Official MiLB/Prospects Thread

[Eat My Shatkins]

Well it seems all the interesting RP prospects we have go to AAA to die...How on earth is Connor Cooke not on this team and contributing already?

 

One of the most frustrating things about following this org lately.

 

We had a bunch of solid reliever prospects that I thought would be getting loads of MLB innigs this year and they've all gone to s*** on the Bisons. Cooke, Danner, Jeunger and the latest as you mentioned Pardihno.

[L54]

If MLB relievers are volatile then it stands to reason MiLB ones would be too

[Brownie19]

If MLB relievers are volatile then it stands to reason MiLB ones would be too

 

That's true - but literally every single RP prospect s*** the bed. It's like the opposite of volatile - it's consistency. Blue Jays RP'ing prospects go to AAA and they all die on a consistent basis.

[max silver]

 

I wonder what portion of the minor league pitching developmental woes are directly attributable to this dude.

[John_Havok]

Macko is back from his forearm soreness. Thrown 2 straight shutout appearances for Dunedin. Their season is over before he would pitch again there so ...he might get one more start at AA

[John_Havok]

Adrian Pinto also returned from injury amd has been legit mashing for Vancouver since getting back there in the admittedly Pinto-sized sample.

 

67 PA, 3 HR, 7 doubles, 1 triple and OPS north of 1.000

[Barrelsandbombs]

[Spanky__99]

 

79th overall, bro, lmao.

[BatFlip]

79th overall, bro, lmao.

 

Hahaha, exactly. Hard to s*** on the Jays here given 28 other organizations also passed on Roman (sick name btw). Kudos to Boston's draft team, that turned out to be a hell of a pick.

[Spanky__99]

[Barrelsandbombs]

High praise from Lindor

 

[Jimcanuck]

RIP Tink Hence

[Olerud363]

Lindor like a lot of guys had no power in the minors... 6 homers in 120 games when he was Nimmala's age 30 hr power when he matured in the majors.

 

If Nimmala get's the same of power boost as he matures he will hit 90 homers someday...

 

Nimmala 2029 MVP - .190 .295 .690 12 singles 14 doubles 11 triples, 90 homeruns 325 strike-outs, awesome defense, 10 WAR in a league that scores 3.5 runs a game.

[L54]

 

In 27 games with the Jays

 

.258/.378/.527

 

5 homers

 

154 wRC+

[Laika]

LOL that reaction

 

I love him

[Brownie19]

Lindor like a lot of guys had no power in the minors... 6 homers in 120 games when he was Nimmala's age 30 hr power when he matured in the majors.

 

If Nimmala get's the same of power boost as he matures he will hit 90 homers someday...

 

Nimmala 2029 MVP - .190 .295 .690 12 singles 14 doubles 11 triples, 90 homeruns 325 strike-outs, awesome defense, 10 WAR in a league that scores 3.5 runs a game.

 

Could you stop (or scale back) with this kinda crap man? It deters from the interesting things you say.

[Spanky__99]

LOL that reaction

 

I love him

 

Hahahahaha... that was sick, friendo.

[John_Havok]

another bit of Nimmala porn from Keegan Matheson, along with a few others:

 

https://www.mlb.com/bluejays/news/arjun-nimmala-showing-improvement-exciting-blue-jays

 

TORONTO -- The Blue Jays don’t just need to develop more big leaguers, they need to develop a star.

 

That’s the secret sauce. Homegrown stars, like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, allow you to spend freely and build a franchise around them. Even though it hasn’t added up to what Toronto envisioned, adding Hyun Jin Ryu, George Springer, Kevin Gausman, José Berrios, Chris Bassitt and other veterans around a young core felt like a formula for success along the way.

 

Regardless of whether Vladdy and Bichette stay beyond 2025, the Blue Jays need another wave of core players. One or two from their current busload of young infielders could separate themselves from the pack, but down in the lower levels of the Minor Leagues, No. 5 prospect Arjun Nimmala has the talent this organization can dream on.

 

This is what Toronto expected from the No. 20 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, but to see it so early from an 18-year-old has been particularly encouraging. Most importantly, he’s failed, adapted and bounced back, leaving an extremely strong impression on many in the organization.

 

Nimmala was challenged with an assignment to Single-A Dunedin right out of the gate this season … and it didn’t go well. Over 29 games, he hit just .167 and struck out 43 times in 108 at-bats. He looked overmatched against older, more experienced pitchers, because of course he did. The Blue Jays pulled Nimmala back to their complex and placed him on the development list at midseason to work on some specifics, and by the time he returned to Single-A, all of that work paid off.

 

In Nimmala’s 53 games at Single-A to finish the 2024 season, he hit .265 with 13 home runs and an .895 OPS, that unique swing with its high finish working wonders as he consistently drove the ball in the air. So many top prospects soar through the Minor Leagues without experiencing failure, which leaves an unknown variable for the biggest stage. Trying to make true adjustments for the first time against Aaron Judge or Tarik Skubal? Good luck.

 

The Blue Jays still have more advanced prospects with serious upside, most notably No. 2 prospect Orelvis Martinez, who lost much of this season to an 80-game suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. Martinez will be one of the biggest stories in camp come spring, but when we start to look a couple of years down the line -- beyond Guerrero and Bichette’s current contracts -- Nimmala is already positioning himself as a player who could climb the Top 100 list and become a potential piece of this franchise’s core.

 

 

PROSPECT NOTES

Alan Roden

Triple-A Buffalo Bisons: OF Alan Roden (No. 13)

 

Roden carried the reputation of an on-base machine into this season, which has held true. Most encouraging has been his 14 home runs, including seven with a .493 slugging percentage since his midseason promotion to Buffalo. This leaves him with a .389 on-base percentage and an .853 OPS between both levels this season, positioning Roden well to compete for a job next spring. Hitting for power will determine whether Roden can be an everyday player in the big leagues, but this organization has long struggled to develop outfielders, so he’ll have every opportunity.

 

Adam Macko

Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats: LHP Adam Macko (No. 9)

 

Macko has been building back up after an IL stint earlier this season, and he returned to Double-A on Wednesday, when he allowed six runs over four innings. Macko has posted a 4.87 ERA over 81 1/3 innings with New Hampshire this season, but at his best, his talent is still tantalizing. He’s a breakout candidate for next spring if he can stay healthy.

 

Kendry Rojas

High-A Vancouver: LHP Kendry Rojas (No. 12)

 

What a run for Rojas. He’s put up a 2.43 ERA over 55 2/3 innings in High-A, and his stuff has really popped. Getting Rojas up to a full starter’s workload is still a challenge, but regardless of which role he ends up in long-term, Toronto has some serious upside to work with. Keep Rojas’ name in mind for spring.

 

Sean Keys

Single-A Dunedin: 3B Sean Keys (No. 25)

 

Keys, the Blue Jays’ fourth-round pick this summer, is off to a fine start in pro ball. He hit .293 with an .829 OPS across 22 games in Single-A, and while that’s not much of a snapshot, Keys is an “analytics darling” who projects to have a strong plate approach.

 

BOWDEN FRANCIS ... AGAIN

Bowden Francis

For the second time in 18 days, Bowden Francis lost a no-hitter on a home run in the top of the ninth. It’s heartbreaking in the moment, but Francis has been the story of the season for the Blue Jays, a remarkable turnaround to establish himself as a legitimate MLB starter.

Here’s what Francis and manager John Schneider had to say after the game:

 

Francis: “I can do this. I can start in the big leagues. I feel like I’ve always believed that. I feel like a lot of people … I don’t know. A lot of guys lost hope early on this year. I didn’t. That’s how things go; everyone says, 'What have you done for me lately?' I feel like anyone can have two bad starts. I just feel like I’m getting my shot now, and I’m trying to make the most of it. I’m trusting my stuff and trusting the people around me.”

 

Schneider: “He’s mature. He’s really, really wise beyond his years. He does a really good job of looking at the big picture. He’ll take positives out of this, and he’ll probably laugh a little bit at the fact he’s lost two [no-hitters] in the ninth inning on home runs. I just can’t speak enough about how he’s evolved and how much he’s taken from this opportunity. It’s been so cool to watch.”

[Spanky__99]

I get that newsletter sent to me also, lol. Always decent notes when need be.

[Stangstag]

Could you stop (or scale back) with this kinda crap man? It deters from the interesting things you say.

 

He says interesting things??? 90% of his posts are weirdo ranting and complaining that Nimmala sucks

[Pendleton]

 

I hope the Twins are able to sue him to recoup the 300k signing bonus he just received in July, what a f***ing loser.

[Spanky__99]

Yikes, lots of character kid, lol.

[Laika]

He's pretty young. Stupid decision, very immature, but I don't exactly blame a guy for being burnt out after catching an entire NCAA season and then a month in A ball. Who knows why he wanted the season to be over. Mental health issues? If it's gambling related then he is f***ed. If he was thinking the other team would return the favor so he could hit some cheap homers and look better than he is, then he is f***ed. But if he was just burnt out and is depressed or something, then some team probably will sign him for nothing and get a free s***** C prospect.

[L54]

Don’t want that guy in my fox hole that’s for sure

[Brownie19]

Crash Davis did this and he's a f***ing legend. He's a 21 year old kid. Without knowing a lot about this situation, I'm going to reserve my opinion.

 

That said - I've always wondered if you could just f*** with players. Tell them what's coming - but lie about it....but only lie sometimes - keep them guessing. Could you imagine a catcher doing that in the 9th inning of a tight world series game? I think the batter would be all f***ed up! It would get old fast though - can't do it regularly.

[L54]

Nah I’m sorry but how are you ever gonna trust that guy again? Imagine you’re Ross Dunn on the mound trying to finish your season strong and this guy is getting your tits lit. Selfish behaviour

 

Maybe it was because he was hitting .200/.273/.333

[metafour]

Nah I’m sorry but how are you ever gonna trust that guy again? Imagine you’re Ross Dunn on the mound trying to finish your season strong and this guy is getting your tits lit. Selfish behaviour

 

Yeah, I'm very confused by the "it's not that big a deal" comments. The guy signed for nearly $300K - he is playing professional baseball. The idea that he is helping the other team win because "he wants the season to end" is batshit absurd. If he doesn't want to play, he should fake an injury. Has he considered that his teammates may in fact want to potentially play in the A-ball playoffs? And like you mentioned, him tipping pitches is literally f***ing his pitcher on the mound. I have no idea who Ryan Dunn is or what his prospect status is, but imagine this guy is on the cusp and this bad performance plays into him being released (had nobody found out that the catcher was tipping pitches).

[Pendleton]

Yeah I wouldn't be able to shrug it off as no big deal. It's about as unprofessional as you can get from someone paid to try and win baseball games, not to mention the complete lack of respect for his teammates and their aspirations.

[Terminator]

Was he gambling? Does he have some sort of mental issue like depression? Pretty crazy story

[L54]

Yeah, I'm very confused by the "it's not that big a deal" comments. The guy signed for nearly $300K - he is playing professional baseball. The idea that he is helping the other team win because "he wants the season to end" is batshit absurd. If he doesn't want to play, he should fake an injury. Has he considered that his teammates may in fact want to potentially play in the A-ball playoffs? And like you mentioned, him tipping pitches is literally f***ing his pitcher on the mound. I have no idea who Ryan Dunn is or what his prospect status is, but imagine this guy is on the cusp and this bad performance plays into him being released (had nobody found out that the catcher was tipping pitches).

 

They are the minority though, I think most people would find his behaviour cringe

 

But as soon as you mention mental health even speculatively some people back completely off as if it’s taboo to have an opinion afterwards