Jays Centre Minor League Hitter of the Month - March/April 2025

It's the start of a new season, and the minor leagues are in full-go mode for Single-A through Triple-A. The Toronto Blue Jays' minor league system has been in a bit of a slump recently when it comes to producing meaningful hitters at the big league level. This year, a few hitting prospects have hit the ground running and are looking to change that in the future. After the first month of the season, it is time to take a deeper look at some of the top hitting prospects in the organization and crown one of them the Hitter of the Month for March/April. 

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order):

• Michael Stefanic, AAA, Buffalo Bisons - 24 G, .329/.461/.371, .832 OPS, 2 R, 12 RBI, 3 2B, 0 HR, 13 BB, 10 K
• Jace Bohrofen, AA, New Hampshire Fisher Cats - 21 G, .215/.271/.405, .676 OPS, 10 R, 11 RBI, 0 2B, 5 HR, 6 BB, 30 K
• Manuel Beltre, A, Dunedin Blue Jays - 19 G, .307/.409/.373, .782 OPS, 13 R, 12 RBI, 5 2B, 0 HR, 12 BB, 12 K

Top Five Minor League Hitters in March/April
5. Jonatan Clase, AAA, Buffalo Bisons - 22 G, .352/.459/.408, .867 OPS, 8 R, 0 RBI, 4 2B, 0 HR, 13 BB, 20 K, 13 SB
Clase has been masterful at getting on base this season over the first month. It starts with the bat for him, and he has made a big improvement so far compared to last season with Buffalo, where he hit .244 over 35 games. He had a hit in 17 of the 22 games he played this month. When he wasn't hitting, he got on base with a walk rate of 16%. All of the times on base let his natural speed shine, as he swiped 13 bases in the month. That stolen base total was good for the third-best mark in Triple-A across March and April.

4. Victor Arias, A+, Vancouver Canadians - 19 G, .304/.402/.443, .845 OPS, 15 R, 9 RBI, 6 2B, 1 HR, 1 3B, 12 BB, 21 K, 5 SB
Arias isn't very big, listed at only 5-foot-9 and 150 pounds, but he swings as hard or harder than many prospects, and it shows with some of his hits. Over the first month of the season, he started slow with only two hits in his first four games. After that, he was on a tear and punishing baseballs. He was named the Northwest League Player of the Week on April 21, after he hit .400 the previous week with two doubles, one home run, and two stolen bases. He finished the month just as hot, as he raised his batting average from .269 to .304 in just two games.

3. Yohendrick Pinango, AA, New Hampshire Fisher Cats - 21 G, .320/.427/.520, .947 OPS, 6 R, 10 RBI, 4 2B, 3 HR, 1 3B, 12 BB, 21 K
Pinango has had a resurgence this year at Double-A. Last season, he struggled in 33 games with New Hampshire, hitting just .179 with a .244 OBP. It has been a night-and-day difference over his 21 games there this year. He is hitting everything in sight and getting on base frequently. He has even started to show more in-game power with the three home runs, compared to just one at New Hampshire last season. Maybe the biggest marker for his progress at Double-A has been the improvement in his plate discipline. He increased his walk rate with the Blue Jays organization from only 7.1% last year up to 13.8% this year. Hopefully, he keeps looking like one of the best hitters at Double-A.

2. Arjun Nimmala, A+, Vancouver Canadians- 19 G, .275/.348/.513, .861 OPS, 16 R, 10 RBI, 4 2B, 5 HR, 8 BB, 19 K, 1 SB
Nimmala has made the transition from Single-A to High-A and has improved in almost every area you would want a 19-year-old to get better in. He has cut down his strikeout rate to 21.3%, and it has let his power and raw talents shine. He has launched five home runs, which is the second highest total in High-A overall and leads the Northwest League, tied with Lazaro Montes. On top of his power, he has shown a good feel for hitting in general, racking up seven multi-hit games in the month. This is a continuation of his close to Single-A last year, but he has stopped striking out at a very high rate. With his early start, he is on a path to becoming a top-100 overall prospect and a very dynamic hitter, as long as the improvements stick over a longer period. 

Toronto Blue Jays Minor League Hitter of the Month
1. Yeuni Munoz, A, Dunedin Blue Jays - 16 G, .323/.408/.645, 1.053 OPS, 13 R, 18 RBI, 5 2B, 5 HR, 7 BB, 21 K, 1 SB
Munoz began the month as a relative unknown in the Blue Jays system, and he ended it on the injured list, but the time in between was amazing. Munoz had a solid first seven games of the month, then he blasted out of a cannon. In the second half of the month, he hit .410 over nine games, crushed four home runs and three doubles, and had a 235 wRC+. This propelled his wRC+ for the month to 188, which was good for fourth in the Florida State League. He was also third in the league in runs batted in, third in home runs, third in doubles, and seventh in hits. Munoz did it all for Dunedin before he ended the month on the injured list. He also led the Florida State League in average exit velocity (94.9 MPH) for players who saw over 200 pitches and ranked seventh in hard-hit rate (51.6%). It was an amazing breakout month for Munoz.