TORONTO – Marcus Stroman was the first top prospect to graduate. Then there was Aaron Sanchez. Daniel Norris, Kendall Graveman and Dalton Pompey followed.
Rob Rasmussen also broke through for the first time, while Kevin Pillar, Anthony Gose, Ryan Goins and Chad Jenkins all contributed, as have several minor-league free agents such as Munenori Kawasaki, Steve Tolleson and Juan Francisco.
In that way it’s been a banner year for the Toronto Blue Jays farm system, which had been stripped down after the blockbuster deals with the Miami Marlins and New York Mets two years ago.
Amid the seemingly endless shuttling of bodies – the triple-A Buffalo Bisons made a record 238 player moves – the big-league bounty was far more plentiful than expected.
“We felt like, after we traded a lot of guys at the upper levels, it would be a while before we’d graduate some players,” says assistant GM Tony LaCava, who oversees the farm system. “Amazingly, there are three guys here now (Norris, Pompey, Graveman) who started the year in A-ball who were just not to be denied.
“That being said, we felt like the lower levels were strong, and we had guys step up into their spots, too. So all-in-all, a great year.”
The bulk of the talent in the Blue Jays system remains in A-ball or lower, and while Norris, Graveman and Pompey may very well open 2015 in Buffalo, there’s still a bit of a gap at the double-A level.
Here’s a look at how several key prospects at each level fared, with brief scouting reports on each from LaCava.
Triple-A Buffalo Bisons
Record: 77-66, 3rd North Division
Moving on up: Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez, Kevin Pillar, Anthony Gose, Ryan Goins, Chad Jenkins, Daniel Norris, Kendall Graveman, Sean Nolin
Key injuries: RHP John Stilson (shoulder surgery).
C AJ Jimenez (.223/.275/.340, 1 HR, 13 RBI in 25 G at NH; .260/.295/356, 2 HR, 24 RBI in 58 G)
“He had some health concerns on and off, that being said, he really was improving and we think he’s getting really close, it’s just a matter of him staying healthy and being on the field. When he does that we always like the results.
Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats
Record: 66-76, 5th Eastern Division
Moving on up: Aaron Sanchez, Daniel Norris, Dalton Pompey, Kendall Graveman, Ryan Schimpf
LHP Tyler Ybarra (4-4, 4.42 in 38 G) and LHP John Anderson (3-3, 4.59 in 27 G, 6 GS)
“Ybarra and Anderson are two left-handers whose numbers weren’t very good but they have mid-90s fastballs. The stuff was interesting, the production wasn’t quite there but we’re hopeful on both those guys.”
INF Andy Burns (.255/.315/.430, 15 HR, 63 RBI in 133 G)
“Burnsie started out slow but as the year unfolded he had a strong finish and we still have hopes for him, we think he’s a prospect.”
Advanced A Dunedin Blue Jays
Record: 77-61, 1st North Division, Lost to Daytona in playoffs
Moving on up: Daniel Norris, Kendall Graveman.
RHP Roberto Osuna (0-2, 6.55 in 7 GS)
“Returned from TJ and was impressive. He showed the velocity and secondary pitches that he had prior to the injury and appeared fully recovered.”
OF Dwight Smith Jr. (.284/.363/.453, 12 HR, 60 RBI)
“He was a guy who didn’t get promoted but certainly was promotable. We just decided it was best for him to finish a strong season there. A left-handed hitter who can hit lefties, we think he’s got a chance to be an everyday guy.”
RHP Matt Boyd (5-3, 1.39 in 16 GS at Dun; 1-4, 6.96 in 10 GS at NH)
“He had a strong season there. He’s relatively new to the system, he put up big numbers and as a college player we were aggressive with him. He’s done all he can do in A-ball, we’ll find out a lot more about him next year in double-A.”
Single-A Lansing Lugnuts
Record: 62-77, 7th in Eastern Division
Moving on up: Kendall Graveman, Mitch Nay.
Key injuries: Adonys Cardona (broken olecranon); Tom Robson (Tommy John surgery).
3B Mitch Nay (.285/.342/.389, 3HR, 59 RBI in 120 G at LAN; .189/.250/.216 in 20 G at NH) and 1B Matt Dean (.281/.332/.429, 9 HR, 51 RBI in 113 G)
“They’ll both be graduating to Dunedin, both guys had solid seasons, they’ve definitely earned promotions. They’ll meet the challenge next year in the Florida State League.”
SS Dawel Lugo (.259/.286/.329, 4 HR, 53 RBI in 117 G)
“He had great first half, I think he found the five-month season is long and he’ll be better having gone through that when he gets to the FSL next year. The first half he was an all-star, flirted with .300, and just wasn’t able to maintain that. But we really like him, we think he’s got a chance to be a good one.”
OF D.J. Davis (.213/.268/.316, 8 HR, 52 RBI, 19 SB, 20 CS in 121 G)
“We need to stay patient. On a given night he is the best player on the field but he lacks consistency.”
RHP Chase De Jong (1-6, 4.84 in 23 G, 21 starts)
“He made progress this year but we were all hoping for a little more. Peripherals and stuff were good so he could take a big step next year.”
Short Season A Vancouver Canadians
Record: 46-30, 1st in North Division, Lost Northwest League final to Hillsboro
SS Franklin Barreto (.311/.384/.481, 6 HR, 61 RBI, 29 SB, 5 CS in 73 G)
“MVP-type season there. The biggest surprise was how well he played shortstop, some third-party reports had him as a guy who might need to move, but we always felt he has the ability to play there. He’s got good feet, an above-average arm and that’s why we think he can play there and be offensive, too.”
C Max Pentecost (.313/.322/.410, 0 HR, 9 RBI in 19 G)
“He had a nagging wrist issue that needed rest. He will be full go for instructs.”
RHP Miguel Castro (6-2, 2.15 in 10 GS)
“Sleeper. He is a guy that is often overlooked but has all the ingredients to be successful. Power pitcher with a repeatable delivery.”
RHP Alberto Tirado (1-2, 6.30 in 13 G, 7 GS, at LAN; 1-0, 3.53 in 17 G, 3 GS at VCR)
“He struggled with the inconsistency of being on the field early, he got out of his routine, got out of his delivery, we sent him to Vancouver and he showed signs of coming back. All those kids that struggled there will get another crack at Lansing next year.”
LHP Jairo Labourt (0-0, 6.43 in 6 G, 3 GS at LAN; 5-3, 1.77 in 15 GS at VCR)
“At the halfway point we sent Labourt to Vancouver and he ended up having a real strong year. He’s a left-hander with a mid-90s fastball, a good hard slider, 6-5. He didn’t get out of the gate real good, the weather was bad, a lot of the kids suffered with the inconsistency of the routine, young for the level, they had a hard time not being able to do their normal baseball activities. They’ll be better for having gone through it.”
Rookie League Bluefield Blue Jays
Record: 33-35, fourth in East Division
1B Rowdy Tellez (.293/.358/.424, 4 HR, 36 RBI in 53 G at BLU; .357/.449/.500, 2 HR, 9 RBI in 19 G at LAN)
“It’s all about the bat with him. Got off to a really bad start, first month was really struggling, then he clicked and really did a nice job. He made a lot of good adjustments, earned his promotion and he’s ready for full season now.”
SS Richard Urena (.318/.363/.433, 2 HR, 20 RBI in 53 G at BLU; .242/.297/364, 0 HR, 5 RBI in 9 G at VCR)
“He really did a nice job, he’s in that line of shortstops that we have and we’re hopeful that we’re going to turn out our everyday guy and then some eventually.”
LHP Matt Smoral (2-3, 3.48 in 9 G, 5 GS)
“He really rebounded from a lot of different health things, he had trouble staying on the field, and when he did pitch he had trouble with the strike zone. He got back on the mound, pitched effectively, was around the plate, above average stuff, his control showed a lot of improvement, and he’s definitely made a lot of progress and is on the right track.”
Rookie League GCL Blue Jays
Record: 18-41, fourth in Northwest Division
SS Yeltsin Gudino (.145/.219/.167, 0 HR, 12 RBI in 40 G)
“He’s a kid, and he’s a ways away. It’s going to take some time but we think eventually he’ll get there.”
