></em></h4>
<p><strong>John Stilson</strong>? You remember, right? The guy that everyone said the Blue Jays stole in the 2011 draft if he could stay healthy and then he . . . didn’t? Yeah. That guy. Well, that’s not entirely fair. He looked like an absolute stud out of the ‘pen in 2013 for the Bisons. But a series of shoulder woes cut short 2014 and wiped out 2015. Reports were he was throwing 98 mph easily in spring training, so his name could pop up again.</p>
<h4><em><strong>TNSTAS(R)PP</strong></em></h4>
<p><strong>Brady Dragmire</strong> had one of the craziest game logs of 2015. He struggled so much in the early going that his ERA peaked at 10.80 and a 10/13 K/BB ratio on June 9 (in 21.2 IP). But after making an adjustment, he got so hot that he burst into flames (not literally). His ERA over the balance of the season was 2.38 over 41.2 IP, with a 40/7 K/BB. The 22-year old also didn&#8217;t give up a home run all year. His addition to the 40 man roster last fall showed that the Blue Jays were paying attention. He will basically go as far as his slider takes him. When it&#8217;s on, he&#8217;s very tough. When it&#8217;s not, he&#8217;s very hittable.</p>
<p>Other notes &#8211; The increasing crowd of players who play 1B/DH in the system, combined with the injuries and lack of development from once highly regarded Mitch Nay have created the opportunity for <strong>Matt Dean</strong> to return to the hot corner. He displayed considerable power for the cavernous environment of the Florida State League last year but it remains to be seen whether his bat translates to AA or his glove can still play at third base.</p>
<h3><a href="http://www.milb.com/roster/index.jsp?sid=t424">DUNEDIN BLUE JAYS</a></h3>
<p>In stark contrast the the New Hampshire squad, the D-Jays are comparatively jacked up. a half dozen or more of these guys have significant major league potential. Much of this likely has to do with the virtual guarantee of early season warm weather, but regardless, the team is loaded.</p>
<h4><em><strong>Star Turn</strong></em></h4>
<p><strong>Anthony Alford</strong> is the only real choice for the mention here. He came into 2015 with fewer than 80 professional at bats and promptly turned into an absolute stud. He started at Lansing for 50 games, then put up an even better line in 52 games after his promotion to Dunedin. He has an elite approach at the plate, which is stunning for someone who missed so much professional time, and has the defensive and speed tools that make scouts drool. While there’s certainly wisdom in holding a guy who grew up in Mississippi back in the Florida sunshine for a bit more seasoning, I’d be stunned if he played here beyond the FSL All Star Game on June 18. If you missed it, you can get an up-close look at the star prospect from Joshua Howsam&#8217;s <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/04/06/why-anthony-alford-is-ready-to-take-the-next-step/">excellent interview with Alford. </a></p>
<h4><em><strong>One to Watch</strong></em></h4>
<p>Well, technically, five! There is just too much talent on this team to limit the report to just one player.</p>
<p>Being on the same roster as Alford gets shortstop <strong>Richard Urena</strong> pushed out of the spotlight a bit, but he’s here too and he’s not short on buzz around the organization. Still just 20, scouts rave about the Dominican infielder&#8217;s instincts for shortstop, and he showed surprising power last year in Lansing. Executives and coaches are very impressed with him and are content to give him lots of time to develop his plate discipline, which is practically non-existent at this point. He walked only 16 times in 2015, so he&#8217;ll need to improve to be more than just a defensive wizard.</p>
<p>The D-Jays rotation has a ton of potential that I would be remiss start with anyone other than <strong>Conner Greene</strong>. You’ve probably heard a lot about him this spring already, but it bears repeating. Like Alford, Greene took a huge leap forward last year. The former seventh round pick threw well in Lansing, dominated in Dunedin for seven starts and eventually made it all the way to New Hampshire. Armed with a fastball that was touching 98 mph this spring and an improving curve, Greene is somebody that could come rather quickly. However, also like Alford, the new regime choose to slow him down a bit and let him pitch in the Florida sun after a wild 2015. He’s another one that should be in NH before July arrives.</p>
<p>The rest of the rotation brings more risk but a lot of upside. The most intriguing player for me is one-time bonus baby <strong>Adonys Cardona</strong>. The injury plagued Venezuelan, signed at 16, has just turned 22 and has only managed 83 mostly unimpressive professional innings (not counting the DSL), but the stuff is supposedly still elite. He is apparently bringing high nineties heat with his fastball and impressively sharp secondary pitches. If the newly revamped training staff (no doubt the reason he’s on the Dunedin roster rather than Lansing) can keep him on the mound, this could be the breakout candidate for the entire minor league system. [Last minute update: Cardona isn&#8217;t scheduled to start during the first turn through the rotation. The team may be using him in the bullpen initially, or even long term. This is a factor to pay attention to, putting him in relief may be something they feel is dictated by his inability to stay heathy. However, as a reliever he might move quickly]</p>
<p><strong>Tom Robson</strong> is here too. In his first full season back from Tommy John surgery the watchful eye of the Dunedin trainers will be handy with him as well. While his numbers don’t reflect it, some around the team expect a lot from Robson this year. The same can be said for <strong>Ryan Burucki</strong>. Drafted in 2012, he’s mentioned among the high ceiling guys every year and every year he manages to get hurt. The lefty has fewer than 70 professional inning, but 57 of those were in 2014 and they were quite impressive. Like the two aforementioned, he’s likely in Dunedin specifically because the organization wants to employ the best possible resources to keep him healthy.</p>
<h4><em><strong>Don’t Sleep On&#8230;</strong></em></h4>
<p>Catcher <strong>Danny Jansen</strong>. It would be easy overlook the Illinois native if all you did was look at the stats from last season, one interrupted by a major injury. But many observers believe he has put himself into the conversation for the organization&#8217;s best catching prospect (given the even more severe injury issues of a certain former first round choice). I’m not ready to go that far yet, but he’s much better than last year’s results.</p>
<h4><em><strong>Remember Him?</strong></em></h4>
<p><strong>DJ Davis</strong> is here too! I don’t suppose you’ve completely forgotten the less successful of the team’s two Mississippi outfielders, but anyone can be forgiven for not seeing him past the white-hot intensity of Alford’s success. Davis showed dramatic improvement last year, but he’ll need to do just that again to convince the many skeptics that he has any hope of a major league future.</p>
<h4><strong><em>TNSTAA(R)PP</em></strong></h4>
<p>This is particularly true in Dunedin to start the year. So in the absence of a guy I can tell you has upside (I guess <strong>Justin Schafer</strong> might be . . . something . . . maybe) I’ll give you an interesting storyline. Remember <strong>Gustavo Pierre</strong>, the hacking Dominican bonus baby SS-turned-3B who struggled with both the bat and the glove? Well the Blue Jays are giving him a shot on the mound. If they assigned him to a full season roster, particularly Dunedin, he must have shown them something.</p>
<h3><a href="http://www.milb.com/roster/index.jsp?sid=t499">LANSING LUGNUTS</a></h3>
<p>Not much to get excited about here in the field, save one guy, but there&#8217;s the potential for a big-time starting rotation.</p>
<h4><em><strong>Star Turn</strong></em></h4>
<p><strong>Sean Reid-Foley</strong>, who’s also 20, was one of the most aggressively promoted prospects under the previous regime. After a taste of Gulf Coast League ball in 2014 following his second round selection out of high school, he surprisingly broke camp last year at low-A Lansing. Armed with a mid 90s fastball and a wicked slider, Reid-Foley actually pitched well enough, despite evident control issues, to eventually receive eight starts in Dunedin. Neither assignment would have have been a shock this year, but it seems the team is daring Reid-Foley to dominate in low-A and harness his commend before getting any promotion. Chances are if he holds up his end of that proposition, Reid-Foley will move quickly.</p>
<h4><em><strong>One to Watch</strong></em></h4>
<p>The other potential star turn would 2015 First Round pick <strong>Jon Harris</strong>. The 6’4” RHP was thought to be quite the steal when the team drafted him and some observers said he’d be able to move as fast as anyone in the draft due to a very mature approach. But fatigue largely ruined his debut so he’s looking for a rebound for the full-season Lugnuts.  He works with a sinking fastball between 92-94 and has a true four pitch mix, with curveball, slider and changeup all flashing plus at times. The fast-mover tag hasn’t faded too far into the rear-view and if he shows any consistency, he’ll challenge Reid-Foley for the honor of first promotion.</p>
<h4><em><strong>Don’t Sleep On…</strong></em></h4>
<p><strong>Lane Thomas </strong>is a third baseman-turned center fielder-turned second baseman who now listed again as a center fielder, but my sources tell me not to assume the 2B plan is dead. Thomas announced his presence with authority in 2014, putting up an .814 OPS as an 18 year old at Bluefield. However, he struggled all year at Vancouver last year and I, among others, were troubled to see such a promising player falter to that degree. I kept my eye out for reports on what was going wrong and it turns out he was dealing with a pretty serious wrist injury all year which obviously greatly affected his hitting. My source says he is healed and strong now and this may be the hitter that gets the most “where did this guy come from?” chatter in the coming year.</p>
<h4><em><strong>Remember Him?</strong></em></h4>
<p>Pop quiz! Who was the 1st round (35th overall) pick by the Blue Jays in 2011? If you said <strong>Jacob Anderson</strong> then possibly you, like me, spend far too much time paying attention to minor leaguers. Anderson was described by some as a nice bargain at the pick. After he hit .405 in a handful of GCL at bats that year I was perhaps overly invested in him for a while. Then he struggled in 2012, missed all of ‘13 and effectively all (10 AB) of 2014. He managed to get 63 AB last year as a 22 year old at Bluefield before a pitch to the head put him out of commission again. I had basically moved on from him, but here he is, on a full season team, trying to hold himself together long enough to rediscover the talent he had on Draft Day.</p>
<h4><em><strong>TNSTAA(R)PP</strong></em></h4>
<p>Noting truly remarkable here, but <strong>Travis Bergen </strong>was the team’s 7th round pick in 2015 out of Kennesaw State and he might be a fast mover.</p>
<p>Other notes &#8211; Another SP that you must pay attention to on this team is 6’6” Dominican lefty <strong>Angel Perdomo</strong>. Word is that when he’s on he’s a monster on the mound, but just lacks some consistency, particularly with control. He could combine with Harris and Reid-Foley to deliver this team it’s seemingly annual first-half title.</p>
<h4><em><strong>“But what about…?”</strong></em></h4>
<p><strong>Max Pentecost</strong>? Pentecost is technically on the Lansing roster but disabled. No one seems to know anything about the former first rounder and &#8220;Catcher of the Future&#8221;. He’s probably still physically in Dunedin working with the training staff to get game ready and the Lansing assignment is a paperwork matter. [Last minute update: Pentecost has disappeared from the Lansing roster. Presumably he does remain in extended]</p>
<p><strong>Clinton Hollon</strong>? Hollon is finishing up his amphetamine suspension that carried over from late last season. He is due back in early May and stands to give the Lugnuts a four man quartet in the rotation that would be unrivaled in the system. As for the suspension, see the <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/03/18/after-set-backs-in-2015-clinton-hollon-is-ready-to-take-flight/">great piece</a> on this site by Gideon Turk for the inside scoop.</p>
<p><strong>Mitch Nay</strong>? Nay opens the season on the Dunedin DL. He left the field last summer because of a staph infection which apparently took a pretty big toll on him. No word on the nature of his disability this spring, or whether or not it’s related.</p>
<p><strong>Matt Smoral</strong>? I continue to hold out hope for the big lefty since he spent the winter working with <a href="https://www.drivelinebaseball.com/" target="_blank">Driveline Baseball</a>. He will likely remain in Extended Spring Training with a potential assignment yet to be determined. He may yet end up with Dunedin or Lansing before the short-season teams begin play.</p>
<p><strong>Ryan McBroom</strong>? He’s in Dunedin, playing 1B, wishing he didn’t have Tellez soaking up all the press in front of him on the depth chart.</p>
<p>If there’s any other player you saw mentioned on a Top Prospect list anywhere I didn’t mention, the odds are very high indeed that said player is young enough that he’ll be playing on a short-season team. Yes, that includes <strong>Vlad Guerrero, Jr.</strong> &#8211; which probably puts a damper on his <a href="http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/guerrero-jr-hopes-to-be-in-majors-in-two-years/" target="_blank">plans to get to the bigs in two years</a>. Kudos go to my friend, the ever-gracious <a href="https://twitter.com/jgoldstrass">Jesse Goldberg-Strassler</a> for valuable insight on some of these guys.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
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		<title>Why Anthony Alford is Poised to Take the Next Step</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/04/06/why-anthony-alford-is-ready-to-take-the-next-step/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/04/06/why-anthony-alford-is-ready-to-take-the-next-step/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 06 Apr 2016 11:08:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Joshua Howsam]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anthony Alford]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Minor Leagues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Prospects]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=1140</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The major league baseball season has been underway for a few days now, but the minor leaguers have been patiently waiting for their turn. That all changes tomorrow when all the full-season affiliates finally take the field for real. For the Blue Jays, all eyes (that aren’t trained on Tampa Bay) will be on top [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The major league baseball season has been underway for a few days now, but the minor leaguers have been patiently waiting for their turn. That all changes tomorrow when all the full-season affiliates finally take the field for real. For the Blue Jays, all eyes (that aren’t trained on Tampa Bay) will be on top prospect Anthony Alford. The Dunedin outfielder opened a lot of eyes last year when he hit .298/.398/.421 across two levels, despite having only accrued 110 plate appearances over the previous three seasons.</p>
<p>I had the chance to catch up with Alford during spring training to get the story of how he got here and what he’s looking to do going forward.</p>
<p>For those of you who are unaware, the reason Alford had played so few games is because, after high school, he played football in college, but baseball for the Jays during the school offseason. It was a scenario that Alford himself never saw unfolding. “I didn’t expect it all,” said Alford. “I was so sold on just playing football and baseball in college for three years and then weighing my options to see what I was going to do.”</p>
<p>Unlike other teams who&#8217;d passed on Alford because of his commitment to football, the Blue Jays gave him the chance to do both, with the condition that he decide on a sport by the end of his junior year. Football didn’t start off so well for the man from Columbia, Mississippi. He started as a freshman QB for the University of Southern Mississippi, but the team went 0-12. This probably led some Jays fans to believe that Alford was going to give up on football and join the Jays minor league ranks on a permanent basis. However, it wasn’t so. Alford turned down a contract offer from the Blue Jays and transferred to Ole Miss, which is one of the elite football programs in the SEC (NCAA’s best football conference).</p>
<p>Two years later, with Alford playing strong safety, Ole Miss was ranked in the top three in the entire country and getting ready to host rival Alabama. Suddenly, without warning, Alford dropped football entirely and announced he was ready to pursue his baseball career full time. The thought of giving it all up would in that moment would have been unthinkable for most, but for Alford it was the only decision. “I had to do what was best for my future. I hated that I had to do it at that time, but I had to do what was best for my wife, myself and my family,” said Alford, “I had to come down here to instructs so I could go to winterball.”</p>
<p>He took off to Australia in order to get some some regular at-bats. In the span of a couple weeks, Alford went from being a starter on one of the best college football programs in the USA to playing baseball halfway around the world. It may seem like an impossible transition to you, but it wasn’t for the young outfielder:</p>
<p><em>“It was hard, but at the same time that&#8217;s what I&#8217;ve done my whole life. I played football, then I&#8217;d go straight to basketball. Then when baseball season would get there I&#8217;d have 1.5-2 weeks to get ready for baseball. So I&#8217;ve always just done it. Just prepared really quickly before I go into a baseball season. I thought it was a really good experience going to that country and just seeing a different part of the world. It was different off the field, but on the field it was very similar, and that’s what was important.”</em></p>
<p>He didn’t hit that well in Australia, putting up a meager line of .200/.315/.316 in 152 PAs, but that wasn’t what mattered. What mattered was getting back into baseball full time. Still, when he got back to the USA to play minor league ball for Lansing, he never expected to move up so quickly, but he did have the right mentality:</p>
<p><em>“I just said I&#8217;m going to go out there and&#8230;take what I learned in Australia and put it into the upcoming season. And that&#8217;s what I did. I learned a lot about myself and my strengths and weaknesses. And now I&#8217;m just going to build off that.”</em></p>
<p>After “picking the brains” of players in big league camp and seeing how the Jays stars “go about their business,” it was time to start putting in full-time work:</p>
<p><em>“It&#8217;s reps, reps, reps. I had under 100 ABs before last year. So the biggest thing for me is reps and it&#8217;s the only way I&#8217;m going to get better. [Older pitchers] are around the plate more and their balls have more movement. And they have better secondary pitches. I&#8217;ll be able to adjust once I get more reps. I&#8217;m hitting with a leg kick (note: A true Blue Jay) and I need to get consistent with it, so I need consistent ABs. That&#8217;s the biggest thing.”</em></p>
<p>As far as changes to his approach go, don’t look for much in the upcoming season from the star prospect. The home run totals weren&#8217;t high, but the team isn&#8217;t worried about that. When asked about the subject, Alford had this to say:</p>
<p><em>“The guys in the organization know I have power. I&#8217;m just trying to establish myself and build on what I know by strengthening my weaknesses and building my strengths. We haven&#8217;t really talked about mechanics or changing my approach. I feel like I have a really good approach. We haven&#8217;t really worried about the power. I feel like they know it&#8217;s going to come and I know it&#8217;s going to come.”</em></p>
<p>The Blue Jays are clearly high on the Columbia native, but that doesn’t mean he’s not going to keep putting in work, especially on the defensive end. Even though he’s a natural center fielder, Alford has been working out at all three outfield spots. When asked why, Alford said,</p>
<p><i>“It&#8217;s important for all outfielders to learn to play all the positions because you could be a CF your whole life, but if you&#8217;re in the Pirates organization and you get called up, you think they&#8217;re going to move Andrew McCutchen? No, you&#8217;re going to have to learn to play another position. Or with us for example, Kevin Pillar is established in CF and could have won gold glove last year. He&#8217;s an awesome CF. So it’s better to be prepared for everything.” </i></p>
<p><i>“If helping the team is me&#8230;playing the ninth inning on defense, I feel like you just gotta know how to handle any role so you can do what’s needed to get the team a win.”</i></p>
<p>He also knows not to get bogged down in what he can’t control. While it’s certainly true that by this time next year he could be an injury away from a major league role, Alford isn’t letting that get into his thinking.</p>
<p><i>&#8220;I feel like people mess up and they get caught up in that. If I start trying to play GM I&#8217;ll stop focusing on what I should be focusing on. It&#8217;s not my job to say &#8216;oh this guy, his contract is about to be up.&#8217; or &#8216;this guy is hurt. Who are they going to call up next?&#8217; When you get caught up in that, that&#8217;s when everything starts going downhill.&#8221;</i></p>
<p>He doesn’t pay attention to what he can’t control. When the subject of prospect rankings came up, Alford noted that, “it&#8217;s an honour that people think that way about me, but at the same time it&#8217;s just an outsider opinion. That&#8217;s why you can&#8217;t really get caught up on that. You&#8217;ve got a guy like Rowdy Tellez who is probably one of the most gifted hitters I&#8217;ve ever played with. You&#8217;ve got Conner Greene who is a gifted pitcher&#8230;there are other people in this organization that could easily be the number one prospect.&#8221;</p>
<p>Not only is Alford a really smart guy who&#8217;s acutely aware of what he does and doesn&#8217;t need to focus on, but he&#8217;s the type of person who will throw compliments towards his teammates with no provocation. When you combine the raw talent, the work ethic, and the willingness to do what it takes to get better, you usually end up with a really good player. Add in a good teammate, and you end up with someone special.</p>
<p>Anthony Alford is going to head to Dunedin, but people there shouldn’t get to used to seeing him, as he won&#8217;t be around for long. He’s got the skills and the attitude to the be up in the majors shortly, and I firmly believe he’s going to do great things. It&#8217;s only a question of when.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
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		<title>Minor League Update: Spring Training Edition</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/03/16/minor-league-update-spring-training-edition/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/03/16/minor-league-update-spring-training-edition/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Mar 2016 15:53:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ewan Ross]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Minor League Update]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anthony Alford]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Conner Greene]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Minor Leagues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Prospects]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rowdy Tellez]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=379</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[At this point in the spring, the majority of the prospects who were invited to major league camp have been sent out to join their fellow young players at the opening of minor league spring training. That makes this a nice time to take a look at just how well the prospects did in their time playing with the [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>At this point in the spring, the majority of the prospects who were invited to major league camp have been sent out to join their fellow young players at the opening of minor league spring training. That makes this a nice time to take a look at just how well the prospects did in their time playing with the big boys. It’s worth keeping in mind that spring training stats tend to be some of the most misleading statistics you will ever see. Not only are they an impossibly small sample size, but they also come against wildly different competition levels.</p>
<p>While this segment will only feature prospects during the season, for Spring Training I am also including some more veteran players who are competing for a spot on the back end of the 25-man, opening day roster.</p>
<p><strong>AJ Jimenez</strong> – C –</p>
<p>6 Games, 13 AB &#8211; .455/.538/.727 – 1 HR, 0 SB, 2 BB, 1 K</p>
<p>In the two years since Jimenez returned from his Tommy John surgery, his prospect stock has plummeted to the point where I was surprised that he remained on the 40 man roster over the winter. However, Jimenez picked the exact right time to see a return of the promising bat that scouts once saw in him. With Dioner Navarro leaving this offseason via free agency, and Josh Thole slotted into the backup catcher role, the time is now for Jimenez to make a push for a major league role. The home run is easily the most exciting aspect of Jimenez performance thus far in spring training. Yes, it may have come against Orioles minor leaguer Parker Bridwell, but when you are a player who has only hit nine home runs in the last four years combined, beggars can’t be choosers.</p>
<p>With his defensive reputation, including a very strong throwing arm, Jimenez won’t need to post gaudy offensive numbers to be a contributor at the major league level. Couple that with the likes of Thole ahead of him on the depth chart, there is certainly a chance that if Jimenez continues to produce once the minor league season gets started that we could get a chance to see him at some point in 2016. He&#8217;s out of options, but it&#8217;s hard to see him not clearing waivers given his lack of playing time the last few years.</p>
<p><strong>Darrell Ceciliani</strong> – CF –</p>
<p>10 Games, 18 AB &#8211; .444/.565/.778 – 1 HR, 3 2B, 0 SB, 4 BB, 4 K</p>
<p>Coming into the spring, it was assumed that Dalton Pompey would be sent back to Triple A for a little bit more seasoning, so the Jays had an open slot for their fourth outfielder role. The competition was supposed to feature the likes of Ezequiel Carrera, Junior Lake, or Domonic Brown, however, the overlooked man in this competition could wind up being Darrell Ceciliani, whom the Jays acquired via trade from the Mets (for cash) in early February.</p>
<p>In the first two weeks of spring training, Ceciliani has been the Jays best hitter, and certainly requires a longer look as the team progresses closer to opening day. It&#8217;s honestly quite puzzling why the Mets were willing to dump Ceciliani for just cash. While he was unproductive in his first 39 games in the big leagues, Ceciliani destroyed the PCL last season to the tune of a .345/.398/.581 slash line. While those numbers are certainly inflated by playing his home games in Las Vegas, they still pop off the page. When you couple that stat line, with a player entering his prime at the age of 26, and most importantly still having minor league options remaining, he seems like a player most teams would like to keep.</p>
<p>I try as little as possible to draw conclusions from spring training stats, but given my lack of faith in many of the players with whom Ceciliani is competing, I think there is least a non-zero chance that he could break camp with the big league team.</p>
<p><strong>Andy Burns</strong> &#8211; UT &#8211;</p>
<p>13 Games, 18 AB &#8211; .333/.455/.722 &#8211; 1 HR, 1 3B, 1 2B, 4 BB, 3 K</p>
<p>Along with Ceciliani, Andy Burns has been one of the Jays hottest hitters throughout the early part of spring training. Burns has seen time at 2nd base, 3rd base, and left field, and the Blue Jays seem fully committed to him developing into a utility man. What&#8217;s been one of the more impressive aspects of Burns success thus far in the spring is that he&#8217;s done most of his damage against right-handed pitching. Throughout Burns minor league career, he has been most known for punishing lefties. With Ryan Goins as the team&#8217;s starting 2nd baseman, I believe there could be a role for Burns on the major league roster. If Darwin Barney flops to start the season, and Devon Travis&#8217; return is delayed, I could see the club turning to Burns.</p>
<p><strong>Jio Mier</strong> – SS –</p>
<p>12 Games, 20 AB &#8211; .350/.350/.600 – 1 HR, 2 2B, 0 SB, 0 BB, 4 K</p>
<p>Mier, the former Astros first round pick, was acquired by the Jays via minor league free agency over the winter. Given pedigree, which albeit has faded, Mier is more intriguing than most minor league free agents.  That makes seeing these types of early positive signs something worth noticing at least. Given that Mier is already behind Troy Tulowitzki, Ryan Goins, and Darwin Barney on the depth chart, and will soon to be pushed even further down by a returning Devon Travis, it’s tough to see the path to playing time for Mr. Mier. That being said, it’s worth remembering that Jonathan Diaz saw time on the major league roster in each of the past two seasons.</p>
<p><strong>Dalton Pompey</strong> – CF –</p>
<p>10 Games, 21 AB &#8211; .190/.261/.524 – 2 HR, 1 2B, 0 SB, 2 BB, 7 K</p>
<p>Dalton Pompey is a perfect example of why Spring Training numbers just can’t be taken at face value. The only thing that is preventing Pompey’s 21 spring training plate appearances from being a complete black hole are the pair of home runs that he has slugged so far. However, it just so happens that those dingers happen to have been hit off the Athletics’ Andrew Triggs, and the Orioles’ Chris Lee. You can be excused if you’ve never heard of either of those pitchers, because neither of them has ever pitched above Double-A.</p>
<p>I had come into the spring with the hope that if things broke right for Pompey he would could win the fourth outfielder role, or even had an outside shot at even winning the starting left field job. With a slow start you’d have to imagine that scenario is out the window now, so look for Pompey to head to Buffalo once the minor league season gets started. Hopefully he will be ready to produce when called upon.</p>
<p><strong>Domonic Brown</strong> – OF –</p>
<p>8 Games, 22 AB &#8211; .182/.280/.364 – 2 3B, 0 SB, 3 BB, 3 K</p>
<p><strong>Junior Lake </strong>– OF –</p>
<p>8 Games, 22 AB &#8211; .227/.292/.364 – 0 HR, 3 2B, 1 SB, 1 BB, 4 K</p>
<p><strong>Ezequiel Carrera</strong> – OF</p>
<p>8 Games, 15 AB &#8211; .067/.222/.067 – 0 HR, 1 SB, 3 BB, 5 K</p>
<p>Carrera, Brown, and Lake are all competing for the fourth outfielder spot with Ceciliani &amp; Pompey, and none of them have done much of anything thus far into the spring. With Lake and Carrera both out of options, I had assumed that either of them would get the first opportunity, but unless they start to put up at least respectable numbers the rest of the way they are in danger of being passed over.</p>
<p>In Brown’s case, since he could be sent down to Buffalo freely, he was always facing an uphill battle to make the opening day roster. Since he provides negative defensive value, even in a corner outfield spot, he needs to show the club that they can’t afford to leave his bat down in the minors. That certainly hasn’t happened yet.</p>
<p><strong>Rowdy Tellez</strong> – 1B –</p>
<p>9 Games, 11 AB &#8211; .182/.250/.182 – 0 SB, 1 BB, 3 K</p>
<p><strong>Anthony Alford</strong> – CF –</p>
<p>11 Games, 10 AB &#8211; .100/.308/.100 – 0 SB, 3 BB, 4 K</p>
<p><strong>Richard Urena</strong> – SS –</p>
<p>8 Games, 14 AB &#8211; .214/.214/.286 – 0 HR, 1 2B, 1 SB, 0 BB, 1 K</p>
<p>Taken together, Alford, Urena, and Tellez are the Jays top 3 position player prospects. While each of them has struggled thus far, we should pay zero attention to any of these stats. None of these players is older than 21 years old, and they are facing better competition than they’ve ever seen. The main reason for inviting prospects like this to major league training camp is not to have them produce on the field, but rather to have them interact with established major league veterans, and learn from their habits. All three of these players have since been reassigned to minor league camp, and I look forward to each producing once the minor league season gets under way.</p>
<p><strong>Conner Greene – </strong>Starting Pitcher</p>
<p>2 Games, 2 IP – 0.00 ERA, 1 Hit, 3 Ks, 2 BB</p>
<p>The Jays top pitching prospect was only in major league camp for a cup of coffee, but acquitted himself quite well in the two games he in which he appeared. His first inning of work came against the Phillies, and despite walking JP Arencibia (lol), he struck out the side. While he didn’t face a major leaguer, one of his victims was Phillies top prospect Nick Williams. Greene came back a few days later, and in his lone inning against the Rays, he managed to retire major leaguers Brad Miller, Steven Souza &amp; Logan Forsythe. Soon after that game, Green was reassigned to Minor League camp, so we won’t be getting another chance to look at him until the New Hampshire Fisher Cats season gets underway in the first week of April. While this is the smallest of possible samples, there were nothing but positives to take away from Greene this spring.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
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