Blue Jays Minor League Recap: Cates Pitches in Style, Cunningham Powers Vancouver, and Manoah Makes Progress

[Daniel Labude]

Current W-L Records

• Buffalo Bisons: 56-78
• New Hampshire Fisher Cats: 50-81
• Vancouver Canadians: 75-57 (Season Complete)
• Dunedin Blue Jays: 60-66 (Season Complete)
• FCL Blue Jays: Season Complete
• DSL Blue Jays Blue: Season Complete
• DSL Blue Jays Red: Season Complete

Transactions

• 09/06/25 - Dunedin Blue Jays activated OF Yeuni Munoz from the temporarily inactive list.

Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo (0), Syracuse (10) - 9/6
Box Score

Buffalo had a rough go of it Saturday versus Syracuse. Alek Manoah was on the mound for the Bisons, and it was a bit of a mixed bag. He showed much improved command of his pitches at times and only walked one batter. On the flip side, he surrendered six hits in 5.2 innings pitched and was charged with two earned runs. The defense was not up to par behind Manoah, as Buffalo committed two errors that would lead to five unearned runs against Manoah as well. José Azócar homered in the second inning for the Mets, and Jose Siri launched a long ball in a six-run fourth inning. Ryan Clifford hit a three-run home run in the seventh to give the Mets a 10-run lead. Buffalo lost this one badly, 10-0.

Joey Loperfido - 2-4, 0 R, 0 RBI, 0 BB, 1 K

Alek Manoah - 5.2 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K

Buffalo (10), Syracuse (6) - 9/7
Box Score

Buffalo finally got things going in the last game of the week against the Syracuse Mets. José Azócar put the Mets on the scoreboard to begin the game, via an RBI single in the top of the first inning. After that, Buffalo rattled off 10 runs over the first five innings, and the Mets only added two more on their own. Joey Loperfido crushed his seventh home run for Buffalo in the first inning, a solo shot. In the second inning, Josh Rivera knocked in a run with an RBI single, then Yohendrick Pinango did the same in the third inning. Brandon Valenzuela had the huge hit later in the inning with the bases loaded. He launched a 100-mph home run to left field for a grand slam. RJ Schreck and Buddy Kennedy hit RBI singles to push Buffalo up to 10 runs, Schreck's in the fourth inning and Kennedy's in the fifth inning. Buffalo would go on to win this game from there, 10-6.

Brandon Valenzuela - 1-4, 1 R, 4 RBI, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HR

Andrew Bash - 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

New Hampshire Fisher Cats
New Hampshire (2), Somerset (3) - 9/6
Box Score

New Hampshire started the weekend set of games with an 11-game losing streak, having lost 13 of their last 15 games. Somerset had Brock Selvidge on the mound, facing off against New Hampshire's Alex Amalfi. The Fisher Cats opened the game with a very promising scoring opportunity, loading the bases up with just one out in the inning. Unfortunately for New Hampshire, Peyton Williams struck out, and Cade Doughty followed it up with a groundout, ending the inning with all three runners stranded on the bases. In the bottom half of the first, Dylan Jasso singled home Jace Avina, putting Somerset in the driver's seat once again.

The Fisher Cats finally broke through in the top of the sixth inning, getting an RBI single from Williams and a sacrifice fly from Gabriel Martinez. New Hampshire's bullpen stood strong and held the Somerset bats in check all the way through the eighth inning, setting up some really high leverage work for Pat Gallagher in his second inning to close out the game. He surrendered a single and a walk to open up the bottom of the ninth, which was followed quickly by an RBI single from Garrett Martin. With the game tied, New Hampshire's luck engulfed the stadium, as Jake Gatewood smacked a line drive to right and the game-winning walk-off run came around to score. It was a tough loss to say the least, with the losing streak reaching 12 games.

Charles McAdoo: 3-5, 2 SB

Alex Amalfi: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K

New Hampshire (4), Somerset (9) - 9/7
Box Score

Well, Sunday wrapped up the series against Somerset, but it brought with it a second matchup against the budding ace Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz. He shut down any thought New Hampshire had of snapping the losing streak, which had to be demoralizing. Rodriguez-Cruz went five very strong shutout innings, giving up just two hits. He only walked one and struck out eight. Meanwhile, Somerset pounced on Fernando Cruz in the bottom of the first inning. George Lombard Jr. and Tyler Hardman had RBI doubles, Jackson Castillo had an RBI single, and Manuel Palencia knocked in two with his single. They added a run in the second on a double play ball, one in the third on a wild pitch, and another in the fourth on Hardman's solo home run. In the sixth, New Hampshire finally started to put up a fight, getting one run on Je'Von Ward's single before Eddinson Paulino launched a three-run home run. Palencia added a run to Somerset's lead in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI single. That is where the game stood when Damiano Palmegiani flew out to right in the bottom of the ninth and Raimundo De Los Santos was doubled up trying to tag and get to second base. New Hampshire lost again, stretching the losing streak to 13 with the 9-4 loss. 

Eddinson Paulino: 2-3, 1 R, 3 RBI, 1 HR

Yondrei Rojas: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Vancouver Canadians
Vancouver (6), Everett (1) - 9/6
Box Score

It was utter dominance from the pitching in Vancouver, as Austin Cates excelled yet again. The offense also excelled, with the Canadians scoring early on an Arjun Nimmala single. Then, they doubled their lead with a Carter Cunningham double to score Nimmala. Edward Duran reached on an error, which allowed Cunningham to score, as the Canadians jumped out 3-0. Cunningham once again came up in the fourth, and this time with Nimmala and Sean Keys on the bases, he uncorked a three-run homer to cap off the scoring. Juanmi Vasquez was excellent in relief, getting his second save of the season. He pitched three innings, not allowing a hit, only allowing two walks, and striking out six. 

Carter Cunningham - 3-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 1 2B, 1 HR
Cunningham has had a really strong finish to the season, raising his OPS to .768 and becoming a well-above-average hitter according to wRC+.

Austin Cates - 6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K
Cates had another spectacular start in Vancouver, lowering his High-A ERA to under 2.00. The 2024 seventh-rounder has been one of the best pitchers, if not the best pitcher, in the Jays' farm system since the All-Star break. 

Vancouver (1), Everett (2) - 9/7
Box Score 

Some shaky defense, as well as a disappearing act from the offense, cost the Canadians the season finale. Chris McElvain was on the bump, and after a throwing error from Duran moved Charlie Pagliarini to third on a stolen base attempt, Peyton Powell committed an error at first to allow him to score. McElvain was able to get the next two out, but a Carson Jones single scored Luis Suisbel, who reached on the Powell error. The Canadians' offense could not get much going, with the only run coming on the board being a balk with the bases loaded in the eighth. The bullpen did a great job, pitching five straight innings of scoreless baseball, combining for nine strikeouts between them, but they lost a tight one to end the season.

Alexis Hernandez - 2-3, 1 BB, 1 2B

Chris McElvain - 4 IP, 2 H, 2 R (0 ER), 3 BB, 5 K

Dunedin Blue Jays
Dunedin (6), Bradenton (7) - 9/6
Box Score

The last game of the season for the D-Jays was very entertaining. The Jays got out to an early lead, with Jaxson West hitting his second double as a pro to score Brock Tibbitts. Jean Joseph hit a single that led to Yeuni Munoz scoring after a throwing error from the pitcher Clevari Tejada. Then Eric Snow grounded into a double play, but Tibbitts was able to score again. Daniel Guerra let up his only run he allowed in the game on a solo shot to Adonys Guzman. Once Guerra was taken out, the floodgates opened, as Lluveres Severino allowed a ton of contact, with six hits given up in the fifth inning, resulting in a five-run inning for the Marauders. Jack Eshleman replaced him and kept the game close for the Jays to get three more runs off a passed ball from the catcher Guzman, and then Jake Casey hit a big double to tie the game up in the seventh. Carson Myers came in the eighth inning after Eshleman was taken out, and allowed a run after a few walks, as he gave up a sac fly to Ethan Lege, which ended up being the difference maker. 

Yeuni Munoz - 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 2B

Daniel Guerra - 4 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 3 K

Dunedin (), Bradenton () - 9/7
Cancelled

Toronto Blue Jays Minor League Players of the Period

• Pitcher of the Period: RHP Austin Cates (Vancouver) - 6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K
• Hitter of the Period: OF Carter Cunningham (Vancouver) - 3-8, 2 R, 3 RBI, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 K

Prospect Summary (Last 3 Days)

Toronto Blue Jays Top 20 Hitters
Rank	Player	Team	PA	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS
1	JoJo Parker	N/A
2	Arjun Nimmala	Vancouver	4	2	1	0	0	0	1	2	1	0	0
9	Yohendrick Pinango	Buffalo	4	2	2	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0
10	Victor Arias	New Hampshire	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
11	RJ Schreck	Buffalo	5	1	1	0	0	0	1	0	2	0	0
13	Juan Sanchez	DSL Blue Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
16	Josh Kasevich	Buffalo	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
17	Orelvis Martinez	Buffalo	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
19	Charles McAdoo	New Hampshire	10	1	3	0	0	0	0	1	2	2	0
19	Yeuni Munoz	Dunedin	4	1	1	1	0	0	0	1	1	0	1
19	Tim Piasentin	N/A
19	Blaine Bullard	N/A

Toronto Blue Jays Top 20 Pitchers
Rank	Player	Team	BF	G	GS	IP	H	HR	ER	BB	K
3	Trey Yesavage	Buffalo	4	1	0	0.1	0	0	1	2	0
4	Johnny King	Dunedin	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
5	Ricky Tiedemann	Buffalo	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
6	Gage Stanifer	New Hampshire	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
7	Jake Bloss	Buffalo	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
8	Landen Maroudis	Dunedin	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
12	Brandon Barriera	FCL Jays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
14	Fernando Perez	New Hampshire	10	1	1	1	6	0	5	1	2

 

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