The Prospect/Minor Leagues Thread

[King]

Chris King ‏@StatsKing 10m10 minutes ago

 

Every time I see Matt Morgan this spring he's throwing out runners. Just hosed Tromp pretty easily #BlueJays

 

Chris King ‏@StatsKing 45s46 seconds ago

@JaysFromAway much improved defensively. The bat on the other hand....,

[Sammy225]

Chris King ‏@StatsKing 45s46 seconds ago

@JaysFromAway much improved defensively. The bat on the other hand....,

 

He is the Blue Print though.....

[King]

Chris King ‏@StatsKing 26s26 seconds ago

Rowdy Tellez who looks to be in great shape this year just went oppo bomb style. Such easy power in that bat. #BlueJays

[Atothe]

Chris King ‏@StatsKing 26s26 seconds ago

Rowdy Tellez who looks to be in great shape this year just went oppo bomb style. Such easy power in that bat. #BlueJays

 

I'm gonna love saying rowdy rowdy tellez at rogers centre.

[King]

http://www.bluejaysfromaway.com/spring-training-notes-part-1/

 

Wow, it was a whirlwind of a day for my first one in Dunedin. There apparently is no spring in Gulf Coast Florida this year, we’re full on into summer with temperatures hitting the high-20s (celsius). I can really sympathize with the players who go through much worse when playing in July and August down here because it gets into the 30s with a lot of humidity in the actual summer months. Oh yeah, and there was baseball to go with the warm weather!

 

 

There was so much baseball at the Bobby Mattick Complex that it’s been hard to process. In addition to four fields going for batting practice and fielding drills (including the dreaded pitcher’s fielding practice), there were pitchers throwing bullpen sessions simultaneously and that was all before lunch. I did some interviews with a few players (coming next week in a series of podcasts) and then there were three games all happening at 1:00 pm.

 

The three games included a team of Jays’ players against the Puerto Rico Junior National Team and two intra-squad games. If you’ve never watched and scouted games like this before, the intra-squad games can be a real mind bender because you’re trying to watch everything that’s going on and pick up things about the pitching, hitting and defense. After about 2 1/2 hours of it, your brain gets tired! But, since I know you’re waiting for information, I’ll pull out some teasers and give you a taste of what I saw over about six hours of activity.

 

Fielding Practice

 

 

http://www.bluejaysfromaway.com/wp-content/uploads/Dwight-Smith-throw-300x240.jpg

Dwight Smith makes a throw

There are some interesting players lining up at some interesting positions. Lane Thomas told me this afternoon that he’s being moved to second base while I finally saw Dwight Smith, Jr. take some ground balls at second base. He was in a group withJon Berti, Ryan Schimpf and Christian Lopes. Hopefully I’ll be able to watch both players at the new position in games over the next few days. Gunnar Heidt has been playing third base as well as second while Ryan Metzler was taking balls at third too. Canadian Justin Atkinson was playing a new position, too: catcher. I had heard rumblings of this position switch and he seems to be taking to it pretty well.

 

Bullpen Action

 

 

http://www.bluejaysfromaway.com/wp-content/uploads/Alonzo-Gonzalez2-281x300.jpg

Alonzo Gonzalez

I caught an early ‘pen session by lefty Alonzo Gonzalez. Alonzo is coming off a season in which he made some big improvements and the 6-foot-5 lefty was throwing a good fastball with arm-side run as well as a slider and a changeup. Rob Rasmussen was working with a pitching coach and looked like he’s using a new arm angle (more sidearm) but wasn’t actually throwing so I can’t exactly say anything conclusively. Lefty Luis Perez was working a towel drill as well.

 

A little bit later, I watched a bullpen session by a group I called the “walking wounded.” Three pitchers who are recovering from major injuries threw. Both Adonys Cardona and Clinton Hollon were really putting some sizzle on the ball. Hollon has some great movement on his fastball and he’s looking just as good as when I saw him at the same time last year. Patrick Murphy was the third pitcher and he’s been struggling to get out of the gate since he was drafted in 2013. Today was the first time I saw him pitch and I can’t really say much. There were no radar guns for the bullpen session but I can say that he wasn’t throwing nearly as hard as the other two.

 

Batting Practice

 

 

http://www.bluejaysfromaway.com/wp-content/uploads/Dan-Jansen-1-261x300.jpg

Dan Jansen

With four BP sessions going on simultaneously, it’s really tough to figure out what to watch but there were a couple of players who stood out in BP and catcher Dan Jansenwas one. I’m going to talk a bit more about him a bit later in this post but he’s definitely going to be a guy to keep track of. Another player who impressed me with the results was Sean Hurley. He’s kind of been a forgotten man but he had a lot of power in college. That said, I noticed that his back foot slid forward as he was transferring his weight forward to swing and I’m wondering if that has had an effect on his in-game performance.

 

What started as a quick post turned into a much longer one and so I’m breaking it up into two parts. You can read about what I saw in the games a little later on (the post will be scheduled for 1:00pm).

 

Here’s my itinerary for Tuesday: BP and BP (Batting Practice and Bullpens), Interviews for an upcoming podcast, simultaneous games either at the Blue Jays’ complex or at the Phillies’ complex in Clearwater (I’m leaning towards staying in Dunedin to see the younger group play but I’ll make that decision after finding out who’s expected to pitch in the four games). Then I head to Tampa to catch the Jays/Yankees game at George Steinbrenner Field (yep, as a mere spectator. I’ll be in section 104). Hutchison, Castro and Osuna are all scheduled to pitch so I’ll get to see them live (if from an inopportune angle to really tell you much of anything).

[King]

http://www.bluejaysfromaway.com/spring-training-notes-part-2/

 

Here’s part two of the notes I took while watching the spring training action at theBobby Mattick Complex in Dunedin. There was so much going on that I’m just going to give you the highlights. I mostly concentrated on the pitchers because it’s much easier to watch them throw for a few batters, get a read on their stuff and rotate on to the next pitcher on another diamond.

 

 

http://www.bluejaysfromaway.com/wp-content/uploads/Matt-Boyd-42-300x199.jpg

Matt Boyd freezes Jake Fox

The first pitcher that I really watched for longer than a batter or two was Matt Boydwho started the game that featured the most veteran group of players. Boyd was looking really good with a 93-94 mph fastball, curve and changeup working well. He had a very good outing and struck out veteran Jake Fox looking on a great backdoor curve (see photo).

 

Sean Reid-Foley was pitching in the game against the Puerto Ricans and showed some nasty stuff. If I’m right, he was throwing a four-seam fastball with arm-side run at 92-93 mph while he also threw a two-seamer that had a lot of sink at around 91 mph (I did ask one of the other pitchers watching and he confirmed this). I didn’t see any offspeed stuff but there was a lot going on and I may have been taking photos when he actually threw a different pitch.

 

Jairo Labourt‘s stuff was much livelier than the last time I saw him (last year in Lansing) and he was hitting 93-94 mph with his fastball and commanding it, breaking a bat with a 94 mph heater on the outside corner. He also threw an 84 mph slider that looked good.

 

I didn’t see all that much of him, but I did finally get to see Brad Allen pitch. While his stuff wasn’t overpowering like some of the other pitchers I saw, he was very workmanlike and had a good outing, locating his stuff well. I’m intrigued by his unusual delivery that probably helps his stuff play up.

 

Colton Turner has returned. I learned that he missed last year with Tommy Johnsurgery but he was on the mound, throwing 89-90 with a changeup that was around 84 mph.

 

http://www.bluejaysfromaway.com/wp-content/uploads/Juan-Meza-300x238.jpg

Juan Meza

Remember the name Juan Meza. Meza was one of the big signing-bonus guys from last year and it’s very likely that he’ll start his pro career in the GCL this summer. He was throwing 90-91 mph at 17 years old with a very nice changeup.

 

Jordan Romano

For some Canadian content, Andrew Case was throwing around 90 mph with (what looked like) a changeup. Markham-born Jordan Romano was probably one of my most pleasant surprises of the day. The 6-foot-4 righty was sizzling with fastballs in the 93-94 mph range that had all kinds of movement. When he located that and his slider, he was extremely nasty (although the command of the slider was in and out). Of the guys I’ve seen so far, he’s the one who could move through a couple of levels this year, probably starting in Lansing.

 

Another hard thrower that I saw pitch for the first time today (I’ve seen him hit) wasCarlos Ramirez. Ramirez has been in the system since 2009 but just began his conversion to pitching last year. He was hitting 95 mph on the radar gun with an 81-83 mph slider that had a very sharp, downward break. If he gets more consistency and more command, he could move quickly too.

 

Oh, and Jimmy Cordero never fails to draw a crowd hoping to see a 100 mph reading on the radar gun. From what I heard, he only hit 97 today (it’s still early) but he still struggles to command his fastball and slider.

 

On the hitting side, I was really impressed by Dan Jansen who took a Zak Wasilewski curveball that was down, out of the zone, deep into the gap in left-center for a double. For me, this was one of the best pieces of hitting I saw all day. Lane Thomas had a hard-hit infield single to the right of the shortstop (can’t remember who it was) that the fielder couldn’t handle.

 

For the catchers, Matt Morgan looked really smooth, throwing a runner out on the bases by a long shot while Justin Atkinson showed off a good arm. I saw Juan Kellymake a throw down to second from behind the plate and, while he made a good throw, putting it right on the money with a low, laser-beam like trajectory, his footwork was awkward.

 

In case you missed it, here’s Tuesday’s itinerary: BP and BP (Batting Practice and Bullpens), Interviews for an upcoming podcast, simultaneous games either at the Blue Jays’ complex or at the Phillies’ complex in Clearwater (I’m leaning towards staying in Dunedin to see the younger group play but I’ll make that decision after finding out who’s expected to pitch in the four games). Then I head to Tampa to catch the Jays/Yankees game at George Steinbrenner Field (yep, as a mere spectator. I’ll be in section 104). Hutchison, Castro and Osuna are all scheduled to pitch so I’ll get to see them live (if from an inopportune angle to really tell you much of anything).

[King]

http://www.bluejaysfromaway.com/spring-training-notes-part-3/

http://www.bluejaysfromaway.com/spring-training-notes-part-4-lansing-game-notes/

 

Two more, "premium" content but signup is free and takes 30 seconds.

[Angrioter]

John Stilson ‏

Bullpen number one is in the books!!! So excited to get back out there and to continue to get better! #Blessed

[metafour]

Chris King ‏@StatsKing

 

I'm Digging #BlueJays Bryan Lizardo. Like his swing from the left side & he's showing nice athleticism at 3B. Played in the DSL last year

 

 

17 year old who hit for a .754 OPS in the DSL last year. Signed for $250K, ranked #21 IFA in the 2013 IFA class by MLB.com.

 

Will be one to track in the GCL this year.

[Angrioter]

17 year old who hit for a .754 OPS in the DPL last year. Signed for $250K, ranked #21 IFA in the 2013 IFA class by MLB.com.

 

Will be one to track in the GCL this year.

 

I saw Lizardo several times DSL, and his glove looked very good. He could be something

[43211234]

17 year old who hit for a .754 OPS in the DSL last year. Signed for $250K, ranked #21 IFA in the 2013 IFA class by MLB.com.

 

Will be one to track in the GCL this year.

 

Most people on this forum, with King being a notable exception, love the Lizard.

[Abomination]

This was interesting from a Sportsnet article.

 

So instead of going into depth on less-than-lovely, let us just make mention of young Roemon Fields, who was called up from the minor-league complex and went 0-for-1 with a groundout to second base. Fields, who spent all of last season in short-season Vancouver, made a favourable impression in this past weekend’s game against the Canadian Junior Nats. He went 3-for-5 with a three-run homer, played great defence and looked very strong on the bases. A late bloomer, superscout Mel Didier says Fields might be the best defensive outfielder in the Blue Jays’ system, running the best routes and doing it with blazing speed. He’s on the trip to Port Charlotte for Friday’s game against the Rays, and it’s not a stretch to think the Blue Jays are going to give him a bunch of looks as spring continues. Obviously, his bat isn’t ready for the major leagues yet, but his glove is and his legs are. If the Blue Jays find themselves in a race in September, it’s not difficult to see Fields getting a call to the big leagues to do for the Jays what Terrence Gore did for Kansas City last fall.

Gore, you’ll remember, appeared in 11 games for the Royals in September, but only had two plate appearances. Used almost exclusively as a pinch-runner, he stole five bases in as many tries and scored five runs. He found his way into six playoff games without ever coming to the plate. The Blue Jays could have the same weapon in Roemon Fields. Remember the name.

 

http://www.sportsnet.ca/blogs/blue-jays-rundown/the-good-and-bad-from-blue-jays-vs-red-sox/

[Nafro]

So I am in a deep keeper fantasy league. I have two late round picks and want to target two of the Jays lefties. If you had to choose two of Labourt, Smoral, Borucki or Boyd for longest term fantasy value, who would you pick? I understand this is a bit of a craps shoot. Any thoughts?

[Angrioter]

So I am in a deep keeper fantasy league. I have two late round picks and want to target two of the Jays lefties. If you had to choose two of Labourt, Smoral, Borucki or Boyd for longest term fantasy value, who would you pick? I understand this is a bit of a craps shoot. Any thoughts?

 

Save: Smoral, Burouki

Ceiling: Smoral, Labourt

 

Boyd is good and could reach MLB 2015, but limited ceiling. Burouki is good, but I chose Smoral, Labourt over him no matter the risk.

[KingKat]

If you want a contribution this year, Boyd is your man. Otherwise Smoral and Labourt probably the highest ceiling as Angrioter says. That being said, there's no guaranteed they'll contribute at all. Boyd is the safest pick fwiw.

[GD]

If you're a good team: 1. Boyd 2. Smoral 3. Borucki 4. Labourt

 

If you're rebuilding: 1. Smoral 2. Borucki 3. Labourt 4. Boyd

[Nafro]

Thank you. I had a chance to get Michael Lorenzen so I took him and Smoral.

[L54]

This was interesting from a Sportsnet article.

 

 

 

http://www.sportsnet.ca/blogs/blue-jays-rundown/the-good-and-bad-from-blue-jays-vs-red-sox/

 

This must've been what the Wilner tweet was in reference of.

[King]

Jordan Romano ‏@Gordondemand 1m1 minute ago

For those of you that don't know I tore my UCL and will be having Tommy John Surgery. Appreciate everyone's support.

 

Canadian dude who was looking good this spring

[Ehjays]

jordan romano ‏@gordondemand 1m1 minute ago

for those of you that don't know i tore my ucl and will be having tommy john surgery. Appreciate everyone's support.

 

Canadian dude who was looking good this spring

 

ffs

[King]

Charlie Caskey with some info

 

Charlie Caskey‏ @CharlieCaskey

Just spoke to someone close to #BlueJays MiLB camp. Let’s just say my @LansingLugnuts starting staff predictions may have been off somewhat

 

Charlie Caskey @CharlieCaskey · 2h2 hours ago

@_ClintB_ ha - was going to hold out for a post but ya, likelihood of that happening these day is probably thin. The Tirado starting experiment is over. Working out of ‘pen and looking v good. Maybe even Dunedin good

 

Charlie Caskey‏@CharlieCaskey@_ClintB_ another tidbit, Jairo Labourt just got moved up a ‘group’ which could very well mean Dunedin….

[Angrioter]

Charlie Caskey with some info

 

Charlie Caskey‏ @CharlieCaskey

Just spoke to someone close to #BlueJays MiLB camp. Let’s just say my @LansingLugnuts starting staff predictions may have been off somewhat

 

Charlie Caskey @CharlieCaskey · 2h2 hours ago

@_ClintB_ ha - was going to hold out for a post but ya, likelihood of that happening these day is probably thin. The Tirado starting experiment is over. Working out of ‘pen and looking v good. Maybe even Dunedin good

 

Charlie Caskey‏@CharlieCaskey@_ClintB_ another tidbit, Jairo Labourt just got moved up a ‘group’ which could very well mean Dunedin….

 

Tirado, welcome to the shitzone!

[King]

Tirado to the pen

 

Jays closer by July

[Laika]

Tirado, welcome to the shitzone!

 

What, his peripherals last year somehow didn't get him there?

[Angrioter]

What, his peripherals last year somehow didn't get him there?

 

It's a shame for him. I really wanted to start games.

[Angrioter]

[Spanky99]

What the f*** is a Jhailyn Ortiz

 

lol

[Angrioter]

What the f*** is a Jhailyn Ortiz

Eres un racista de mierda

http://static.fjcdn.com/pictures/Who+went+pro_3ce9ce_4637756.jpg

[ace3113]

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=25880

 

Anthony Alford, OF, Toronto Blue Jays

 

 

Had it not been for a Division-I football commitment, Alford would be entering his fourth full season as a pro, but the former third-round pick has only managed to accumulate 110 plate appearances over the past three seasons, drastically cutting into precious development time. Now that he's given up football, it's finally time to see those loud, raw tools of his to shine.

 

After getting a couple in-game looks at him already this spring, you can see he's much more comfortable and relaxed at the plate. The strong and athletic frame looks as good as ever as well. I saw a much more selective approach at the plate, which will allow his solid bat-to-ball ability to play up. Timing was his biggest issue when I saw him, but this early in spring, that should be expected. In the field, Alford has the speed to cover an insane amount of ground, but he shows a natural ability to get great reads on the ball right off the bat, only amplifying how dynamic he can be defensively. While there is plenty of risk still involved here, you'd be hard pressed to find another prospect with his breakout potential this year. – Chris King

 

Rowdy Tellez, 1B, Toronto Blue Jays

 

 

Tellez has been on the hot seat in the prospect world since signing for a record amount ($700,000) for a 30th-round pick back in 2013. I got a brief glimpse of him when he debuted in the GCL late in the 2013 season and came away with some serious mixed feelings. On one hand, you have a kid with ridiculous raw power and the willingness to work to all fields, but on the other hand, you see a kid with a long swing, massive frame, and a lot of questions of whether or not he could keep in enough shape to make it work.

 

On my first trip to the Blue Jays backfields this spring, the very first thing that stood out was Tellez and his slimmed down frame. While he's still a very large human being, the body looked trimmed and stronger. Once in the cage, Tellez put on a very impressive show during his BP session. His hands weren't dropping as much as they had in the past and his swing had a more fluid look to it. Tellez was hitting loud and working on driving the ball on a line while using the entire field. It doesn't take much for him to send balls out to any part of the park and to see him making a conscious effort to keep his barrel on a more even plane was very encouraging. – Chris King

[Spanky99]

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=25880

 

Cool, love the Alford write-up, by CK to boot.