Clutchlings

In the long run, probably profiles better as a back of the bullpen guy. This is his first full season, so they will take it easy with him. New Hampshire next year.

Gonna jump in here on Bo, since I've seen him and talked to folks in the know about him a fair bit.....Gil Kim said last fall that there were no plans to change his mechanics.....having said that, he certainly has toned the wrap down, probably because he had a bit of trouble handling velo from more advanced pitching prospects at Instructs last fall. Like all good hitters, he makes adjustments. The thing I like about him the most is his approach. He can chase from time to time, but for the most part he has advanced strike zone management for someone his age, likely due to his pitch recognition skills. He will use the whole field, and unlike a lot of guys in this day and age, he's willing to shorten his leg kick and swing with two strikes in order to make contact. Just an advanced bat who is making tremendous strides with his strength, conditioning, agility, and eating habits, to go along with his off the charts make up and baseball IQ. The jury is still out on where he plays long term, but the rule of thumb with any strength/conditioning program is that it takes about a year to really start seeing results. I can't wait to see what he's like next year.

Unlike his Dad, Vladdy doesn't chase a lot of pitches outside the strike zone. He generates incredible bat speed. His BP that I saw earlier in the season was a laser show.

Thanks for this, Twisted.

Conner Greene Sean Reid-Foley Chris Rowley Jordan Romano T.J. Zeuch Justin Maese Patrick Murphy

Gil told me that in an interview in March. And I think that given how well they both played last year, this year is not a huge surprise. Both still have plenty of work to do with their defence.

Gil Kim has said that they will spend most or all of the season in Lansing. The org has proven that if a team is in a playoff hunt in mid to late August, they will move prospects to bolster roster, but I won't be surprised to see both spend the whole season in the MWL.

Since you asked.....Jays were limited by bonus restrictions last July 2nd, but Andrew Tinnish gave me some names to follow: https://clutchlings.blogspot.ca/2017/06/dsl-blue-jays-season-underway.html

I think a lot of teams were scared off by Bichette's stance, and by the fact that his brother levelled off in High A. The Blue Jays were one of the few teams that said they wouldn't mess with his mechanics, so he signed with them. He's toned things down a bit, but he has a fantastic approach. He chases few pitches outside of the zone, and hammers mistakes. He's a smart baserunner, and generally displays a high baseball IQ. Like Vladdy, though, it's hard to see him long-term at SS. He has good range and reactions to ground balls, but his arm is average, and he has trouble making that throw from the hole. His bat will absolutely play, though. Great job of scouting and drafting by the Blue Jays.

Gudino is a smooth defender. He's one of those fast-twitch, glove-first guys that teams sign in the hopes that their bats will develop as he matures. He's actually a very intelligent and articulate kid, and his English is incredibly good for someone who's been stateside for only a couple of seasons - he has quite a vocabulary. It's doubtful that bat develops, though - not a good approach, and his strike zone gets progressively bigger as he falls behind in the count. The Blue Jays signed Kevin Vicuna hoping his bat would develop, too, and Hugo Cardona is another player in that mold. Gloves are way ahead of their bats at this point.

Having seen Vladdy Jr several times this year, and comparing the strides he's made in terms of his approach to training and nutrition, I would actually say that there's more than slight projection left for growth. He may not be getting bigger, but he's in the process of transforming his body. Having said that, I agree that he lacks range - his reactions to balls are good, but he has trouble getting to that slow roller to nip the batter at 1st. I still would give him another year to continue transforming his body, and I know that Mike Mordecai has been working extensively with him on his footwork. Where/when he moves will be ultimately decided by how much of a role the club thinks he will have in run prevention.

He works for an agency, tipping them off on kids they might be able to represent one day. He doesn't have enough time to watch complex games any more, unfortunately.

Jays took a bunch of low leverage college seniors with most of their 4th through 10th round picks, and used all their savings to go all in on Tellez. They also scooped Danny Jansen for $100K from the baseball backwater of Wisconsin (his stock had fallen due to injury, too) in that draft. Of course, they failed to sign Bickford, and they released Hollon this spring after a pair of drug suspensions, so it wasn't all gravy.

Having seen a lot of Bichette online and in person, I think he has the fast-twitch skills to cover a lot of ground at short, but he doesn't have the arm strength to make that throw from the hole.

Not to be outdone.....Dunedin's offence is at the top of 8 offensive categories in the FSL.

It's helping Alford so far that he has McBroom behind him in the lineup....it was a good move to get him out of the leadoff spot. I think we're all influenced by Alford's sideways numbers last year....if you go by the second half alone, you see improved pitch selection and power. He's still learning, but I think the time in Arizona last fall did wonders for his game. Everyone in the org lauds his work ethic and commitment to getting better.

Thanks for the Pentecost and Palacios updates, Spats! Info on Extended can be very hard to come by - Gil Kim usually responds to my texts and/or emails, but he was quiet on this one.

That Jays From Away guy is pretty good. Wish I could take photos like him.