Brian Labude

The upper-level affiliates have begun their 2025 season, let's dive in! CURRENT W-L Records -Buffalo Bisons: 1-5 -New Hampshire Fisher Cats: 1-1 -Vancouver Canadians: 2-1 -Dunedin Blue Jays: 1-2 -FCL Blue Jays: 0-0 (Season not started) -DSL Blue Jays: 0-0 (Season not started) TRANSACTIONS LHP Richard Lovelady elected free agency Vancouver Canadians transferred C Jackson Hornung to the Development List. Vancouver Canadians transferred C Hayden Gilliland to the Development List. RHP Edinson Batista assigned to Dunedin Blue Jays from Vancouver Canadians. RHP Eliander Alcalde assigned to Dunedin Blue Jays from Vancouver Canadians. RHP Yondrei Rojas assigned to Dunedin Blue Jays from Vancouver Canadians. RHP Ryan Boyer assigned to Buffalo Bisons from New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Buffalo Bisons Buffalo (1), Memphis (4) - April 4th (Game 1) Box Score Eric Lauer took the mound and was roughed up a little in the first game of the day for the doubleheader. He went five innings while giving up five hits, four earned runs, zero walks, and four strikeouts. Will Robertson got the Bisons on the board with an RBI single in the 6th inning. Unfortunately, that was all the scoring they could push across the plate. On a few positive notes, Orelvis Martinez got into his second game of the season following a viral infection delaying his debut. He went 1-3, getting his first hit of the season, a single up the middle on a high sinker. Jonatan Clase continued his hot start, leading the Bisons in hits, going 3-4, and stealing his 5th base in the young season. Jonatan Clase: 3-4, 1 2B, 1 SB Clase had a double, infield single, and a line drive single. He has shown a great feel for making contact early this season compared to his previous minor league years. Eric Lauer: 5 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 5 K Buffalo (1), Memphis (3) - April 4th (Game 2) Box Score In the second game of the doubleheader, the Bisons did not fare any better. Trenton Wallace started the game for the Bisons and went three innings and gave up a single run on a ground out. Addison Barger pushed across the Bisons’ only run on a ground ball single to right field. Overall the Bisons were shut down by St. Louis Cardinals’ star pitching prospect Quinn Mathews. He only allowed two hits and one earned run across 3.2 innings pitched. He was wild though, walking six batters. The Bisons just couldn't get any hits to bring in the runners. In the game overall, they only managed three hits in the shortened seven inning game. On the pitching side for the Bisons, Eric Pardinho surrendered the game deciding runs on a double and single in the fourth inning. Jonatan Clase pinch hit late, adding another hit to his already growing total on the minor league season. The Bisons next take on the Durham Bulls on Tuesday night. Riley Tirotta: 1-1, 2 BB Paxton Schultz: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K Buffalo, Memphis - April 5th - PPD Buffalo, Memphis - April 6th - PPD New Hampshire Fisher Cats New Hampshire (1), Binghamton (3) - April 4th Box Score The New Hampshire Fisher Cats opened up the season with a series against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies on Friday night. CJ Van Eyk looked to get back on track from his poor 2024 season and Charles McAdoo was ready to put his dismal play behind him as well. This game turned into a pitchers duel from the get go, with both starting pitchers (Van Eyk and Wenninger for Binghamton), confounding the opposing team until the fourth inning. In the fourth, Binghamton was finally able to get to Van Eyk after he walked two and gave up a double that scored a pair of runs. In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Fisher Cats were poised to retake the lead, as they loaded the bases for Charles McAdoo. He hit the ball hard, but right at the third baseman for a sharp line out to end the inning and the threat. The following half inning saw Binghamton add to their lead with a walk and stolen base by Ryan Clifford, leading to a RBI double by Alex Ramirez. New Hampshire would again threaten Binghamton's lead in the bottom of the ninth with a walk by Yohendrick Pinango, followed by a single from Eddinson Paulino. After a throwing error scored Pinango, Jacob Sharp went down swinging to end the game. Dasan Brown: 1-3, 1 BB, 0 K Brown made the opposing pitchers work, as he saw 19 pitches on the night, across his four at-bats. His lone single was the start of the failed rally in the fifth inning. Unfortunately, he was not able to utilize his speed on the basepaths this game, he will have to show off his stolen base prowess in future games. CJ Van Eyk: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K Van Eyk came into this game with very much a need to shake off last season's disappointing year. It was a hard task to do so against a tough Binghamton lineup that featured notable prospects like Ryan Clifford, Jett Williams, and Alex Ramirez. He was up for the challenge though and held his own for the most part against the Rumble Ponies’ lineup. He was able to garner 10 swing and misses against them, as well as six strikeouts. It was very encouraging for him to get so many ground balls in the game (8), as he was able to avoid the barrel of the Rumble Ponies for much of the night. New Hampshire, Binghamton - April 5th - PPD New Hampshire (1), Binghamton (0) - April 6th (Game 1) Box Score This game saw the tables turned and flipped upside down, as New Hampshire finally got into the win column. Rafael Sanchez was the starting pitcher and was near perfection on the mound. He baffled Binghamton hitters all night, throwing five innings and only allowing two singles, and a walk. He would end his outing by finishing the fifth inning with his eighth strikeout of the night, to go along with 12 swing and misses on his pitches. Ryan Watson would piggyback Sanchez in the game and virtually match him in every way. Watson finished the game holding Binghamton to just one hit, over four innings of work, while racking up seven swing and misses himself, and five strikeouts. For New Hampshire, the bats were just as quiet as Binghamton, Nolan McLean was masterful for the Rumble Ponies, striking out eight over four innings and only giving up three hits. It wasn't until the bottom of the sixth inning that the Fisher Cats finally scratched out a run with back to back singles by Jace Bohrofen and Peyton Williams, followed by an error by the right fielder on the Williams knock. That was all of the scoring either team could muster, as the game ended 1-0. Peyton Williams: 2-4, 1 2B, 0 BB, 2 K Williams had the only real damage off of a really good pitching prospect, Nolan McLean, and managed to have the game winning base hit (with the help of a throwing error by the right fielder). Ryan Watson: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 5 K Is there any better storyline than Watson going from independent baseball to Double-A and shutting down a good lineup, I don’t think so, he's going to be fun to watch this year. New Hampshire, Binghamton- April 6th (Game 2) - PPD Vancouver Canadians Vancouver (4), Tri-City (5) - April 4th Box Score Vancouver got out to an early lead, with a couple of walks from Nimmala and Coffey before Carter Cunningham drove them both in. The Dust Devils answered with a sac-fly in the bottom of the inning, but Adrian Pinto went deep to make it 3-1. After a double from Eddie Micheletti Jr., and a grounder that moved Micheletti Jr. to 3rd, Adrian Pinto grounded one to 3rd but 3rd baseman Caleb Ketchup airmailed a throw to make it 4-1 Canadians. Rogers was replaced in the 5th by Nate Garkow who had a scoreless inning, but gave up 3 runs in the subsequent inning and then Aaron Munson let in another run because of an error by Sean Keys to give Tri-City the lead in the 7th that they never relinquished. Adrian Pinto - 1-4, 1 R, 1 H, 1 RBI, 1 HR, 1 K The diminutive utility player Adrian Pinto showed that he could generate some power despite his slight size, blasting a homer in the 2nd inning against RHP Austin Gordon. He also used his speed to force an error at 3rd to help another run come in. Grant Rogers - 4 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K RHP Grant Rogers looked sharp today in 4 IP for Vancouver, with the only blemish coming from a throwing error from catcher Aaron Parker. The command was decent and Rogers made use of his full arsenal to prevent hitters from timing him up. Vancouver (3), Tri-City (0) - April 5th Box Score The strong starting pitching continued for the Canadians with 5th rounder Jackson Wentworth going 5 innings in his first professional start. Victor Arias started off the scoring with a double to score Adrian Pinto, and then in the top of the 6th Cutter Coffey hit his first homer of the season and Jay Harry, who was acquired for Trevor Richards, lined a single to left field to score Je’Von Ward to give the Canadians a 3-0 lead. The bullpen did a solid job to finish off the shutout, with Pat Gallagher getting 3 Ks in 2.0 IP. Arjun Nimmala - 3-5 The Jays #1 prospect got his first hit in High-A with a single in the third, and then tacked on 2 more in the 5th and the 7th. Although he made a baserunning mistake getting picked off at 2nd showing his inexperience, he showed a strong defensive performance and even turned 2 double plays. Jackson Wentworth - 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K In Wentworth’s professional debut, he was excellent, going 5 shutout innings and striking out 6 batters while generating 22 whiffs. He did a great job of keeping hitters from getting on base and showed his feel for the zone and his advanced feel for pitching out of college and earned his first W of the season. Vancouver (10), Tri-City (2) - April 6th Box Score Vancouver won their 2nd game in a row off the back of a strong pitching performance from Juaron Watts-Brown, who carried his strong performance in the playoffs for the Canadians into this game, striking out 10 batters in only 4.2 IP. The offense exploded in the meantime, with the Canadians scoring 10 runs off of 10 hits and 11 walks, and Goodwin, Harry, and Nimmala all homering as well. Arjun Nimmala - 1-4. 1 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K Nimmala came right back where he left off yesterday, smashing this homer into the soccer fields outside of the ballpark for his first one with the Canadians. He also walked a couple of times and scored another run on a DH day to keep him off of his feet. He’s been scorching hot to start the season showing strong plate discipline. Juaron Watts-Brown - 4.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K Dunedin Blue Jays Dunedin (4), Clearwater (8) - April 4th Box Score What started off as a pitching duel between 2024 Blue Jays 2nd Rounder Khal Stephen and undrafted free agent Sam Highfill turned very quickly. Manuel Beltre drove in the first run in the 4th, and Victoria, BC’s Sam Shaw homered an inning after, giving the Jays an early 2-0 lead. The Thrashers needed to wait until Stephen left the game to score their runs, with reliever Bennett Flynn giving up 5 ERs and lefty Javen Coleman giving up another. The Jays answered back with a 2-RBI single from Sam Shaw after Braden Barry walked and JR Freethy hit a double. The Dunedin Blue Jays could not claw it back though, as Clearwater scored 2 more runs off of the Dunedin pen, spoiling an excellent debut for Khal Stephen. Sam Shaw - 2-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 0 BB, 1 K Shaw is known for his strong hit tool, but he showed a little bit of pop, pulling a sinker 105.6mph and 367 ft into right field for a solo homer, and then tacking on 2 more RBIs with a 101.2 mph line drive single in the bottom of the 7th. Khal Stephen - 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K Khal Stephen opened up his official minor league baseball debut by striking out the side, and then continued to keep hitters off balance with his deep pitch mix. His fastball sat around 94 mph and had elite ride, he also displayed a deep pitch mix, throwing a curveball, changeup, sinker, and cutter, leading to 14 whiffs on the night. Dunedin (4), Clearwater (1)- April 5th Box Score Dunedin’s pitching held Clearwater to only 1 run, which was only given up after an error from starter Daniel Guerra. Guerra pitched 4 solid innings with 4 strikeouts, and then Gilberto Batista, who was acquired for Danny Jansen, pitched another 4 solid innings in relief and was even more dominant, striking out 6 and not allowing a run. The bottom of the order produced for the Dunedin Blue Jays with shortstop Manuel Beltre and third baseman Tucker Toman setting the table for the 9th hitter and outfielder Jaden Rudd to drive them in. Jaden Rudd - 2-4, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 0 BB, 2 K Rudd knocked in all 4 of the runs for the Dunedin Jays, with the one giving them the lead with an exit velocity of 101.1 mph off the bat for a double. Rudd was the 7th round pick for the Jays in the 2021 draft and he’s struggled so far offensively so getting a couple of extra base hits will hopefully give him so momentum to succeed in Low-A after repeating the level for the 3rd time. Gilberto Batista - 4.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 6 K Batista was acquired from the Red Sox in exchange for Danny Jansen, and the young pitcher has been awesome since joining the Jays. Batista made heavy use of his slider, throwing strikes and generating 10 whiffs on the day. It was a little bit interesting seeing him pitch out of relief, but with the Jays being cautious about the young arms in the system after being decimated by injury, Batista piggybacking off of other starters will seem to be how they’ll use him. Dunedin (2), Clearwater (4) - April 6th Box Score Another strong professional debut from one of the Jays prospects, as 2024 7th rounder Austin Cates went 5 strong scoreless innings only allowing 5 hits and notching 2 Ks. The offense however, failed to support Cates’ start, only scoring 2 runs despite walking a total of 12 times. Brock Tibbits - 2-4, 1 BB, 1, RBI The big bodied catcher from Naperville, IL did his job in the cleanup spot this game, getting on base 3 times and driving in one of the two runs that Dunedin scored this game. Tibbits was the 13th round pick for the Jays in 2024 and is hoping to continue his solid play from Low-A in 2024 where he had a .746 OPS. Austin Cates - 5.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 KCates sat around 91 mph with his fastball, but had a good ride on it and he filled the strike zone with his fastball, allowing his changeup and slider to play off of it and generate weak contact. Cates was the 7th round pick for the Jays and showed off his solid changeup plus command in his first professional start. FCL Blue Jays No games DSL Blue Jays No games Toronto Blue Jays Minor League Players of the Period Pitcher of the Period: RHP Juaron Watts-Brown (Vancouver): 4.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K Hitter of the Period: SS Arjun Nimmala (Vancouver): 4-12, 3 R, 1 RBI, 3 BB, 2 K, 1 HR Prospect Summary (Last 3 Days) 1. Arjun Nimmala (Vancouver) - 4-12, 3 R, 1 RBI, 3 BB, 2 K, 1 HR 2. Trey Yesavage (Dunedin) - DNP 3. Ricky Tiedemann (Buffalo) - DNP 4. Orelvis Martinez (Buffalo) - 1-6, 1 BB, 4 K 5. Jake Bloss (Buffalo) - DNP 6. Alan Roden (Toronto) - 2-6, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K 7. Josh Kasevich (Buffalo) - DNP 8. Kendry Rojas (Vancouver) - DNP 9. Khal Stephen (Dunedin) - 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K 10. Charles McAdoo (New Hampshire) - 0-8, 0 BB, 3 K 11. Adam Macko (Buffalo) - DNP 12. Landen Maroudis (Dunedin) - DNP 13. Fernando Perez (Vancouver) - DNP 14. Will Wagner (Toronto) - 0-6, 2 BB, 3 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) - 4.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K 19. Eddinson Paulino (New Hampshire) - 1-4 1 K 20. Dahian Santos (New Hampshire) - DNP View full article

There's plenty to be excited about in New Hampshire this season. The New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the Double-A affiliate of the Blue Jays, began their 2025 season on Friday, April 4. Though Opening Day didn't go as planned, their roster is loaded with talent from top to bottom and will provide some exciting baseball from the start of the season through, hopefully, a playoff berth. Prospects to Know: Charles McAdoo leads the way on the hitting side. He brings some huge potential and excitement for Blue Jays fans after being ranked 10th on the Jays Centre Top 20 Prospect list. He smashed his way through the 2024 season, tallying 17 home runs, 27 doubles, and 21 stolen bases. However, after being traded from Pittsburgh to Toronto, his bat fell flat for in New Hampshire. He finished the season with a slash line of .186/.287/.323. He will look to shake off last season's mid-year trade blues and show the big league club what he can do for when he gets the call. Jace Bohrofen is in a similar mold to McAdoo and should provide plenty of fireworks after slugging 14 home runs and 27 doubles at High-A in 2024. He's not the baserunning threat that McAdoo is, but he does have decent speed, swiping 10 bases last year as well. Dasan Brown will join Bohrofen in the outfield, where he can show off his elite speed (when he's not swiping bags in bunches). He stole 35 bases last year and will look to up that number in 2025. He ran just a .285 on-base percentage after a promotion to Double-A. If he can figure out how to get on base more often, he will be looking at 40 or more stolen bases this year. The pitching staff is just as loaded as the lineup. CJ Van Eyk will lead the staff in 2025. He had a rocky time at Double-A in 2024 with a 5.68 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP. Repeating the level should bring a little more success for him. Hopefully he gets back on track and performs more like he did at Low-A in 2021, when he had a 28.3% strikeout rate. Joining him will be a feel-good story who goes by the name of Ryan Watson. After playing two seasons of independent baseball, he signed with Toronto in 2024 and didn't disappoint, running a sub-4.00 ERA at both Low-A and High-A. He will surely be a fan favorite in 2025 for Toronto and New Hampshire fans. Catchers: Robert Brooks, Nicolas Deschamps, Jacob Sharp Infielders: Alex De Jesus, Charles McAdoo, Ryan McCarty, Eddinson Paulino, Josh Rivera, Peyton Williams Outfielders: Jace Bohrofen, Dasan Brown, Devonte Brown, Gabriel Martinez, Yohendrick Piñango, RJ Schreck Pitchers: Alex Amalfi, Ryan Boyer, Jimmy Burnette, Michael Dominguez, Hunter Gregory, Devereaux Harrison, Ryan Jennings, Conor Larkin, Jonathan Lavallee, Bobby Milacki, Rafael Sánchez, Grayson Thurman, Anderson Tolhurst, Geison Urbaez, CJ Van Eyk, Ryan Watson View full article

The Blue Jays drafted some big-time college arms early in the 2024 draft, and they will begin their professional careers in the Florida State League with Dunedin. See who will join them on the Dunedin Blue Jays Opening Day roster. The Low-A Dunedin Blue Jays recently released their opening day roster, and we now know who will be playing for the team in 2025. Most of the players at the Low-A level are very raw and a long way from helping the big league club, but they can possess the most potential at times. The season kicks off Friday, April 4th. The roster has a few of these high potential prospects and even a few that made the Jays Centre Top 20 Prospect List. Prospects to Know On the hitting side, Manuel Beltre will be repeating the level but could make quick work of it if he can show improvement from last season. This will be his third season at Low-A Dunedin, in 2024 he hit .236/.334/.326, with five home runs, and 23 stolen bases. Kendry Chirinos is finally ready for a test at full-season ball. He displayed some potential in 2024, as he repeated Rookie-ball in the Florida Complex League. He hit .300/.402/.443 with 15 extra base hits in 43 games. He should be competing with Peyton Powell for at-bats at third base (Powell can also play catcher, so it will be interesting to see how they use him). For the pitchers, Trey Yesavage is the highest profile player on the roster. He looks to make quick work of the lower levels early in the season and force his way to the more intense upper levels of the Toronto system. He brings with him to the mound a natural ability to strikeout hitters, in his junior season in college his strikeout rate was an eye-popping 40.4%. He has high expectations after being drafted 20th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft by Toronto and he surely is the fan favorite on the Dunedin roster to begin the 2025 season. Khal Stephen will join him in the rotation, forming a formidable duo at the top, however, long it may last. He doesn't have as much fanfare as Yesavage, due to the less flashy numbers in his final year in college (27.9% strikeout rate). However, he was playing in the SEC, so those numbers should not be taken lightly. Brandon Barriera also makes the team, but will begin the season on the 60-day IL as he recovers from surgery. Catchers: Edward Duran, Brock Tibbitts Infielders: Bryce Arnold, Manuel Beltre, Kendry Chirinos, Peyton Powell, J.R. Freethy, Sam Shaw, Tucker Toman Outfielders: Yhoangel Aponte, Braden Barry, Alexis Hernandez, Yeuni Munoz, Jaden Rudd Pitchers: Austin Cates, Javen Coleman, Jack Eshleman, Eminen Flores, Bennett Flynn, Daniel Guerra, Colby Holcombe, Colby Martin, Christian Mracna, Jay Schueler, Johan Simon, Gage Stanifer, Khal Stephen, Trey Yesavage. View full article

The Triple-A Buffalo Bisons did not exactly get off to a hot start this week. CURRENT W-L Records Buffalo Bisons: 1-3 New Hampshire Fisher Cats: 0-0 (Season not started) Vancouver Canadians: 0-0 (Season not started) Dunedin Blue Jays: 0-0 (Season not started) FCL Blue Jays: 0-0 (Season not started) DSL Blue Jays: 0-0 (Season not started) TRANSACTIONS The Blue Jays made the following minor league transactions on 4/3: Toronto Blue Jays sent LHP Richard Lovelady outright to Buffalo Bisons. RHP Eliander Alcalde assigned to Vancouver Canadians from Dunedin Blue Jays. RHP Yondrei Rojas assigned to Vancouver Canadians from Dunedin Blue Jays. Vancouver Canadians placed RHP Chris McElvain on the 7-day injured list. Vancouver Canadians placed LHP Kendry Rojas on the 7-day injured list. Buffalo Bisons Buffalo 7, Memphis 13 Game 1 Box Score This game was more reminiscent of a high-scoring Pacific Coast League game in the summer than an International League game in early April. Hits came in bunches for both teams, as all but Michael Turconi recorded base knocks for Buffalo. In all, there were 30 hits in the game (12 for Buffalo and 18 for Memphis). Damiano Palmegiani got the scoring started for the Bisons with an RBI single in the first inning, followed by an Addison Barger double, and an RBI ground out by Michael Stefanic. Jake Bloss would get touched up in the first inning as well, giving up a couple of RBI doubles himself. After a few turns of back-and-forth run-scoring, Ali Sánchez would tie the game up at six with a home run to left field that had an exit velocity of 97.5 mph in the top of the third inning. Unfortunately, the Bisons would lose the lead in bottom of the fourth on a Yohel Pozo home run and never threaten Memphis again. In hindsight, committing three errors was never going to help fuel a victory, only defeat. Jonatan Clase: 2-4, 1 R, 0 RBI, 1 BB, 2 SB Clase tried to will the Bisons to victory by doing a little bit of everything on the field Tuesday, good and bad, as he also had an error in the game. One of his singles was a rope, coming off the bat at 105.3 mph. Jake Bloss: 4 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K Jake Bloss began his quest to make it back to Toronto with his first start at Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday night. He featured six pitches, but leaned on four (fastball, slider, curveball, and changeup). The fastball averaged 93.9 mph and topped out at 95.5 mph. He was hit hard tonight, giving up seven balls in play with an exit velocity over 101 mph. Buffalo 3, Memphis 15 Game 2 Box Score This turned into a bullpen game for Buffalo after starter Lazaro Estrada was touched up for eight runs in the first inning. The errors continued to be a problem for the Bisons in the field. Addison Barger had two more errors, bringing his total to four on the season, and Michael Turconi had one, making two on the season for him. Orelvis Martinez made his season debut, recording a walk but nothing more. Barger had the hardest hit ball of the night, with an exit velocity of 115.5 mph. Even the bullpen didn't do much better than Estrada, they gave up seven more runs (three unearned), as Memphis steam rolled Buffalo. Jonatan Clase: 2-3, 1 R, 0 RBI, 2 BB, 1 SB Clase continued his blazing-hot start to the season, bringing his batting average up to .357 and his stolen base total up to four in just four games. Bobby Milacki: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K Milacki came into the game in the second inning to relieve Andrew Bash. He registered the most swings-and-misses by a Buffalo pitcher on the night, with six. He generated four of those whiffs on his cutter that averaged 88 mph. Buffalo, Memphis Game 3 PPD New Hampshire Fisher Cats No Games Vancouver Canadians No Games Dunedin Blue Jays No Games FCL Blue Jays No Games DSL Blue Jays No Games Toronto Blue Jays Minor League Players of the Period Hitter of the Period: OF, Jonatan Clase, Buffalo Bisons: 4-7, 2 R, 3 BB, 3 SB Pitcher of the Period: RHP, Jake Bloss, Buffalo Bisons: 4 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K Prospect Summary (Last Three Games) 1. Arjun Nimmala (Vancouver) - DNP 2. Trey Yesavage (Dunedin) - DNP 3. Ricky Tiedemann (Buffalo) - DNP 4. Orelvis Martinez (Buffalo) - 0-3, 1 BB, 2K 5. Jake Bloss (Buffalo) - 4 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K 6. Alan Roden (Toronto) - 3 for 6, 1 RBI, 1 2B, 0 BB, 0 K 7. Josh Kasevich (Buffalo) - DNP 8. Kendry Rojas (Vancouver) - DNP 9. Khal Stephen (Dunedin) - DNP 10. Charles McAdoo (New Hampshire) - DNP 11. Adam Macko (Buffalo) - DNP 12. Landen Maroudis (Dunedin) - DNP 13. Fernando Perez (Vancouver) - DNP 14. Will Wagner (Toronto) - 3 for 5, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 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) - DNP 20. Dahian Santos (New Hampshire) - DNP View full article

Welcome back to the Blue Jays Top 20 prospect breakdown. We are nearing the top of our list and are getting into the top tier prospects. Today, we will take an in depth look at the third-ranked prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays farm system as voted on by the Jays Centre community. Ricky Tiedemann is the man of the hour, let's find out what he does well, what he needs to work on, and what's next for him. #3: Ricky Tiedemann, SP, 22, Triple-A, Buffalo Bisons Tiedemann has traveled a rocky, winding road to get to where he is today. The Blue Jays selected him in the third round of the 2021 draft out of Golden West College in California. Entering the draft, scouts thought he could have a potentially plus changeup to go along with a low-to-mid 90s fastball and a work-in-progress slider (which Statcast considers a sweeper). They loved his frame (6-foot-4) and projectability at the time of the draft. The Blue Jays would wait until the following season to get Tiedemann pitching in games, a common practice for pitchers. In 2022, he sprinted through the farm system, pitching at Low A, High A, and Double A. He showed a pure knack for striking hitters out at each of those levels, running strikeout rates of 44.5%, 36%, and 34.1%, respectively. Despite a walk rate of 9.6%, he ran a combined FIP of 2.51. The season put him squarely on the prospect map and made him a name to know. Unfortunately, injuries derailed Tiedemann’s push toward prospect royalty in 2023. He only tallied 44 innings between four levels: the Complex League, Low A, Double A, and Triple A. His ability to strikeout hitters was still on full display, as he ended the season with a 44.1% strikeout rate, but his walk rate rose all the way to 12.4%. His FIP of 1.68 on the season reflected the pure dominance he had against hitters and the type of star power he possesses. Injuries struck again in 2024, as elbow nerve inflammation led Tommy John surgery in late July. Tiedemann threw just 17 1/3 innings. What To Like Tiedemann will miss most of the 2025 season, but he is still just 22, and he may be ready to contribute in Toronto when he returns. The strikeout potential that he has in his left arm is unique to the extreme top tier of starting pitching prospects and major league pitchers. Tiedemann utilizes a unique lower arm slot to create deception, which makes his extremely flat fastball unhittable at the top of the zone. It is really reminiscent of how Chris Sale has w orked with his arm angles and pitch arsenal. At FanGraphs, Eric Longenhagen has put 60 grades (on the 20-80 scouting scale) on Tiedemann’s fastball and slider. This combination is extremely difficult for hitters coming out of the lower arm slot. He has already shown how devastating the pitch combo can be. Here he is absolutely handling top prospect James Wood just a few weeks before Wood got called up to Washington and ran a 120 wRC+ as a rookie: What To Work On Tiedemann has a lot to work on even though the stuff is more or less major-league ready. Over three seasons as a pro, he’s thrown just 140 innings, and he will need to have his innings managed. At this point, the Blue Jays may want to take a similar approach to the one the White Sox used with Garrett Crochet: just unleash Tiedemann at the major-league level. Tiedemann will also need to expand his pitch arsenal. Right now, depends mostly entirely on the fastball-slider combo. He throws a changeup about 15-20% of the time, and Longenhagen put a 45 grade on the pitch. If he can develop the changeup into a more serviceable offering, it will expand his strikeout ability by improving his whiff rates down and away to right-handed batters. He will also need to improve his pitchability to the inner half of the zone to right-handed hitters. Tiedemann’s biggest issue is control, as the walk rates he’s run so far will be untenable in the majors. According to Statcast, he’s ran a combined 44% zone rate in 2023 and 2024, which put him in just the 33rd percentile (among pitchers with at least 500 tracked pitches). Gaining better control and command of his pitches inside to right-handers, Tiedemann can let the ball go wild to his arm side at times due to inconsistent mechanics. These are usually refined and improved through repetition, something he has failed to gain due to lack of innings from injuries. What's Next Tiedemann can't do much right now but continue to get stronger and healthier during his rehab from Tommy John surgery. Assuming he doesn’t suffer any setbacks, he will be targeting a return to the mound in games late in the season. If everything comes up aces, Tiedemann should be competing for a rotation spot this time next year. View full article

Welcome back to the Blue Jays Top 20 prospect breakdown. This deep dive will focus on the number six prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays farm system, as the Jays Centre community voted on. Get to know him now because he just might be wearing a Blue Jay uniform before you know it, Alan Roden. Top 20 Prospects: #16-20 Top 20 Prospects: #11-15 #10: Charles McAdoo #9: Khal Stephen #8: Kendry Rojas #7: John Kasevich #6: Alan Roden, OF, 25, Triple-A, Buffalo Bisons Homegrown talent isn't seen much anymore, but when it does happen, there is something a little more special in the air during their major league debut. It's a wave of emotions for the player, their friends, and family, as well as the organization. 2025 will see the Rogers Centre explode with excitement and pure joy for Roden, a welcome fitting for the “homegrown” moniker. Let's look at how he got to this point and what he provides to his team on the baseball field. The Toronto Blue Jays scooped up Roden in the 3rd round of the 2022 MLB draft out of Creighton University. He only played two seasons there, as he got into just three games his freshman year. He was a career .383 hitter in college, his calling card at the time of the draft. He hit 14 home runs until his pro debut, showing more gap-to-gap power via his 32 doubles. Much development would be in store for the minor league coaches and Roden. During his two years in the Blue Jays organization, he only missed out on playing in the Complex League. He has amassed a career .298 batting average, 27 home runs, and an OPS of .860. At each level, his wRC+ has never dipped below 133 (outside of his 25-game pro debut season). His walk and strikeout rates have followed suit in the consistency department, with his K/BB ratio never dropping below 0.85. That kind of ratio is rarely seen, especially at the higher levels. With Roden being a name to watch at spring training, let's look at what he does well and struggles with and where he can go from here. What's To Like? Roden is far from the typical hitter you see in today's game. He hits from the left side of the plate and does it extremely well. The tool is a plus, with room for even more improvement (more on this later). He can control the bat through the zone and make not just a lot of contact but a ton of optimal contact. His contact rate at Triple-A Buffalo was 81.9% (88th percentile), and his in-zone contact rate came in at an eye-popping 92.3% (95th percentile). When he decides to take a swing at a pitch, he's going to make contact. To add to his hit tool, he displayed great plate discipline, only chasing pitches at a 24.1% clip (67th percentile) and having a strikeout rate of 14.3% (89th percentile). Even the secondary offerings from opposing pitchers didn't give him much trouble; he had a whiff rate of 25.8% compared to theirs (81st percentile). Looking at the rest of Roden's profile, you can see he doubles down on the high contact rates by making a ton of good-quality contact. His hard-hit rate was 36.6% at Triple-A Buffalo last year, slightly above average for the level (55th percentile). Having such high contact rates dilutes some of his exit velocity (EV) numbers, but they show he can hit the ball hard with the best of his peers. His max EV was very exciting at 112.2 mph (91st percentile), while the 90th-percentile exit velocity was above average at 103.2 mph (62nd percentile). He uses a robust rate of pulled fly balls (42.1%) and high exit velocities to produce his power, 16 home runs in 2024. What To Work On? As good as Roden is with making contact, he has some aspects of his game that he needs to work on. If he can improve on some of these, he can take a giant leap forward in his profile and increase his potential major-league impact. The first is tackling his struggles with his swing and decision-making at the plate. Despite being a top-tier contact hitter, he can become an elite one if he can find a way to decrease his struggles with pitches down and out of the zone. Looking at his whiff rates by zone at Triple-A Buffalo, you can see the majority of his swings and misses come in those areas. Following this trail leads to his strikeout rates by zone and similar results. Down-and-in and down-and-away are the locations that resulted in his most strikeouts. Once he reaches the major league level, pitchers will relentlessly exploit these weaknesses until he can show he can handle those pitches better (whether it's laying off them more or making better contact). If Roden can adjust his approach or swing, it should also result in more favorable launch angles. In 2024, at Triple-A Buffalo, his average launch angle was eight degrees due to the larger rate of ground balls he put into play (48.5%). To take the next step towards being a legitimate major league contributor, he must decrease his ground ball rate to around 40%. This should increase his overall numbers and maybe even add extra power to his profile. What's Next? Roden is one of the players to watch at spring training. He brings a dual threat of power and speed, something the Blue Jays are sorely lacking this year. Several positions are open for him to win a spot on the opening-day roster. Lucky for him and the Blue Jays, he can play any outfield position. If he can't parlay his hot stretch at the end of last season into a roster spot (.377/.457/.623, seven home runs, 13 doubles, and five stolen bases in his final 45 games), he will start back at Triple-A Buffalo. He is biding his time until a roster spot opens up, or he forces the front office's hand. View full article

Welcome back to the most anticipated reveal of the Blue Jays Top 20 prospect breakdown, the top 10. Our first deep dive will be on the number 10 prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays farm system. Without any further ado, as voted on by the Jays Centre community, it's really much ado about nothing at this point, Charles McAdoo. Catch up on the rest of the list at the links below: Top 20 Prospects: #16-20 Top 20 Prospects: #11-15 #10: Charles McAdoo, 3B, 22, Double-A, New Hampshire Fisher Cats McAdoo has put in a lot of miles to make it to Toronto, and that's just to get to his team's home ballpark. Being from Walnut Creek, California, he opted to play college baseball just down the road at San Jose State University (SJSU). His journey then took him across the country when the Pittsburgh Pirates drafted him in the 13th round of the 2023 MLB draft. There wasn't a lot of fanfare surrounding him coming out of college; he had a solid bat but barely anything else to his profile at the time. After a season and a half with the Pirates and playing in Bradenton, Greensboro, and Altoona, he popped up on the Toronto Blue Jays radar as the trade deadline for the 2024 season approached. He ultimately landed in the Toronto organization as the return piece for Isiah Kiner-Falefa. His next location would be his first stop within his new organization, New Hampshire. Before the trade to the Blue Jays, he was having a breakout year, hitting .320/.399/.556 across High-A and Double-A. He also added 15 home runs, 23 doubles, and stole 17 bases across 88 games. To that point of his 2024 season, he had a robust 167 wRC+, but his bubble burst following the trade. He would get into 37 games for New Hampshire and hit .185/.287/.323 for a 79 wRC+. He only added three more home runs and four stolen bases to cap off his whirlwind of a year. What To Like McAdoo has a profile that has evolved over the years and is now one to dream about making his way to the Rogers Centre. He has developed above-average power and speed to add to his aforementioned solid bat. In his junior year at SJSU, he hit 10 home runs in 58 games and five home runs in 28 games at Low-A. Then, last season, he would crush nine home runs at High-A (60 games) before adding another eight at Double-A (64 games). While at High-A, he was among the top percentile ranks in almost every statistical category while being above average in chase rate, whiff rate, walk rate, and strikeout rate. The only real hole in his swing was up and in. He showed excellent plate coverage and stood out among his peers. After a promotion to Double-A, he was challenged much more and had problems with the pitches down in the zone. This could have resulted from him adjusting to being traded and trying to do more damage than was possible on the low pitches. The power remained consistent behind his quick hands and solid base. This gives him above-average power to the opposite field, and the results on the field followed suit, with six of his 17 home runs going to right field. When locked in, McAdoo controls the zone with his bat, and quick hands allow him to cover most of the plate at an elite level. In 2024, 54.2% of his batted balls went up the middle or to right field. This approach, coupled with his fast hands, drives his opposite-field power. He can stay back longer and let the ball travel more, giving him the time to make better decisions. He then can launch the barrel through the zone to make great contact. Here is another one of his opposite-field home runs that looks so effortless for him. What To Work On McAdoo had an excellent 2024 season, but as with any player in the minor leagues, there are always things to improve upon on the quest to play at the top level of the sport. After jumping from High-A to Double-A, he saw more struggles than ever before. Those struggles compounded on themselves after his trade to Toronto. He started missing the ball a lot more; his contact rates fell from 78.2% at High-A to 71.8% at Double-A with Pittsburgh and then dropped even further to 66.8% with Toronto. These heat maps from Donald Stricklin Analytics show how McAdoo struggled with the pitches down in the zone. This coincided with an increase of about 5% in his pull rates from High-A to Double-A. It could be as simple as him opening up more to try and impress his new team with some power or concerning things like struggling with breaking pitches at the more advanced levels. Regardless of the underlying reason for his drop across the board at Double-A in 2025, he needs to settle back into a middle-away approach and drive the ball where it's pitched. In the field, he needs to stay the course at third base. In 2024, he only recorded seven errors at third, which is by far his best position. Toronto did have him play right field and first base, to try and give him more opportunities at playing time in the future. He struggled a little at first base and recorded an error in the three games he was in. If Toronto does indeed have thoughts of him playing more positions in 2025, he will need to shore up his skill at first base and in right field. What's Next 2025 could be the pivotal year for McAdoo, and I know that is said a lot. With his abysmal debut at Double-A for Toronto, he needs to bounce back and show the team the player they traded for. A trip back to Double-A New Hampshire will do him wonders. If he can adjust similarly to how he did at High-A last year, he should get a mid-season promotion to Triple-A Buffalo. Then, who knows, a cup of coffee with the big league club is not out of the cards for him. Expect his arrival to be more along the lines of in the summer of 2026, barring anything unexpected. View full article

I'm in

June 24 Vladdy - 1 Point - Dylan, LTBF Bichette - 2 Points - P2F, Deadpool Teo - 2 Points - Stangstag, Omar Kirk - 2 Points - Spanky99 Chapman - 3 Points - Effit Gurriel Jr - 4 Points - JaysAllMighty Espinal - 6 Points - Condor Biggio - 6 Points - JFD Tapia - 8 Points - gruber92 Off the bench: 9 Points -

June 21 Vladdy - 1 Point - LTBF, Omar Springer - 1 Point - Bichette - 2 Points - Teo - 2 Points - Spanky99 Kirk - 3 Points - Dylan, JFD Chapman - 3 Points - JaysAllMighty, Deadpool Gurriel Jr - 4 Points - Effit, Stangstag, P2F Espinal - 5 Points - wilko Tapia - 8 Points - Off the bench: 8 Points Seby Zavala - 8 points (I assigned the points): Condor

Lol I know. I didn't want anyone after me to follow suit and pick a white sox guy. Feels good to know I still can pick em, I just suck at doing it for the Jays games

Luis Robert hit a HR, how many points do I get lol

June 20 Vladdy - 1 Point - JaysAllMighty, JFD Springer - 1 Point - Omar Bichette - 2 Points - Effit Teo - 2 Points - wilko Chapman - 3 Points - Dylan Espinal - 5 Points - Moreno - 6 Points - Jays4life19, LTBF Biggio - 6 Points - Stangstag Tapia - 8 Points - Deadpool Off the bench: 8 Points - Luis Robert: 0 points - Condor

June 15 Vladdy - 1 Point - Springer - 1 Point - Bichette - 2 Points - Teo - 2 Points - Dylan Kirk - 2 Points - Chapman - 3 Points - Gurriel Jr - 4 Points - Condor Espinal - 5 Points - Moreno - 6 Points - Biggio - 6 Points - Tapia - 8 Points - Zimmer - 8 Points - Off the bench: 8 Points -

June 14 Vladdy - 1 Point - Springer - 1 Point - Bichette - 2 Points - gruber92 Teo - 2 Points - Dylan, LTBF Chapman - 3 Points - Omar, Spanky99 Gurriel Jr - 4 Points - jays4life69, JaysAllMighty Moreno - 6 Points - wilko, Effit, Condor Biggio - 6 Points -Deadpool Tapia - 8 Points - P2F Off the bench: 8 Points -

June 13 Vladdy - 1 Point - LTBF Springer - 1 Point - gruber92 Bichette - 2 Points - JaysAllMighty, JFD Teo - 2 Points - Dylan Kirk - 2 Points - Spanky99 Gurriel Jr - 4 Points - wilko, Effit Espinal - 5 Points - Condor Biggio - 6 Points - Deadpool Tapia - 8 Points - Off the bench: 8 Points -

June 12th Vladdy - 1 Point - Spanky, LTBF Springer - 1 Point - JaysAllMighty Bichette - 2 Points -Omar Teo - 2 Points - Dylan, Effit Kirk - 2 Points - Stangstag Gurriel Jr - 4 Points - gruber92, WryNGinger Espinal - 5 Points - Moreno - 6 Points - jays4life19, TwistedLogic, Condor Biggio - 6 Points - Off the bench: 8 Points -

June 11 (Double Points Saturday) Vladdy - 2 Points - Springer - 2 Points - Bichette - 4 Points - Spanky Teo - 4 Points - Kirk - 4 Points - Chapman - 6 Points - Collins - 8 Points Gurriel Jr - 8 Points - Espinal - 10 Points - Moreno? - 10 Points - P2F, Condor Biggio - 12 Points - Zimmer - 16 Points - Tapia - 16 Points - Off the bench: 16 Points -