Simon Li

Although he walked in the tying run in the bottom of the eighth inning, Jeff Hoffman retained his manager's trust and came back to pitch the bottom of the ninth against the bottom of the Dodgers' order. That did not go to plan, as the closer who had a 5.8% walk rate before Sunday's game walked three out of the four batters he faced in the ninth. In came Mason Fluharty, who before this game had a 5.23 ERA and a 4.20 FIP. The 23-year-old lefty rookie started off strongly for the Jays, but after a rough June, he was optioned back down to Triple-A Buffalo before just recently returning to the major league roster. Fluharty does have better peripherals than his results might suggest, with above-average strikeout and whiff rates, and he's been able to limit hard contact. He runs into issues here and there with his control, but his xERA is only 3.30 compared to his current ERA over 5.00. However, Fluharty was mostly used in low-leverage spots before Sunday. This can be illustrated by a metric called Leverage Index (LI), which was created by statistician Tom Tango. According to MLB.com, LI measures "the importance of a particular event by quantifying the extent to which win probability could change on said event, with 1.0 representing a neutral situation." Fluharty’s average Leverage Index prior to his save attempt against the Dodgers was 0.67. In contrast, when Fluharty came into the game after Hoffman loaded the bases, the LI was thirteen times higher, at a staggering 8.91. This was a do-or-die moment, the difference between the Dodgers sweeping the Jays and putting a sour note on the end of a road trip, or the Jays miraculously holding on in a nail-biter. Pitch #1 - Fluharty faces Shohei Ohtani, the reigning NL MVP, and throws a sweeper on the outside corner for a called strike. 0-1. Pitch #2 - Fluharty throws an 89.3-mph cutter up and in to Ohtani, who turns away from the pitch, swinging the bat in an effort to dodge the ball. Although it appeared that he swung, the third base umpire called it not a swing. Funnily enough, according to Tom Tango, if MLB implemented the 45-degree plane automated checked swing system they've been testing in the minors, this would in fact have been a checked swing. The count evens up at 1-1. Pitch #3 - Fluharty throws a pitch at the bottom of the zone, and Ohtani is completely fooled, as the 82.6-mph sweeper dives off the plate with 45 inches of drop and 15 inches of sweep, getting him to chase. It’s 1-2 in Fluharty’s favour. Pitch #4 - Fluharty tries another sweeper even further off the plate, but it goes in the dirt, and Ohtani easily takes it and evens the count up at 2-2. Pitch #5 - Fluharty goes back inside to Ohtani after two straight breaking balls, and Ohtani is forced to foul it off, as the pitch was about to clip the inside corner. The count remains 2-2. Pitch #6 - Fluharty then tries to elevate the cutter slightly higher, trying to get him to chase up in the zone, but Ohtani takes that pitch as well. The Jays' dugout is not happy that it wasn’t called a strike, despite being out of the zone. The count is now full. Pitch #7 - The next pitch is another sweeper reminiscent of pitch number two, but this time it’s in the zone. Ohtani is able to get to it and foul it off, and Fluharty has to go again. Pitch #8 - Fluharty then tries to throw the sweeper on the inside part of the plate, but it backs up a bit on him, and Ohtani takes a big hack that sends the pitch foul. The count remains 3-2. Pitch #9 - With the game on the line, Fluharty once again throws a sweeper, this time below the zone, and Ohtani chases. After throwing two straight sweepers in the zone that resulted in foul-offs, the rookie challenged the MVP on a pitch that could have tied the game up for the Dodgers. Instead, he recorded one of the biggest outs of the season for the Jays. Mookie Betts then comes up to the dish, and although the 2018 AL MVP has been struggling at the plate relative to his norm, the righty still is an above-average hitter against lefty pitching, and Fluharty has struggled more against right-handed hitters so far this season. Pitch #10 - Fluharty goes to the cutter, as sweepers typically have wide platoon splits, but he throws it way out of the zone for ball one. Pitch #11 - He then throws another cutter, but this time paints it on the outside corner to even the count up. Pitch #12 - This time, it’s a cutter on the inside corner, and Betts swings at it, resulting in a soft grounder to Addison Barger. The third baseman forces out Alex Call at second to win the game and finish off Mason Fluharty's very first MLB save. The last pitcher to retire two former MVPs back-to-back with the bases loaded en route to a save was Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman in 2002 (OptaStats). This just goes to show the depth of this Jays team, as a relatively unknown rookie reliever could come up and perform in a big moment when key members of the bullpen were hurt or under-performing. From top to bottom, the majority of the Jays' 40-man roster has stepped up in a major way in 2025. View full article

Slovakian-Canadian Adam Macko was part of the return that sent Teoscar Hernandez to Seattle in his free agent year. Erik Swanson was the main piece, and although he immediately pitched well in his first season with the Jays, external factors and injuries eventually led to a DFA for this season. Macko also dealt with injuries, as during spring training he was sent to the injured list after tearing his meniscus, delaying his start to the season after potentially being one of the Jays' depth starters to start the season. That role ended up going to guys like Paxton Schultz, Easton Lucas, Jose Urena, Spencer Turnbull, and the return of Casey Lawrence for a spot start. Macko is now finally healthy, and John Schneider mentioned him and 2024 first-rounder Trey Yesavage as other starting pitching depth options for the Jays down the stretch. Macko’s numbers don’t really jump off the page, as he has a 5.92 ERA in ten starts for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, and he’s also walking over 16% of the batters he’s facing. Still, the lefty has decent stuff coming out of a deceptive delivery, which makes him one of the more unique looks hitters have to face. Macko utilizes a four-pitch mix, and his most frequently used pitch is his four-seam fastball. Macko’s four-seamer sits 92-94 mph, but he can touch up to 96, with 15 and a half inches of ride and 6.5 inches of run. The pitch effectiveness depends heavily on his velocity, as when his four-seamer is under 93 mph, it has a .340 batting average against, and only has a 17.9% whiff rate. In contrast, when it’s above 93 mph, it has a .192 batting average against and a 21.4% whiff rate. Macko’s secondaries are his more effective pitches when he’s throwing them in the zone, but they have a lot of movement that prevents him from landing them for strikes consistently. His most reliable secondary is his slider, which he throws near 30% of the time. His slider sits in the mid-80s, where he gets over a 35% chase rate with it and a 34% whiff rate, and the pitch does get hit hard when hitters make contact. Macko’s curveball is probably his best pitch; it has a two-plane break, and despite being thrown in the mid-70s, it has the highest whiff rate in his arsenal at over 40%, and generates a ton of weak contact when it is hit. Macko has struggled to consistently place it in the zone due to the big movement this season, and hitters can pick up on the pitch out of the hand and not swing, leading to mediocre chase rates, but if Macko can command it, it’ll be a great weapon for him. Lastly, the lefty also throws a changeup, which he throws almost exclusively to righties; it sits in the low to mid-80s and has good fade, but he also struggles with the feel of it sometimes. Macko’s four solid pitches does signal that he could be a decent depth-starter piece, but his issues with command and staying healthy have plagued him throughout his career. The strikeout rates are also unimpressive, but Macko has done an excellent job limiting the long ball this season, only giving up a single homer. He also does a great job at inducing infield fly-balls, which are almost as good at strikeouts because they’re almost as likely to be an out, which he’s done at a 31.8% rate, for 17th among all International League Pitchers with over 30 IP. As of now, the 24-year-old may not be the first starter to be called up if the Jays need a spot start, but if he can continue on his recent momentum, where he’s only allowed two earned runs in his last three starts, he’ll continue to be on the Jays’ radar. View full article

CURRENT W-L Records Buffalo Bisons: 41-65 New Hampshire Fisher Cats: 45-58 Vancouver Canadians: 56-48 Dunedin Blue Jays: 48-52 FCL Blue Jays: Season Complete DSL Blue Jays Blue: 19-27 DSL Blue Jays Red: 23-23 Transactions 08/06/25: RHP Lluveres Severino assigned to Dunedin Blue Jays from FCL Blue Jays. 08/05/25: Buffalo Bisons sent SS Josh Kasevich on a rehab assignment to Dunedin Blue Jays. 08/05/25: Toronto Blue Jays sent 2B Andrés Giménez on a rehab assignment to Buffalo Bisons. 08/05/25: Toronto Blue Jays selected the contract of 1B Buddy Kennedy from Buffalo Bisons. 08/05/25: Buffalo Bisons sent SS Josh Kasevich on a rehab assignment to Dunedin Blue Jays. 08/05/25: LF David Beckles and OF Yorman Licourt assigned to Dunedin Blue Jays from FCL Blue Jays. Buffalo Bisons Buffalo (6), Worcester (10) - 8/5 Box Score Buffalo kicked off a week-long series with Worcester on Tuesday. A rehabbing Andrés Giménez was in the lineup for Buffalo and took an 0-for-3 night before subbing out for Orelvis Martinez late in the game. Worcester took a two-run lead in the first inning, when Jhostynxon Garcia singled to center field, bringing in Nick Sogard. Garcia would score later in the inning on an RBI groundout. Buffalo tied the game up at three in the third; Michael Stefanic had an RBI single, and Giménez added a run with an RBI groundout. Trayce Thompson gave Worcester the lead back in the fourth on his twelfth home run of the season. Buffalo grabbed the lead right back in the top of the fourth inning, when Leo Jiménez hit an RBI double to center and Brandon Valenzuela hit an RBI single to right field. Kristian Campbell's RBI single in the fifth set off seven unanswered runs for Worcester over the next two innings, with Nate Eaton's three-run home run and Garcia's two-run triple being the big hits. Stefanic would add a two-run single in the ninth, but it wasn't enough, with Buffalo losing this one 10-6. Leo Jiménez - 2-3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 2B Lazaro Estrada - 4 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 7 K Buffalo (7), Worcester (3) - 8/6 Box Score Devonte Brown got things started in the Wednesday game between Buffalo and Worcester, hitting his first home run at Triple A. It was a two-run shot in the top of the second to give Buffalo the early lead. Worcester answered quickly in the bottom half of the inning, with Sogard driving in a run on a double to left field. In the fourth, Christian Bethancourt's RBI groundout put Buffalo up two runs. RBI singles from Garcia and Campbell tied things up in the fifth. Stefanic was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the seventh, and a dropped fly ball in the ninth saw Buffalo cash in three runs, clearing the bases. The Bisons won this one 7-3. Devonte Brown- 2-4, 1 R, 2 RBI, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HR Paxton Schultz - 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K New Hampshire Fisher Cats New Hampshire (7), Reading (6) - 8/5 Box Score New Hampshire started a new series on Tuesday against Reading and sent Grant Rogers and his quality-start generating arm to the mound. The Fisher Cats broke through early with two runs in the bottom of the second inning from Gabriel Martinez's second home run at Double A. In the top of the third, Rogers got into trouble with three straight hits to lead off the inning, resulting in a run for Reading. However, Ryan McCarty was able to throw out a runner at home and give the momentum back to Rogers. He was then able to get a fly out and groundout to escape the jam, only surrendering the one run. Victor Arias expanded the New Hampshire lead in the bottom of the fifth with a sacrifice fly. Later in the inning, Je'Von Ward hit a three-run home run for the Fisher Cats, giving them a comfortable five-run lead. Rogers came out for the top of the sixth inning and was in a great position for another quality start. Unfortunately, the inning unraveled on him, as he coughed up two runs, aided by an error on himself. Arias knocked in another run on a single in the bottom of the sixth, giving New Hampshire a much-needed insurance run. Reading scored two in the next half inning, highlighted by Aidan Miller's solo home run. With the game tight, New Hampshire's bullpen shut the door on any potential comeback and secured the 7-6 win. Je'Von Ward: 1-4, 1 R, 3 RBI, 2 K, 1 HR Grant Rogers: 6 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K New Hampshire (1), Reading (8) - 8/6 Box Score After a trade deadline that saw a number of the better starting pitchers for New Hampshire get moved to help the big league club, the Fisher Cats were back to using pitchers that had moved to the bullpen, and it showed Wednesday. Rafael Sanchez was back in a starting role, and he was touched early in this game. He gave up a two-run double in the top of the first and an RBI single in the top of the third. After he was pulled in the middle of the inning, reliever Pat Gallagher gave up an RBI single as well, with the run charged to Sanchez. Michael Dominguez did not fare any better, coughing up a two-run home run in the sixth to Leandro Pineda. Reading would cap off their scoring in the top of the ninth with a solo home run by Nick Dunn. As for the New Hampshire bats, their lone bright spot was a double by Charles McAdoo in the bottom of the first, and then Ward's double that scored him. New Hampshire fell in an ugly game, 8-1. Je'Von Ward: 2-4, 1 RBI, 1 2B Pat Gallagher: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K Vancouver Canadians Vancouver (7), Hillsboro (10) - 8/5 Box Score The Canadians are once again playing the Hops, this time at Nat Bailey Stadium, and the series started very roughly for them. Chris McElvain struggled, giving up four runs in three innings of work, and the bullpen was not much better. JJ Sanchez gave up three runs himself, leaving the Canadians down seven to nothing heading into the bottom of the fifth. Cutter Coffey hit a solo shot for the Canadians to finally get something, but Austin Marozas gave up the run back in the top of the sixth inning. The Canadians got a couple of runs back in the seventh, with the Hops' pitching becoming wild, as they started walking a lot of batters and throwing some wild pitches. Eddie Micheletti Jr. scored on a wild pitch, and then Carter Cunningham hit a double to dig away at the lead. Again, Marozas gave up the same number of runs the Canadians just scored, erasing a lot of the progress they just made. Another wild pitch scored Jay Harry in the bottom of the eighth, and in the bottom of the ninth, the Canadians got a few sac flies and a bases-loaded walk but couldn’t quite make the comeback, only bringing the deficit to within three. Cutter Coffey - 1-5, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR The July Northwest League Hitter of the Month did it again with his ninth homer of the year. He’s been one of the hottest hitters in the Jays organization and could see a move up to Double-A New Hampshire sooner than later. Jonathan Todd - 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K Vancouver (3), Hillsboro (6) - 8/6 Box Score The Canadians tried to bounce back after the tough pitching night, as Jackson Wentworth pitched a decent game, going four innings and allowing two runs, five hits, three walks, and striking out three. Kevin Kiermaier was also in the building, as he donned a uniform and served as the first base coach at times, while also helping out the outfield before the game. The Canadians got off to an early lead, as Sean Keys’ groundout led to JR Freethy scoring on a missed catch error from the pitcher. Wentworth was cruising until the top of the third, when he hit a wall and allowed a few too many free bases and hits that resulted in two runs scored. Johan Simon replaced Wentworth and had a scoreless inning before allowing two runs to score in the sixth. Bo Bonds uncharacteristically lost the zone, walking four batters in the seventh inning. Keys came up again and knocked in a run the easy way with a single that scored Freethy again. Arjun Nimmala brought the game to within two runs, but a Jansel Luis double brought it back to three. The Canadians had one more chance to stay alive, as Keys took a walk that brought Nimmala up, but he grounded into a pseudo-double play; he might have been robbed, as he looked like he stepped on first before the ump called him out. JR Freethy - 2-4, 2 R, 1 BB Freethy had a successful debut in Vancouver, recording a two-hit night and scoring two of the three Canadians' runs. Javen Coleman - 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 K Coleman just missed out on his second immaculate inning of the season, as he threw eight straight strikes before Modeifi Marte fouled off the ninth pitch. He then popped out on Coleman’s tenth pitch. Dunedin Blue Jays Dunedin (1), Palm Beach (3) - 8/5 - Completion of Jul 13 game Box Score The game was a continuation of a July 13 matchup that was rained out, and the Jays got off to an early lead after Tucker Toman doubled to score Yorman Licourt’s first run as a D-Jay. Mason Olson was the “starter” for today, replacing Silvano Hechavarria in the fifth inning. Olson went through the first three innings without much of a peep, but in the eighth inning, things went awry, as he walked two batters after striking out the first. Rainiel Rodriguez came up as Olson was replaced by Jack Eshleman, who blew his second save of the season with a homer given up to put the D-Jays down two. The D-Jays had their last chance in the top of the ninth, but only Manuel Beltre could reach on a fielding error, as the rest of the Jays hit into three outs to end the first game of the day. Tucker Toman - 1-3, 1 RBI, 2B Silvano Hechavarria - 4 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K This was Hechavarria's performance on July 13, but we're just appreciating how good he was again. Dunedin (2), Palm Beach (8) - 8/5 - Game 2 Box Score In the second game of the doubleheader, the Jays tried to bounce back from a close loss in the first one. It started off well, with Kasevich getting a hit in the first at-bat of the game. Nothing came of it, however, as he was left on first, and in the top of the second, the Cardinals scored first with a Toman error on a pick-off attempt allowing Jose Suarez to score before Sammy Hernandez hit a double to score two more runs. The D-Jays were able to load the bases in the second inning, but could not capitalize again, as Kasevich couldn’t get a fly out to find grass. Kasevich later had another opportunity with a runner on third and delivered this time, with an RBI single for the Jays’ first run. Eminen Flores replaced Holden Wilkerson and struggled mightily, giving up a two-run homer in the top of the fifth after getting two quick outs, then giving up three more in the sixth on a two-run double. Jay Schueler replaced Flores and allowed one inherited runner to score before not allowing any more runs after that. The D-Jays got a run in the bottom of the seventh on an Eric Snow single, but that was all for them as they lost the second game of the doubleheader as well. Josh Kasevich - 2-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB Kasevich returned to Dunedin on another rehab assignment. He’s struggled with injuries throughout the season, but it was nice to see him get back to working his way to Triple A with a strong rehab appearance. Jay Schueler - 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K Dunedin (1), Palm Beach (7) - 8/6 Box Score The command issues continued for Landen Maroudis, as he was only able to pitch one inning before he was taken out of the game. He gave up a pair of doubles in the first to give up a run, and in the second inning, he loaded the bases with three straight walks without getting an out before allowing a run to score on a single. Lluveres Severino made his Dunedin debut and allowed another run on a wild pitch, but he was able to pitch well after that. In the third inning, Jean Joseph came up to the dish and hit a single that resulted in a play at the plate. Kendry Chirinos was called out at home, much to the dismay of the D-Jays, and manager Gil Kim came out of the dugout and had some words with the home plate umpire that ultimately led to him getting ejected. The Jays finally got something going in the fifth inning with a Toman double and a Joseph single that cut the lead to two. Unfortunately, that was the only run they scored all game. Gilberto Batista has struggled in the second half of the season, as the righty now has an ERA approaching five after giving up four runs on four hits in three innings of work. The D-Jays once again lost by six runs; they are now in a slight funk. At least David Beckles got his first hit after being promoted. Jean Joseph - 3-4, 1 RBI, 1 BB Lluveres Severino - 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K DSL Blue Jays Blue D-BJB (0), D-WSX (1) F/7 - 8/5 Box Score Tuesday was another forgettable game for BJB; this time against the White Sox DSL team (WSX). They only managed to get three singles in the game (Yeicer Crespo, Fabian Gonzalez, and Darwin Núñez ), in addition to one walk and two hit batters. BJB just could not get anything going with the bats and ended up with a goose egg on the scoreboard at the end of the game. It was not all bad though, as both Jose Andrades and Rodrigo Ramirez threw three innings and almost blanketed WSX as well. Unfortunately for BJB, Eduardo Herrera scored on a balk by Andrades, proving to be the winning run of the game, as BJB lost 1-0. Fabian Gonzalez: 1-3 Rodrigo Ramirez: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K DSL Blue Jays Red D-BJR (5), D-NAT (4) - 8/5 Box Score Down on the island Tuesday, the DSL Blue Jays Red team took on the DSL Nationals team. Juan Sanchez started things for BJR with a lead-off line drive single to left field, but he was erased from the bases on a steal attempt. In the bottom of the third, Sanchez hit a ground ball to center that ended up as a triple. He would score two batters later on a sacrifice fly from Kennew Blanco. In the fifth, NAT took the lead on three runs from an RBI double, a throwing error on the pitcher, and a wild pitch. In the sixth and seventh, BJR tied the game up at three, after they got an RBI single from Nicolas Vergara and an RBI double by Pascual Archila. In the top of the ninth, NAT took the lead on an RBI single, but it wouldn't last. A wild pitch in the bottom of the inning tied the game, when J.T. Bain scored. Archila then hit a single to right field, scoring Sanchez and ending the game in a walk-off win for BJR. They won 5-4. Pascual Archila - 3-4, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 0 K, 2 2B Roberto Castellanos - 4 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K Toronto Blue Jays Minor League Players of the Period Pitcher of the Period: RHP Silvano Hechavarria (Dunedin): 4 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K Hitter of the Period: OF Je'Von Ward (New Hampshire): 3-8, 1 R, 4 RBI, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 1 2B Prospect Summary (Last 2 Days) Toronto Blue Jays Top 20 Hitters Rank Player Team PA R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB CS 1 Arjun Nimmala Vancouver 10 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 0 0 2 JoJo Parker N/A 9 Alan Roden TRADED 10 Orelvis Martinez Buffalo 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 11 Yohendrick Pinango Buffalo 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 13 Josh Kasevich Dunedin 8 0 4 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 16 RJ Schreck Buffalo 10 2 3 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 0 17 Victor Arias New Hampshire 8 0 2 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 19 Jonatan Clase Buffalo 5 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Toronto Blue Jays Top 20 Pitchers Rank Player Team BF G GS IP H HR ER BB K 3 Trey Yesavage New Hampshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 Ricky Tiedemann Buffalo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 Khal Stephen TRADED 6 Johnny King Dunedin 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 Kendry Rojas TRADED 8 Gage Stanifer Vancouver 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 Landen Maroudis Dunedin 9 1 1 1 3 0 3 3 1 14 Juaron Watts-Brown TRADED 15 Jake Bloss Buffalo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 18 Brandon Barriera FCL Jays 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 Adam Macko Buffalo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

The Toronto Blue Jays' minor league system had a lot of strong pitching performances in the month of July. Starting pitching has been at the forefront of the Jays' farm system, including what they gave up for their most recent trade deadline acquisitions. However, the Jays have also had strong performances from many relievers within their system. These were the best of July. Stats up to date through the end of July. Honourable Mentions Bo Bonds, RHP - High-A Vancouver - 5 IP, 0.00 ERA, 2.62 FIP, 11.1 K%, 0.0 BB%, 0.60 WHIP Yondrei Rojas, RHP - High-A Vancouver - 6 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.25 ERA, 47.8% K%, 0.83 WHIP This pair of Vancouver relievers did not allow a single run in July, but both took a trip to the injured list, which limited their innings pitched and ultimately took them off the list for me. But both have been excellent for the Canadians' bullpen and deserved a shoutout for their dominance in limited time. Brett Garcia, RHP - Florida Complex League - 10 ⅔ IP, 1.69 ERA, 3.01 FIP, 1.13 WHIP, 26.7 K%, 13.3 BB% 25-year-old Garcia was signed out of the Frontier League this season and sent to the Florida Complex League, where he pitched well. It was hard to put a reliever who was four years older than the average complex leaguer on the actual list, but it’s nice to see the Jays finding gems in indie ball. Nate LaRue, RHP - Low-A Dunedin - 9 ⅔ IP, 2.79 ERA, 3.28 ERA, 25 K%, 0.0 BB%, 0.83 WHIP The converted catcher has really begun to find his footing in the 'pen after starting off slowly. He was the best single-inning reliever for Dunedin in July, and perhaps the Jays are finding success with another converted position player. Daniel Guerra, RHP - Low-A Dunedin - 14 ⅔ IP, 2.45 ERA, 4.10 FIP, 27.6 K%, 8.6 BB%, 1.02 WHIP Guerra started off the season for the D-Jays as a starter, but with the emergence of the contingent of breakout arms and college arms, he was pushed to the bullpen. That move proved to be excellent for Guerra’s performance, as his fastball velocity has ticked up to 95 mph, and he's throwing the pitch over 65% of the time. Guerra still has to develop better secondaries for him to return to starting pitching, but he’s been very good in a multi-inning relief role. Conor Larkin, RHP - Double-A New Hampshire - 11 ⅔ IP, 2.31 ERA, 3.07 FIP, 27.1 K%, 14.6 BB%, 1.11 WHIP Larkin was part of a very dominant New Hampshire bullpen in July. The 26-year-old righty out of Penn State has been one of the most consistent relievers for New Hampshire all season. His walk rate being slightly higher than those of his peers, and his K rate being slightly lower, just prevented him from joining his teammates in the top five, but he’s been practically as good. 5. Nate Garkow, RHP - Double-A New Hampshire - 9 ⅔ IP, 1.86 ERA, 3.24 FIP, 30.8 K%, 17.9 BB%, 1.14 WHIP Nate Garkow had a 7.56 ERA with the Vancouver Canadians but was still promoted to Double A after 16 ⅔ innings pitched. Looking at just the raw ERA makes it a confusing call-up, but he was striking out 39.0% of the batters he faced with a FIP of 3.84 and a .455 BABIP. Once he arrived in New Hampshire, his results matched his peripherals, as he has a 1.21 ERA and a 1.76 FIP since getting promoted. This month technically was a step back for him, as he struck out fewer batters and walked more than he did with New Hampshire all season, but he’s been so good that he still earned a spot on this list. 4. Alex Amalfi, RHP - Double-A New Hampshire - 20 IP, 2.25 ERA, 2.84 FIP, 30.4 K%, 10.1 BB%, 0.90 WHIP Alex Amalfi has quietly been one of the best relief prospects in the Jays' farm system over the past few years. He’s been mostly used as a multi-inning reliever in his first go at Double A, and he’s risen to the occasion. This month was one of his best yet, as he slightly dropped his walk rate without affecting his strikeout rate. Amalfi will be Rule 5 eligible after this season, and although there are a few relievers higher than him on the depth chart that aren’t protected, he has the stuff to warrant a claim if left unprotected. 3. Pat Gallagher, RHP - Double-A New Hampshire - 10 ⅓ IP, 1.74 ERA, 2.37 FIP, 27.3 K%, 9.1 BB%, 1.26 WHIP Pat Gallagher just earned a call-up to New Hampshire after dominating the Northwest League to the tune of a 1.13 ERA and a 2.38 FIP with a 29.3 K% and a 10.8 BB% in 39.2 IP. He hasn’t missed a beat since coming to New Hampshire, perhaps even pitching better than he did in Vancouver. The splitter specialist dropped his walk rate facing Eastern League hitters and has not given up a homer all season. He, too, is eligible for the Rule 5 after the season, so the Jays will have hard choices with him as well. 2. Kai Peterson, LHP - High-A Vancouver - 10 ⅔ IP, 0.00 ERA, 2.29 FIP, 32.6 K%, 13.0 BB%, 1.31 WHIP Kai Peterson continues to shove in Vancouver, and his July was dominant, as he didn’t allow a single run. His lefty-side arm slot has been terrible to deal with for Northwest League hitters, as the funky arm angle and all the movement on his sinker make it extremely difficult for opponents to square him up. Peterson can be his worst enemy sometimes with poor walk rates, but he’s been able to navigate runners on base well, given his strikeout stuff. In most months, this would be the best performance of any Jays reliever, but a fellow lefty reliever (and a fellow Vancouver Canadian) managed to snag the top spot from Peterson. 1. Javen Coleman, LHP - High-A Vancouver - 14 IP, 1.93 ERA, 1.13 FIP, 40 K%, 7.3 BB%, 0.86 WHIP Javen Coleman is straight up nasty. The lefty reliever was drafted in 2023 by the Dodgers, but did not sign, instead returning to LSU for his senior season. That proved to be a great thing for the Blue Jays, as they snatched him up as an undrafted free agent in 2024, and he immediately became one of the most dominant pitchers in their minor league system. He earned Pitcher of the Week honours in May and pushed his way up to Vancouver after dominating the Florida State League. Coleman has been even better in Vancouver, as the lefty has reined in some wildness while still striking out batters over 40% of the time. He just earned his second Pitcher of the Week honours, this time in the Northwest League. View full article

I may not have included that in my title when I submitted it 😉

The Blue Jays set out to fill some very specific holes at the trade deadline, including back-end help for the bullpen, a starting pitcher, and a right-handed bat. The Jays killed two birds with one stone, as Kendry Rojas and Alan Roden were sent out for RHP Louis Varland and 1B Ty France. Kendry Rojas is a 22-year old left-handed starting pitching prospect, who was most recently ranked the seventh-best prospect in the Jays Centre top-20 prospect rankings. Rojas first turned heads in the Spring Breakout game, where he showed improved velocity compared to his last appearance in the Arizona Fall League, sitting 96 mph with his fastballs and touching 97. However, to start the season, he was placed on the seven-day IL due to an abdominal injury that prevented him from pitching for the first two months of the minor league season. Rojas came back on May 30, and pitched six rehab starts with two in the Florida Complex League and four in Low-A Dunedin, where he pitched 18 innings and posted a 1.00 ERA, with a 38.8% K rate and a 7.5% walk rate. Most notably, the velocity gains that we witnessed in the abbreviated Spring Breakout performance seemed very real. Rojas uses two different fastball variations, and both his sinker and his fastball were sitting 95 mph compared to 93-94 mph in 2024. This marks another velocity jump for Rojas, who’s still filling out his frame and getting stronger, which may point to some more projection incoming. Rojas has a four-pitch mix, with his most used pitch being his sinker, which sits at 95 mph. In Dunedin, the sinker had more ride and run, but in his lone start with the Buffalo Bisons in Triple-A, the different ball depressed the shape of his sinker, losing a few inches of ride and a lot of run. Still, the pitch was effective at generating whiffs despite getting hit hard. He also throws a four-seam fastball that usually has more ride and less run. Kendry Rojas throws two very effective secondary pitches, with his hard-slider sitting around 87 mph which he’s able to zone well and is a strikeout pitch, and a mid-80s changeup that when he commands is also a big whiff generator. The one concern for Rojas is his health, he’s not very undersized at 6’ 2” and 190 lbs but there may be concern on how his body holds up over a full starter’s workload. His career-high in innings pitched is 84 innings in 2023, and he’s been hurt the past couple of years. If his health holds up, Rojas has the stuff and command to be a solid mid-rotation starter. Alan Roden is the other prospect to get traded, although he’s had significant struggles as a major leaguer, with a .204/.283/.306 slash line while striking out 21.2% of the time and walking only 7.1% of the time. The 25-year-old’s best skill is his contact ability, and although he struggled with rolling over pitches in the big leagues, he still had a 150 wRC+ in Triple-A with a .331/.423/.496 slash line, walking more than he struck out. In 2024, he had a breakout season as a prospect, showcasing some untapped power that he hadn’t showcased earlier in his pro career and made it more likely for him to stick as a big leaguer. Roden does have some concerns with his swing and stance, it’s not the most traditional and it may not be as effective against major league pitching, he also does have pretty extreme platoon splits in Triple-A and may be stuck as a platoon bat in the future. With the Blue Jays logjam in the outfield, Roden wasn’t able to get the consistent at-bats needed to get his bat going, and will now have ample opportunity in the Twins depleted major league roster. Overall, this was a sizable price to pay for a rental corner infielder and a good, controllable reliever, but the best organizations deal from positions of strength, and that's what the Blue Jays did at this deadline. Hopefully, Varland and France contribute to a lengthy playoff run that will mitigate the pain of any success Roden or Rojas find out in Minnesota. View full article

CURRENT W-L Records Buffalo Bisons: 40-60 New Hampshire Fisher Cats: 40-57 Vancouver Canadians: 52-44 Dunedin Blue Jays: 46-47 FCL Blue Jays: Season Complete DSL Blue Jays Blue: 18-22 DSL Blue Jays Red: 21-20 Transactions 07/30/25 - LHP Joe Mantiply assigned to Buffalo Bisons from FCL Blue Jays. 07/30/25 - Toronto Blue Jays optioned RHP Lazaro Estrada to Buffalo Bisons. 07/30/25 - LHP Orlando Marcelin assigned to DSL Blue Jays Red. 07/30/25 - LHP Joe Mantiply assigned to Buffalo Bisons from FCL Blue Jays. 07/30/25 - Vancouver Canadians activated RHP Yondrei Rojas from the 7-day injured list. 07/29/25 - Toronto Blue Jays recalled RHP Lazaro Estrada from Buffalo Bisons. 07/29/25 - C Robert Brooks assigned to Buffalo Bisons from New Hampshire Fisher Cats. 07/29/25 - Toronto Blue Jays optioned LHP Justin Bruihl to Buffalo Bisons. 07/29/25 - Toronto Blue Jays recalled LHP Easton Lucas from Buffalo Bisons. 07/29/25 - LHP Kendry Rojas assigned to Buffalo Bisons from New Hampshire Fisher Cats. 07/29/25 - Toronto Blue Jays optioned LHP Easton Lucas to Buffalo Bisons. 07/29/25 - OF Fabian Gonzalez assigned to DSL Blue Jays Blue from DSL Blue Jays Red. 07/29/25 - OF Fabian Gonzalez assigned to DSL Blue Jays Blue from DSL Blue Jays Red. 07/29/25 - OF Austin Smith assigned to Dunedin Blue Jays. 07/29/25 - SS Eric Snow assigned to Dunedin Blue Jays. 07/29/25 - Dunedin Blue Jays released SS Lizandro Rodriguez. 07/29/25 - RHP Danny Thompson Jr. assigned to Dunedin Blue Jays. 07/29/25 - LHP Carson Myers assigned to Dunedin Blue Jays. 07/29/25 - Dunedin Blue Jays released CF Yhoangel Aponte. 07/29/25 - Dunedin Blue Jays transferred 3B Damiano Palmegiani to the Development List. 07/29/25 - OF Jake Casey assigned to Dunedin Blue Jays. 07/29/25 - SS Jacob Lojewski assigned to Vancouver Canadians from Dunedin Blue Jays. 07/29/25 - OF Matt Scannell assigned to Dunedin Blue Jays from FCL Blue Jays. 07/29/25 - 2B Maddox Latta assigned to Dunedin Blue Jays from FCL Blue Jays. 07/29/25 - C Jaxson West assigned to Dunedin Blue Jays from FCL Blue Jays. 07/29/25 - C Maykel Minoso assigned to FCL Blue Jays from Dunedin Blue Jays. 07/29/25 - LF Alexis Hernandez assigned to Vancouver Canadians from Dunedin Blue Jays. 07/29/25 - OF Matt Scannell assigned to Dunedin Blue Jays from FCL Blue Jays. 07/29/25 - 2B Maddox Latta assigned to Dunedin Blue Jays from FCL Blue Jays. 07/29/25 - C Maykel Minoso assigned to FCL Blue Jays from Dunedin Blue Jays. 07/29/25 - C Jaxson West assigned to Dunedin Blue Jays from FCL Blue Jays. 07/29/25 - New Hampshire Fisher Cats activated RHP Rafael Sanchez. 07/29/25 - LHP Kendry Rojas assigned to Buffalo Bisons from New Hampshire Fisher Cats. 07/29/25 - C Robert Brooks assigned to Buffalo Bisons from New Hampshire Fisher Cats. 07/29/25 - C Nicolas Deschamps assigned to New Hampshire Fisher Cats from Vancouver Canadians. 07/29/25 - Vancouver Canadians activated LF Alexis Hernandez. 07/29/25 - Vancouver Canadians activated SS Jacob Lojewski. 07/29/25 - SS Jacob Lojewski assigned to Vancouver Canadians from Dunedin Blue Jays. 07/29/25 - LF Alexis Hernandez assigned to Vancouver Canadians from Dunedin Blue Jays. 07/29/25 - C Nicolas Deschamps assigned to New Hampshire Fisher Cats from Vancouver Canadians. Buffalo Bisons Buffalo (1), Syracuse (0) - 7/29 Box Score In the first game of the series on Tuesday between the Buffalo Bisons and the Syracuse Mets, hits were at a premium, as the game turned into a matchup of pitching from the start. Anders Tolhurst toed the rubber for the Bisons and was magnificent, continuing a recent stretch of good outings for him. He threw 5.1 innings, held Syracuse to three hits, zero runs, gave up two walks, and struck out four. He now has five straight games of surrendering two runs or less and throwing five innings or more. In the sixth inning, Orelvis Martinez got things started for Buffalo with a walk, his fourth walk of the game if you can believe that. Yohendrick Pinango moved Martinez to second base on an infield single, then Martinez scored when Christian Bethancourt put a ball in play that resulted in a fielding error. In the ninth, the Mets got a runner to second base, but he was caught stealing third to end the game. Buffalo won this game, 1-0. Orelvis Martinez- 0-0, 1 R, 0 RBI, 4 BB, 0 K Anders Tolhurst- 5.1 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K Buffalo (3), Syracuse (8) - 7/30 Box Score Kendry Rojas took the mound Tuesday for the Buffalo Bisons, in what was his Triple-A debut. Some things went well and others not so much. In the second inning, the Mets first got to Rojas, after a walk, they hit two singles to bring in the game's first run. Then in the third, the Mets were swing-happy, as they got to Rojas again. A double, a single, and a groundout brought in a second run. A home run from Hayden Senger scored two, then another two-run homer, this time from Omar De Los Santos put the Mets up six. Rojas finished strong after that though, striking out four more batters once settling in. Orelvis Martinez took star prospect Nolan McLean deep to center field for a 426 FT solo shot in the fourth. In the fifth, Michael Stefanic drove in a run for Buffalo with a double. A throwing error on the catcher would bring the Mets lead back to five in the seventh inning. They would add another run on an error by the Buffalo first baseman in the eighth. Jonatan Clase would tack on a solo home run, but Buffalo would fall in this game, 8-3. Orelvis Martinez- 1-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HR Bobby Milacki- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K New Hampshire Fisher Cats New Hampshire (1), Chesapeake (6) - 7/29 Box Score Tuesday was a rough day for New Hampshire, as they started a new series against the Chesapeake Baysox. The Baysox were the first on the scoreboard, getting a big two-run home run in the bottom of the second inning from Jalen Velasquez. In the bottom of the fourth, it was again Velasquez providing the big hit, getting an RBI double to center field this time. He then would score when the next batter, Jordyn Adams, singled to center. A couple of hitters later, TT Bowens added an RBI single to center as well. Chesapeake continued their offensive barrage with a solo home run by Aron Estrada in the bottom of the fifth, bringing their lead to 6-0. Alex Stone broke through New Hampshire's scoring cap to lead-off the sixth inning, hitting a home run himself. That's where things stood, when Ryan McCarty was called out on strikes in the ninth inning to end the game, New Hampshire fell to Chesapeake 6-1 in a big let down clunker. Alex Stone: 1-3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR Justin Kelly: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K New Hampshire (7), Chesapeake (5) - 7/30 Box Score New Hampshire sent Grant Rogers to the mound on Wednesday afternoon to try and keep his quality start run going and give their bats a chance to do some damage and pull out a win. Rogers was a little shaky in the bottom of the first inning, giving up a single to David Bañuelos and a two-run home run to Adam Retzbach. New Hampshire cut into the lead in the top of the second inning, with Devonte Brown's sixth home run of the season, a solo shot to left. Ryan McCarty tied the game up in the top of the third on his double to right, scoring Charles McAdoo. He would advance on the play to third base on a fielding error by Chesapeake's right fielder. Je'Von Ward then smacked a ball to left field for a sacrifice fly, giving the Fisher Cats a one-run lead. New Hampshire continued to expand their lead in the top of the fifth inning, when Nicolas Deschamps scored on a wild pitch and a Cade Doughty drove in Jackson Hornung on a single. In the bottom of the sixth, Douglas Hodo III made it a ball game again, with his two run home run off Rogers, thwarting his shot at another quality start. The Fisher Cats added some breathing room with Brown scoring on a balk in the seventh and another run on Doughty's sacrifice fly. Conor Larkin came into the game in the ninth and despite some traffic on the bases, was able to shut the door on a comeback and secure the 7-5 win for New Hampshire. Devonte Brown: 1-3, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 K, 1 HR Grant Rogers: 5.2 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 6 K Vancouver Canadians Vancouver (1), Tri-City (4) - 7/29 Box Score The Canadians went to Tri-City to face off against the Dust Devils, and they started off strong with a solo homer from Cutter Coffey to give them a lead in the third inning. Fernando Perez also contributed with five scoreless innings with six strikeouts, but Irv Carter could not hold the lead in the sixth inning, giving up three solo homers. Jonathan Todd relieved him and gave him a solo shot himself, and the Canadians couldn’t score anything for a quick loss despite only giving up seven hits. Cutter Coffey - 2-3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR, 1 2B Coffey was the only contributor to the Canadians offense tonight, as he had the only run and RBI of the game for them on a solo homer. That was his 33rd extra base hit and he raised his wRC+ to 120 on the season. Fernando Perez - 5 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K Perez has continued an excellent July, with his fourth start of the month with five strikeouts or more. He’s raised his season strikeout rate over 20% after being under it for most of the season. His FIP and ERA are in the mid threes as he’s reaching his career high in innings pitched. Vancouver (10), Tri-City (5) - 7/30 Box Score The game started with great news for Arjun Nimmala, with Sean Keys at first and with two outs, the struggling shortstop hit his first homer since June 11th. Alexis Hernandez had his first and homer and hit for the Canadians with a two out homer of his own in the top of the second inning. Chris McElvain gave up the lead however, as an RBI single from Capri Ortiz, and a two-run double from Matt Coutney tied it up for the Dust Devils. The Canadians took the lead back in the fifth, Cutter Coffey continued hitting well with an RBI single to break the tie, and then Arjun Nimmala came up with the bases loaded and walked to score another run. Carter Cunningham did the same, and although Edward Duran hit into a double play, another run came into score giving the Canadians a comfy four-run lead. Alexis Hernandez hit his homer number two in the top of the sixth, adding one more to the lead, before Kai Peterson allowed a run to score after a Cutter Coffey throwing error. Carter Cunningham hit his 12th homer of the year to earn that run back, and then Arjun Nimmala had his fourth RBI of the night with a single in the top of the ninth, however he did get thrown out at second trying to advance. Austin Marozas, 26-year old righty who was signed out of independent ball got the last two innings for the Canadians, and he went two innings allowing one run as he helped secure the win. Alexis Hernandez - 3-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 HR The former Boston Red Sox prospect was selected in the 2023 Rule 5 minor league portion of the draft, and has dealt with a lot of injuries with the Jays organization. But he’s now been healthy, and has rightfully earned a promotion to the Vancouver Canadians, in which he promptly had a two-homer game, continuing his power outburst that he had going in Dunedin. Chris McElvain - 4.2 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K Dunedin Blue Jays Dunedin (7), Lakeland (0) - 7/29 Box Score The Dunedin Blue Jays got a big influx of draft talent, with nine draftees from the 2025 class joining the team. 15th rounder Jake Casey got it going with his first professional hit with an RBI-triple to score Tucker Toman and Jean Joseph in the sixth inning. Matt Scannell’s first homer came on his second hit of the night to add another run, and then in the seventh inning he had an RBI-double to score another. JR Freethy and Brock Tibbitts both singled to score two more runs. Jay Schueler and Jack Eshelman have established themselves as some of the most reliable arms in the back of the Jays bullpen, as they earned the win and the save respectively on three and two-thirds no-hit innings. Matt Scannell - 3-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 1 2B, 1 HR The 2025 undrafted free agent had a great professional debut, as he was the forefront of a strong offensive game for the D-Jays. A multi-hit night with a homer and a double is one way to establish yourself! Silvano Hechavarria - 5.1 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K The 22-year old Cuban has been excellent since coming over states-side, and his strikeout stuff was more prevalent in Low-A than the swing happy Florida Complex League. His season ERA is now 2.22 across both levels. Dunedin (11), Lakeland (18) - 7/30 - F/8 Box Score The D-Jays took a while to get going, as Holden Wilkerson struggled mightily on the pitching end, giving up seven straight runs in four innings, and 2025 eight rounder Daniel Thompson Jr. gave up a homer to Sergio Tapia to make it eight straight for the Flying Tigers. However, in the fifth inning, things took a massive turn. Manuel Beltre hit a double to score newly signed Maddox Latta. A wild pitch scored 16th rounder Jaxson West, and then Manuel Beltres scored on a balk. Jake Casey, 15th rounder and son of Sean Casey, scored on a Kendry Chirinos single, and Latta came back up to the dish to score Chirinos and Tucker Toman. Manuel Beltre walked with the bases loaded to make it a one run game, and then Jake Casey took the lead on a 2-RBI single for a huge nine run inning. Nate LaRue came in and allowed two runs to score in the seventh to give up the lead again, before a wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh evened the game up. However, Eminen Flores had a blow up inning in extras, as this was the first game of the double header, with the Flying Tigers scoring eight runs in the top of the inning. Eventually Manuel Beltre had to come in to pitch as Flores could not come out of the inning. Austin Smith got his first professional RBI in the bottom of the 11th, but that was obviously not enough as the D-Jays lost a barn burner. Manuel Beltre - 3-5, 2 R, 3 H, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 2 2B Dunedin (8), Lakeland (2) - 7/30 - F/7 Box Score In the second game of a double header where the team combined for 29 runs in the first one, the D-Jays were able to settle down, with Juanmi Vazquez having a good start, allowing a single run on a Cristian Santana single in the first. Hayden Gilliland hit a sac fly to tie it up in the bottom of that inning, and Eric Snow got his first RBI with a groundout in the second. Manuel Beltre and Gilliland both hit a homer in the third inning, and Jake Casey and Eric Snow both had extra base hits to score three more runs. JR Freethy hit a sac fly to make it the fifth run scored for the D-Jays that inning. Abel Bastidas hit an RBI-single on Carson Myers in his first appearance for the Jays organization, but Bennett Flynn earned the save with three scoreless innings for a nice 8-2 win for the D-Jays. Hayden Gilliland - 1-3, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 HR Juanmi Vazquez - 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K Juanmi Vazquez had a career high seven strikeouts in his second start for Dunedin this season. DSL Blue Jays Blue D-BJB (10), D-CAR (9) - 7/29 Box Score It was a big day at the plate for the BJB bats against CAR. In the bottom of the second, J.T. Bain got BJB on the scoreboard with an RBI triple, scoring Esmeiquel Arrieche. Cristopher Polanco followed it up with an RBI single, getting Arrieche across the plate. After CAR scored two in the top of third to tie the game up, BJB had a monster fourth inning. Bain plated a run on a ground out to third. Polanco doubled home a run and then Rafael Flores singled him in. Juarlin Soto capped off the scoring with an RBI double, bringing the lead to 6-2. CAR had a big bottom half of the inning, scoring three and cutting the BJB lead down to one, the big hit being a two-RBI single from Jhonny Chaparro. In the fifth, Polanco had an RBI single and Angel Guzman knocked in two to make the lead 9-5. The next inning, BJB got a pivotal run added to their lead from Bain singling in Darwin Nuñez. In the top of ninth, with BJB only up three, CAR scored on a wild pitch, a groundout, and a bases-loaded walk. BJB escaped the jam by the skin of their teeth, getting a pop-up in the infield with only one out, then a strikeout of Yaxson Lucent ended the game and gave BJB the 10-9 win. Cristopher Polanco: 3-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 2 2B Enyer Dominguez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K DSL Blue Jays Red D-BJR (7), D-CUR (2) - 7/29 Box Score BJR took on CUR down in the Dominican Republic on Tuesday and the walks were coming in waves in this one. BJR scored three runs in the first inning to take an early lead. One scored on Randy Soto's ground out, another from Pascual Archila single, and a third on a wild pitch. Elaineiker Coronado and Kennew Blanco added RBI singles in the 2nd. Soto added another RBI single in the sixth and Nicolas Vergara capped off the scoring for the day with a ground out that scored Keegan Pieternella. Despite 10 walks in the game, BJR only won by a score of 7-2. Elaineiker Coronado: 1-1, 3 R, 1 RBI, 4 BB Roberto Castellanos: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K Toronto Blue Jays Minor League Players of the Day Pitcher of the Period: RHP Anders Tolhurst (Buffalo): 5.1 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K Hitter of the Period: OF Alexis Hernandez (Vancouver): 3-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 HR Prospect Summary (Last 2 Days) Toronto Blue Jays Top 20 Hitters Rank Player Team PA R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB CS 1 Arjun Nimmala Vancouver 9 1 2 0 0 1 4 1 2 0 0 2 JoJo Parker N/A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 Alan Roden Buffalo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 Orelvis Martinez Buffalo 8 2 1 0 0 1 1 4 1 0 0 11 Yohendrick Pinango Buffalo 8 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 13 Josh Kasevich Dunedin 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16 RJ Schreck Buffalo 8 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 17 Victor Arias New Hampshire 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 19 Jonatan Clase Buffalo 8 2 1 0 0 1 1 1 2 0 0 Toronto Blue Jays Top 20 Pitchers Rank Player Team BF G GS IP H HR ER BB K 3 Trey Yesavage New Hampshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 Ricky Tiedemann Buffalo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 Khal Stephen New Hampshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 Johnny King Dunedin 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 Kendry Rojas New Hampshire 25 1 1 5 10 2 6 2 6 8 Gage Stanifer Vancouver 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 Landen Maroudis Dunedin 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 Juaron Watts-Brown TRADED 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 Jake Bloss Buffalo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 18 Brandon Barriera FCL Jays 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 Adam Macko Buffalo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

The Jays Centre number seven prospect, Kendry Rojas, has only pitched 36 2/3 innings since coming back from the injured list, and only 18 2/3 in Double-A New Hampshire. That was enough for the Blue Jays front office to give him the bump up to Buffalo, as Rojas has been almost unhittable, with a 3.86 ERA/1.86 FIP at Double-A with a 40% strikeout rate and only a 2.7% walk rate. After Rojas sat at 96 mph in the spring breakout game, people were hoping to see that the velocity gains were real. Rojas has consistently shown strong velocity with his fastballs, sitting at 95.5 mph in Low-A and 95 mph in Double-A. The extra velocity to his fastballs allows his secondaries to play up as hitters have less time to react to his slider and changeup. Rojas will be Rule-5 eligible after the end of this season, so he'll need to be added to the 40-man soon. If all goes well, he may push his way onto the major league roster for the playoffs when rosters expand. View full rumor

CURRENT W-L Records -Buffalo Bisons: 37-59 -New Hampshire Fisher Cats: 37-55 -Vancouver Canadians: 50-41 -Dunedin Blue Jays: 42-44 -FCL Blue Jays: 35-23 -DSL Blue Jays Blue: 15-21 -DSL Blue Jays Red: 18-18 Transactions 07/23/25 RHP Austin Marozas assigned to Vancouver Canadians from FCL Blue Jays. 07/23/25 RHP Austin Marozas assigned to Vancouver Canadians from FCL Blue Jays. 07/22/25 Toronto Blue Jays sent RHP Paxton Schultz on a rehab assignment to Buffalo Bisons. 07/22/25 3B Damiano Palmegiani assigned to Dunedin Blue Jays from Buffalo Bisons. 07/22/25 3B Damiano Palmegiani assigned to Dunedin Blue Jays from Buffalo Bisons. 07/22/25 RHP Colby Holcombe assigned to Vancouver Canadians from Dunedin Blue Jays. 07/22/25 RHP Colby Holcombe assigned to Vancouver Canadians from Dunedin Blue Jays. Buffalo Bisons Buffalo (3), Columbus (1) - 7/22 Box Score On Tuesday, Buffalo kicked off a series against Columbus on the road. Runs were very tough to come by in this game, as it turned into a pitcher's duel. The Buffalo starting pitcher, Anders Tolhurst, went a very strong five innings in this one and only surrendered five hits. He also managed to hold Columbus scoreless, only walked one, and struck out three. Jonatan Clase's home run in the top of the fourth inning finally broke through the barrier that was over the plate holding runs to nothing. The scoring was shut down from there until the ninth when things opened up finally. Buffalo loaded the bases on three straight walks and then after Yohendrick Pinango struck out, Riley Tirotta walked as well to bring in a run. Josh Rivera singled home another run, but Tirotta was thrown out at third to end the inning. Dillon Tate came on to close the game and gave up a walk and two singles before finishing things off for the Buffalo 3-1 victory. Jonatan Clase- 1-3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 0 K, 1 HR Anders Tolhurst- 5 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K Buffalo (4), Columbus (6) - 7/22 Box Score In the Wednesday contest, Columbus got to the Buffalo starting pitcher first. In the second inning, the first three batters reached on a double, walk, and single. Dom Nuñez walked to bring in a run and then Yordys Valdes hit a sacrifice fly for a second run. The third run of the inning came across the plate when Petey Halpin singled to left field. In the bottom of the fourth, Gabriel Arias launched a home run to give Columbus a four-run lead. Jonatan Clase doubled in the fifth to move a runner to third base, who was then brought home when Michael Stefanic grounded out. In the ninth, Buffalo put things together and scored three runs. Stefanic hit a sacrifice fly, RJ Schreck doubled to right field, scoring Alan Roden, and Buddy Kennedy tied it with a single. Ultimately, the momentum didn't last, as Jhonkensy Noel came to the plate in the bottom of the ninth. Ryan Jennings hung a slider over the plate and Noel destroyed the ball for a walk-off two run home run. Buffalo lost a heartbreaker. RJ Shreck- 2-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, 2 2B Amir Garrett- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K New Hampshire Fisher Cats New Hampshire (2), Hartford (4) - 7/22 Box Score New Hampshire started another series on Tuesday evening, this one against the Hartford Yard Goats, a team they have faced relatively recently. Just as in the prior series, the Fisher Cats had a tough task to open things up against the Yard Goats. Hartford sent their ace, Sean Sullivan, to the mound and it went about as you would expect. In the top of the first inning, Hartford jumped out quickly to a big lead by putting a crooked number up on the scoreboard. They scored one from Charlie Condon's groundout, another run on Bryant Betancourt's single, and two on Braylen Wimmer's long ball to right. New Hampshire responded quickly as well, getting a lead-off triple from Jackson Hornung, which was followed up by Victor Arias’ RBI single. From there, Sullivan was nearly unhittable and displayed some nasty strikeout skills. He struck out two in the first, second, and third innings. Then followed that up with a strikeout in the fourth, fifth and seventh, with a bunch of ground balls mixed in to minimize any potential scoring threats. New Hampshire's bullpen was able to match the effort, holding Hartford scoreless the rest of the game. Alex Amalfi, Grayson Thurman, and Justin Kelly combined to pitch six innings, only surrendering one hit, and one walk. The Fisher Cats were in a position for a comeback and finally got something going in the bottom of the ninth inning. Eddinson Paulino launched a solo home run to right field and Gabriel Martinez added a double, putting Hartford on their heels. Unfortunately, Dasan Brown grounded out to end the game, with New Hampshire falling 4-2. Eddinson Paulino: 1-3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 K, 1 HR Alex Amalfi: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K New Hampshire (10), Hartford (2) 7/23 Box Score With as much as Tuesday's game was dominated by pitching, Wednesday's game was controlled by New Hampshire's bats. In the top of the first inning, Harford again jumped out to a quick lead, this time on Juan Guerrero's RBI single off of Grant Rogers. In the bottom half of the first, New Hampshire got on a roll. They scored four runs on three consecutive singles by Je'Von Ward, Cade Doughty, and Devonte Brown. Hartford cut into the lead by one, with a sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth. In the bottom half of the inning, New Hampshire broke the game wide open. They scored a run on an error, then Doughty and Brown singled home runs, followed by Alex De Jesus drawing a bases-loaded walk. In the sixth, New Hampshire added two more via Je'Von Ward's first home run of the season with the Fisher Cats and an Alex Stone's RBI single. It was more than enough to win the game, as Rogers just keeps coasting along and putting up quality start, after quality start. He went six strong innings and only gave up one earned run, it was his seventh quality start since May 27th. New Hampshire won in a blow out, 10-2, and heads into Thursday's matchup with aspirations of an extended winning streak. Je'Von Ward: 2-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, 1 K, 1 HR Grant Rogers: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB 2 K Vancouver Canadians Vancouver (3), Eugene (12) - 7/22 Box Score The Canadians took a thrashing as Gage Stanifer struggled for the second start in a row. He gave up five runs in two and a thirds innings of work, only striking out three batters while walking two and giving up six hits. He got a bit unlucky with BABIP, as he only gave up two extra base hits, but wasn’t as effective as he normally was. The Canadians also struggled to get it going offensively, as they got their first run in the the third on a RBI groundout by Eddie Micheletti Jr. after being down five runs already, and then they could only muster two more runs with Carter Cunningham having the only RBI knock for the Canadians with a double to score Sam Shaw, and Cutter Coffey got an RBI on a groundout himself. The bullpen and poor defense resulted in six more runs, as two errors and seven hits given up doubled the score for the Emeralds. Edward Duran - 2-5, 1 R, 1 2B Johan Simon - 3.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K Vancouver (1), Eugene (4) - 7/23 Box Score Fernando Perez took the bump and did his job, only allowing a single run in four innings of work, which led to Colby Holcombe making his High-A debut. Unlike former Mississippi State alumni and teammate Khal Stephen, Holcombe struggled in his Vancouver debut, continuing some struggles in his last few starts in Dunedin, giving up three runs in only one and a thirds innings of work. His command was shaky, as he gave up four hits and four walks. The Canadians offense didn’t do him any favours either, as they didn’t score a single run until the eighth inning, on a Cutter Coffey single to score recently promoted Peyton Powell, which was the only run of the game for the Canadians. Cutter Coffey - 3-4, 1 RBI Fernando Perez - 4 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K Perez was taken out after 70 pitches, but pitched an effective four innings only allowing a single run to score. He lowered his season ERA to 3.66. Dunedin Blue Jays Dunedin (6), Tampa (3) - 7/22 Box Score The D-Jays try to continue their winning streak, as they’ve received a few contributions from some hitters on rehab assignments, as Damiano Palmegiani had his first plate appearance with two runners on and hit a sac fly against Andrew Landry to give the Jays the lead. Daulton Varsho hit a solo shot to make it two to nothing in the third inning. In the fifth inning, J.R. Freethy and Varsho got on before Tucker Toman continued to hit for more power with his 13th double of the season to score them both. Yhoangel Aponte also doubled, scoring Toman and Damiano Palmegiani, despite Manuel Beltre getting thrown out at home. Silvano Hechavarria pitched six strong innings, but was taken out despite a low pitch count, and the bullpen gave up a few runs, with Eric Pardinho also being on rehab assignment, giving up three hits, two walks and two earned runs. Bennett Flynn also gave up a run, but Eliander Alcalde got the save with one and a third innings of scoreless baseball with two strikeouts. Daulton Varsho - 2-3, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR Varsho hit his second homer in two games of his rehab assignment, as he’s slowly working his way back to the major league club. He’ll play at least three games in Buffalo before rejoining the major league roster. Silvano Hechavarria - 6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K It took the 22-year-old Cuban just 54 pitches to go six strong innings, giving up only two hits and striking out five in a masterful performance against the Tampa Tarpons. He now has a 3.33 ERA since being promoted to Low-A ball and has struck out batters at a 27.8% rate to a 6.2% walk rate Dunedin (), Tampa () - 7/23 Postponed FCL Blue Jays F-BLU (), F-TIG () - 7/22 Postponed F-BLU (7), F-TIG (6) - 7/23 Box Score The Blue Jays squad broke the game wide open in this one with a big time inning in the third. Raimundo De Los Santos kicked things off with an RBI single, bringing in Edrick Felix. David Beckles then hammered his eighth home run of the season, Yorman Licourt walked, and Aldo Gaxiola smacked a ball over the fence as well. In all, six runs would cross the plate for the Blue Jays team in the inning. In the fourth, a wild pitch scored a run for the Tigers team and Enmanuel Bonilla homered to bring the lead back to six in the bottom half of the inning. The Tigers team added three runs over the next two innings from a double, a single, and a sacrifice fly. It was quiet until the ninth, when Brett Callahan singled home a run and Jude Warwick did the same. Diego Dominguez would get the next two hitters to end the game and give the Blue Jays team the win, 7-6. David Beckles- 1-3, 1 R, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR Sann Omosako- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K DSL Blue Jays Blue D-BJB (3), D-GIB (7) - 7/22 Box Score BJB racked up the hits on Tuesday in their game against GIB, 14 in total. Four players had multiple hits, it just wasn't enough, as they never managed many timely big hits. Down 3-0 in the bottom of the second, BJB finally got on the scoreboard with a Daniel Dominguez triple, followed by a J.T. Bain sacrifice fly. In the fifth, BJB cut the lead by one on back-to-back doubles by Rafael Flores and Franklin Rojas. Cristopher Polanco again cut the lead by one in the sixth with his RBI single, scoring Elian Reyes. That was all they would get up on the scoreboard, but Freigher Barco coughed up four runs between the seventh and ninth inning, as BJB lost 7-3. Carlos Garcia: 4-5, 1 2B Jose Andrades: 4 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K DSL Blue Jays Red D-BJR (17), D-ARB (4) - 7/22 Box Score After having one of the best seasons of any player in the DSL in the Toronto Blue Jays organization, Juan Sanchez had a big breakout game on Tuesday. Sanchez led-off the game with a triple and then scored on Elaineiker Coronado's single. Later in the first, Pascual Archila singled home Coronado, giving BJB the early 2-0 lead. In the top of the second, Sanchez took a pitch deep for his sixth home run of the season, this one a two-run blast. In the fourth, Keegan Pieternella smacked a ground-rule double that scored Nicolas Vergara and Sanchez added a sacrifice fly. BJR added five runs in the seventh with only one hit. One run scored on Randy Soto's single, three runs scored on wild pitches, and the fifth scored on a bases-loaded walk. Sanchez would cap off his massive game by adding a two-RBI ground-rule double in the ninth. BJR would score three more runs in the inning and moon walk to the easy 17-4 win. Juan Sanchez: 3-5, 3 R, 5 RBI, 2 K, 1 HR, 1 3B, 1 2B Sanchez had the game of his life on Tuesday, falling just a single short of the cycle. He's going to be getting a lot more attention in the coming months, especially if he can keep up his stellar play. Now for what you've all been clamoring for, video of this potential stud prospect. Roberto Castellanos: 3 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K Toronto Blue Jays Minor League Players of the Day Pitcher of the Period: RHP Silvano Hechavarria (Dunedin)- 6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K Hitter of the Period: SS Juan Sanchez (DSL Blue Jays Red)- 3-5, 3 R, 5 RBI, 2 K, 1 HR, 1 3B, 1 2B Prospect Summary (Last 2 Days) Toronto Blue Jays Top 20 Hitters Rank Player Team PA R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB CS 1 Arjun Nimmala Vancouver 9 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 3 0 0 5 Alan Roden Buffalo 5 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 6 Orelvis Martinez Buffalo 5 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 Yohendrick Pinango Buffalo 9 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 0 13 Josh Kasevich FCL Jays 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 Jonatan Clase Buffalo 9 1 3 2 0 1 1 2 2 0 0 17 RJ Schreck Buffalo 9 2 2 2 0 0 1 2 3 0 0 19 Sam Shaw Vancouver 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 20 Victor Arias New Hampshire 9 2 2 0 0 0 1 3 1 1 0 Toronto Blue Jays Top 20 Pitchers Rank Player Team BF G GS IP H HR ER BB K 2 Trey Yesavage New Hampshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 Ricky Tiedemann Buffalo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 Khal Stephen New Hampshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 Johnny King Dunedin 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 Kendry Rojas New Hampshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 Landen Maroudis Dunedin 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 Gage Stanifer Vancouver 15 1 1 2.1 6 0 5 2 3 12 Jake Bloss Buffalo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 Juaron Watts-Brown New Hampshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16 Adam Macko Buffalo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 18 Brandon Barriera FCL Jays 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

Arjun NimmalaTrey YesavageJoJo ParkerRicky TiedemannKhal StephenJohnny KingKendry RojasAlan RodenGage StaniferJosh KasevichJuaron Watts-BrownYohendrick PinangoRJ SchreckLanden MaroudisJake BlossOrelvis MartinezAdam MackoEdward DuranFernando PerezVictor Arias

Arjun NimmalaTrey YesavageJoJo ParkerRicky TiedemannKhal StephenJohnny KingKendry RojasAlan RodenGage StaniferJosh KasevichJuaron Watts-BrownYohendrick PinangoRJ SchreckLanden MaroudisJake BlossOrelvis MartinezAdam MackoEdward DuranFernando PerezVictor Arias

The Blue Jays have lacked international amateur free agents since the debut of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.. Still, this duo of teenage prospects may hopefully be a change in that, as they both made the Dominican Summer League All-Star Team. Catcher Franklin Rojas was ranked the 22nd prospect by FanGraphs after a successful 17-year-old campaign in the DSL. Still, he was even better as an 18-year-old, showing strong contact ability with a .298 batting average, in addition to a near 50% on-base percentage, walking 17.3% of the time with eight HBPs. Rojas also only stuck out only 13.6% of the time, although he only had two extra base hits. The teenager was given a contract worth slightly less than $1 million in the 2024 international amateur free agent class, as the Jays spread their pool after Kennew Blanco could not sign due to age-related issues. Infielder Juan Sanchez received the second-largest contract from the Jays' 2025 International Free Agency class, receiving just under $1 1-million himself. The 17-year-old (who turns 18 in September) slashed .316/.452/.513 for the Blue Jays second DSL-Red team, which was good for a 154 wRC+. Sanchez has flexed the power that got him ranked as one of the better prospects in the 2025 class, as he had five homers, six doubles, and a triple in just 146 plate appearances. View full rumor

According to Keegan Matheson from MLB.com, Khal Stephen is getting the call to New Hampshire after spinning a 1.49 ERA/2.80 FIP in nine starts and 48 1/3 IP. The second-rounder from Mississippi State has shown advanced command and walked just a little over 5% of the batters that he faced, utilizing a deep arsenal. In addition to Khal Stephen receiving the call to Double-A, outfielder and Jays Centre's number 20 prospect, Victor Arias, is also being promoted to Double-A. The 21-year-old slashed .294/.381/.437 in 318 plate appearances. A couple of promising prospects are also being transferred from Dunedin to Vancouver, with Victoria, BC native Sam Shaw returning to his home province, and catcher Edward Duran also joining him. Both of these hitting prospects have been among the best hitters for Dunedin and have rightfully earned this promotion. This will also help clear some space for the incoming draft prospects of this year's draft. View full rumor

He really has outlier control for a young pitcher. The raw stuff is still a little to be desired but the Jays have found a good job at finding international arms who can throw strikes.