Official MiLB/Prospects Thread

[jays4life19]

Carlos Delgado is on the phone from his home in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.

 

Because of the spread of the coronavirus, he’s been sheltering at home with his wife and two children, aged 13 and 10, for six weeks now. The kids are completing schoolwork via an online platform, he says, while Delgado is trying to stay busy with work for his not-for-profit foundation, Extra Bases, that helps those in need, in both his native Puerto Rico and abroad.

 

It’s far from normal life, but the affable Delgado is focusing on the positives — everyone in his family is healthy and safe. “No complaints,” he says.

 

Delgado also has no complaints when looking back on his 17-year major-league career, 12 of which were spent with the Toronto Blue Jays. He remains beloved in these parts and is among the seven players enshrined on the Rogers Centre Level of Excellence. He is one the best sluggers in franchise history, with his 336 home runs and .949 OPS leading all Blue Jays.

 

Earlier this week, The Athletic caught up with Delgado for nearly an hour to talk about his time with the Blue Jays organization, his life after baseball, his Hall of Fame snub and much, much more. Here, then, are the highlights from our conversation.

Life after baseball

 

Delgado retired in 2011, after 17 years in the majors. He said his retirement was “forced” after a series of surgeries on his hip left his body unable to handle the grind of a 162-game season. Today, Delgado stays busy running his organization, Extra Bases.

 

After 17 years in the majors, how did you adjust to retired life? How have you been keeping busy all these years since?

 

I had three surgeries within 18 months. I did all the rehab that I could. Obviously, I did all the surgeries that I could and needed, and, at the end, I realized that my body wasn’t able to take that load. I’m sort of at peace with the fact that I tried everything that I could in order to come back and play. It didn’t work out. My body wasn’t able to take that load, so I’m happy. I would have loved to play another year, but I’m not complaining about it because I know physically, I couldn’t play.

 

It would have been different if I did all my rehab and then I felt like I was ready to play and went out there and didn’t get a job — that would have been devastating. But I know in my mind I did everything that I could, and physically, I couldn’t do it. So, that eased up the transition a little bit.

 

I’m a family guy, so I’ve been staying at home with my kids. I got two kids, they keep me busy. And also for the last 19 years, I also have been working with a not-for-profit foundation that we have, that I created back in 2001, so that keeps me busy. Most of my time I spend it doing charity work, fundraising and trying to create awareness for those in need and it’s been satisfying. It’s been busy. But life is good. I don’t complain. I don’t get bored. I do a little bit of exercising. I like to ride my bike. I like to be around the house. I hang out with the kids. I want to be involved in all their activities and sports … The nice thing is I have the flexibility that when I say, ‘You know what? I want to take a week off,’ I just take a week off and I don’t feel guilty.

 

You’re at peace with the way your career ended and, as you said, you did everything physically possible. But you were 27 home runs short of 500. Was that hard to swallow knowing you were so close to that milestone?

 

I wasn’t happy with the way it ended, I was at peace. It was easier to swallow just because I tried. But when you play that long, I don’t know if it’s by default, but you start reaching some numbers and milestones. Five hundred home runs would have been great, it’s a strong number, it’s a beautiful number, it’s a benchmark for home runs, but also, I was always looking at 1,700 RBIs. I took a lot of pride in RBIs. It’s how you help your team win. But I’m not going to cry over spilled milk. I tried everything that I could and it didn’t happen, so I’m not going to let that overshadow what I did. It would have been great. It definitely would have been great to reach those two numbers, but I can’t hit another home run now.

Early years with the Blue Jays

 

Delgado was signed out of his small town in Puerto Rico as a 16-year-old catcher in 1988. He was highly-touted as a prospect and debuted with the Blue Jays in 1993, but wouldn’t be a regular in the lineup until the 1996 season.

 

When you look at players today, they have so much access to data, information and video to help with development. As a young player, how did you develop your own bat and learn how to become the hitter you became?

 

I believe information is very important, so I tried to gather as much information as I could. Obviously, we did not have the technology nor the scouting reports that these players have. But what I did, I tried to use it to my advantage. I tried to use it the best that I could. And for me, the most important thing that helped me and that will help different players, before you try to do other stuff, you want to get to know yourself. You want to get to know what your strengths are, what your weaknesses are, what your plan is, what your approach is, what works good for you before you start doing something else. Because you can look at numbers, you can look at data, but they might not apply to you or you might not be able to do that.

 

You started out as a catcher with the Blue Jays. Do you ever wonder what your career would have looked like if you stayed behind the plate?

 

Probably five years shorter. I don’t know. I don’t think about it much. When you see the beating catchers take, it’s like, you know what? I’m glad I was able to move. Obviously, you grew up as a catcher, and your whole life you are a catcher and you’re doing it to make it to the big leagues as a catcher. I remember I had an issue in my knee and then that was going to take a toll. I remember switching to first base and I welcomed it. I’m not complaining. It gave me a lot more at-bats. Obviously, your body was in better shape, it was fresher, so I’m not complaining one bit.

 

I’ve seen a couple of photos on Twitter of you during your first few seasons in the pros in St. Catharines, Ont. What were your memories of starting your career there?

 

I was like a kid in a candy store. I was a 17-year-old, from a small town in Puerto Rico, playing professional baseball in St. Catharines, chasing a dream. I thought when I got there, that was the best ballpark I’ve ever seen. A few years back, I went back. I’m like, ‘oh my God, how did we play here?’ I had good memories. I remember that we rented bikes. My first year, 1989, in St. Catharines, how we moved from our house to the ballpark. We didn’t have cars — we couldn’t afford cars — so we rented bikes and that’s how we moved in St. Catharines. It was probably 10, 12 blocks away and we went back and forth on our bikes. We didn’t know any better. We just were chasing our dream and it was great.

 

Early in your career, in 1994, you started with the Blue Jays and then you were sent down to the minors. How did that impact you as a young player?

 

I started the season with the big club. I had a good month of April and then in May, I definitely tanked. I was terrible. And it was discouraging because you’re on the biggest stage, you’re in the big leagues and then all of a sudden, you go to Triple A and you think, ‘oh my God, what do I do now?’ I took (all the time I was allowed to before reporting) until I had to go on my first road trip. Had to get up at five in the morning to catch a plane to go to Toledo, I think.

 

I said, ‘OK, I don’t want to be here,’ so all I have to do is go out, play better, work on what I need to do in order to make it back to the big leagues.

 

You have to find some sort of motivation to get back to where you were. If you start feeling sorry for yourself, ‘Oh they sent me down. They didn’t give me a second chance. What about this, what about that. That guy has a lower batting average than me but they didn’t send him down.’ If you start making excuses, things are not going to work out your way. You have to find a way to motivate yourself and, most important thing, trust yourself and trust your ability because one of the reasons why you were there was because you have the ability to make it, so you obviously have the ability to come back. Obviously, you have to make adjustments, work smart and figure out what went wrong to see if you can correct it and make it better.

 

Most memorable Blue Jays moments

 

Delgado played 12 seasons in Toronto. Among his most memorable moments was his first Opening Day, in 1994. “Opening Day 1994 is pretty special,” he said. Another remarkable moment came years later, on Sept. 25, 2003…

 

Your four home-run game. I’ve watched it on YouTube. How did that day unfold in your mind? You hit the first one, then the second one, then the third one. By that time were you like, ‘well now I have to hit four?’

 

I almost did not play that day. I wasn’t feeling good. I got to the ballpark, I was a little under the weather, I was taking medication just because I had this bad cold. I remember I went out there and took batting practice and I only took a couple of rounds, just because I wanted to save my energy. After BP, I went inside, laid down and I told the trainer, ‘wake me up at 6:30.’ I laid down in the training room. I woke up and got dressed like, ‘Let’s go play. You gotta do what you gotta do.’ And I kept telling myself, ‘Don’t try to do too much.’

 

You look back at some of your games, some of the games that you did not try to do that much, actually turned out great. Because you go out there in batting practice, you feel great, you hit every ball out of the ballpark and then the game starts and you say, ‘I’m going to hit a home run here’ and next thing you know, it’s an 0-for-4. I’m not saying it’s guaranteed to work like that, but it did work that way. I was just trying to do too much, (have) good at-bats, make good contact and take it from there…

 

First two at-bats, Jorge Sosa, a guy that I felt pretty comfortable against, so I got a fastball down for a home run. And then a changeup and I hit it out again. And I’m going like, ‘OK, not bad.’ I was just minding my own business, saying, ‘nice and easy, nice and easy.’ My third at-bat. I’m facing Joe Kennedy. I’m thinking, this guy absolutely owns me. I think I was 1-for-15 against him in my career before that at-bat. He kept throwing me sinkers down and in, sinkers down and in. He always got me out. That day, he lobbed me a curveball, so I hit it out. That’s the third home run. I did not remember running around the bases. It’s kind of surreal. It’s a close game. Fourth at-bat, I’m facing Lance Carter. I think, ‘this guy has a good changeup and he likes to throw it,’ so I sat on a changeup, I got a good one and I hit it. Once again, I don’t remember. People talk about that bat flip. I don’t remember that bat flip. I didn’t try to do it on purpose. I always say I wasn’t trying to show anybody up, and I don’t remember running the bases…

 

In my head, everything was in slow motion. I saw every single pitch down the middle of the plate. I look at video and I’m like, ‘no, no, no, no, that video is wrong — that pitch was not there.’ Every pitch was down the middle of the plate, but it wasn’t. After the game, we won, blah, blah, blah, interviews, phone calls. After that, everything happened really fast and next thing you know — boom, I was at the ballpark the next day (and) 0-for-4 the next day. What have you done for me lately? I’ll always remember and cherish that moment. But it is a true story. I was this close to not playing that game because I was really, really sick.

 

Hall of Fame snub

 

In January 2015, Delgado appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time. But after he received only 3.8 percent of the vote, short of the 5 percent needed to remain eligible, he fell off the ballot. This, despite 10 consecutive 30-plus home run seasons, 473 career home runs total and an OPS over .900 for nine straight seasons. Jayson Stark, then writing for ESPN, wrote: “Carlos Delgado is the best player in history to get booted off the Hall of Fame ballot after his first year.”

 

You were one of the most beloved players in Toronto, but at the time, the Blue Jays weren’t as competitive as they could have been. It was a tough division. You consistently had great individual seasons. Do you ever think maybe your own career would have stood out more had the Blue Jays been in the postseason?

 

I would think so. Once your team’s in the playoffs, obviously, you get a lot more attention and a lot more people pay attention. But also, in the playoffs, a lot more people are watching the game. When I got to Toronto and I established myself. in ‘96, ‘97, ‘98 the team wasn’t as good as we wanted it to be. You probably don’t have that many people paying attention to what you do. But at the end of the day, I think you have to have pride for who you are and what you do and you have to go out and play regardless of what position your team is in the standings, how many people are sitting in the stands, because you just want to do good for you and help the team win.

 

I’m not going to complain. I’m not going to pout. I’m not going to bitch about it just because that was the time that I was there. I appreciate the time that I was there. I cherish some great teammates at the time I was there. I cherished great friendships that I made in Toronto. The fans were fantastic. The support was unbelievable. This is not something you get to script. I was put in that position and I tried to do the best that I could and that’s all I did. You would like to retire and say, ‘Oh, by the way, this is my resumé: I went into the World Series four times and we won twice or three times.’

 

But it didn’t happen. Every season was a learning process. I welcomed the challenge of being in the American League East in the late ’90s and beginning of the 2000s, definitely the most competitive division in all of baseball. We get to play the Yankees 20 times and you get to play Boston 20 times, so it wasn’t a walk in the park and that gives me satisfaction.

 

On Twitter, one of your former teammates, Pat Hentgen was tweeting about you and specifically about you falling off the Hall of Fame ballot. He said you were “screwed,” and, “it was a crime.” It’s been a few years now. How do you reflect on that vote? I think a lot of people look at your situation and see the flaws in the voting.

 

I wasn’t happy. Definitely, I was disappointed. It’s not like I said, ‘OK, I’m going to get 100 percent to get in.’ But not being able to get five percent, it was definitely frustrating. It was disappointing, and as you mentioned, I think that’s one of the problems that the voting system has.

 

You only get 10 players, so a lot of things do not depend on your numbers alone. It’s how many guys were left from last year, who is in your class, a lot of things affect the way you get evaluated. Obviously, it was a tough day. You’re watching that news at the beginning of January of that year and you go, ‘Wow, I did not make it. One year and you’re out.’ But once again, I am not going to let that overshadow what I did, what my career looked like. And having a guy like Pat Hentgen, that actually got to see me play, saying those kind words, it means a lot to me. It’s important that your peers do recognize what you did on a daily basis.

 

I played a few years with Pat, so he got to see me play and I’ll take the opportunity to recognize how great he was … He was a fierce competitor. I was there to watch his Cy Young. He was great. Tough as nails. The guy loved the game, he loved to play. It means a lot that I get a compliment like that from Pat. So, hopefully, I’ll get my day in court. Hopefully, my case will be reviewed by the Veterans Committee and hopefully I get an opportunity.

 

I’m not going to say that it’s not important because it is important. But if it does not happen, I totally understand, and, once again, I’m at peace with what I did. I competed to the best of my ability with the best of the game at that time and you can look at the numbers and the numbers speak for themselves.

An athlete’s voice

 

During Delgado’s career, he was often vocal about causes he believed in. For instance, he spoke out against the U.S. Navy using part of Puerto Rico for bombing practice and he opposed the war in Iraq.

 

It’s a personal decision whether or not an athlete wants to speak out. In your view, what impact can an athlete have on society or a cause?

 

That’s a loaded question, but this is the way I look at it: As an athlete, whether you like it or not, you have a lot of power. You have a lot of people who pay attention to what you do. Some of those people absolutely love you and some people do not like you. The way I see it is because you can throw a ball faster than somebody else or you can run quicker than somebody else or you can jump higher than somebody else or you can shoot a hoop better than somebody else, that doesn’t make you above the law. It doesn’t mean that you don’t have to comply with society…

 

I think certain people are special, but also, you continue to be a person, you continue to be a human being and you should have your beliefs. You have some good opportunities, you have a platform where your voice can be heard. I’m not saying you have to complain about everything or use it in the wrong way, but there’s some important things that you should have an opinion on. I’m not saying you have to protest everything, but because you’re a baseball player or basketball player or football player, whatever it is, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have an opinion.

 

You have a good opportunity to bring justice, to help a lot of people, to show visibility, and nowadays with social media and all those platforms, it’s a good opportunity for athletes to defend their cause, to get the word out, to bring justice, to be fair. That’s the way I saw it. I did not want to be a distraction, but obviously I do have my beliefs, and at the time, when they asked me about it, I talked about it. I tried to make it not a distraction. But if you have an opinion, say it in a respectful manner.

The young Blue Jays

 

From 2015-17, Delgado worked with the Blue Jays as a roving minor-league instructor. As such, he had the chance to watch Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio in the minor leagues.

 

You and Bo Bichette share a record. The only two players in Blue Jays history to hit eight home runs in their first 25 games. Bichette was a sensation last year when he came up. What did you think about his season?

 

I was not surprised. This is a kid that had no fear. He went out there, played relaxed. Loved the game, loved to compete, wanted to do good. He’s not afraid to swing the bat. He’s not a big guy, but he’s swinging it out there. I was pleasantly surprised to see him showing a very mature approach. I remember actually writing in a report, ‘This guy will make an adjustment with two strikes. He’ll compromise a little bit and he wants to put the ball in play.’

 

Given Guerrero’s raw power and hitting talent, what kind of player can he develop into?

 

He could definitely become a superstar. He has great ability. Obviously, he’s got super bat speed, he’s got a lot of power, he’s pretty smart. And for somebody his age, he’s pretty agile. One thing that’s important for Vladdy, and I’m sure people will mention it, is he makes sure that he takes care of his body. Because if he’s in good playing shape and he’s healthy, he’s going to hit. He’s going to hit everywhere he goes and I think as he continues to polish and to mature and understand how people are trying to get him out, he’s going to be a great hitter. He’s going to be a superstar, not just because he’s got that power, but he’s got good hand-eye coordination.

 

Once again, not surprised. This is a kid that I saw in the minor leagues and he was doing things that were exceptional. They were remarkable. That’s why he went to the big leagues, because he did things that other kids at his age couldn’t do, so happy for him. I’m sort of disappointed, especially for those two guys, that the season didn’t start on time. Obviously, it’s because of the coronavirus, but you want to have some sort of consistency for them. They came in last year and they got their feet wet, so you want them to have another season under their belt. And hopefully, this will not affect them too much. Those are the guys that you want to continue that development.

Today’s game

 

We asked Delgado about the home-run happy, high-strikeout ways of today’s game. He had thoughts.

 

When you look at today’s game, home runs are up, strikeouts are up. There’s a different style of hitting and pitching. Would you have liked to hit in this era?

 

I would love to hit in this era. I love to hit. I would go anywhere, I’d compete anywhere. I think we are getting too caught up with the labels now … I think people are getting controlled by these stats. I believe data is important. I believe stats are important. I believe information is really important, so you can use it to your advantage. But I think … there’s so much focus on the results, that they don’t spend a lot more time on the process.

 

You want to hit home runs, I understand. I’m a home-run hitter. I love home runs. But in order to hit home runs, you want to have a good swing. It can’t be all or nothing. I know there are arguments out there that say ‘We want to elevate the ball, we want to elevate the ball.’ Yeah, you want to elevate the ball, but you want to elevate the ball the right way. If your swing is not the right swing to elevate the ball, you’ll probably hit one or two mistake pitches, but then that’s why you see a lot of strikeouts.

 

I know what they’re trying to do, but they might not be going about it the right way. You hear guys say, ‘I don’t want to hit groundballs.’ You know what? Neither do I. I don’t want to hit groundballs, but do I want to hit lazy flyballs to right field because I’m looping the hell out of it? Of course not. ‘They throw me fastballs up, they throw me fastballs up, they throw me fastballs up.’ OK, well, 90 percent of those fastballs up are balls. You’re swinging at it because you’re not recognizing it because all you want to do is cheat to hit the ball out of the ballpark.

 

Players are so focused on these results or looking for the perfect pitch. You hear guys say, ‘these guys throw 67 percent sliders when we get to 2-1.’ OK perfect, that’s good to know and it works when you get to 2-1, but what happens when he throws a fastball in the middle and you take it cause you’re trying to get to 2-1?

 

I think it’s important to work and know what to do with that information that you have. Information is valuable. I wish I had some of the things that these guys have. I think hot zones, pitch tendencies, all that, this is the stuff I was trying to figure out when I was trying to write down in my notebook. But having said that, you still have to go out and play the game. You go out there, you’re ready to hit. The guy hangs a changeup, and you’re not sitting on the changeup, when you see it hanging, I mean, that’s the best pitch to hit.

 

Strikeouts are up, batting average is down — and I know batting average might not be the best measurement — but sometimes you just have to figure out how to put the ball in play. That’s all I’m saying. I’m not saying you want to become a Punch and Judy, but I’m saying you just can’t strike out 150 times, 160 times. When you have guys striking out 150 times, you’re just not going to win. We have to figure out a way where you can still develop power, where you can still learn to hit the ball out of the ballpark when you can, but that happens when you have a good approach.

[THANOS]

Sure. One moment

 

Thanks bro .

[glory]

There’s still some hope the MLB can salvage half a season, the milb.. it’s not looking good.

 

But with all the potential double headers happening, some of the triple-A kids might get a shot to play if MLB gets going. Namely Nate Pearson, Anthony Kay, Patrick Murphy, and maybe guys like Anthony Alford, Santiago Espinal, and Forrest Wall.

 

I would guess that teams would be allowed to carry their entire 40 man rosters (or damn close to it) instead of 26 if they resume the season. With the amount of games they will want to cram in, combined with no minor leagues, there is no way they can rely on just 26 players for the entire length of the season. There will be injuries, doubleheaders, rest, heat exhaustion if they play in Arizona, etc. If they start the minors up as well then that changes things, but that doesn't look very likely. If the MLB season does begin in June/July, then I hope the Jays just call up Pearson and have him start in the bigs from the beginning.

 

Will definitely miss the minors. The sheer volume of prospects the Jays have at every level would have been just as much fun to watch as the big leagues.

[Spanky__99]

MLB Pipeline's new format is a huge upgrade, so much easier than before, imo.

[Brownie19]

I would guess that teams would be allowed to carry their entire 40 man rosters (or damn close to it) instead of 26 if they resume the season. With the amount of games they will want to cram in, combined with no minor leagues, there is no way they can rely on just 26 players for the entire length of the season. There will be injuries, doubleheaders, rest, heat exhaustion if they play in Arizona, etc. If they start the minors up as well then that changes things, but that doesn't look very likely. If the MLB season does begin in June/July, then I hope the Jays just call up Pearson and have him start in the bigs from the beginning.

 

Will definitely miss the minors. The sheer volume of prospects the Jays have at every level would have been just as much fun to watch as the big leagues.

 

yeah I love following the prospects as much as I do the major league team.

[Spanky__99]

[Slade]

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/13-breakout-mlb-prospects-with-top-100-potential/

 

 

Once we finish our annual Top 100 prospects list, we start thinking about who could be on that list next year.

 

That's particularly true when it comes to the youngest prospects at the lowest levels, trying to identify the next wave of talent outside the Top 100 who could skyrocket in value within a year or two. Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez and Giants shortstop Marco Luciano did that in a big way last year—both are now top 20 overall prospects in baseball—while outfielder Kristian Robinson and shortstop Geraldo Perdomo of the D-backs, Orioles righthander Grayson Rodriguez and Mariners shortstop Noelvi Marte all entered 2019 as teenagers outside the Top 100 and jumped on to that list after the season.

 

These are 13 teenage prospects who are outside the Top 100 (and haven't been on that list before) but have the potential to become Top 100 prospects in the near future when games are able to resume.

 

Orelvis Martinez, SS, Blue Jays: Martinez signed in 2018 for $3.51 million, the biggest bonus for a 16-year-old international signing in his class. He rewarded the Blue Jays' faith in him with an outstanding pro debut, ranking as the No. 1 prospect in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League last year. On the cusp of being a Top 100 prospect right now, Martinez syncs up the moving parts in his swing well to be on time, using his hands well and generating plenty of bat speed to drive the ball with plus power. A shortstop for now, Martinez has the hands and arm strength for the left side of the infield, but his first-step quickness and range probably will push him to third base.

 

Luis Rodriguez, OF, Dodgers: The top 2019 international prospect from Venezuela, Rodriguez combines high-level pure hitting ability for a 17-year-old with the ability to drive the ball for power in games. He has a calm, quiet swing that stays through the hitting zone for a long time, making frequent contact with the ability to use the whole field. His defensive instincts and reads give him a chance to stay in center field if he can retain his above-average speed.

 

 

Quinn Priester, RHP, Pirates: Priester checks a lot of boxes teams look for in teenage pitchers, with a promising mix of size, stuff and strike-throwing ability from a fairly easy, repeatable delivery. A first-round pick (18th overall) last year, Priester is 6-foot-3, 195 pounds with a fastball that sits in the low 90s and touches 96 mph, pairing it with a hard curveball that flashes as an above-average pitch. The early returns were promising last summer, with Priester striking out more than a batter per inning in his pro debut.

 

Erick Peña, OF, Royals: Signed out of the Dominican Republic last year for $3,897,500, Peña has the attributes to develop into a premium offensive threat. He has a fairly compact lefthanded swing with good path, a disciplined approach for a 17-year-old and the ability to barrel balls at a high clip against both righties and lefties. At 6-foot-3, 180 pounds, Peña has fast bat speed, strong hands and has flashed above-average power, with the space to fill out and be a potential 30-plus home run threat.

 

Daniel Espino, RHP, Indians: Espino had some of the best pure stuff of any pitcher in the 2019 draft, where he went to the Indians with the No. 24 overall pick. His lively fastball reaches 99 mph and his breaking stuff has sharp, late movement to miss bats, while his changeup comes in firm but shows promise based on its action. Espino has a long arm stroke that gives some scouts pause about his future control, but if he's able to corral his stuff in the zone, he has the electric arsenal to pile up strikeouts.

 

Maximo Acosta, SS, Rangers: A smooth, instinctive player with a chance to develop an array of plus tools, Acosta was the top-ranked international shortstop signed in 2019. He's a high-contact hitter with a knack for being on time and barreling balls throughout the strike zone, combining his advanced pure hitting ability with power that grades out at least average now and should continue to climb. He has a thicker lower half than many shortstops at 17, but his speed and arm strength are both plus tools, with his internal clock and instincts at the position advanced beyond his years.

 

 

Luisangel Acuña, SS, Rangers: Acosta and Acuña, Venezuelan natives who have quickly become close friends, could climb through the Rangers' system together and form a potent middle infield. Acuña is small but skilled, with an aggressive, explosive swing and good hand-eye coordination to produce a high contact rate and a good eye for the strike zone, with more walks than strikeouts last year. He might end up at second base or center field, but he has a plus arm and did improve his defense last year.

 

Quinn_Priester_MikeJanesFourSeam.jpg

Pirates 2020 MLB Draft Preview: Pittsburgh Readies For First Draft Under Ben Cherington

Examining the Pirates' organization strength and weaknesses entering the 2020 MLB Draft.

 

Matt Allan, RHP, Mets: Allan was one of the top pitching prospects available in the 2019 draft, but the Mets got him in the third round and paid him $2.5 million, the second-highest bonus for a high school pitcher last year. At 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, Allan pitches off a fastball that sits in the low-to-mid 90s, setting up a tight-spinning curveball with good shape to give him an out pitch with sound mechanics.

 

Luis Matos, OF, Giants: Marco Luciano is the star of the Giants' 2018 international signing class, but Matos—signed for $725,000 that year—has become an arrow-up player in the Giants' system as well. Matos doesn't have explosive tools, but he's an advanced hitter for his age who could have five average or better tools across the board. His 1.000 OPS ranked third in the Dominican Summer League, where he showed good bat speed, an advanced offensive approach for his age and surprising power, to the point where he might still have enough offensive impact to be an everyday player if he moves from center to right field down the road.

 

Liover Peguero, SS, Pirates: Peguero signed with the D-backs out of the Dominican Republic in 2017, ranked as the top prospect last year in the Rookie-level Pioneer League, then in January went to the Pirates with righthander Brennan Malone in exchange for Starling Marte. Peguero has a wiry, high-waist frame with significant physical upside, high-end athleticism and a good bat-to-ball skills. His strong wrists and hands help him generate plenty of bat speed and he uses them well in his swing, with a chance to grow into average or better power once he packs on strength. An above-average runner with a tick above-average arm, Peguero improve his fielding last year, though he still has to clean up more on the defensive side, though he has the tools and athleticism to still play in the middle of the diamond at second base or center field if he does have to move.

 

Luis Toribio, 3B, Giants: The Giants signed Toribio out of the Dominican Republic in 2017 for $300,000—the maximum bonus they could give that year—and he has developed into their No. 6 prospect thanks to his offensive upside. He has a short, sweet swing from the left side, combining a patient approach and power to give him high-OBP, high slug potential. Toribio has a strong arm, but his hands, footwork and mobility will need to improve to be able to stay at third base.

 

Aaron Bracho, 2B, Indians: Two Indians international signings from their 2017 class—outfielder George Valera and shortstop Brayan Rocchio—have already flirted with Top 100 prospect status. A third member of that class, Bracho, is also a top 10 prospect in the organization and could take a significant leap if he keeps hitting once he gets to the low Class A Midwest League. An offensive-oriented second baseman, Bracho has a short, fluid swing from both sides of the plate and strong contact skills. His plate discipline also sticks out—he walked more than he struck out last year in the Rookie-level Arizona League—and makes him a potential high OBP threat in the middle of the diamond.

 

Gilberto Jimenez, OF, Red Sox: Jimenez, 19, led the short-season New York-Penn League in hitting last year by batting .359/.393/.470 line in 59 games. It sounds strange to say for a player who just posted those numbers as a teenager in a college-heavy league, but there's still a fair amount of rawness with Jimenez, who is still scratching the surface of his potential. Signed for $10,000 in 2017 with limited baseball experience relative to his peers, Jimenez is an outstanding, bouncy athlete who earns plus-plus grades for his speed and arm strength, giving him the tools to be a standout defender in center field. His explosiveness shows up in his bat speed as well, though there's still some crudeness to his swing he will need to iron out as he faces better pitching rather than relying on his wheels to leg out hits.

[BlueBaller]

MILB is screwed 😢

https://www.si.com/mlb/2020/05/19/minor-league-baseball-is-in-crisis

[Slade]

11 MiLB Pitching Prospects that Showing Signs their Stock could jump

 

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/11-mlb-pitching-prospects-showing-signs-their-stock-could-jump/

 

Noah Syndergaard was a 17-year-old with a 90-94 mph fastball when the Blue Jays drafted with the No. 38 overall pick in 2010.

 

When Tyler Glasnow was in high school, his fastball often sat in the mid-to-upper 80s, but it rose to the low-90s during his senior year, when the Pirates drafted him in the fifth round, and it trended up again that summer when he hit 96 mph in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League.

 

Since those teenage years, both pitchers kicked into another gear, with frontline starter stuff and fastballs that reach 100 mph.

 

When trying to identify young pitchers with the potential for their stuff to spike down the road, scouts typically look for players with a series of projection indicators. They look for pitchers who have space on their frame to fill out—not necessarily extra-large builds like Syndergaard and Glasnow—but long-limbed pitchers who have room to add weight and strength with added physical maturity. Arm speed is a big one. They look for pitchers with good arm action and deliveries, though in some cases it's a mechanical adjustment that can lead a pitcher to unlock more velocity.

 

These are 11 young pitching prospects outside our Top 100 who have the projection arrows that suggest their stuff and prospect status could jump in the future. Pitchers like Pirates righthander Roelmy Garcia and Giants righthander Manuel Mercedes both look like they could throw 100 mph one day, though with heightened reliever risk due to control issues, so the focus with this group is on pitchers who also have starter traits as well.

 

Jimmy Lewis, RHP, Dodgers: The Dodgers drafted Lewis, 19, in the supplemental second round (No. 78 overall) last year after his velocity ticked up during his senior year to sit in the low-90s and touch 95 mph. At 6-foot-6, 200 pounds with easy arm action, Lewis has room on his frame to add strength and potentially kick his fastball into another gear. Lewis has starter traits, with good body control for a big man to throw frequent strikes, a curveball that flashes above-average and feel for a changeup.

 

Brayan Medina, RHP, Padres: The top-ranked 16-year-old international signing in the 2019 class, Medina is 6-foot-1, 195 pounds and has already reached 95 mph, with the arm speed and physical projection there for him to eventually throw 100 mph. His slider has sharp bite when it's on and has above-average potential, rounding out his three-pitch mix with feel for a changeup with fading action. He can lose the strike zone at times when he overthrows, but he has the athleticism that should help him make adjustments and repeat his delivery with more reps.

 

Kendall Williams, RHP, Blue Jays: Williams, a second-round pick last year, is a 19-year-old with projectable qualities to his full arsenal of pitches. He has a huge frame (6-foot-6, 200 pounds) with room to grow a low-90s fastball that can hit 95 mph and impressive ability to manipulate his secondary pitches stands out, with nothing consistently plus now but feel for his curveball, slider and changeup to go with solid strike-throwing ability.

 

Chris Mokma, RHP, Marlins: A 12th-round pick in 2019, Mokma passed on a Michigan State commitment to sign with the Marlins for $557,000. The Michigan native has a lot of space to fill out his athletic 6-foot-4, 190-pound frame, with bigger velocity gains possible from a fastball that registers in the low-90s. With good spin on his curveball and a good delivery, Mokma has starter attributes to remain in the rotation.

 

marlins-900x635.jpg (1)

Marlins Catch Chris Mokma In 12th Round

The Michigan prep righthander not only has the stuff to succeed but also a team-first mentality and drive to win.

 

Raul Rangel, RHP, Orioles: The Orioles added a promising mix of arms in their 2019 international signing class, including Rangel, a 6-foot-4, 155-pound righthander from Venezuela. It's a tall, extremely thin frame that should hold another 50 or more pounds and allow him to add significant velocity once that happens. He already throws relatively hard for 17, reaching 93 mph with the potential to throw in the mid-to-upper 90s eventually. He shows feel for a curveball and changeup as well, giving him the building blocks to be a starting pitcher.

 

Adam Kloffenstein, RHP, Blue Jays: Kloffenstein was 17 when the Blue Jays drafted him in the third round of the 2018 draft, then spent nearly all of 2019 as an 18-year-old carving up a short-season Northwest League heavy on college draft picks. Now 19, Kloffenstein has an extra-large, power pitcher's build (6-foot-5, 245 pounds), though he stands out more for his touch and feel on the mound rather than overpowering present stuff. There may be room for Kloffenstein to squeeze out a little more from a fastball that sits 90-93 mph and reaches 95, with a knack for imparting spin on both his curveball and slider that are average or better pitches and could both be plus in the future, along with good control.

 

Jerming Rosario, RHP, Dodgers: Rosario was trending up before July 2, 2018, when he signed with the Dodgers for $650,000. The helium kept coming for Rosario, who was throwing 91 mph when he signed, touched 93 mph later in the year and then reached 95 mph during the 2019 season in the Dominican Summer League. With his lean build and quick arm, there could be more velocity coming for Rosario, who held an ERA of 0.79 with a 43-15 K-BB mark in 43.1 innings in his pro debut. An athletic pitcher who repeats his delivery well and throws strikes, Rosario projects to stick as a starter, with his changeup his go-to secondary pitch.

 

Joseph Yabbour, RHP, Twins: A 2019 international signing from Venezuela, Yabbour's velocity has trended up since his amateur days. He touched 91 mph before signing, but by the end of Dominican instructional league in November, he reached 94 mph. With his arm speed, physical projection and youth—Yabbour is still 16—he should be able to more consistently throw in the mid-90s or better within the next few years.

 

Junior Santos, RHP, Mets: Santos is 18, 6-foot-8 and reaches the mid-90s. He's athletic and flexible for his size, with room on his frame to add weight and potentially throw harder when that happens. He struggled last season in an aggressive assignment to the Rookie-level Appalachian League, where he had a 5.09 ERA with 36 strikeouts and 25 walks in 40.2 innings. But while Santos needs to improve his command, he has surprising body coordination for an 18-year-old with his size. If he has to move to the bullpen down the road, there's a greater chance for his stuff to kick into another gear in short bursts, as it did with fellow 6-foot-8 righthander Dellin Betances.

 

Elvis Garcia, RHP, Astros: Garcia has been trending up since the Astros signed him last year out of Venezuela, with a fastball that reached 91 mph as an amateur and has since hit 94 mph and the movement that helps him miss bats when he attacks hitters up in the zone. Garcia isn't that big (6 feet, 165 pounds), but he has the arm speed, fluid arm action and mechanics for him to throw harder with more strength gains. His sharp-breaking curveball is a potential plus pitch and he's shown feel for a changeup as well to project as a starter.

 

Eury Perez, RHP, Marlins: Perez signed for $200,000 out of the Dominican Republic last year on July 2 as a 16-year-old with a fastball that was mostly in the mid-80s. At the time, he was 6-foot-5, 155 pounds, but he put on 30 pounds by the end of Dominican instructional league, started a long toss program and his fastball crept up to 92 mph. There's still ample space on his frame to add more weight and eventually throw in the mid-to-upper 90s, with unusual body coordination for someone with his build to be able to throw strikes well for his age.

[BlueRocky]

There’s been studies done on pitchers that go to college from HS that suggest the largest leap of stuff often happens between 18 to 20 year by year. It’s not uncommon to see an arm throw 88-92 mph at 18, then with some professional strength and conditioning, improve to 91-95, then 93-97 by they’re 20 & 21. Both Adam Kloffenstein and Kendall Williams have added strength since the draft. Though neither are known for being fireballers despite their size, I wouldn’t be surprised to see 97mph readings when they reach double-A. They’re still just scratching the surface of their ceiling.

 

Both have been on record of working on their breaking balls, particularly the slider and changeup has been their main focus in the lower minors and Kendall already has a fairly decent curveball.

Edited May 23, 2020 by BlueRocky

[BlueRocky]

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/the-wild-west-milb-teams-on-chopping-block-scramble-to-find-mlb-partner/

'The Wild West:' MiLB Teams On Chopping Block Scramble To Find MLB Partner

 

By J.J. Cooper on May 20, 2020

 

Editors note: The story has been updated to reflect MLB's term sheet spelling out the 120 full season teams is for the 2021 season.

 

With Major League Baseball’s office deeply involved in negotiations with the Major League Baseball Players Association, there has yet to be any official meetings between MLB and Minor League Baseball’s negotiating committees since they met online on April 22.

 

But while the negotiations for the future of Minor League Baseball may be largely on hold until the fate of the 2020 MLB season is resolved, the environment around the minor leagues has gotten significantly more complex in the last couple of weeks.

 

When the two sides meet again, there is an expectation that MLB will have a term sheet, laying out which 120 teams will be part of full season baseball in 2021, and which leagues they will play in. They also will spell out the details of the license agreements that they are proposing to replace the current player development contract (PDC) process by which MLB teams and MiLB teams currently form affiliations.

 

MiLB teams are jockeying for safe landing spots in advance of the expected changes. While no agreement has been reached between Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball, both MLB clubs and MiLB owners are nearly universally operating under the expectation that there will be 120 full-season affiliated teams in 2021 whenever an agreement is reached. That would mean some 40 current MiLB teams will no longer be part of affiliated ball after this season.

 

Multiple MLB front office officials and multiple MiLB owners also said it is also their expectation that MLB will be in charge of directing affiliated Minor League Baseball in 2021 (even if no such agreement has yet been reached).

 

With everyone viewing the elimination of 40 or more teams as a fait accompli, many teams are working to try to find a spot among the 120 that will remain in affiliated ball. Some MiLB teams that fear they will be eliminated from affiliated ball in 2021 are looking to make deals to try to save themselves. MLB clubs have also begun discussions looking at preferable affiliation situations for them as well.

 

Multiple MiLB owners and officials described the current environment as the “wild West.” That is in part because no one is sure if anyone will be punished for making such contacts.

 

Major League Baseball officials have contacted MLB teams to get their opinions on their preferences and desires for affiliates. While MLB teams do not expect to receive all their requested affiliates from their wishlists, the balance of power in affiliation agreements between MLB teams and their minor league clubs will clearly shift. MLB teams will have much more leeway to determine their affiliation in the franchise license agreements that are expected to replace PDCs in 2021 and beyond. Those license agreements are expected to be lengthier than the current two-year PDC agreements.

 

The open season for discussions has created incentives for teams to skirt around or even directly violate current rules. According to the Professional Baseball Agreement that governs the relationship between the minors and majors, MiLB teams and MLB clubs who are not currently affiliated are not permitted to have discussions about potential future affiliations outside of the player development contract negotiation window at the end of every other MiLB season. The next open window would be this September.

 

But since there is expectation that there will no longer be PDC’s after this season, MLB appears to be adopting a hands-off approach as MLB and MiLB teams try to find pairings. It is being viewed by many as a necessary step since all affiliations may be set long before the normal PDC negotiating window opens in September.

 

MiLB has also not stepped yet to stop these discussions.

 

“We haven’t had any clubs report any inappropriate negotiations,” MiLB senior director of communications Jeff Lantz said. “It’s clearly against MiLB rules to negotiate with another affiliate before the PDCs expire.”

 

While there could be further negotiations, it is viewed among everyone Baseball America has talked to as likely that MLB will largely determine who are the 120 teams that go forward. Anytime a new team is moved onto the list of 120, it creates potential multiple additional effects to other teams and leagues, so there isn’t much flexibility in further changing the list.

 

With that term sheet looming on the horizon, many MiLB teams feel significant pressure to find partners. According to a significant number of sources with knowledge of the situation, multiple MiLB teams that expect to be dropped from affiliated ball before next season have talked to MLB teams about the possibility of getting the MLB club to buy into their team. The idea is that the MLB team would then be able to protect the MiLB team from being contracted and provide long-term security.

 

Of the 33 teams on the initial contraction lists in leagues with Player Development Contracts, only one (Grand Junction) was owned by an MLB team’s owner. Of the 118 current MiLB teams on the initial “safe” list, MLB owners either are the majority owner or a minority shareholder with 30-40 of them. (Different sources provide different numbers for how many teams have MLB ownership and the ownership shares are opaque enough that it is a difficult number to pin down precisely.)

 

For MiLB clubs (and to some extent MLB teams) the perceived danger of sitting back and waiting for decisions to be made is viewed as riskier than running the risk of violating MiLB’s current rules. MiLB teams expecting to be eliminated from affiliated ball see plenty of upside in finding a MLB suitor.

 

For any team that moves from being on the cut-list to being safe, another team will have to be added to the list of teams dropped from affiliated baseball. So that first wave of discussions between MLB and MiLB teams led some MiLB teams who considered themselves safe to also consider discussions to ensure they have a safe landing spot.

 

If an MiLB team gave an MLB team an ownership stake in its club for no compensation or at well below-market value value, it could raise legal questions, according to multiple MiLB owners. But determining fair market value right now is quite difficult. With the MiLB season currently suspended because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, MiLB teams are facing significant financial losses. It has put the economic viability of some teams into question.

 

At this point, many MiLB operators expect that the minor league season will officially be cancelled at some point after the 2020 MLB season plan is finalized. In preparation for that likelihood, some MLB teams have already begun furloughing minor league coaches. Many MiLB teams have laid off or furloughed staff as well.

 

A further wave of layoffs and furloughs by many MiLB front offices is expected by the start of July. Many MiLB teams received Payroll Protection Program funds. To have those loans forgiven, teams had to keep employees on their payroll for eight weeks. MiLB teams across the board are expected to meet those terms to reach loan forgiveness by the end of June. After that, the expectation is that teams will make further significant cuts to payrolls.

 

That difficult economic environment already has likely depressed franchise values. The expected contraction to 120 teams for the 2021 season clouds franchise values further.

 

While an MiLB team simply giving away equity to an MLB team (in exchange for protection from contraction) could lead to lawsuits, multiple MiLB officials said it would be hard at this point to determine what fair market value is. Unlike MLB clubs, MiLB teams are not permitted to borrow against the value of their franchise, which limits teams ability to raise funds to meet expenses at a time when almost no income is being received.

 

If a MiLB club that is having trouble covering its current expenses sold a 50 percent stake to an MLB club for far below what their previous franchise valuations would indicate, a case could be constructed that such a deal is reasonable during the current difficult economic environment..

 

The upshot of all these negotiations is no one in MiLB is fully sure what teams are still on the slate to be eliminated from affiliated baseball for 2021 and which teams may have gone from being safe to being on shaky ground.

 

Even the very structure of the expected MLB proposal isn’t 100 percent certain. A number of sources indicated that three West Coast teams have expressed to MLB that they would prefer to keep their current low Class A affiliations rather than move to the Northwest League, which is expected to field six low Class A teams for West Coast MLB clubs.

 

There are only eight West Coast clubs, so if three balk at moving to the Northwest League, the geographical advantages of a West Coast low Class A league could become a liability--East Coast and Midwest teams have frequently complained in the past about being stuck in minor league cities on the West Coast, something MLB has worked to avoid in their discussions on reorganizing the minor leagues.

[metafour]

So it appears that Hagen Danner has converted to pitching:

 

 

[Brownie19]

Interesting. It didn't look like hitting was his thing...

[Spanky__99]

FWIW i have no moral compass so I'm always happy to post anything from BA, BP, TheAthletic.

 

Could you post the BA 2020 farm ranking article, friendo? I know we were 6th but no-one posted it on here.

[Slade]

Could you post the BA 2020 farm ranking article, friendo? I know we were 6th but no-one posted it on here.

 

https://www.baseballamerica.com/rankings/2020-mlb-organization-talent-rankings/

 

 

1

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Tampa Bay Rays

Notes:

2019 Midseason: 1 |2019 Preseason: 2 | 2018: 5 | 2017: 11 | 2016: 13 | 2015: 17 | 2014: 20

 

8 Top 100 prospects: SS Wander Franco (1), LHP/DH Brendan McKay (14), 2B Vidal Brujan (51), RHP Shane Baz (71), RHP Brent Honeywell (80), LHP Shane McClanahan (83), 2B Xavier Edwards (85), RHP Joe Ryan (98)

 

Skinny: The Rays have produced a steady stream of productive big leaguers thanks to solid drafting, player development and excellent pro scouting for trades. As impressive as their farm system has been, they haven’t had a prospect like Wander Franco in quite a while.

 

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2

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San Diego Padres

Notes:

2019 Midseason: 2 |2019 Preseason: 1 | 2018: 3 | 2017: 9 | 2016: 25 | 2015: 14 | 2014: 6

 

6 Top 100 prospects: LHP MacKenzie Gore (6), RHP Luis Patiño (18), SS CJ Abrams (22), OF Taylor Trammell (73), C Luis Campusano (79), LHP Adrian Morejon (89)

 

Skinny: Even after graduating Fernando Tatis Jr., Chris Paddack and others, the Padres’ system still boasts both star power and depth. MacKenzie Gore and Luis Patiño lead a deep well of pitchers, while 2019 draftee CJ Abrams gives them a new potential frontline position player.

 

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3

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Los Angeles Dodgers

Notes:

2019 Midseason: 5 |2019 Preseason: 9 | 2018: 9 | 2017: 2 | 2016: 1 | 2015: 3 | 2014: 14

 

7 Top 100 prospects: SS Gavin Lux (4), RHP Dustin May (20), RHP Brusdar Graterol (60), C Keibert Ruiz (81), RHP Tony Gonsolin (82), RHP Josiah Gray (84), C Diego Cartaya (97)

 

Skinny: Gavin Lux and Dustin May give the Dodgers a pair of potential stars who have already seen the big leagues. With a deep group of prospects at all levels behind them, the Dodgers’ player development machine shows no signs of slowing down. Very few teams maintain top farm systems this long while contending for World Series titles.

 

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4

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Atlanta Braves

Notes:

2019 Midseason: 4 | 2019 Preseason: 4 | 2018: 1 | 2017: 1 | 2016: 3 | 2015: 29 | 2014: 26

 

4 Top 100 prospects: OF Cristian Pache (12), OF Drew Waters (36), RHP Ian Anderson (44), RHP Kyle Wright (64)

 

Skinny: The fall is coming. Two years from now, the Braves will likely rank among the bottom third in terms of farm system talent. By then, Atlanta will have graduated a steady stream of productive big leaguers, however, stretching back to Ozzie Albies’ 2017 arrival.

 

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5

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Seattle Mariners

Notes:

2019 Midseason: 11 | 2019 Preseason: 14 | 2018: 30 | 2017: 21 | 2016: 28 | 2015: 24 | 2014: 25

 

5 Top 100 Prospects: OF Julio Rodriguez (8), OF Jarred Kelenic (11), 1B Evan White (54), RHP Logan Gilbert (59), SS Noelvi Marte (92)

 

Skinny: The Mariners’ rebuild has picked up significant momentum thanks to the outfield duo of Julio Rodriguez and Jarred Kelenic. There’s still plenty of work to do in Seattle, but having a pair of potential impact middle-of-the order bats is a great start.

 

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6

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Toronto Blue Jays

Notes:

2019 Midseason: 6 |2019 Preseason: 3 | 2018: 8 | 2017: 20 | 2016: 24 | 2015: 9 | 2014: 15

 

3 Top 100 prospects: RHP Nate Pearson (7), SS Jordan Groshans (29), RHP Simeon Woods-Richardson (61)

 

Skinny: Graduating two top 10 overall prospects like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette would usually sink a team in these rankings, but the Blue Jays still have one of the game’s top farm systems. It’s a balanced group with star potential at the top in Nate Pearson and Jordan Groshans and prospect depth throughout each level.

 

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7

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Chicago White Sox

Notes:

2019 Midseason: 3 | 2019 Preseason: 6 | 2018: 4 | 2017: 5| 2016: 23 | 2015: 20 | 2014: 24

 

4 Top 100 prospects OF Luis Robert (2), 1B Andrew Vaughn (30), RHP Michael Kopech (33), 2B Nick Madrigal (48)

 

Skinny: Chicago’s top four of Luis Robert, Andrew Vaughn, Michael Kopech and Nick Madrigal is hazardous enough to other teams that it should come with a warning from the surgeon general. The system’s depth falls off quickly afterward.

 

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8

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Minnesota Twins

Notes:

2019 Midseason: 7 | 2019 Preseason: 7 | 2018: 12 | 2017: 22 | 2016: 10 | 2015: 2 | 2014: 3

 

5 Top 100 prospects: SS Royce Lewis (26), OF Alex Kirilloff (31), OF Trevor Larnach (45), Jordan Balazovic (95), RHP Jhoan Duran (96)

 

Skinny: The Twins led the American League Central last year with 102 wins. They also have the division’s best farm system— just ahead of the nearly rebuilt White Sox. Minnesota has a nice mix of high-impact prospects followed by a large number of lower-impact, close-to-the-majors depth.

 

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Miami Marlins

Notes:

2019 Midseason: 8 | 2019 Preseason: 13 | 2018: 24 | 2017: 29 | 2016: 29 | 2015: 25 | 2014: 27

 

5 Top 100 Prospects: RHP Sixto Sanchez (16), OF JJ Bleday (46), OF Jesus Sanchez (58), RHP Edward Cabrera (68), SS Jazz Chisholm (88)

 

Skinny: The Marlins’ steady stream of trades, plus some improved returns from the draft have paid off in a farm system that is significantly better than it has been in years. The system is still a little thinner than would be ideal, but the Top 10 Prospects have taken a big step forward.

 

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10

Dbacks

Arizona Diamondbacks

Notes:

2019 Midseason: 16 | 2019 Preseason: 21 | 2018: 26 | 2017: 28 | 2016: 22 | 2015: 6 | 2014: 13

 

5 Top 100 prospects: C Daulton Varsho (53), SS Geraldo Perdomo (72), OF Kristian Robinson (74), OF Alek Thomas (87), OF Corbin Carroll (90)

 

Notes: If you want to pick a team that could climb into the top three next year, the D-backs are a good choice. The majority of their talent is at the lower levels. While there is plenty of risk, there’s enough prospect depth here that several players could quickly climb into Top 100 Prospects consideration in 2020.

 

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11

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Detroit Tigers

Notes:

2019 Midseason: 13 | 2019 Preseason: 15 | 2018: 20 | 2017: 25 | 2016: 26 | 2015: 30 | 2014: 28

 

5 Top 100 Prospects:: RHP Casey Mize (13), RHP Matt Manning (17), LHP Tarik Skubal (34), OF Riley Greene (49), 3B Isaac Paredes (100)

 

Notes: Under general manager Al Avila, Detroit has amassed elite pitching at the top of the system. Casey Mize, the No. 1 pick of the 2018 draft, leads a crop of talented young arms that received a boost from breakout lefthander Tarik Skubal, who managed to dominate across two levels of the minors.

 

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12

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Baltimore Orioles

Notes:

2019 Midseason: 9 | 2019 Preseason: 22 | 2018: 17 | 2017: 27 | 2016: 27 | 2015: 28 | 2014: 12

 

3 Top 100 prospects: C Adley Rutschman (5), RHP Grayson Rodriguez (35), LHP DL Hall (47)

 

Skinny: This system is on the rise and it’s only going to get better. By next year’s Prospect Handbook, the Orioles will have added yet another massive draft class to a system that is unlikely to graduate any of its top three prospects in 2020.

 

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13

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St. Louis Cardinals

Notes:

2019 Midseason: 17 | 2019 Preseason: 10 | 2018: 13 | 2017: 12 | 2016: 14 | 2015: 15 | 2014: 7

 

3 Top 100 prospects: OF Dylan Carlson (10), LHP Matthew Liberatore (42), 3B Nolan Gorman (55)

 

Skinny: Dylan Carlson, Nolan Gorman and trade acquisition Matthew Liberatore give the Cardinals a trio of potential standouts to work with, followed by a solid group of players ready to help in the majors soon. The system drops off considerably, however, particularly at the lower levels.

 

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14

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San Francisco Giants

Notes:

2019 Midseason: 14 | 2019 Preseason: 28 | 2018: 25 | 2017: 24 | 2016: 19 | 2015: 26 | 2014: 19

 

3 Top 100 prospect: SS Marco Luciano (19), C Joey Bart (32), OF Heliot Ramos (63)

 

Skinny: If Marco Luciano is as good as scouts believe he can be, this will be the lowest the Giants will rank over the next few years. Some very astute signings on the international amateur side have helped pushed this farm system up the rankings.

 

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15

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Oakland Athletics

Notes:

2019 Midseason: 12 | 2019 Preseason: 11 | 2018: 18 | 2017: 17 | 2016: 18 | 2015: 19 | 2014: 23

 

3 Top 100 prospects: LHP Jesus Luzardo (9), LHP A.J. Puk (21), C Sean Murphy (41)

 

Skinny: It’s always better to have stars than depth. Stars win titles, while depth can often be found on the free agent market at an inexpensive price. The A’s have potential stars in Jesus Luzardo, A.J. Puk and even Sean Murphy. The depth? The front office will have to keep being creative to fill holes.

 

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16

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Los Angeles Angels

Notes:

2019 Midseason: 18 | 2019 Preseason: 12 | 2018: 14 | 2017: 30 | 2016: 30 | 2015: 27 | 2014: 30

 

2 Top 100 prospects: OF Jo Adell (2), OF Brandon Marsh (43)

 

Skinny: Jo Adell and Brandon Marsh are arguably the best pair of outfield prospects in any system. The system quickly drops off after that, but for an organization that has been making every move to try to not waste Mike Trout’s prime years, having Adell ready to contribute is a big asset.

 

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17

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New York Yankees

Notes:

2019 Midseason: 21 | 2019 Preseason: 20 | 2018: 2 | 2017: 3 | 2016: 16 | 2015: 19 | 2014: 18

 

3 Top 100 prospect: OF Jasson Dominguez (38), RHP Clarke Schmidt (62), RHP Deivi Garcia (65)

 

Notes: After the threesome of multitalented newcomer Jasson Dominguez and upper-level righthanders Deivi Garcia and Clarke Schmidt, the Yankees system’s strength is its upside. The group is filled with players with high-ceiling, high-variance futures who have years to go before they make an impact in the big leagues. Or not.

 

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Kansas City Royals

Notes:

2019 Midseason: 19 | 2019 Preseason: 27 | 2018: 29 | 2017: 26 | 2016: 21 | 2015: 13 | 2014: 8

 

3 Top 100 prospects: SS Bobby Witt Jr. (24), LHP Daniel Lynch (39), RHP Jackson Kowar (78)

 

Skinny: In 2018, the Royals received excellent performances from the hitters they drafted in 2017. While Nick Pratto and MJ Melendez hit a wall when they moved to high Class A Wilmington in 2019, that was balanced out by the strong season by many of the pitchers the Royals drafted in 2018.

 

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Cleveland Indians

Notes:

2019 Midseason: 10 | 2019 Preseason: 16 | 2018: 21 | 2017: 18 | 2016: 17 | 2015: 23 | 2014: 17

 

2 Top 100 prospects: 3B Nolan Jones (50), SS Tyler Freeman (69)

 

Skinny: The Indians have an extremely young farm system, which carries risks and possible rewards. The system is stacked with high-upside prospects who also have a wide range of potential outcomes. This system could climb or dive significantly in the next year.

 

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Boston Red Sox

Notes:

2019 Midseason 22 | 2019 Preseason: 30 | 2018: 23 | 2017: 14 | 2016: 4 | 2015: 5 | 2014: 2

 

3 Top 100 prospects: 1B Triston Casas (70), 3B Bobby Dalbec (75), SS/2B Jeter Downs (86)

 

Skinny: Strong seasons by Bobby Dalbec, Bryan Mata and Jarren Duran gave the system a boost. Trading Mookie Betts hurt the MLB team, but did boost the minors' talent. The return of Jay Groome will be the fulcrum point for determining how this system looks in 2020.

 

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Texas Rangers

Notes:

2019 Midseason: 27 | 2019 Preseason: 25 | 2018: 22 | 2017: 23 | 2016: 7 | 2015: 11 | 2014: 9

 

2 Top 100 prospects: 3B Josh Jung (93), C Sam Huff (99)

 

Notes: The Rangers don’t have an elite prospect, which is concerning for a team coming off three straight losing seasons. They do have a deep system, though, mostly at the lower levels and especially from their young Latin American signings. This system could climb significantly in 2020 as those young players mature.

 

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Chicago Cubs

Notes:

2019 Midseason: 29 | 2019 Preseason: 29 | 2018: 28 | 2017: 16 | 2016: 20 | 2015: 1 | 2014: 4

 

3 Top 100 prospects: LHP Brailyn Marquez (37), SS/OF Nico Hoerner (40), OF Brennen Davis (94)

 

Skinny: Towering lefty Brailyn Marquez took as big of a jump as any pitcher in the minors and has drawn comparisons to both Aroldis Chapman and David Price. Nico Hoerner got a taste of the big leagues, too. The system still has a ways to go to return to prominence, however.

 

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Pittsburgh Pirates

Notes:

2019 Midseason: 20 | 2019 Preseason: 18 | 2018: 16 | 2017: 7 | 2016: 11 | 2015: 7 | 2014: 1

 

3 Top 100 prospects: RHP Mitch Keller (52), 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes (56), SS Oneil Cruz (57)

 

Notes: The Pirates have a new general manager and a revamped approach. It will be a while before everyone sees what that means for a system that has done a decent job at producing hitters but has struggled mightily to get its top pitchers to go from being prospects to successful big leaguers.

 

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Washington Nationals

Notes:

2019 Midseason: 24 | 2019 Preseason: 17 | 2018: 15 | 2017: 19 | 2016: 5 | 2015: 12 | 2014: 21

 

2 Top 100 prospects: SS Carter Kieboom (15), SS Luis Garcia (91)

 

Notes: Basking in the glow of the franchise’s first World Series title, it’s worth honoring the fact that Washington has produced three homegrown franchise talents in the past 10 years—Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper and Juan Soto. There’s no Soto in the system right now, but the top handful of prospects are talented.

 

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New York Mets

Notes:

2019 Midseason: 28 | 2019 Preseason: 19 | 2018: 27 | 2017: 15 | 2016: 15 | 2015: 4 | 2014: 10

 

2 Top 100 prospects: SS Ronny Mauricio (66), C Francisco Alvarez (67)

 

Skinny: The Mets’ system is long on upside but short on proximity or depth. A robust international scouting effort yielded shortstop Ronny Mauricio and catcher Francisco Alvarez, the system’s top two prospects, while a highupside 2019 draft class could pay off big if Brett Baty, Josh Wolf and Matt Allan click.

 

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Philadelphia Phillies

Notes:

2019 Midseason: 25 | 2019 Preseason: 23 | 2018: 7 | 2017: 6 | 2016: 8 | 2015: 22 | 2014: 22

 

2 Top 100 prospects: RHP Spencer Howard (27), 3B Alec Bohm (28)

 

Notes: Spencer Howard and Alec Bohm could help the big league club in the near future, but Philadelphia’s impact talent drops off pretty quickly after that pair. There are a lot of potential role players and potential bullpen arms, but few regulars or starting pitchers.

 

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Houston Astros

Notes:

2019 Midseason: 15 |2019 Preseason: 5 | 2018: 11 | 2017: 4 | 2016: 2 | 2015: 10 | 2014: 5

 

1 Top 100 prospect: RHP Forrest Whitley (25)

 

Notes: In some ways this is the normal life cycle of a team that continually contends. Trades and graduations have gutted much of the team’s high-end prospect depth. The upcoming draft penalties for sign-stealing may make the bottoming out rougher than normal.

 

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Cincinnati Reds

Notes:

2019 Midseason: 23 | 2019 Preseason: 8 | 2018: 10 | 2017: 13 | 2016: 12 | 2015: 16 | 2014: 16

 

2 Top 100 prospects: RHP Hunter Greene (76), LHP Nick Lodolo (77)

 

Notes: The graduation of top prospect Nick Senzel and various trades have worn the system down. Hunter Greene is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, but the team does have interesting positional talent, albeit far away from the big leagues.

 

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Colorado Rockies

Notes:

2019 Midseason: 26 | 2019 Preseason: 24 | 2018: 19 | 2017: 10 | 2016: 6 | 2015: 8 | 2014: 11

 

1 Top 100 prospect: SS Brendan Rodgers (23)

 

Notes: The Rockies have a number of bat-first prospects who all reside on the low end of the defensive spectrum. It’s likely that this group will produce a first baseman or two who are useful big leaguers in the next few years, but the system is thinner at up-the-middle defensive positions.

 

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Milwaukee Brewers

Notes:

2019 Midseason: 30 | 2019 Preseason: 26 | 2018: 6 | 2017: 8 | 2016: 9 | 2015: 21 | 2014: 29

 

0 Top 100 prospects:

 

Notes: Yes, the Brewers rank 30th. They have graduated their best prospects—Keston Hiura had an impressive big league debut in 2019—and they now draft at the back of the first round. This system likely won’t improve for a while, but that’s a tradeoff for the Brewers’ first back-to-back playoff appearances since 1981 and ’82.

[BlueRocky]

Good interviews here from spring 2020:

 

Alek Manoah:

 

Simeon Woods-Richardson:

 

Adam Kloffenstein:

 

Kendall Williams:

[King]

Adam Kloffenstein looks like a younger Kevin Kiermaier

[BlueRocky]

[Krylian]

 

Personally, I'd flip Orelvis and Alejandro...but I'm digging that list and our specs.

[43211234]

That top 7 is such a strong group of prospects.

[Ziggyy108]

 

Anthony Kay, Joey Murray, Thomas Hatch

[Krylian]

Anthony Kay, Joey Murray, Thomas Hatch

 

Ya. Kay should be there.

[BlueRocky]

Personally, I'd flip Orelvis and Alejandro...but I'm digging that list and our specs.

 

I think Orelvis is going to climb the ladder quickly and enter Top 100 prospect lists as soon as next year, his future is very bright. I think Kirk and Manoah are on the cusp of entering Top 100 status had there been a minor league season, and further along in their development.

 

Ya. Kay should be there.

 

He should, I actually thought about including Kay in the top 10. I ultimately went with Adam Kloffenstein as I’m really high on him and he should be a mainstay on that list.

 

This wasn’t meant to be a Top 20 list. As twitter has a character limit, I regret having to leave out a few guys as I believe they’d graduate very quickly, like Kay, McGuire, Hatch, Merryweather, etc. Joey Murray is a good name, I should’ve tried fitting him in there.

 

But thanks for your feedback guys! I’ll keep that in mind when we do our official prospect rankings update on the website.

Edited June 14, 2020 by BlueRocky

[Slade]

This is probably the deepest our system has ever been and that is with 4 graduations last year. And next month we add even more talent to our system with the J2 signings.

[P2F]

This is probably the deepest our system has ever been and that is with 4 graduations last year. And next month we add even more talent to our system with the J2 signings.

 

Vlad, Bo, Biggio, Jansen, and Thornton.

[BlueRocky]

[THANOS]

 

Best part

 

Here’s an example. Having long viewed Bichette’s quick path to the majors as one he’d like to emulate, when Groshans first got a chance to meet the Blue Jays shortstop in Dunedin, he knew exactly what he wanted to ask him. It was about the first extended slump of Bichette’s life, which came when he was a 20-year-old in double-A. He was chasing pitches he shouldn’t have, making approach changes he didn’t need to. The first four months of the season wore on him mentally, sapping his confidence as failure compounded. But in the final weeks of the season Bichette pulled himself out of the tailspin, went on a tear, and became a big-leaguer a year later. Groshans wanted to know what Bichette did to get out of it. And what he should do if and when the same thing happens to him.

 

“The biggest thing is how to handle failure at this level,” Groshans says. “He was 20-years-old, hitting .280, and he was hard on himself about it. And he was telling me, like, you just can’t do that. When you’re 0-for-15, 0-for-20 — you don’t get down on yourself or change your mentality. You learn from it. You learn what you’re doing, learn how to adjust. But more than anything, you don’t ever doubt yourself. You always believe you’re the best guy on the field. Just hearing that from him, that was huge. Because that’s how I think.”

 

It’s not cockiness, it’s confidence — Groshans can’t say that enough. When someone texts him a tweet about his latest big night at the plate, he doesn’t get bashful, he gets bold. He doesn’t talk about if he’ll make it to the big leagues, he talks about when. He told Kelenic it’s no sweat running second in their race to the majors — he’ll just win the race to the Hall of Fame.

 

“You see Bichette, Vladdy, Cavan, guys like that — they don’t go up to the plate thinking, ‘Oh, let’s see how it goes.’ They’re looking at the pitcher like, ‘I’m going to tear you apart,’” Groshans says. “That’s what separates those guys. I think in order to be good at this game, you’ve got to be confident. You have to be. And I think that’s one thing that a lot of people in the organization like about me. I’m not one of those guys that’s going to roll over. I’m going to compete every inning, every pitch, every out. And I don’t plan on stopping that.”

[BlueRocky]

 

[BlueRocky]

https://theathletic.com/1863449/2020/06/14/for-trilingual-blue-jays-prospect-otto-lopez-home-is-where-the-baseball-is/

 

‘A special young man, a special player’: Trilingual Jays prospect Otto López

By John Lott

 

At the Blue Jays’ academy in the Dominican Republic, a Canadian scout and a 17-year-old Latino shortstop were deep in conversation. Eavesdroppers were puzzled.

 

“¿Qué idioma hablan estos chicos?” they asked.

 

“What language are these guys speaking?”

 

Everybody listening spoke Spanish. Andrew Tinnish and Otto López were speaking French, a language seldom heard in Boca Chica.

 

López was born in the Dominican Republic, moved to Montreal when he was 10 and back to his homeland at 14. When he arrived in Montreal, he spoke only Spanish.

 

“That was so difficult, so strange to me,” he recalls. “But with my baseball teammates and my friends from school, I learned my French so fast. I was so surprised.”

 

Tinnish, whose first language is English, grew up in the Ottawa area. His French lessons were more formal.

 

“I grew up taking French immersion, so my conversations with (López) would always be in French,” he says. “That was our way to communicate.”

 

Now, López speaks English too, thanks in part to another set of baseball teammates. That, and his decision to make a careful study of song lyrics.

 

Now 21, López is a promising infielder whose unusual path into professional baseball eventually led him to the team he cheered for as a kid in Canada. Over three seasons in the Toronto system, his slash line is .310/.374/.421. Primarily a shortstop, he also has played five other positions.

 

“Otto’s a special young man, a special player who has a very high work ethic and his self-drive is at an elite level. He has the drive and determination to be the best,” says Dallas McPherson, who managed López for the past two years at Vancouver and Lansing and now serves as the Jays’ skill development co-ordinator.

 

López might not have become a prospect but for a choice he made at age 14. He had to decide whether to stay or go.

 

His dad had brought him north from the Dominican Republic to take advantage of a better education system. Otto had formed friendships in Montreal. He loved it there.

 

That’s where he starred for his first organized baseball team. That’s where he eventually joined a travel squad for players who were the cream of the crop. That’s where he became a fan of Canada’s only big-league team.

 

But in repeated messages from the Dominican Republic, his uncle urged him to come home. If Otto wanted to sign with a major-league team someday, his uncle said, he needed to come home to an academy run by one of the country’s professional baseball trainers. Known as buscones, they make their living by grooming potential prospects, who can sign with the highest bidder at 16. The buscone gets a healthy cut of the signing bonus.

 

You know which option López chose. Otherwise, we probably wouldn’t be telling this story.

 

The factor that tipped the scales was simple, he says: “I love baseball so much.”

 

Last season, his third as a pro and first on a full-season team, López slashed .324/.371/.425 with 20 stolen bases for Class A Lansing. His batting average led the Midwest League. Of his 108 games, he played 82 at shortstop, but he has also played second base, third base, and all three outfield spots.

 

“Otto is sort of an under-the-radar kind of guy who has just performed,” Tinnish says. “Elite contact ability. Smart hitter, versatile defender, hard worker.”

 

Baseball America lists López at No. 11 on its list of top Blue Jays’ prospects while MLB Pipeline has him 13th. He didn’t make the cut when Keith Law of The Athletic picked his top 20 in the Toronto system.

 

“López doesn’t have flashy tools, so he doesn’t jump out immediately, but he’s a baseball rat and a gamer with a knack for barreling baseballs,” Baseball America says.

 

When he talks about López, McPherson also accentuates the positive. He also acknowledges that his pupil needs to work on improving in-game decisions about base-running and throwing to the correct base when he plays in the outfield.

 

“He seemed relatively young at times with his in-game IQ and aptitude,” McPherson says. “A lot of it is just the understanding of how to think ahead. He’s improved tremendously on that in two years.”

 

The challenge for López (and many young players) is to develop good in-game instincts, meanwhile trusting that coaches won’t rake him over the coals when he makes a mistake, McPherson says. That can take time.

 

 

López has excelled at four levels over three years. (Miguel Arcaute/Lansing Lugnuts)

“The game is like a book,” he says. “If you’re reading along, you kind of know what’s coming. Getting him to start reading the book is something that we’re constantly talking about – read the book and try to see what’s coming and then you’re able to play faster, which helps you to slow the game down.”

 

Overall, the Jays sound bullish on López, and not just for his consistent offence over three seasons.

 

“He’s a great kid,” Tinnish said. “If you polled our minor-league staff about the top five players in our organization for makeup and work ethic, he would probably appear on everybody’s list, or certainly the coaches who’ve been exposed to him.”

 

Pre-pandemic, López was headed for a promotion to Advanced-A Dunedin. Instead, he’s stuck at home with his family in Montreal, where he has turned his small backyard into a workout space – with a little help from his siblings.

 

Otto’s father had already moved to Canada for work purposes when he brought Otto and the rest of his family north. Montreal winters were a shock. So was starting school without knowing a word of French.

 

“But I was so quiet and I just listened to what they say,” he recalls. “And I had a couple friends who live close to my house who speak Spanish and French, so they helped me to speak French.”

 

His comfort level increased when he joined his first team at 11. In his earlier years, he played pickup baseball in Santo Domingo – “I just played in the street with a paper ball and taped it,” he says – but had never suited up for a real team.

 

Despite his lack of formal instruction, López soon impressed his coaches and teammates in Montreal. He could hit and throw hard, so he batted cleanup and pitched. He played almost every position, too.

 

“They were so surprised because I was just 11 and I do the job like I was 16,” he says. “Then they moved me up to a higher level. I was 11 and I was playing with guys 13 and 14.”

 

Next came a travel team that took him to Saskatchewan and Toronto for tournaments. Those trips helped to broaden his Canadian horizons.

 

“The more that I learned, the more that I love it. It was so nice for me to learn this culture that I love so much now,” he says.

 

But at 14, he left his family behind and returned to the Dominican Republic to improve his odds of landing a big-league contract.

 

“That was a hard decision for me and my family,” he says. “My dad brought me to Canada for school, to have a better life. And then my uncle saw my talent in baseball and he said, ‘Bring him back here. I’m going to put him in a baseball academy because he has a lot of talent.’”

 

Back home, he was no longer a star. He looked around and quickly discovered that he had a lot of work to do.

 

“My ability that I had was good for here,” he says, meaning Montreal, “but not for them in the Dominican. There they play all year because it’s hot. Here we only have summers. I thought I was good but I wasn’t so good for them.”

 

Dominican kids as young as 11 train with buscones. MLB teams start to scout the most promising players when they’re 13 or 14. Some buscones have lined up tentative deals with MLB clubs when a kid is 14. López was just getting started.

 

But his work – “it was so hard,” he says – paid off when Toronto signed him at 16. Two other teams also showed interest.

 

“The guy at the academy knew that I’m from Canada and he knew that one of my favourite teams was the Blue Jays. So he gave me the opportunity to sign with the Blue Jays. I was so happy about that.”

 

At 17, in his first pro season in Florida’s Gulf Coast League, López was surrounded by a mix of English and Spanish speakers. Thus began his pathway to becoming trilingual.

 

“That was where I learned my English, from American guys,” he says referring to his teammates.

 

It came harder for him than French, which he’d found similar to Spanish. English was very different, which is why many Latino players invariably cite the language barrier as their biggest obstacle when they start to play in the United States.

 

The Blue Jays provide English lessons. López complemented the curriculum by listening to music, looking up the lyrics and trying to figure out what they meant. It took him about a year before he began to feel comfortable with his newest language.

 

After a good first season in the Gulf Coast League, he earned a promotion to rookie-class Bluefield. In his seventh and eighth games, he went 7-for-11, and then, owing to an injury in Vancouver, he got the call to plug a roster spot at the next level on the system ladder.

 

Bluefield manager Dennis Holmberg told him not to get carried away. This would be a temporary move.

 

“He said, ‘You’re gonna be there for a week and then you’re gonna come back,’” López says.“And I said, ‘No, I’m not gonna come back if I go. I’m gonna prove this is not what I want, I want to be a big-leaguer and I gotta move up.’ It’s like when I was a kid in Montreal and they moved me up because I was playing good.”

 

Yes, kind of like that. In his first nine games for the Canadians, he had two three-hit games and a four-hit game. He stayed for the duration, slashed .297/.390/.434, played six positions, and earned a postseason all-star spot.

 

And he loved Vancouver.

 

“I was in Canada,” he says. “I was feeling at home. The people were so good to me.”

 

Lansing came next and with it another good season. Dunedin in 2020 would bring the toughest test yet. Except now, with their season all but officially cancelled, López and more than 6,000 other minor-league players have no idea what’s next.

 

Officially, López is listed at 5-foot-10, 160 pounds. He hit five homers for Lansing, plus 20 doubles and five triples (yes, he has plus-speed). Scouts say he has the potential for more power, despite his small frame.

 

 

López has played mainly at short and second during his pro career. (Tim Phillis/TCP Photography)

Watching López in spring camp, Tinnish saw more in that physique than met the eye last year.

 

“It’s disappointing that we’re not playing now for a lot of reasons, of course, but one of them was that he looked really strong in spring training,” Tinnish says. “He looked like he’d put on about 15 pounds of really solid weight.”

 

But like players everywhere, López saw his progress stalled in mid-March as the pandemic shut down spring training. Since then, he has been at home in Montreal, devising his own workouts in his backyard and “looking for something to learn” besides baseball.

 

“Not a big one,” he says of his backyard, “but we make an adjustment, you know?”

 

He does agility exercises and defensive positioning drills. He hits off a tee into a screen. Off to one side, his brother and sister take turns soft-tossing to help him work on his timing at the plate. They also throw ground balls to him.

 

The Jays send him baseball drills and conditioning exercises to do at home. He replies by giving them a peek at what he’s doing in his backyard.

 

“I take some video and I send it because they want to show the other guys what we can do in this quarantine,” he says.

 

Video-sharing is happening across the system. Everybody is encouraged to contribute ideas that someone else might use.

 

Says McPherson, who’s in charge of the defensive curriculum during the pandemic: “It doesn’t surprise me that Otto’s been super-resourceful during this time. He was one of the first ones to send in videos and wanting feedback on the technique of what he was doing. He’s a really gifted kid and he’s really fun to coach.”

 

As the pandemic drags on, some players are finding it harder to keep their spirits up, but López seems to be keeping the gloom at bay. It helps to have family around; besides his parents, he has five siblings, ranging in age from 18 to 40, in the Montreal area.

 

“You have to stay positive. You cannot get frustrated. I try to do some different things to change my mindset in my workouts, at home. I’m trying to cope too,” he says.

 

At that, he laughs. Then he reveals one of the “new things” he’s learning.

 

His 26-year-old brother is a barber. “He gives me a haircut. Now he’s teaching me how to cut hair,” he says, laughing again.

 

Spanish is spoken at home. On FaceTime or Zoom with his friends, he speaks French. With coaches, sometimes it’s English, sometimes Spanish, and always a universal language.

 

“Baseball everywhere is the same,” he says, “no matter what language you speak.”

 

Another great article by John Lott, doing a deeper dive into one of our rising prospect Otto Lopez. I’ve been closely monitoring him since Bluefield, and he’s made a name for himself since Vancouver.

 

His teammates have raved about him every step up in the minors, this kid can really hit, has speed to steal bases, and has athleticism to play all over the field. He primarily played shortstop in Lansing, but had also played some outfield.

 

Otto Lopez is kinda “found money” for the Blue Jays as a very low profile international signing back in the 2016 IFA period, where bonuses were restricted due to oversigning Vlad Jr for $3.9M in 2015. Multiple sources have eyed him as a rising prospect in the lower minors with potential to enter Top 100 discussions along with Hiraldo and Martinez.

Edited June 15, 2020 by BlueRocky

[Ray]

Best part

 

This regime has had mixed results when it comes to free agent signings/trades. I personally think they've been mostly fine on the trade front, but you can't argue that they've hit some big home runs when it comes to drafting. Bichette, Biggio, Pearson, Groshans, Kloffenstein, Manoah. Refreshing compared to some of the rough drafts AA had.

 

Also nice to have a player development system that's Top 5-10 compared to the antiquated system we had before.