Blue Jays Minor League Recap: Buffalo Takes Two of Three and Some Excellent Pitching Performances From the Lower Levels

[Simon Li]

Here's the latest news from the Jays' minor league system. Going forward, Jays Centre will provide a recap for every two games played to give you more consistent and timely updates from down on the farm!

CURRENT W-L Records

• Buffalo Bisons: 7-14
• New Hampshire Fisher Cats: 6-8
• Vancouver Canadians: 8-9
• Dunedin Blue Jays: 9-8

FCL Blue Jays: 0-0 (Season not started)
DSL Blue Jays: 0-0 (Season not started)

TRANSACTIONS

• 04/22/25: Dunedin Blue Jays activated SS Tucker Toman from the temporarily inactive list.
• 04/22/25: Dunedin Blue Jays activated OF Sam Shaw from the 7-day injured list.
• 04/22/25: SS Jacob Lojewski assigned to FCL Blue Jays from Dunedin Blue Jays.

Buffalo Bisons

Buffalo (4), Rochester (8) - 4/22

Box Score

Buffalo started a series with the Rochester Red Wings on Tuesday. The Bisons pushed toward an early run with back-to-back singles from Jonatan Clase and Michael Stefanic, but Clase was thrown out trying to steal second base before the second hit. The bats stayed silent for a good chunk of the game. On the other hand, the pitching was fantastic, as Andrew Bash and Bobby Milacki combined to pitch six innings, only giving up five hits. They didn't surrender a single run and struck out three batters.

After Rochester took the lead in the seventh inning, Joey Loperfido launched a 360-foot home run to tie the game. The ball left the bat at 107.9 mph. Buffalo would give the run right back in the top of the ninth, ultimately sending the game into extra innings. Rochester took the lead in the top of the 10th on a single to score a run. In the bottom of the 10th, Orelvis Martinez laced a 102.8-mph double down the line to tie it up at three. Rochester would run away with the game in the 11th inning, with a five-run volley. The Bisons would add one run to end the game in another loss, this one 8-4.

Joey Loperfido: 2-5, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR

Loperfido has struggled at times at Triple-A this season, but he put together a good all-around game. Hopefully, it will start propelling him into much more consistent runs of success this season.

Bobby Milacki: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Buffalo (6), Rochester (3) - 4/23 - Game 1

Box Score

Buffalo finally got back into the win column in the first game of this doubleheader day. Lazaro Estrada started this one and put up four very solid innings. He only gave up three earned runs while striking out three hitters. He did allow one walk and six hits. It was enough for the Buffalo offense for once, though, as they put up nine hits over the seven innings. After going down three runs in the top of the 4th inning, the Bisons charged back in the bottom half of the inning and would add two runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings. The highlights were Michael Turconi driving in two runs on a single, Davis Schneider doubling in a run, Rainer Nunez hitting an RBI single, and Joey Loperfido doubling in a run as well. Kevin Gowdy would pitch a clean seventh inning to close the game out.

Davis Schneider: 1-2, 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 0 K, 1 2B

Kevin Gowdy: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Buffalo (3), Rochester (2) - 4/23 - Game 2

Box Score

The Bisons swept the doubleheader Wednesday with a 3-2 victory. It was another rough game, but Buffalo managed to pull this one out in the end. Rochester started out with the lead, thanks to a two-run second inning. That would be all the runs they would get off of new Buffalo starting pitcher Anders Tolhurst, who was making his Triple-A debut. He pitched well, going 4.2 innings while only allowing one hit, one earned run, two walks, and tallying two strikeouts. The Bisons would add two runs in the fourth inning to tie the game. Rainer Nunez rocketed a 119.6-mph double to the opposite field, and Christian Bethancourt added an RBI groundout. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Michael Stefanic drove in what would be the winning run on a single to center field.

Rainer Nunez: 1-3, 0 R, 1 RBI, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 2B

Worth mentioning again, a 119.6-mph opposite field double, in classic Nunez fashion. If he can speed up his timing, he could become more of a factor pushing toward the big leagues.

Anders Tolhurst: 4.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

Tolhurst wasn't blowing away the other team, but he worked well with a predominantly sinker/cutter combination for his pitch mix. It worked, keeping hitters off balance and generating weak contact.

New Hampshire Fisher Cats

New Hampshire (6), Binghamton (5) - 4/22

Box Score

On Tuesday night, New Hampshire started a new series against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies. It was a tough matchup for the Fisher Cats from the get-go, as Binghamton had one of their best pitchers on the mound, Jonah Tong. Yohendrick Pinango rose up to the challenge, as he led off the game with a home run to right field. In the top of the fourth inning, New Hampshire got to Tong again; this time, an Eddinson Paulino double would score Peyton Williams from second base. Tong would be removed from the game in the top of the fifth after striking out nine Fisher Cat hitters. In the bottom half of the fifth inning, Binghamton would get two runs off of Ryan Jennings to tie up the game at two apiece. That's the way the game remained until the bottom of the eighth inning, when New Hampshire continued its season-long dance with errors and committed three. Binghamton would capitalize on back-to-back errors by Paulino and a passed ball by catcher Jacob Sharp, to score four runs and take the first game of the series.

Yohendrick Pinango: 2-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 0 BB, 0 K, 2 HR

CJ Van Eyk: 5 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

New Hampshire (0), Harrisburg (3) - 4/23

Box Score

In the second game of this series, the New Hampshire bats were up against one of the early breakout arms this season in Double-A (Jack Wenninger), and they were mystified by him. For much of the first five innings, the Fisher Cats struggled to make contact, and when they did, it was just singles. Wenninger walked off the mound after the fifth inning having earned his paycheck for the game. He went five innings, gave up four hits, and struck out 10.

On the flip side, New Hampshire sent Devereaux Harrison to the mound, and he had some trouble in the first three innings. He gave up a two-run homer to Ryan Clifford in the first inning and a sacrifice fly that scored a run in the third inning. After that, he was able to settle down and shut out Binghamton across the next three innings. In the top of the seventh inning, New Hampshire had a shot to get on the scoreboard, but Gabriel Martinez got the stop sign at third base on a double to right field from Pinango. He failed to score from third base, and the Fisher Cats would not really threaten again. They would fall to Binghamton 3-0.

Yohendrick Pinango: 2-5, 2 K, 1 2B

Pinango would raise his batting average to .348 on the season and record his first double.

Devereaux Harrison: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K

Vancouver Canadians

Vancouver (2), Everett (3) - 04/22

Box Score

The Canadians lost their fourth straight as they faced the Mariners’ High-A team, the Everett AquaSox. The pitching was solid, giving up only two earned runs, but an error from Sean Keys led to JJ Sanchez giving up an extra run, and they were walked off in the ninth. The Canadians had their chances; Adrian Pinto hit another homer, and Je’Von Ward hit his first of the season. Victor Arias hit a triple with no outs, but the Canadians were unable to send him home as the middle of the order was very quiet all game.

Je’Von Ward - 1-2, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR, 1 BB, 1 K

Ward hit his first homer of the season. He was originally a 12th-round pick for the Brewers in the 2017 draft but signed with the Blue Jays out of Indy ball in June of 2024. He produced a 137 wRC+ with the Canadians in 2024, and through 10 games in 2025, he’s up to a 144 wRC+.

Grant Rogers - 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 6 K, 1 HR

Rogers has been electric for Vancouver, with another strong outing, striking out six in five innings of work. He walked four batters, but did well with runners on base, erasing all of the batters he allowed to reach. His only blemish was a homer to Carson Jones.

Vancouver (4), Everett (2) - 04/23

Box Score

The Canadians snapped their losing streak off the backs of Jackson Wentworth’s dominant pitching performance and the top of the order. Arias and Aaron Parker both scored a run and drove in a run each, and Keys had a two-RBI double in the top of the eighth to give the Canadians a 4-2 lead. The bullpen was also solid, with Jonathan Todd earning the win, giving up a run in two innings pitched off a homer to top prospect Lazaro Montes while striking out two hitters. Bo Bonds continues to be dominant; in his sixth appearance on the season, he earned his second save, striking out two batters in two innings and continuing his scoreless season.

Aaron Parker - 1-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR, 1 K

Parker has great bat speed, and it showed with his second homer of the season against the AquaSox starter Shaddon Peavyhouse.

Jackson Wentworth - 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K, 1 HR

Wentworth diced up the Everett AquaSox. With five strong innings and eight Ks, they stood no chance against him, recording only three hits, including a solo homer. Wentworth had 17 whiffs on the night. This is Wentworth’s second straight game with eight strikeouts.

Dunedin Blue Jays

Dunedin (6), Tampa (3) - 04/22

Box Score

Khal Stephen's solid start led Dunedin to win the first game of the series, as he only allowed two runs to score while striking out five in five innings pitched. The Jays and the Tarpons traded runs early, with the Jays scoring their first two off a wild pitch and an RBI single from Manuel Beltre. Then, in the sixth, the Jays took the lead, despite Edward Duran grounding into a double play. The Tarpons answered back with a sac fly, evening the game to 3-3, but in the top of the eighth, another wild pitch led to Brock Tibbitts scoring, and Braden Barry hit a two-RBI single to put the game out of reach for good. Javen Coleman earned the save, bouncing back from a rough outing previously, as he pitched two scoreless innings and notched a strikeout. 

Yeuni Munoz - 3-5, 1 R, 0 K, 1 2B

Munoz continues to rake, with a three-hit night, this time not striking out once in his five at-bats. Munoz has been one of the hottest prospects in the Jays' system, but he still does have swing and miss issues. He’ll need to cut his strikeout rate down from over 30%, but he’s been making a ton of loud contact.

Khal Stephen - 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K

He’s too good for Low-A. Another solid start with five strikeouts, he used his rising fastball as per usual but mixed in his slider a bit more, getting chases at 42.1% and limiting hard contact.

Dunedin (6), Tampa (5) - 04/23

Box Score

The Dunedin Blue Jays came into an early lead thanks to the first homer of the season from J.R. Freethy, but the Tarpons came roaring back with a homer in the fifth and then a three-run bottom of the seventh to take a 4-2 lead. Tibbitts hit a homer to bring it within one in the top of the eighth, and after Duran, Beltre, and Sam Shaw (who returned from the IL) all got on base, Yhoangel Aponte cleared the bases with a three-RBI double to give the Jays a lead that they didn’t relinquish. Nate LaRue, who was signed as a catching prospect in 2023, came into the game in relief and got the win in his first professional pitching performance.

Brock Tibbitts - 2-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 HR

Tibbitts raised his season RBI total to 13. He’s been very consistent at driving in runs on the season despite only hitting .200.

Gilberto Batista - 6.0 IP - 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 1 HR

Batista got his first start of the season, after typically piggybacking off of RHP Daniel Guerra, and he didn’t disappoint, going six strong innings with only a solo homer given up. Batista only sits around 91-93 on his fastball but can touch up to 95 mph, and his fastball has decent shape. At only 20 years old, he still has some physical projection remaining, and if he can add some ticks to his fastball, his advanced pitchability and feel will let him advance up prospect rankings.

FCL Blue Jays

No games

DSL Blue Jays

No games

Toronto Blue Jays Minor League Players of the Day

Pitcher of the Period: RHP, Jackson Wentworth, Vancouver - 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K, 1 HR

Hitter of the Period: OF, Yeuni Munoz, Dunedin - 5-10, 1 R, 0 RBI, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 2B

Prospect Summary (Last 2 Days)

1. Arjun Nimmala (Vancouver) - 1-4, 0 BB, 2 K
2. Trey Yesavage (Dunedin) - DNP
3. Ricky Tiedemann (Buffalo) - DNP
4. Orelvis Martinez (Buffalo) - 1-8, 1 RBI, 1 0 BB, 2 K, 1 2B
5. Jake Bloss (Buffalo) - DNP
6. Alan Roden (Toronto) - 0-5, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
7. Josh Kasevich (Buffalo) - DNP
8. Kendry Rojas (Vancouver) - DNP
9. Khal Stephen (Dunedin) - 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
10. Charles McAdoo (New Hampshire) - 0-7, 1 BB, 4 K
11. Adam Macko (Buffalo) - DNP
12. Landen Maroudis (Dunedin) - DNP
13. Fernando Perez (Vancouver) - DNP
14. Will Wagner (Toronto) - 0-6, 0 BB, 2 K
15. Johnny King (FCL Blue Jays) - DNP
16. Brandon Barriera (Dunedin) - DNP
17. Emmanuel Bonilla (FCL Blue Jays) - DNP
18. Juaron Watts-Brown (Vancouver) - DNP
19. Eddinson Paulino (New Hampshire) - 1-4, 1 RBI, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 2B
20. Dahian Santos (New Hampshire) - DNP

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[John_Havok]

Good stuff. 

 

Point of correction though, youre link to Peyton Williams goes to a 26 year old pitcher, not the right Peyton Williams

[Simon Li]

1 hour ago, John_Havok said:

Good stuff. 

 

Point of correction though, youre link to Peyton Williams goes to a 26 year old pitcher, not the right Peyton Williams

Good catch, should be the right link now.

[John_Havok]

13 hours ago, Simon Li said:

Good catch, should be the right link now.

NP

The Iowa Meat Truck deserves his due