The 2020 Toronto Blue Jays

[ryan008]

Blue Jays Ready for the 2022 Season

Toronto wrapped up the spring schedule with a record of 16-10 and would finish second to the Yankees who won a total of 20 games and would continue to roll after capturing the 2021 World Series Title. The Jays came through the Spring injury free and were are all ready for the start of the regular season.

Spring Training Surprises

The biggest surprise of the spring was the play of MR Nick Kennedy. The 24 year old lefty was the Jays best reliever during the spring schedule appearing in 11 games and tossing 12.1 innings allowing just 2 hits no walks and striking out 13. He features a big arm with a 99-101 MPH fast ball and played his way into one of the open bullpen spots. The other bright spot during the spring was 3B Stu Daniels. He is just entering his 3rd full season in the big leagues and he hit the cover off the ball in the Grapefruit League. He put up a .405 batting average with 4 HR and 11 RBI. Our development staff still think he has some room to grow and that he could be an All Star at third one day. Were hoping his early success during Spring Training can translate to the regular season.

Spring Training Disappointments

LF Justin Williams had a very disappointing Spring by his standards hitting just .088 with a Hr and 4 RBI. We aren't sure if he is nursing an injury or if he just had a rough spring. He will be the opening day left fielder and were hoping that he can knock the rust off quickly.

OPENING DAY ROSTERS

SP Jamie Cox
SP Nathan Kirby
SP Gerrit Cole
SP Jake Godfrey
SP Eric Black

MR Tony Boone
MR Phil Jones
MR Jim Phillips
MR Mark Montgomery
MR Chris Richardson
MR Nick Kennedy
CL Rex Brothers

C Max Pentecost
1B A.J. Reed
2B Kolten Wong
3B Stu Daniels
SS Carlos Correa
LF Justin Williams
CF Albert Almora
RF Oswaldo Arcia
DH Casey Gillaspie

C Mike Zunino
INF Gosuke Katoh
OF Randal Girchuk
OF Rick Allen

Pre Season Predictions

The pre-season predictions are out and for the second straight season the Jays are predicted to be a 95 win team and to finish second in the American League East behind the New York Yankees. The Boston Red Sox who went on a shopping spree in the off season are predicted to finish 3rd. The Los Angeles Dodgers are predicted to be the beast team in baseball and to finish with 105 victories.

Financial Information

The Blue Jays budget for the 2022 season sits at a total of $196,000,000 and they have a current payroll of $142,689,750. With their scouting and development expenditures the Jays have roughly $20,000,000 in free payroll space. That might get eaten up quickly as there are a number of players that are going to require long term contracts (C Max Pentecost, SP Jamie Cox and 1B A.J. Reed to name a few). GM Ryan Stewart is probably going to have to get creative in order to accommodate everyone under their current budget.

Top Prospects and Farm Systems

Baseball America released their first prospect rankings today and the 10 best prospects in the majors were:

1. RF Chris Caro (22, Minnesota Twins)
2. LF Esteban Canseco (20, Miami Marlins)
3. SP Stu Clark (20, Oakland Athletics)
4. SP Chris Lee (21, Pittsburgh Pirates)
5. CF Joe Galloway (23, San Francisco Giants)
6. SP Jose Cerventes (23, Toronto Blue Jays)
7. SP Kurt Stewart (22, Boston Red Sox)
8. 1B Buddy Sims (23, Milwaukee Brewers)
9. SP Tony Anderson (20 Milwaukee Brewers)
10. SP Vic Johnson (23, Toronto Blue Jays)

The Milwaukee Brewers have the best farm system in the majors and have a total of 11 players tanked in the top 100 and 2 of the top 10. They are followed by the Oakland Athletics and then the Toronto Blue Jays. Toronto has 2 prospects in the top 10 and 5 of the top 100. The Minnesota Twins and the Washington Nationals round out the top 5 systems. The Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies both have no prospects ranked in the top 100 prospects and are tied for last.

Up Next: April Review as Opening Day is here!

[ryan008]

Jays Finish April at .500. Tied for 2nd in AL East

May 1st, 2022

The Blue Jays kicked off the regular season schedule with a 3 game set in New York against their hated division rivals the New York Yankees and it did not go well for the Jays. They were swept, losing all three games by a combined score of 27-4. The Jays bats were ice cold to start the season and it showed, on the other hand the Yankees bats were red hot and they torched Jays pitchers over the three game series. The Jays bats would wake up as the month dragged on and they managed to pull to a .500 record at 9-9 by the time the calendar was flipping over to May. They Jays sit in second in the East tied with the Tampa Bay rays at 9-9 trailing the Yankees by 2.5 games. May is going to be an important month for the Jays as they have 15 games against AL East rivals including a 4 game set at home against the Yankees. If the Jays are going to make up some ground in the East this is going to be a critical month for them.

AL East Standings - May 1st

New York Yankees - 11-6
Toronto Blue Jays 9-9 (2.5 GB)
Tampa Bay Rays - 9-9 (2.5 GB)
Baltimore Orioles - 9-10 (3 GB)
Boston Red Sox - 7-11 (4.5 GB)

AL Wild Card Standings

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - 12-6
Oakland Athletics - 12-6
Seattle Mariners - 9-8 (1/2 GB)
Tampa Bay Rays - 9-9 (1 GB)
Toronto Blue Jays - 9-9 (1 GB)
Texas Rangers - 9-9 (1 GB)

April's Hot Players

Sp Jamie Cox - 3-1 4.33 ERA
SP Nathan Kirby - 2-1 3.09 ERA
MR Phil Jones - 0-0 1.13 ERA
CL Rex Brothers - 0-0 7 SV 2.35 ERA
CF Albert Almora - .316 4 HR 10 RBI
C Max Pentecost - .310 4 HR 10 RBI
1B A.J. Reed - .279 3 HR 10 RBI

April's Cold Players

SP Erik Black - 1-2 6.11 ERA
MR Chris Richardson - 0-0 11.81 ERA
DH Casey Gillaspie - .179 1 HR 5 RBI
C Mike Zunino - .167 1 HR 1 RBI

April News & Notes

Injuries

The Jays were bitten by the injury bug early in the season as 2B Kolten Wong suffered a partially torn labrum in his throwing shoulder and is expected to miss 7-8 weeks. He was hitting .294 with 0 HR and an RBI at the time of the injury. The Jays purchased the contract of SS Yeltsin Gudino from AAA Buffalo. He was hitting .222 with 6 RBI at the time of his recall and will make his MLB debut with the Jays.

Trade

GM Ryan Stewart pulled off a deal with the Chicago Cubs sending long time Jays farm hand SS Nicholas Gordon and minor league SP Jose Barrera to the Cubs in exchange for minor league SS Tyler Halas. Gordon was out of options and would not have cleared wavers should the Jays try and send him down and he was n't going to get a lot of playing time in Toronto this season. The Jays get back a former supplemental 1st round pick in 2015 from the Cubs in Halas who has struggled through out his minor league career and never really managed to live up to his high draft status. He was picked up to be the everyday shortstop in AAA Buffalo and still has two minor league options left.

Players to Chicago Cubs

SS Nicholas Gordon - a 26 year old left handed hitter who was the Jays 2nd round pick 41st overall in 2014. He hit ,299 with 6 HR and 34 RBI for AAA Buffalo last season but has struggled to stay healthy. He was once thought of as the Jays shortstop of the future but injuries have really derailed that from happening.

SP Jose Barrera - a 23 righty who features a 92-94 MPH fastball as well as a curve and change up. He was a 4th round pick 116th overall in 2018 by the Jays out of Detroit High School in the USHSBA. In 2021 he went 8-12 with a 4.16 ERA with 57 walks and 128 strikeouts for AA New Hampshire. He scouts as a back end of the rotation/bullpen long reliever and could be MLB ready shortly.

Players to Toronto

SS Tyler Halas - a 25 year old right handed batter who was a Supplemental 1st round pick 28th overall in 2015 by the Marlins. He didn't sign in Miami and was then drafted in the 1st round 17th overall in 2018 by the New York Mets out of Duke University in the NCAA. He hit .260 with 9 HR and 57 RBI for AA Tennessee in 2021. He much like Gordon has struggled with injuries and is no longer regarded as a highly touted prospect. The Jays brought him in to give them some depth in AAA and some insurance at the MLB level.

Minor League Signing

The Jays also added another depth piece for AAA Buffalo inking 28 year old C Steve Bean to a minor league contract. Bean is a former 1st round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals 12th overall back in 2012 and he last played in the Majors in 2020 with the Oakland Athletics. He spent 2022 in AAA Rockford where he hit .310 with 2 HR and 13 RBI.

Awards

SP Cristo Bar Mallard of the Dunedin Blue Jays went 4-1 with a 2.56 ERA in April and was awarded the Florida State League Pitcher of the Month Award. He was signed as an International Free Agentt out of the Dominican Republic back in 2017.

Up Next: May Update

[ryan008]

Blue Jays 1/2 Game Back in AL East After A Solid May

June 1st, 2022

After a slow start to the year the Blue Jays seemed to wake up in May and managed to reel off a record of 16-11 in May vaulting them into second place in a very competitive American League East division. The Jays currently trail only the Baltimore Orioles by 1/2 game for the division lead. The New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles are both hot on the Jays heels however and are just 1.5 and 3.5 games back respectively. The only team that is not in the race in the east are the Boston Red Sox who have already fallen to 12.5 games back and it looks like it could be another long season for Red Sox fans.


AL East Standings - June 1st

Baltimore Orioles - 26-20
Toronto Blue Jays - 25-20 (1/2 GB)
New York Yankees - 23-20 (1 1/2 GB)
Tampa Bay Rays - 22-23 (3 1/2 GB)
Boston Red Sox - 12-31 (12 1/2 GB)

AL Wild Card Standings - June 1st

Oakland Athletics - 26-19
Cleveland Indians - 26-20
Toronto Blue Jays - 25-20 (1/2 GB)
New York Yankees - 23-20 (1 1/2 GB)
Seattle Mariners - 23-22 (2 1/2 GB)
Tampa Bay Rays - 22-23 (3 1/2 GB)

May's Hot Players

SP Erik Black - 5-0 2.68 ERA
SP Nathan Kirby - 4-1 2.45 ERA
MR Nick Kennedy - 0-0 1 SV 2.89 ERA
CL Rex Brothers - 0-0 9 SV 3.65 ERA
CF Albert Almora - .371 3 HR 11 RBI
C Max Pentecost - .361 3 HR 15 RBI
3B Stu Daniels - .343 0 HR 13 RBI
1B A.J. Reed - .301 6 HR 14 RBI

May's Cold Players

SP Jake Godfrey - 2-3 5.83 ERA
MR Chris Richardson -1-1 7.36 ERA
MR Mark Montgomery - 0-2 7.63 ERA
1B Casey Gillaspie - .172 2 HR 10 RBI
RF Oswaldo Arcia - .200 2 HR 9 RBI

May News & Notes

Injuries

The Jays continue to be hampered by the injury bug. This month it was everyone that plays short stop would get injured. The first to go down was SS Carlos Correa who suffered a torn abdominal muscle and is expected to be out for the next 5-6 weeks. Correa was hitting .286 with 3 HR and 11 RBI and was placed on the 15 day disabled list. The Jays recalled newly acquired SS Tyler Halas who was hitting .296 with 2 HR and 10 RBI for AAA Buffalo. Just 3 days after Halas was recalled he suffered a strained Achilles and is going to be out for the next 3-4 weeks. He was placed on the 15 day disabled list and the Jays recalled 3B Jeff Hatcher who was hitting .299 with 5 HR and 15 RBI for AAA Buffalo.

Contract Extensions

GM Ryan Stewart was very busy during the month of May signing C Max Pentecost, SP Jamie Cox and CF Albert Almora to long term contracts.

Pentecost, now 29 years old was the Jays 1st Round Pick 11th overall in 2014 and is a 3 time American League MVP and 5 Time AL All Star for the Jays. He has hit .342 with 94 HR and 378 RBI in 675 career games all with the Blue Jays. He agreed to a 9 year contract worth a total of $156,000,000 that includes team options in years 8 an 9. The deal should effectively keep him with the Blue Jays for the remainder of his career.

SP Jamie Cox was also a first round pick back in 2014 9th overall by the Jays and he has emerged as the best pitcher in baseball over the past 4 seasons. He is a 4 time American League Cy Young Award winner and 4 time AL All Star. He owns a career record of 110-26 with a 2.51 ERA and 1468 strikeouts in 174 games. He agreed to a 6 year deal worth $120,000,000 and he will be a Blue Jay until at least the end of the 2038 season.

Finally, CF Albert Almora was originally drafted by the Chicago Cubs 6th overall in 2012 and was traded to the Blue Jays in 2020. The 28 year old has a career line of .302 with 146 HR 581 RBI in 8 seasons with the Jays and Cubs, He is a 6 time gold glove winner in center field, a 3 time All Star and was the 2019 National League MVP. He agreed to a 7 year deal worth a total of $65,000,000.

Around the Majors

3B Pablo Sandoval of the Baltimore Orioles got career hit #2000 in a 5-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners. The 35 year old switch hitter is hitting .333 with 5 HR and 26 RBI this season with the Orioles and is a career .289 hitter with 2029 hits 253 HR and 942 RBI in 1813 career games.

Up Next: First Year Player Draft Preview

[ryan008]

2022 MLB First Year Player Draft Preview

June 5th, 2022

The 2022 First Year Player Draft is tomorrow and GM Ryan Stewart and the Blue Jays will make the 25th overall selection. Unlike last year the Jays will only have a single first rounder and no compensation selections to work with. This is the 3rd draft for the Jays General Manager and they are not shifting their focus from taking the best talent available: "Our head scout and I both believe heavily on taking the best player available when its our turn at the podium and we plan to continue that philosophy once its our turn this year. We have narrowed our focus to a handful of players who we believe will be available at the 25 slot and we will make our pick from there. You do have to be flexible however, as players can rise and fall due to injuries and bonus demands so you have to be able to react to situations like that as well".

This year the Houston Astros will be making the first overall selection in the draft and they will be followed by the Minnesota Twins, Kansas City Royals, Boston Red Sox and the Colorado Rockies will round out the top 5 picks. The Jays will pick at 25th overall which is the last selection in the first round due to a number of teams forfeiting their 1st round picks for signing compensation eligible free agents this past off season.

Baseball America's Pre Draft Top 10

According to Baseball America the top rated players for the 2022 First Year Player Draft are as follows:

1. 1B Phil Turner 19, RHB - Colorado Springs High School, USHSBA
.226 13 HR 31 RBI
Turner has huge power potential in a big 6'5" 225 lb frame. He has a smooth swing at the plate and can power the ball to all fields. For a power hitter he doesn't strike out much and is not afraid to take a walk. Defensively he is just above average but he won't embarrass himself at first. His ceiling is that of a 30+ home run hitter at the big league level and he should also easily provide a nice .270 ish batting average. He is not going to be an easy sign as he is looking for a high $8,000,000 signing bonus and has a strong commitment to play college baseball in the NCAA.

2. SP Eric Thompson 19, LHP - Louisville High School, USHSBA
5-0 1.10 ERA 5 BB 59 K
Thompson is an imposing figure on the mound standing 6'9" and weighing 210 lbs. His fastball doesn't quite match up to his size however as he sits just 89-91 MPh with it right now. He also throws a very good circle changeup and a curveball and both of his secondary pitches grade out as plus. He had a decorated USHSBA career that included a 2020 Outstanding Pitcher Award, 3 All Star Games and was the 2022 USHSBA World Series MVP. He should fill out and add some more velocity as he gets bigger and is one of the most intriguing arms available this draft. He might take a while to develop but he could be a top of the rotation arm.

3. SP Ted Coates 21, RHP - University of Texas, NCAA
5-0 1.78 ERA 19 BB 95 K
Coates is a flamethrower and the top ranked pitcher out of the NCAA ranks. He features a 96-98 MPH fastball as well as a cutter, slider, changup and splitter. He struggles at time with his command and tends to get a little wild. He should go high on draft day but some scouts are concerned about his ability to throw strikes at the next level. Conservatively I would say his future is that of a #3/4 starter but he does have the stuff to stick at the top end of a rotation. Its a matter of sorting out his control.

4. SP Mike Jackson 21, LHP - University of Tennessee, NCAA
4-1 1.83 ERA 12 BB 76 K
Jackson is the best Collage lefty available this draft and he is also a hard thrower featuring a 94-96 MPH fastball as well as a cutter and splitter. He projects as a middle of the rotation workhorse as he is very durable and throws a ton of strikes. He rarely walks anyone and has very good control of all of his pitches. Some scouts believe he should attempt to develop another offspeed pitch like a curveball or changeup and that would really give him a complete arsenal. His work ethic is not the best and that could hamper his development once he is drafted.

5.SP Steve Allen 21, RHP - University of California, NCAA
4-2 2.45 ERA 9 BB 61 K
Another highly rated college pitcher. Allen also is a hard thrower with a 96-98 MPH fastball as well as a curve, change up and splitter. He is extremely intelligent and is a student of the game. He works very hard and it shows in his abilities on the field. He was a 2nd round pick back in 2020 by the Kansas City Royals 45th overall but failed to sign and then spent three seasons in the NCAA picking up a pair of All Star appearances. He scouts as a mid rotation workhorse and should go pretty early on draft day. He is also very polished and could move up through the minors very fast.

6. SP Jonah Soto 19, RHP - Gilbert High School, USHSBA
4-3 1.88 ERA 14 BB 83 K
Soto might have the most potential of any player in the draft this year. He throws 4 pitches that all have the potential to be plus but right now are all rated below average. He has a decent fastball sitting 92-94 MPH as well as a curve, change up and splitter. He struggles with command at times and when he does his pitches tend to flatten out and he gets hit. He still doesn't walk a lot of batters however and has very good control. He could take a number of seasons in the minors before he is MLB ready but when he is he could be the best player out of this draft with top of the rotation potential.

7. SP Robbie Hill 19, RHB - Baltimore High School, USHSBA
3-2 2.56 ERA 21 BB 64 K
Hill is another solid prep arm that will likely go high on draft day. Much like Soto he has a lot of potential in his 4 pitches but they have a long way to develop before they are able to get MLB hitters out. He is a big strong kid at 6'3" and 175 lbs and should be able to add some velocity to his 94-96 MPH fastball as he matures and fills out. He likely falls into the mid rotation workhorse category as well and he will hear his name called early on draft day.

8. SP Stan Smith 19, LHP - Colorado Springs High School, USHSBA
5-3 4.50 ERA 7 BB 67 K
Smith is a bit on the small side standing just 6'0" and weighing in at 175 lbs. He features an 88-90 MPH fastball with a curve, chaneup and splitter. He is a control pitcher with a very good work ethic. I would characterize him as a project arm that with some development time in the minors and some bulking up as he matures he could round into a very good mid rotation starter. Right now he has to rely on command and control as he doesn't have the stuff to blow hitters away.

9. SP Sam Hicks 19, RHP - Detroit High School, USHSBA
4-2 2.60 ERA 13 BB 54 K
Hicks is a well rounded pitcher who lacks some of the flash of higher ranked arms in the draft. He doesn't have any single tool that stands out above the others but he also has no glaring weaknesses either. He features a 91-93 MPH fastball with a curveball, changeup and knuckle curve. All of his pitches he can throw for strikes and he will use them at any point in the count. He doesn't walk a lot of batters and also doesn't strike out a lot of hitters either. He is very economical with his pitches and utilizes his defense, especially the infield a lot. He scouts as a mid to back end of the rotation arm.

10. 2B Bob Gibson 19, RHB -Stockton High School - USHSBA
.284 2 HR 16 RBI
Gibson is the only other position player to crack BA's top to rankings. He is a well rounded prospect who will do just about everything but hit for power. He gets on base a lot and has a very good eye at the plate. A spray hitter he moves the ball to all fields and even has a little bit of doubles power. He won't hit many homeruns and his future is most likely at the top of a major league batting order. Defensively he has Gold Glove caliber abilities and could win a few awards when all is said and done.

Previous Blue Jays Picks

2020 - 20th Overall
2B Tim Miller
.322 1 HR 12 RBI (AA New Hampshire)
The 23 year old continues to develop nicely for the Jays making his Eastern League debut this season with the AA New Hampshire Fishercats. He has been the teams best hitter from the lead off position and is faring well against some much tougher AA pitching. He will probably finish the season off in AAA this year with the goal of being a call up in September of next season after a full season of AAA ball under his belt.

2021
SP Dave Winters
6-3 2.27 ERA 18 BB 72 K (2021 with S.A. Vancouver)
8-2 3.83 ERA 20 BB 123 K (2022 with Low A Lansing)
Winters is adapting very well to pro ball and has been the Lugnuts best starter this season. The 22 year old leads the team in wins, ERA and strikeouts and is well on his way to being promoted to at least Dunedin before the end of this year. He was an advanced arm when the Jays drafted him last year and we are hoping that he can develop quickly.

Up Next: 2022 First Year Player Draft

[ryan008]

2022 First Year Player Draft

June 6th, 2022

The 2022 First Year Player Draft was conducted today and the Houston Astros made the first overall selection. They used that pick to select 19 year old SP Jonah "Gasoline" Soto out of Gilbert High School in the USHSBA. Soto came into the draft ranked #6 overall by Baseball America. He features a 92-94 MPH fastball as well as a curve, change up and split finger. He was 4-3 with a 1.88 ERA with 14 walks and 83 strikeouts in 55.2 innings of work. He has the highest ceiling of any pitcher in this draft but was also one of the most raw. He has top of the rotation potential but is a long way from reaching it. He will be a costly sign for the Astros as he is looking for an $8,000,000 signing bonus and is linked to several division 1 baseball schools in the NCAA should the Astros not meet his demands.

Blue Jays Draft

Unlike the 2021 draft that saw the Jays sitting pretty on draft day with three additional supplemental 1st round picks the Jays would have to make due with just their original 1st rounder that they would make at #25 overall.

First Round - 25th Overall

With the 25th overall pick the Jays selected LF Dan Mueller a 19 year old left handed batter out of Hialeah High School in the USHSBA. The 6'3" 195 lb outfielder was a 2022 USHSBA All Star hitting .279 with 7 HR and driving in 25 runs. He is very sound defensively possessing a cannon for an arm that is also very accurate. Offensively he should hit for a solid average with very good power to all fields. He doesn't strikeout much but he also doesn't walk a lot either. He tends to make contact more often then not and is very good at putting the ball in play. He is looking for a signing bonus in the $1,500,000 range which is slightly over the assigned value of $1,200,000 for the #25 pick.

Second Round 65th Overall

With the 65th overall selection int he draft he Jays took 19 year old prep SP Tony Mitchell out of Concord High School in the USHSBA. Mitchell made just a single start in 2022 lasting 6.2 innings posting a 5.40 ERA with 4 walks and 4 strikeouts before leaving with soreness in his elbow. It would later be revealed that he would require Tommy John surgery. He is going to miss the next 11-12 months and won't make his pro debut with the Jays until at least June of 2023. Mitchell features an 89-91 MPH fastball along with a cutter and curveball. Before the injury he would have been in the conversation as a middle of the first round pick. We are quite happy that he fell to us here even though we know there is going to be some risk involved. The 2021 USHSBA All Star is looking for a signing bonus of $370,000 which is the assigned slot value for the 65th overall pick.

Third Round 97th Overall

With their 3rd round pick the Jays selected another prep arm this time taking 19 year old SP Jonathan Maddox out of Sterling Heights High School in the USHSBA. Maddox is a 6'4" 195 lb righty who features a 91-93 MPH fastball as well as a changeup and splitter. He was 2-0 with a 1.70 ERA with 6 walks and 62 strikeouts in 8 starts in 2022. He scouts as a middle of the rotation work horse who eats a ton of innings. He doesn't possess tremendous swing and miss stuff but he gets a lot of ground balls. He is a two time USHSBA All Star and was the 2019 USHSBA Pitcher of the Year. He is believed to have a strong commitment to play NCAA Baseball and is listed as an "Impossible" sign for the Jays. The slot value for this pick is $250,000 and if the Jays want to sign him away from the NCAA it is going to cost them significantly more than that.

Fourth Round 127th Overall

In the 4th round the Jays once again took a starting pitcher this time dipping into the NCAA ranks to select 21 year old righty SP Charlie Clements out of New Mexico State University. Clements is a 6'5" 195 lb flame thrower who features a 95-97 MPH fastball as well as a curve ball and splitter. Clements was originally drafted in the 16th round 467th overall out of Honolulu High School by the Baltimroe Orioles back in 2020 and elected not so sign. He spent 2 seasons in the NCAA and was very good this year pitching to a 5-2 record with a 2.10 ERA with 20 walks and 66 strikeouts in 64.1 innings of work. Our scouting staff believe he is best suited to a middle or back end of the rotation arm who is durable and able to give you a lot of innings. He is looking for a slot signing bonus of $180,000 and should be an easy sign for the Jays.

Fifth Round 157th Overall

In the 5th round the Jays swung for the fences selecting another very tough sign in prep LF Ron Ortega a 19 year old left handed hitter out of Memphis High School in the USHSBA. Ortega hit just.238 with 1 HR and 13 RBI but appeared in just 11 games due to a rib injury his senor season. In 2021 he was a USHSBA All Star and one of the best players in the USHSBA. He is a 5 tool prospect (his defense is by far his weakest tool) who could move quickly up through the system should the Jays be able to get him signed. He has a strong NCAA commitment and it will take much more then the $150,000 slot value for the Jays to pry him away from the NCAA.

Blue Jays Picks rounds 6 through 30:

6. C Joe Sosa - 19, RHB - Pomona High School, USHSBA
7. 2B Tommy Davis - 21, LHB - Boise State University, NCAA
8. CL Jonathan Tillman - 22, RHP - Seaton Hall University, NCAA
9. CL Bob Fowler - 21, RHP - Georgia Tech, NCAA
10. 1B Steve Bass - 19, RHB - St. Louis High School, USHSBA
11. 3B Artie Allen - 21, RHB - Auburn University, NCAA
12. SS Steve Beckel - 19, Switch - St. Petersburgh High School, USHSBA
13. CF Joe Bunch 0 21, RHB - University of Portland, NCAA
14. LF Hugh Jones - 21, LHB - Binghamton University, NCAA
15. SS Oscar Holder - 21, RHB - University of Pittsburgh, NCAA
16. 2B Chris Hardy - 19, RHB - Newark High School, USHSBA
17. 1B Enrico Lopez - 21, RHB - University of Hartford, NCAA
18. CL joe Camacho - 21, RHP - University of Louisville, NCAA
19. SP Dan Pearson - 19, RHP - Tallahassee High School, USHSBA
20. SP Tony Alexander - 21, RHP - Washington State University, NCAA
21. CF Brad Middleton - 19, Switch - Laredo High School, USHSBA
22. LF Pat Henry - 21, RHB - Binghamton University, NCAA
23. C Tim Driver - 19, RHB - Hialeah High School, USHSBA
24. SP Mike Burns - 21, LHP - South Florida University, NCAA
25. CL Tony Contreras - 19, RHP - Colorado Springs Highschool, USHSBA
26. CL Joe Allison - 22, LHP - University of Washington, NCAA
27. CL Rocky Robinson - 22, LHP - University of North Carolina, NCAA
28. SP Freddie McNeill - 19, RHP - Atlanta High School, USHSBA
29. MR Dave Andrews - 19, LHP - Scotsdale High School, USHSBA
30. MR Ken Clark - 21, LHP - South Florida University, NCAA

Up Next: June Update

[ryan008]

Blue Jays Slip Past Orioles for Top Spot in AL East

July 1st, 2022

The Blue Jays put together a good month on the field record wise at 17-11 and managed to pull ahead of the Baltimore Orioles for top spot in the American League East division. Toronto's lead is very slim however, with just a 1/2 game cushion on the Baltimore Orioles and a 2 game lead on the 3rd place New York Yankees. Even the Tampa Bay Rays at 8 games back are not out of it yet and it looks like there will be a good race shaping up in the American League East this summer. Despite the good performance on the field the Jays had a disastrous month in terms of injuries. They would lose 5 different players all requiring stints on the disabled list. Toronto's depth has been taxed and with the trade deadline coming up quickly there are rumors swirling that GM Ryan Stewart will pull the trigger on a deal to bring in some much needed reinforcements.


AL East Standings - July 1st

Toronto Blue Jays - 43-31 --
Baltimore Orioles - 43-32 (1/2 GB)
New York Yankees - 40-32 (2 GB)
Tampa Bay Rays - 34-38 (8 GB)
Boston Red Sox - 25-48 (17 1/2 GB)

AL Wild Card Standings - July 1st

Baltimore Orioles - 43-32
Oakland Athletics - 40-31
New York Yankees - 40-32 (1/2 GB)
Seattle Mariners - 38-34 (2 1/2 GB)
Cleveland Indians - 37-35 (3 1/2 GB)
Houston Astros - 38-36 (3 1/2 GB)

June's Hot Players

SP Gerrit Cole - 5-0 1.45 ERA
SP Jamie Cox - 5-1 2.58 ERA
SP Erik Black - 3-1 2,97 ERA
MR Jim Phillips - 0-0 2.08 ERA
C Max Pentecost - .365 3 HR 15 RBI
3B Stu Daniels - .324 3 HR 12 RBI

June's Cold Players

SP Jake Godfrey - 1-1 4.13 ERA
MR Chris Richardson - 0-1 7.56 ERA
MR Nick Kennedy - 0-2 1 SV 7.15 ERA
C Mike Zunino - .172 2 HR 5 RBI
1B A.J. Reed - .216 7 HR 25 RBI

June News & Notes

Injuries

The injury bug hammered the Jays in the month of June with 5 players all suffering injuries that would require time on the disabled list. The first to go down was SP Nathan Kirby who missed 3 weeks after suffering from back stiffness/ Kirby was 6-3 with a 2.74 ERA and was placed on the 15 day disabled list. The Jays recalled SP Jose Cerventes their top pitching prospect from AAA Buffalo. Cerventes was 5-2 with a 2.22 ERA so far this season in AAA and will be making his major league debut.

Next it was CF Rick Allen who is expected to miss the next 3 months after suffering from rotator cuff inflammation. Allen was hitting .227 with 5 HR and 17 RBI and was placed on the 60 day disabled list. The Jays called up another of their top prospects in LF Don Bergeron who was hitting .325 with 3 HR and 36 RBI in AAA Buffalo at the time of his recall. He will also be making his major league debut with the Jays.

The next Jay's player to land in the infirmary was DH Casey Gillaspie. Gillaspie has struggled most of the season hitting just .177 with 5 HR and 20 RBI and is going to miss the next 4 months with a torn meniscus in his knee. He was placed on the 60 day disabled list and the Jays recalled SS Tyler Halas who was hitting .257 wit 1 HR and 7 RBI in AAA.

The Jays were then dealt a serious blow as they lost starting SS Carlos Correa who went down with a torn thumb ligament and is expected to miss the next 4 weeks. He was hitting .298 with 6 HR and 20 RBI and was placed on the 15 day disabled list. The Jays recalled SS Yeltsin Gudino from AAA Buffalo where he was hitting .289 with 1 HR and 7 RBI.

Finally the Jays lost one of their injury replacement call-ups as LF Don Bergeron is suffering from knee tendinitis and is expected to miss 4 weeks, Bergeron was hitting .500 with 2 RBI and was in just his 4th game with the Jays when he suffered the injury. The Jays recalled veteran CF Colin Bray from AAA Buffalo where he was hitting .324 with 3 HR and 18 RBI.

First Year Player Draft Update

GM Ryan Stewart wasted no time in getting the Jays draft picks signed this year with all but 19th rounder SP Dan Pearson left unsigned. The Jays have spent a total of $9,140,000 on their first 5 picks including going over slot on both their 3rd and 5th round picks.

1st Round 25th Overall - LF Dan Mueller - $1,500,000
2nd Round 65th Overall - SP Tony Mitchell - $290,000
3rd Round 97th Overall - SP Jonathan Maddox - $3,750,000
4th Round 127th Overall - SP Charlie Clements - $200,000
5th Round 157th Overall - LF Ron Ortega - $3,400,000

Minor League Contracts

With the Jays depth at AAA Buffalo being taxed due to all the injuries the Jays have had at the MLB level GM Ryan Stewart added a couple of former big leaguers as some insurance and as reinforcements for a very understaffed Buffalo squad. The Jays inked 2B Trea Turner a former 2nd round pick 33rd overall in 2014 by the Chicago White Sox and who last played in the majors with the Cubs in 2021 hitting .239 with 3 HR and 26 RBI. They then added SP Dave Clark a former 2nd round pick 56th overall by the Atlanta Braves in 2021 out of Michigan State, he was released this off season after just 2 games in the Majors and the majority of his work came in 2021 with AAA Gwinnett where he was 2-6 with a 3.76 ERA.

Trade

GM Ryan Stewart did pull the trigger on a deal with the Kansas City Royals sending SP Nathan Kirby to the Royals in exchange for 2B Chris Goodwin. GM Ryan Stewart "This was a tough deal to make but its one we felt we had too. We have had a big hole at second base as 2B Kolten Wong has been injured for the majority of the season and we had a surplus pitcher with SP Jose Cerventes coming up and pitching very well for us we felt we could move Kirby. This deal gives us a little more production out of the second base position and allows us to move Wong if we choose or keep him as his veteran leadership and bat could be very handy in the playoffs"

Players to Kansas City

SP Nathan Kirby is a 28 yer old lefty who was a former 1st round pick 15th overall in 2015 by the Baltimore Orioles and was traded to the Jays in 2016. He was 6-3 with a 2.74 ERA walking 22 and striking out 67 so far this season.

Players to Toronto

2B Chris Goodwin is a 26 year old right handed hitter who was a supplemental 1st round pick 30th overall in 2017 by the New York Mets out of the University of Washington in the NCAA. He has hit .282 with 3 HR and 15 RBI so far for the Royals this season but has split time at second as the Royals like to platoon. He will be the Jays everyday second baseman and will likely hit near the top of the order for the Jays.

Around the Majors

CL Aroldis Chapman of the Baltimore Orioles earned career save #200 in a 9-6 victory over the Boston Red Sox. The 34 year old is 1-1 with 25 saves and a 1.77 ERA with the Orioles this season. For his career he is 57-61 with a 2.91 ERA with 300 career saves.

CF Bryce Harper of the Detroit Tigers belted career homerun #300 in a 7-3 win over the Blue Jays. Harper is hitting .259 with 12 HR and 35 RBI this season and the 29 year old has a career line of .297 with 300 HR and 893 RBI.

1B Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers notched career hit #3500 in a 5-2 loss against the Miami Marlins. Cabrerra is hitting .255 with 8 HR and 33 RBI. The veteran first baseman has an impressive career line of .310 with 3500 hits, 606 home runs and 2049 RBI in 2984 career games.

July Update & Trade Deadline

[ryan008]

Yankees Zoom past Jays and Orioles and Capture Top Spot in the East

August 1st, 2022

The dog days of summer are here and the weather is not the only thing heating up outside. The Toronto Blue Jays have been one of the hottest teams in baseball this year and in the month of July they were very good posting a 17-8 record. The Jays biggest problem has been that the New York Yankees have been even hotter and managed to leap frog both the Jays and the Orioles and have vaulted into a 1 1/2 game lead over the Jays in the AL East. The Orioles who started the month of July as the best team in the American League East have faltered and now find themselves in 3rd place trailing the Yankees by 11 games. So heading into the summer months it looks like the east will come down to a battle between the Jays and the Yankees. Both teams would make the playoffs if the season ended today as the Jays currently hold one of the AL Wild Cards with a sizable lead over the Houston Astros and Baltimore Orioles.


AL East Standings - August 1st

New York Yankees - 61-37 --
Toronto Blue Jays - 60-39 (1 1/2 GB)
Baltimore Orioles - 51-49 (11 GB)
Tampa Bay Rays - 47-50 (13 1/2 GB)
Boston Red Sox - 37-61 (24 GB)

AL Wild Card Standings - August 1st

Toronto Blue Jays - 60-39
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - 52-56
Houston Astros - 52-48 (1/2 GB)
Baltimore Orioles - 51-49 (2 GB)
Cleveland Indians - 49-48 (2 1/2 GB)
Texas Rangers - 49-48 (2 1/2 GB)

August's Hot Players

SP Erik Black - 4-1 3.08 ERA
SP Jamie Cox - 3-0 2.82 ERA
SP Jose Cerventes - 3-1 3.73 ERA
MR Phil Jones - 0-0 1.17 ERA
CL Rex Brothers - 1-0 7 SV 1.32 ERA
C Mike Zunino - .316 3 HR 6 RBI
1B A.J. Reed - .298 4 HR 12 RBI
3B Stu Daniels - .296 2 HR 8 RBI

August's Cold Players

MR Chris Richardson - 1-0 4.83 ERA
LF Justin Williams - .179 7 HR 12 RBI
SS Carlos Correa - .198 3 HR 4 RBI

August News & Notes

Injuries

The injury bug was kind to the Jays in the month of July when compared to the nightmare that ensued in June. Only injury prone RF Oswaldo Arcia would require a stint on the disabled list. He suffered a torn ankle ligament and is expected to miss the next 4 weeks. He was hitting .237 with 7 HR and 33 RBI at the time of the injury and he was placed on the 15 day disabled list. The Jays purchased the contract of LF Freddie Rodriguez from AAA Buffalo. The 25 year old Rodriguez was originally signed by the Jays as an International Free agent in 2013 out of Venezuela and was hitting .286 with 4 HR and 26 RBI in AAA Buffalo.

First Year Player Draft Update

The Jays signed all of their picks with the exception of 19th round pick SP Dan Pearson. Pearson is a hard throwing righty out of Tallahassee High school who was looking for a very large bonus or was intent on going to College. He will attend the University of Pittsburgh and will be draft eligible again in 2024.

International Amateur Free Agents

GM Ryan Stewart is a big fan of the International Amateur Free Agent market and the Jays were able to land 4 players from this years class. Because the Jays spent over their cap last year inking 2 of the top 3 international players available they were limited this year to spending no more then $250,000 on any single player. GM Ryan Stewart was still able to add an impressive haul of prospects from this years class but was unable to land any of the top 5 players available. This years signees were:

SP Cristian Benavides - A 17 year old righty out of Venezuela. He features an 88-91 MPH fastball as well as a slider and a developing changeup. He signed for $120,000 and he projects as a good middle of the rotation arm.

SP Gill Laboriz - A 17 year old righty who signed for $250,000 out of Brasil. Laboriz features a 90-92 MPH fastball as well as a sinker and curveball. He is a bit of a project at this point having not faced great competition in his native Brasil. He projects as a middle to back end of the rotation arm but could move to the bullpen down the road.

SP Ernesto Chavez - A 16 year old righty who is an imposing presence on the mound already. He stands 6'4" tall and brings his fastball in the 92-94 MPH range. He also has a change up and curve ball. He can throw all of his pitches for strikes bit does have some control issues. My scouts really like him and think he could be a top of the rotation arm if he can develop his secondary pitches a little more. He signed for $150,000 out of the Dominican Republic.

1B Jose Fernandez - A 16 year old masher who signed a $250,000 contract out of Venezuela. At 6'5" and 215 lbs he is a big kid who can really put a charge into the ball. His downfall however, is his proness to strikeouts and his susceptibility to the breaking ball. He also is not the best defender at first and probably is headed towards a DH role in the Majors. If he can cut down on his strikeouts and make more consistent contact he could hit a lot of homeruns at the MLB level.

2022 Trade Deadline

GM Ryan Stewart was very busy working the phones at the deadline this season but in the end the Jays only managed to make a single move and it was not one that was aimed at improving the club in the short term. The Jays agreed to a swap with the San Francisco Giants that saw them ship out 2B Kolten Wong and minor league prospect 3B Bryan Lizardo to the Giants in exchange for 22 year old outfield prospect CF Cesar Gutierrez.

Players to San Francisco

2B Kolten Wong is a 31 year old who was originally a 1st round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals 22nd overall back in 2011. He was acquired by the Jays in 2014 in exchange for SP Jordan Zimmerman, SS Franklin Barreto and SP Aaron Sanchez. With the Blue Jays acquiring 2B Chris Goodwin in June Wong had been relegated to a bench role and was hitting .311 with 0 HR and 9 RBI in 15 games for the Jays.

3B Bryan Lizardo is a 24 year old switch hitter who was signed by the Jays as an International Free Agent in 2013 out of Venezuela. He has spent the entire 2022 season in AA New Hampshire where he was hitting .251 with 13 HR and 33 RBI. He was once rated as high as the #34 prospect in the Majors and still looks like he has the potential to be an every day third baseman at the MLB level.

Players to Toronto

CF Cesar Gutierrez is a 22 year old right handed batter who was signed by the Giants as an International Free Agent in 2017 out of Venezuela. He is hitting just .214 with 1 HR and 18 RBI in A ball for the Giants so far this season. He is rated as the #22 prospect in baseball and despite being 22 is a bit of a project as he is very raw and will require a few more seasons before you see him at the MLB level.

Awards

GCL - SP Joe Hensely (30th round pick 904th overall in 2020) was named the GCL Pitcher of the Month after going 6-0 with a 1.69 ERA.
GCL - 3B Al Buck (23rd round pick 686th overall in 2018) was named the GCL Batter of the Month after hitting .333 with 10 HR and 33 RBI.
A Dunedin - 1B Tim Nelson (17th round pick 506th overall in 2018) was named the Florida State League Batter of the Month after hitting .333 with 10 HR and 23 RBI.
A Dunedin - SP Bob Townsend (8th round pick 244th overall in 2020) was named the Florida State League Pitcher of the Month after he went 5-0 with a 1.71 ERA.
SA Vancouver - SP Bernie Cantrell (1st Round Pick 27th overall in 2021) was named the Northern League after going 6-0 with a 0.72 ERA.
DSL - 2B Luis Hernandez (International Free Agent Signing in 2018 out of the Dominican Republic) was named the DSL Batter of the Month after hitting .417 with 12 HR and 28 RBI.

Around the Majors

2B Starlin Castro of the Arizona Diamondbacks got his 2000th career base hit in a 5-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants. The 32 year old is hitting .300 with 4 HR and 18 RBI so far this season and owns a career line of .291 with 114 HR and 718 RBI in 1809 games with the Cubs, Red Sox and Diamondbacks.

Up Next: August Update & Roster Expansion

[ryan008]

Blue Jays Vault Back into Top Spot in AL East

September 1st, 2022

The Blue Jays put together winning streaks of 10 and 5 games during the month of August and were able to pull ahead in the American League East, thanks in large part to an implosion by the New York Yankees who managed to win just 8 games during the month. The Jays took advantage and opened up a commanding 8.5 game lead in the East with just a month left to go in the regular season. The Blue Jays are in a good position heading down the stretch they will be adding a number of callups from AAA Buffalo to give some of the regulars some time off and to give their bullpen some much needed breathing room.

AL East Standings - September 1st

Toronto Blue Jays - 78-49
New York Yankees - 69-57 (8 1/2 GB)
Baltimore Orioles - 62-64 (15 1/2 GB)
Tampa Bay Rays - 62-64 (15 1/2 GB)
Boston Red Sox - 53-73 (24 1/2 GB)

AL Wild Card Standings - September 1st

New York Yankees - 69-57
Houston Astros - 69-58
Texas Rangers - 65-60 (3 GB)
Cleveland Indians - 63-63 (5 1/2 GB)
Baltimore Orioles - 62-64 (6 1/2 GB)

August's Hot Players

SP Erik Black - 4-1 3.08 ERA
SP Jamie Cox - 3-0 2.82 ERA
SP Jose Cerventes - 3-1 3.73 ERA
MR Phil Jones - 0-0 1.17 ERA
CL Rex Brothers - 1-0 7 SV 1.32 ERA
1B A.J. Reed - .298 4 HR 12 RBI
CF Albert Almora - .271 3 HR 6 RBI
C Max Pentecost - .253 5 HR 15 RBI

August's Cold Players

SP Gerritt Cole - 2-3 4.20 ERA
LF Justin Williams - /179 7 HR 12 RBI
SS Carlos Correa - .189 3 HR 4 RBI

August News & Notes

Injuries

The injury bug continued to be an issue for the Jays as they learned that they will be without 3B Stu Daniels for the remainder of the season and most likely the first round of the playoffs. Daniels who is having the best offensive year of his career hitting .310 with 6 HR and 44 RBI suffered a quad strain and is expected to miss the next 7-8 weeks. The Jays placed him on the 15 day disabled list and recalled 3B Jeff Hatcher from AAA Buffalo. Hatcher was hitting .282 with 14 HR and 48 RBI for the Bisons this season.

First Year Player Draft Update

GM Ryan Stewart and the Jays Scouting and Development staffs were quite pleased with their haul in the 2022 First Year Player Draft. The Jays were able to get all but their 19th round selection signed and all their picks made their professional debuts.

1st Round 25th Overall - LF Dan Mueller - .192 1 HR 20 RBI (Rookie League - Dunedin)
2nd Round 65th Overall - SP Tony Mitchell - Still recovering from Tommy John Surgery. Will not play until 2023
3rd Round 97th Overall - SP Jonathan Maddox - 1-4 10 SV 4.85 ERA (22 G) Rookie League Dunedin
4th Round Pick 127th Overall - SP Charlie Clements - 1-5 9 SV 7.23 ERA (S.A. Vancouver)
5th Round Pick 157th Overall - LF Ron Ortega - .255 1 HR 12 RBI (Rookie League Dunedin)

Contract Extension

GM Ryan Stewart was able to lock up 1B A.J. Reed for the next 6 seasons. The 29 year old agreed to a $66,000,000 contract extension that will keep him in a Jays uniform until the end of the 2029 season. Reed was originally drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 1st round 5th overall back in 2014 and was traded to the Blue Jays in 2017. HR is hitting .263 with 23 HR and 74 RBIs to date and owns a career line of .277 with 160 HR and 590 RBI in 842 games all with the Blue Jays. The veteran 1B is a 6 time All Star and a fan favorite here in Toronto.

Minor League Signings

The Blue Jays announced that they have come to terms on a minor elague contract with free agent MR Tim Cherry. Cherry is a former 13th round pick 394th overall in 2021 by the Detroit Tigers out of Louisville High School. He was released by the Tigers in 2022 and has not pitched in pro ball since the end of the 2021 season. The 21 year old features a 91-93 MPH fastball as well as a slider and changeup. He was assigned to the S.A. Vancouver Canadiens in the Northwestern League to finish out the 2022 season.

Up Next: End of the 2022 Regular Season.

[ryan008]

2022 Regular Season Concludes - Jays Caught and Passed in AL East By Surging Yankees

October 6th, 2022

Another regular season is in the books and the last month of the season was very exciting in the American league East. The New York Yankees who trailed the Blue Jays by 8.5 games on September 1st would end up going 29-7 over their last 36 games and raced past the Jays to capture the American League East title with a record of 98-69. The Jays faltered in the last few weeks going just 18-15 and managed a final record of 96-66 two games back of the division leading Yankees. The good news for Jays fans is that they will still be playing playoff baseball. They took home the first wild card spot easily and will play the Cleveland Indians (86-77) who occupy the second wild card spot winning it by a slim 1 game lead over the Oakland Athletics.

Around the Majors

CL Rex Brothers of the Toronto Blue Jays earned his 300th career save in a 3-1 victory over the New York Yankees. The 34 year old lefty and 8 time All Star was acquired from the Colorado Rockies back in 2014 and has served as the Jays closer since. In 2022 he is 3-4 with 42 saves and has a 2.67 ERA. In a career that spans 9 seasons (8 with Toronto) he is 45-40 with 300 saves and a 2.53 ERA.

CL Craig Kimbrel of the Atlanta Braves earned career save #500 in a 6-5 victory over the Miami Marlins. Kimbrel, a 34 year old veteran is a 9 time All Star and is 5-5 with 41 saves and posted a 3.25 ERA for the Braves this season. In his career with the Braves he is 54-46 with 500 Saves and a 2.01 ERA in 13 seasons all with Atlanta.

Up Next: Wild Card Game. Cleveland @ Toronto

[ryan008]

Blue Jays Crush Indians Will Face The Yankees in Next Round

October 13th, 2022

The Toronto Blue Jays pinned their season hopes on the shoulders of their Ace in SP Jamie Cox as they sent him to the hill in a winner take all battle against the second place wild card team the Cleveland Indians. The Jays head into the playoffs getting a pair of key players back in 3B Stu Daniels and SP Gerritt Cole both missed significant time with injuries but are back at 100% and will be ready as the Jays head deeper into the playoffs.

SP Jamie Cox showed why he is widely considered the best pitcher in baseball right now as he dominated the Indians for 8 innings allowing them just 1 run on 5 hits with 2 walks and struck out 14. The Jays gave him a lot of run support early on as well scoring 6 runs int he 3rd and adding 4 more in the 4th inning and knocking the Indians Ace SP Justin Hooper out of the game early. Offensively 1B A.J. Reed was 3-3 with 2 homeruns a double and drove in 3 runs and SS Carlos Correa and CF Albert Almora added homeruns and each drove in 3. For the Indians only 1B Bran O'Quinn could muster anything offensively going 2-3 with a pair of doubles and adding 2 RBI.

ALDS Game #1 - New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays
SP Justin Hooper (17-11 2.67 ERA) vs
SP Jamie Cox (18-4 2.58 ERA)



W: SP Jame Cox (1-0) 8.0 IP 5 H 1 R 2 BB 14 K
L: SP Justin Hooper (0-1) 2.0 IP 8 H 10 R 1 BB 2 K

Up Next: Divisional Series Toronto @ New York

[ryan008]

Blue Jays Ousted by the Yankees in ALDS for Second Straight Season

October 21st, 2022

A playoffs that started so well for the Blue Jays with a thrashing of the Cleveland Indians in the AL Wild Card game came to a crashing end with a 3-1 defeat at the hands of the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series. GM Ryan Stewart and the rest of the front office are just stunned at how poorly their play has been in the post season "Its really hard to explain, this club is near the top of the leader boards in just about any offensive, defensive and pitching categories out there. The Yankees just seem to have our kryptonite". The off season could be one filled with changes for the Jays as they have a couple of players whose contracts expire at the conclusion of this season in CL Rex brothers and LF Justin Williams both players were looking for long term extensions and the rumors swirling around the Jays and GM Ryan Stewart was that the team didn't want to make that kind of commitment to players who were getting closer to the down swing of their careers.

ALDS Game #1 - Toronto Blue Jays @ New York Yankees
SP Erik Black (17-10 3.89 ERA) vs
SP Chandler Day (9-5 6.23 ERA)



W: MR Dan Otero (1-0)
L: SP Erik Black (0-1) 7.1 IP 9 H 9 R 4 BB 3 K
S: CL Cole Sands (1)
Recap: The Blue Jays had to start their #2 starter with SP Jamie Cox being used in the wild card game and game #1 turned out to be a slug fest with both starters not faring well. The Jays managed to knock out Yankees SP Chandler Day after just 4.2 innings of work allowing 5 runs on 7 hits. RF Oswaldo Arcia and C Max Pentecost both had 2 run homeruns and 3B Stu Daniels would add an RBI double in the top of the 9th to make it a one run game but the Jays couldn't score him. For the Yankees a 4 run 8th inning propelled them to the victory. SP Erik Black had been decent to that point allowing 5 runs over 7 innings of work but the wheels would fall off in the 8th. CF Brett Cabrera, C Reese McGuire, LF Oscar Tavares and SS Francisco Lindor all had RBIs as the Yankees rallied to take game one of the ALDS.

ALDS Game #2 - Toronto Blue Jays @ New York Yankees
SP Gerritt Cole (13-10 3.46 ERA) vs
SP SP Randall Delgado (15-9 3.91 ERA)



W: SP Gerritt Cole (1-0) 7.0 IP 6 H 2 R 2 BB 3 K
L: SP Randell Delgado (0-1) 7.0 IP 4 H 4 R 1 BB 9 K
S: CL Rex Brothers(1)
Recap: The Jays turned to the recently activates SP Gerritt Cole for the start in game #2 of the ALDS and he was solid tossing 7 innings and allowing just 2 runs on 6 hits walking 2 and adding 3 strikeouts. Offensively C Max Pentecost continues to swing a hot bat going 2-3 with a pair of homeruns and 3 RBI and 2B Chris Goodwin and DH Randal Girchuk both added RBI singles as the Jays cruised to a 5-2 victory. For the Yankees it was 1B Will Benson doing the heavy lifting going 2-3 with a solo hr and an RBI double as the Jays evened the series at a game a piece heading back to Toronto for game #3.

ALDS Game #3 - New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays
SP Kohl Stewart (8-1 3.25 ERA) vs
SP Jamie Cox (1-0 1.13 ERA)



W: SP Kohl Stewart (1-0) 6.0 IP 6 H 1 R 2 BB 5 K
L: SP Jamie Cox (0-1) 7.0 IP 4 H 4 R 1 BB 9 K
S: CL Cole Sands (2)
Recap: The Jays faced a former Jay on the hill in game #3 as SP Kohl Stewart who was dealt to the Yankees at the trade deadline took the hill against SP Jamie Cox and Stewart would our duel his former team in a battle of pitchers as the Yankees outlasted the Jays 2-1. Stewart would go 6 innings allowing just 6 hits and 1 run with 2 walks and 5 strikeouts. SP Jamie Cox was also very good lasting 8 innings and allowing 2 runs on just 4 hits with 2 walks and 4 strikeouts. His only mistakes came on a 3B Rob Duncan RBI triple and a C Reese McGuire sacrifice fly in the 5th inning. 3B Stu Daniels drove in the Jays only run on a RBI single in the second that game the Jays an early 1-0 lead. The Jays now find themselves on the verge of elimination with game 4 tomorrow.

ALDS Game #4 - New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays
SP Chandler Day (0-0 9.64 ERA) vs
SP Jake Godfrey (12-11 4.18 ERA)



W: MR Colby Suggs (1-0)
L: SP Jake Godfrey (0-1) 7.0 IP 7 H 4 R 1 BB 8 K
Recap: Well thats that. The Yankees pitchers managed to hold the #1 offence in baseball to no runs and just 6 hits in an elimination game and would take the series on the heels of a 7-0 victory. The Jays started SP Jake Godfrey because game #1 starter SP Erik Black was still not 100%. He pitched well into the 7th inning before the Yankees blew the game open scoring 5 runs in the 7th and 8th. CF Bret Cabrera did the most damage fort he Yankees going 2-4 with a homerun and added 4 RBI and 2B Luis Ramos, LF Oscar Tavares and SS Francisco Lindor all contributed with RBI's.

Up Next: World Series Winner

[ryan008]

Yankees Repeat as World Series Champs in 2022

November 3rd, 2023

The New York Yankees continue to be one of the best teams in the Majors and have captured their second consecutive World Series Title and 29th in team history. The Yankees took home the American League East crown narrowly edging out the Toronto Blue Jays and would then defeat the Jays 3 games to 1 in the divisional series before a thrilling 7 game, extra inning defeat of the Chicago White Sox. In the World Series the National League Champion Arizona Diamondbacks were no match for the power house Yankees and they were brushed aside easily in a 4 game sweep.

The Yankees are having success in a way that is not the Usual "Yankee" way. Of their 5 man roster 16 players are home grown talents and 7 are former Yankee 1st round picks. They have had one of the top farm systems in all of baseball for the past 5 seasons and continue to draft and develop talent. This is quite the departure from the Yankees of the 90's and early 2000's that simply signed huge free agent contracts and traded away all of its young prospects. This new strategy has set them up to be a sustainable contender for the near future and will give the Jays all they can handle in the American League East.


Up Next: 2022 Award Winners

[ryan008]

2022 Awards & Blue Jays Minor League POTY's

Major League Baseball announced its winners for the Gold Gloves, Rookie of the Year, Cy Young Award and the MVP today and there were a couple of Jays that took home some hardware. The Jays also announced their R. Howard Webster Award Winners for the Best Player at each level of the Jays minor leagues.

2022 AL Gold Gloves

P Mac Marshall (Tampa Bay Rays)
C Max Pentecost (Toronto Blue Jays)
1B Wil Benson (New York Yankees)
2B Riley Unroe (Tampa Bay)
3B Logan Tolbert (Cleveland Indians)
SS Arquimedes Gamboa (Houston Astros)
LF Jeren Kendall (Houston Astros)
CF Mike Trout (Seattle Mariners)
RF Clint Fraizer (Cleveland Indians)

2022 NL Gold Gloves

P Ken Quick (Philadelphia Phillies)
C Austin Hedges (Philadelphia Phillies)
1B Justin Bellanger (Chicago Cubs)
2B Alonzo Jones (Miami Marlins)
3B Maikel Franko (Philadelphia Phillies)
SS Jurickson Profar (Arizona Diamondbacks)
LF Derek Fisher (San Diego Padres)
CF Cesar Alonzo (Philadelphia Phillies)
RF Marcus Wilson (Atlanta Braves)

2022 American League Rookie of the Year
RF Chris Caro (Milwaukee Brewers)(23 Years Old)
1st Round Pick 2nd Overall in 2019 by New York Yankees (Omaha High School)
.333 19 HR 96 RBI

2022 National League Rookie of the Year
LF Trey Butler (Pittsburgh Pirates)(25 Years Old)
4th Round Pick 117th Overall in 2018 by Pittsburgh (Brigham Young University, NCAA)
.306 31 HR 85 RBI

2022 American League Cy Young Award
SP Jamie Cox (Toronto Blue Jays)
1st Round Pick 9th Overall by Toronto in 2014 (Michigan State, NCAA)
18-4 2.58 ERA 56 BB 267 K

2022 National League Cy Young Award
SP Ian Scott (San Francisco Giants)
1st Round Pick 2nd Overall in 2017 by San Francisco (Fresno State, NCAA)
17-9 2.38 ERA 55 BB 251 K

2022 American League MVP Award
2B Brendan Rogers (Texas Rangers)
1st Round Pick 3rd Overall in 2015 by Texas
.310 37 HR 114 RBI

2022 National League MVP Award
LF Dazmon Cameron (San Diego Padres)
1st ROund Pick 14th Overall in 2015 by St. Louis (Eagles Landing Christian Academy)
.315 30 HR 99 RBI

Up Next: Blue Jays Off Season Report

[ryan008]

2022 Salary Arbitration Cases & Possible Free Agents

The Blue Jays and GM Ryan Stewart will not be nearly as busy this Salary Arbitration Season as they only have 7 cases that were decided by the arbitrator. This is down from 13 last season and another 13 the year before that. Of all the players eligible for salary arbitration the Jays toyed with the idea of not offering arbitration to only one player. DH Casey Gillaspie Gillaspie was picked up from the New York Yankees in exchange for SP Kohl Stewart and he was a huge disappointment hitting just .177 with 5 HR and 20 RBI for the Jays. In the end GM Ryan Stewart felt that his price tag was worth the gamble to see if he could put it together and have a better season in 2023. In the end the Jays 7 salary arbitration players all agreed to 1 year contracts at the following values:

DH Casey Gillaspie - $4,200,000
2B Gosuke Katoh - $1,000,000
MR Chris Richardson - $1,000,000
3B Stu Daniels - $2,400,000
2B Chris Goodwin - $3,800,000
MR Tony Boone - $1,900,000
OF Colin Bray - $997,500

Free Agents

The Jays also had 3 players whose contracts were up at the conclusion of the season and they left as free agents. The Jays would offer arbitration to all three and they all declined meaning should they sign with other teams in the off season the Jays will be entitled to compensation selections in the upcoming 2023 First Year Player Draft. C Mike Zunino, LF Justin Williams andCL Rex Brothers all ended up being free agents and all declined salary arbitration.

2023 Operating Budget

Rogers Communication Inc. the parent company of the Toronto Blue Jays has announced that the team has an operating budget of $208,000,000 for the upcoming season. This is an increase of $12,000,000 over the $196,000,000 budget from a year a go. The Jays also have $7,500,000 earmarked for use in the 2023 First Year Player Draft. With all of the salary arbitration cases decided and our expenses fixed for the 2023 season the Jays will have a payroll of roughly $140,000,000 this leaves GM Ryan Stewart approximately $25-30 million in money that can be spent on free agents, trades and international amateur free agents.

GM Ryan Stewart's Off Season Wish List

The off season is just about upon us and my wish list for the off season includes:

1. Closer
We lost CL Rex Brothers to free agency after the veteran spent 9 seasons with the Jays. He was looking for a contract that we were just not comfortable offering at this point and he will be free to sign elsewhere. We have some in house options in the minors in CL Jorge Miranda and CL Mike MacNeal but neither have pitched much at the MLB level. We will explore the free agent market as well as trade possibilities to fill this opening.

2. Starting Left Fielder
We lost another long time Blue Jay in LF Justin Williams to free agency this off season. He was looking for a contract with a significant length and dollar amount that we just didn't think was prudent to hand to a 28 year old. He still has a lot of good years left but the dollar amount and term were just too much for us. We will take a long look at LF Don Bergeron, a 24 year old former 2nd round pick of the Jays back in 2017 who has hit well in AAA and who could be ready to make the jump to the majors. There are some interesting free agent outfielders as well so we will be keeping tabs on that market as well.

3. Back Up Catcher
We signed C Mike Zunino to a 1 year deal in the off season last year and he did a great job as a back up for us. He had no intention as coming back as a backup this year and elected to test the free agent waters. Ideally I'd like to fill this hole with a very strong defensive catcher who can also hit a little so that they can be used as a pinch hitter off the bench if needed. The fore runner for the job is 24 year old C Jesus Lopez. Lopez spent the 2022 season in AAA Buffalo where he hit .282 with 19 HR and had 76 RBI. He was signed as an International Free Agent back in 2017 out of Venezuela and looks like he is ready to make the jump to the MLB.

4. Starting Pitching
I'm always on the lookout for starting pitching and I feel like we could use a solid #2 starter to slot in behind SP Jamie Cox. We seem to have a lot of mid to back end of the rotation arms right now in SP Erik Black and SP Jake Godfrey and at just 23 years old SP Jose Cerventes is still a work in progress. A good shut down arm to throw out there in tandem with Cox would be the perfect addition to the rotation. I don't really have any candidates internally so I will be keeping my eyes open in free agency and for possible upgrades via trade.

Up Next: 2022 Off Season Transactions Report

[ryan008]

Blue Jays 2022 Off Season Report

Yet another busy off season is in the books and GM Ryan Stewart is quite happy with what they were able to accomplish with Spring Training just around the corner.GM Ryan Stewart "We identified 4 major areas of concern that we wanted to address heading into next season and we were able to fill them all. We managed to do it without making too many changes to our existing roster or giving up a ton of the prospects that we have down in the minors. All in all we are excited for the start of Spring Training, to put what we were able to do in the off season into practice on the field".

Blue Jays Off Season:

1.Closer

The closer's job became available when CL Rex Brothers elected to leave the club as a free agent. He would end up signing a 3 year contract worth $57,000,000 with the Los Angeles Dodgers this off season. GM Ryan Stewart would not name a closer yet preferring to wait and see how things play out during the spring before naming a closer. The Jays did bring in another arm to facilitate some competition signing 35 year old veteran CL Jordan Walden to a 1 year deal worth $2,630,000. Walden is a two time All Star and spent the 2022 season with the Texas Rangers where he was 5-1 with 21 saves posted a 3.19 ERA walking 13 and striking out 42 in 42.1 innings with Texas. He still has a great arm touching 97-99 MPH and should have lots of gas left in the tank should the Jays choose to utilize him as their closer this season.

2. Starting Outfielder

The Blue Jays also lost LF Justin Williams this off season as his contract was up at the conclusion of the 2022 season and GM Ryan Stewart felt that he was looking for too much money and term when discussing a new contract to stay in Toronto. He elected to leave as a free agent and signed a 7 year deal worth a whopping $170,000,000 with the Milwaukee Brewers. GM Ryan Stewart went outside the Organization making a deal with the Atlanta Braves to fill the hole in the outfield. The Jays and Braves agreed on a trade that would send SP Gerrit Cole to Atlanta in exchange for RF Marcus Wilson and minor league CL Luis Aleman.

Players to Atlanta

SP Gerrit Cole is a 32 year old righty who was a 1st round pick 1st overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2011 out of the University of California and was traded to the Blue Jays back in 2016 in a deal that saw C Gary Sanchez traded to the Pirates. He spent 6 seasons with the Blue Jays and was a three time American League All Star. He was 13-10 with a 3.46 ERA walking 50 and striking out 173 for the Jays in 2022. His best season came in 2018 when we won 20 games for the Jays and finished 2nd in the Cy Young Voting. He has 2 years and $24,000,000 ($12,000,000 per year) remaining on his contract.

Players to Toronto

LF Marcus Wilson is a 26 year old former 1st round draft pick 28th overall by the Braves back in 2014. He is a 2 time National League Gold Glove winner and he hit .260 with 19 HR and 58 RBI for the Braves in 2022. He is a really good all around player who doesn't really do anything outstanding. He will hit for a decent .275 ish average and can can provide 20 homerun power. Defensively is where he will really help the Jays as he has a huge range, great speed and a very good arm. He should slot in nicely in the 7th spot in the order and provide some offence in the bottom 1/3rd of the lineup.

The Jays also picked up 20 year old CL Luis Aleman in the deal. The flame throwing lefty sits 94-96 MPH with his fastball and has a very good slider. He was an International Free Agent Signing back in 2019 by the Braves out of the Dominican Republic and he went 1-0 with 17 Saves with a 2.73 ERA 11 walks and 30 strikeouts with the Braves rookie league team. At just 20 years old and in just his second pro season the Jays believe he has a lot of room to add some velocity and they see him as a back end of the bullpen arm, he is just a long way from reaching that status.

GM's Comments: This was a tough deal to make, we really wanted to pick up Wilson, he was a player I tried to acquire at the trade deadline last year but Atlanta wouldn't part with him. This off season they approached us about the availability of SP Gerrit Cole and we were able to make the deal. The loss of Cole will hurt as he has been steady for us as our #3 starter for the past few seasons. We did manage to shed about $8,000,000 in payroll by making this deal and we picked up a high ceiling bullpen arm so it looks like it should be a good deal for both teams. It also set us up for a move that was made later in the off season.....

3. Back Up Catcher

We weren't successful in picking up any of our off season targets in the catching department. Our backup last year C Mike Zunino signed a 2 year deal worth $8,950,000 with the St. Louis Cardinals and C Grayson Grenier, whom we offered a contract to elected to sign with the Cardinals as well inking a 3 year deal worth $19,800,000. So we moved on to the trade market and there were a few deals we were close on but nothing would come to fruition. We will head into Spring Training with C Jesus Lopez penciled in as out backup. I have a couple of minor league contract offers floating out there for back up catchers but as of the start of spring training none have been accepted yet.

4. Address the Starting Pitching

GM Ryan Stewart was able to make this deal mostly due tot he fact that the club freed up some extra money with the SP Gerrit Cole trade. We had SP Jose Sandoval a 24 year old who was putting up big numbers in AAA Buffalo, bouncing between the rotation and the bullpen. We decided to shop him around and the Chicago Cubs really wanted him. The Cubs are in the middle of a rebuild and were offering up their Ace SP Alex Wood if we were willing to include SS Jorge Diaz in the deal. We haggled a bit more and we were able to include minor league SP Steve Sampson in the deal for some depth in AAA and the deal was signed.

Players to Chicago Cubs

SP Jose Sandoval is a 24 year old flame thrower who can dial it up to 99 MPH regularly. He compliments his fastball with a very hard slider and a changeup. He was signed as an International Amateur Free Agent back in 2015 out of Panama and was the Jays #2 pitching prospect this season. He was 11-7 with 3 saves a 3.10 ERA and 42 walks and 131 strikeouts for the Bisons in 2022. He was an International League All Star in 2022 and many scouts consider him to be a top of the rotation arm.

The Jays also sent minor league SS Jorge Diaz to the Cubs in the deal. The 22 year old was signed by the Jays as an International Amateur Free Agent back in 2017 out of the Dominican Republic and he hit .294 with 12 HR and 56 RBI for the A Lansing Lugnuts in 2022. He is a two time minor league All Star (2022 in Lansing and 2021 in Vancouver) and was the Jays #7 rated prospect last season.

Players to Toronto

SP Alex Wood is a 32 year old lefty who was originally drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 2nd round back in 2012 out of the University of Georgia. He was 20-8 with a 2.27 ERA with 49 walks and 218 strikeouts for the Braves in 2022. Wood is a 3 time National League All Star and took home the 2020 NL Gold Glove Award. He has 3 years left on his contract and is owed $22,800,000 each year.

SP Steve Sampson is a 25 year old former 2nd round pick 45th overall by the Cubs in 2017 out of El Paso High School in the USHSBA. He was once considered one of the top prospects in Baseball (ranking as high as 29th in 2020) but his stock has fallen considerably. He features a 93-95 MPH cutter as well as a curveball, slider and changeup. He was 6-1 with a 3.08 ERA with 11 walks and 59 strikeouts in 9 starts for AAA Iowa last season before a knee injury derailed his season.

GM's Comments: The addition of Wood will give us a very solid 1-2 combination at the top of our rotation and should take some of the pressure off the rest of our starters. Wood is a durable innings eater who has had a lot of success at the MLB level. We also add Sampson who should help our rotation in AAA Buffalo and provides a little bit of insurance should we have some problems with our MLB rotation. He is 5-6 with a 3.89 ERA with the Cubs so he has had some exposure at the MLB level.

2022 Major League Free Agent Signings

SP Anthony Molina - 6 years $160,200,000 (Chicago White Sox)
SP Jacob Turner - 2 years $31,800,000 (San Fran Cisco Giants)
SP Stephen Strasburg - 2 years $50,800,000 (New York Yankees)
SS Addison Russel - 5 years $106,000,000 (Chicago Cubs)
3B Gregory Deichmann - 5 years $70,000,000 (Texas Rangers)
CL Dave Gibson - 2 years $16,400,000 (Boston Red Sox)
C Travis D'Arnaud - 2 years $30,800,000 (Atlanta Braves)
SS Arquimedes Gamboa - 6 years $73,800,000 (Boston Red Sox)
SP Matt Harvey - 2 years $26,600,000 (Boston Red Sox)
2B Matt Chapman - 3 years $13,560,000 (Los Angeles Dodgers)
C Gary Sanchez - 6 years $118,800,000 (Tampa Bay Rays)
SS John Aiello - 6 years $161,200,000 (Oakland Athletics)
*C Mike Zunino - 2 years $8,950,000 (St. Louis Cardinals)
SP Zach Greinke - 1 year $6,200,000 (New York Yankees)
CL Tim Collins - 3 years $51,000,000 (Los Angeles Dodgers)
1B Pablo Sandoval - 2 years $20,100,000 (Atlanta Braves)
2B Yohan Mondica - 5 years $92,400,000 (New York Mets)
C Grayson Grenier - 3 years $19,800,000 (St. Louis Cardinals)
SP Jose Mujica - 3 years $33,900,000 (Texas Rangers)
SS J.P. Crawford - 1 year $3,960,000 (Boston Red Sox)
*CL Rex Brothers - 3 years $57,600,000 (Los Angeles Dodgers)
CF Byron Buxton - 4 years $99,200,000 (Chicago Cubs)
CL Al Alburquerque - 1 year $5,750,000 (Los Angeles Dodgers)
SS Jurickson Profar - 5 years $32,380,000 (Baltimore Orioles)
CF Brian Goodwin - 1 year $2,200,000 (Boston Red Sox)
CL Jonathan Papelbon - 1 year $5,600,000 (Chicago White Sox)
CL Jordan Walden - 1 year $2,730,000 (Toronto Blue Jays)
*LF Justin Williams - 7 years $190,000,000 (Milwaukee Brewers)

*The Jays will receive a compensation selection in the Supplemental 1st round for the loss of Zunino, Brothers and Williams. This means that they will gain an additional 3 first round picks in the 2023 First Year Player Draft.

Up Next Spring Training 2023

[ryan008]

Spring Training 2023

The off season is in the rear view mirror and the Toronto Blue Jays are ready to get back to work attempting to avenge yet another early exit in the 2022 post season at the hands of their hated division rivals the New York Yankees. The Spring Schedule is just about to open up at the Jays training facility in Dunedin Florida and a number of the players have already filed in to begin work outs. The crop of players attending camp this year will include some new faces as GM Ryan Stewart looked to fill a number of holes this off season. SP Alex Wood, CL Jordan Walden and LF Marcus Wilson were the major acquisitions and all three are pretty much locks to break camp with the big club. On paper it looks like the majority of the Jays 25 man roster spots are going to filled with very little competition. The Jays do have some of their high draft picks in camp with former 1st round picks 2B Tim Miller, SP Josh Britton and 3rd round pick LF Don Bergeron.

Starting Pitchers

SP Erik Black - 17-10 3.89 ERA (Toronto)
SP Josh Britton - 7-4 3.39 ERA (GCL Blue Jays)
SP Jose Cerventes - 11-5 3.41 ERA (Toronto)
SP Jamie Cox - 18-4 2.58 ERA (Toronto)
SP Dave Davis - 7-1 30 SV 2.98 ERA (A Dunedin)
SP Jake Godfrey - 12-11 4.18 ERA (Toronto)
SP Vic Johnson - 14-6 3.34 ERA (A Dunedin)
SP Tim Libby - 7-4 2.00 ERA (AAA Buffalo)
SP James Paxton - 8-12 4.15 ERA (AAA Buffalo)
SP Steve Sampson - 6-1 3.08 ERA (AAA Iowa)
SP Alex Wood - 20-8 2.27 ERA (Chicago Cubs)

GM's Comments
Our rotation got a big boost with the addition of a 20 game winner in SP Alex Wood in an off season trade with the Cubs this year. Slotting him in the #2 hole in front of SP Jamie Cox should give us a very potent 1-2 punch. Our #3-5 shape up as Black, Godfrey and Cerventes and should give us a chance to win any night. In terms of depth our rotation at AAA Buffalo should be pretty good as well with a pair of first round picks headlining it in SP Vic Johnson and SP Tim Libby, we added SP Steve Sampson from the Cubs as well and have SP James Paxton the veteran who can always come up and eat innings if needed. All in all I am quite pleased with our rotation depth.

Middle Relievers and Closers

MR Jake Barrett - 7-2 5 SV 3.34 ERA (AAA Buffalo)
MR Tony Boone - 4-3 3 SV 3.66 ERA (Toronto)
MR Carson Fulmer - 11-8 4.26 ERA (AAA Buffalo)
MR Jeff Henderson - 9-5 4 SV 3.77 ERA (AAA Buffalo)
MR Phil Jones - 3-3 4.44 ERA (Toronto)
MR Nick Kennedy - 0-7 5 SV 5.40 ERA (Toronto)
MR Mike McNeal - 7-7 32 SV 2.17 ERA (AA New Hampshire)
MR Mark Montgomery - 2-2 2 SV 3.60 ERA (Toronto)
MR Jim Phillips - 0-1 1 SV 5.36 ERA (Toronto)
MR Chris Richardson - 5-2 1 SV 4.99 ERA (Toronto)
MR Dave Steele - 6-8 6 SV 3.05 ERA (AAA Buffalo)
CL Jorge Miranda - 8-4 27 SV 3.40 ERA (AAA Buffalo)
CL Jordan Walden - 5-1 21 SV 3.19 ERA (Atlanta Braves)

GM's Comments
Our bullpen wasn't great last season finishing 15th in the majors in ERA and 17th in runs allowed. We let CL Rex Brothers walk as a free agent and will have a couple of players competing for the open closer's role including free agent pick up CL Jordan Walden and prospects MR Mike MacNeal and CL Jorge Miranda. We also may look at replacing MR Nick Kennedy who had a rough rookie season last year finishing with an 0-7 record and a team worst 5.40 ERA. He has tremendous stuff and were hoping that some success this spring can help to turn his fortunes around. There are still a number of very good free agent relievers available but at this point I would prefer not to have to sign anyone else. We have been in touch with a number of agents however and are keeping close tabs on how the market develops as the spring moves along.

Position Players

Catchers

C Max Pentecost - .337 22 HR 84 RBI
C Javier Hernandez - .263 0 HR 8 RBI (A Dunedin)
C Jesus Lopez - .282 19 HR 79 RBI (AAA Las Vegas)

GM's Comments
In terms of depth the catcher position is by far the weakest in the organization. Once you get past Pentecost there is very little in terms of depth. We attempted to address the issue int he off season but were unsuccessful in bringing in a back up or even a AAA level catcher. As it stands right now C Jesus Lopez who had a solid season in AAA last year will be the back up and were not going to have much at AAA. I have some minor league contract offers out to 3 catchers to see if I can shore up out depth at AAA, but as of yet none have responded one way or another.

First Base Base

1B Casey Gillaspie - .177 5 HR 20 RBI (Toronto)
1B Pat Olson - .285 4 HR 32 RBI (A Lansing)
1B A.J. Reed - .254 34 HR 100 RBI (Toronto)

GM's Comments
Reed signed a massive contract extension with the Jays last season and he continues to put up big numbers as the Jays every day first baseman. Gillaspie was a huge disappointment after being acquired from the Yankees last year. He hit just .177 and was injured for a good portion of the season getting into just 47 games for the Jays. Were hoping for a bounce back season out of him as he was brought in with the hopes of being the primary DH. Were also going to take a look at 2019 1st round pick 1B Pat Olson he had a good season in Lansing and will most likely be ticketed for AA New Hampshire.

Second Base

2B Chris Goodwin - .239 11 HR 39 RBI (Toronto)
2B Gosuke Katoh - .248 6 HR 33 RBI (Toronto)
2B Tim Miller - .276 0 HR 17 RBI (AA New Hampshire)
2B Trea Turner - .277 4 HR 27 RBI (AAA Buffalo)

GM's Comments
We picked up Goodwin in a deal with the Kansas City Royals last year and he was pretty good for us. I would like him to hit for a little more average as he tends to strikeout a bit more then I'd like. He will get his chance at a full season with the Jays and we are excited to see what he can do. We do have 2020 1st round pick 2B Tim Miller who is slated to start the season in AAA. He is jut about MLB ready and could create an interesting log jam at second base.

Third Base

3B Stu Daniels - .310 6 HR 44 RBI (Toronto)
3B Jeff Hatcher - .282 14 HR 45 RBI (AAA Buffalo)

GM's Comments
Daniel's continues to get better every year and managed to hit .310 for the Jays last year. He isn't going to hit a lot of homeruns but in this lineup its not necessary. His primary job is to get on base and he did that at a .344 clip last season. We have 3B Jeff Hatcher a veteran in AAA who made a couple of brief appearances at the major league level last season. He is a capable back up and is just a phone call away in Buffalo should we need him.

Short Stop

SS Carlos Correa - .299 21 HR 50 RBI (Toronto)
SS Yeltsin Gudino - .284 1 HR 7 RBI (AAA Buffalo)
SS Tyler Halas - .237 6 HR 37 RBI (AAA Buffalo)

GM's Comments
We liked what Correa brought to the table last season with a good mix of offence and defensive contribution. He is due for a new contract as he is a free agent at the conclusion of the 2023 season so we will need to get his name on a long term deal to stay in Toronto. We have two very capable backups in Gudino and Halas and there is a good chance that one of them could break camp with the Jays as a bench bat.

Outfielders

LF Don Bergeron - .350 8 HR 62 RBI (AAA Buffalo)
LF Freddie Rodriguez - .283 4 HR 27 RBI (AAA Buffalo)
LF Marcus Wilson - .260 19 HR 58 RBI (Atlanta Braves)
CF Ric Allen - .214 5 HR 17 RBI (Toronto)
CF Albert Almora - .303 21 HR 70 RBI (Toronto)
CF Colin Bray - .354 4 HR 26 RBI (AAA Buffalo)
CF Jerry Irwin - .284 26 HR 69 RBI (A Dunedin)
RF Oswaldo Arcia - .256 16 HR 60 RBI (Toronto)

GM's Comments
We made a big deal in the off season to bring in a former gold glove winner in LF Marcus Wilson and we are hoping for big things. The rest of the outfield will return as is with Almora in center and Arcia in right. CF Ric Allen might see more time as the DH if Gillaspie continues to struggle. We have a couple of intriguing prospects who are close to MLB ready in AAA in Bergeron and Irwin. I really like Bergeron and what he brings to the table both offensively and on the defensive side of the ball. We have been shopping Arcia for some time as I'm not a fan of his injury proneness.

Up Next: Spring Training Recap and Opening Day Rosters

[ryan008]

Spring Training Concludes, 2023 Season About to Get Underway

Spring Training was a bit of a disappointment for the Jays as they managed to only put together a record of 13-13 and finished 3rd in their division well behind the Yankees who had a tremendous spring posting a 21-5 record which was the best record of any team during Spring Training. GM Ryan Stewart was not worried about the Jays spring performance "We were trying a lot of new things during the spring, moving guys around and we played a lot of our younger guys, especially pitchers a lot to see just what we had in them. For the most part we liked what we saw, we had a number of our guys who were on the cusp have great springs and they really put themselves on the map for those situations that might arise during the regular season where we may need them. We have had bad injury troubles over the last few years and because of that we like to have a lot of depth especially in the outfield and the starting rotation, those seem to be where we get hurt the most"

Spring Training Surprises

There weren't a lot of surprises for the Jays at camp most players played up to their expectations. GM Ryan Stewart was very excited about how well former supplemental 1st round pick SP Josh Britton fared this spring. The 21 year old 6'4" righty threw 9 shut out innings this spring and struck out 14 batters while walking just 2. He allowed just 3 hits in that span. He performed quite well for a pitcher who has never pitched in full season ball and was only in camp as a non-roster invitee. He will defiantly be a player that the Jays will watch closely as he heads to Lansing for full season ball this year. The other pleasant surprise was how well newly acquired SP Alex Wood fared in his first go around in the American League. The veteran would go 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA walking 3 and striking out 10 in 20 innings of work. He looks like he will be a great addition to a strong starting rotation.

Spring Training Disappointments

There were a few disappointments this spring and the two biggest ones were the play of 1B A.J. Reed and LF Marcus Wilson. Reed has put up some huge numbers in his time with the Jays but he looked terrible this spring hitting just .167 with 3 HR and 10 RBI. He did suffer a wrist injury at the beginning of training camp and the Jays are hoping that was the reason for his slow start. LF Marcus Wilson was picked up in an off season trade and came with a highly touted bat. He struggled all spring to the tune of a .169 batting average with 2 HR and just 5 RBI. He will be needed as he is a vital part of the outfield and starting lineup for the Jays. Hopefully he can brush aside a slow spring and get off to a good start when the games matter.

OPENING DAY ROSTERS

SP Jamie Cox
SP Alex Wood
SP Erik Black
SP Jake Godfrey
SP Jose Cerventes

MR Tony Boone
MR Phil Jones
MR Nick Kennedy
MR Mark Montgomery
MR Jim Phillips
MR Chris Richardson
CL Jordan Walden

C Max Pentecost
1B A.J. Reed
2B Chris goodwin
3B Stu Daniels
SS Carlos Correa
LF Marcus Wilson
CF Albert Almora
RF Oswaldo Arcia
DH Casey Gillaspie

C Mike Zunino
INF Gosuke Katoh
OF Colin Bray
OF Rick Allen

Pre Season Predictions

The Baseball pundits have made their yearly pre-season predictions and the Blue Jays and Yankees find themselves both being 99 win teams. The division rivals are predicted to finish with records of 99-63 and would tie for top spot in the American League East. The Tampa Bay Rays are predicted to be the worst team in baseball and are looking at a season in which they are expected to lose 98 games (finish with a record of 64-98). In the National League the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers are the teams to beat and both are predicted to finish the season with 90+ wins. The Florida Marlins, much like the Rays are predicted to finish in the basement of the National League and could be looking down the barrel of a 100 loss season.

Injuries

Just before the season was about to start the Jays got some bad news as their starting second baseman 2B Chris Goodwin suffered a separated shoulder and is expected to miss the next 4 weeks. He will miss the entire month of April and was placed on the 15 day disabled list. The injury to Goodwin opens the door for Jays top prospect 2B Tim Miller who had a very good spring hitting .455 with 0 HR and 4 RBI to start the season with the big club. He was the Jays 1st round pick 20th overall in 2020 out of Washington State University in the NCAA and was GM Ryan Stewart's first draft pick as GM of the Jays.

Financial Information

The Blue Jays start the 2023 season in great shape financially. They have a budget of $208,000,000 and a payroll of just $131,127,500. When you factor in scouting, development and draft budgets the Jays have around $30,000,000 available to them this season. The Jays do have a big contract to negotiate as SS Carlos Correa is a free agent at seasons end and the Jays owners, Rogers Communication Inc. have made it a priority to get him signed to a long term deal. This will eat into the Jays available funds but will still give GM Ryan Stewart some flexibility in the upcoming First Year Player Draft and in the International Amateur Free Agent Market should the Jays decide to spend a little extra in those areas. The Jays made a profit of $46,000,000 last season so Rogers is quite happy with how the team is performing on the business side of things.

Top Prospects and Farm Systems

Baseball America released their first prospect rankings today and the 10 best prospects in the majors were:

1. LF Esteban Canseco (Miami Marlins)
2. 1B Mike Anderson (Minnesota Twins)
3. SP Ernesto Valderez (Washington Nationals)
4. SP Kurt Stewart (Boston Red Sox)
5. SP Stu Clark (Miami Marlins)
6. SP Jonah Soto (Chicago Cubs)
7. 1B Buddy Simms (Milwaukee Brewers)
8. 1B Miguel Angel Rivera (Toronto Blue Jays)
9. SP Juan Rivera (Cincinnati Reds)
10. SP Tony Anderson (Miami Marlins)

The Miami Marlins have the #1 ranked minor league system and that is no surprise considering they have 3 players ranked in Baseball America's top 10. They will be able to add to an impressive farm system this year as they will pick at the top end of the first round once again. The Milwaukee Brewers and Washington Nationals round out the top 3. The Boston Red Sox are 4th and the Blue Jays come in at #5 overall. At the other end of the spectrum the Atlanta Braves rank 30th and do not have a single player ranked in the top 100. The Seattle Mariners and St. Louis Cardinals are right behind them with just a single ranked player each. This is a bit of a surprise as both franchises have great reputations for drafting and developing talent.

Up Next: April Review as Opening Day is here!

[ryan008]

Jays Go 11-8 in April But Sit in 3rd in AL East

May 1st, 2023

The Blue Jays kicked off the 2023 regular season with a visit to their division rival Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards and the Jays got things going with a bang. The Jays hit 5 homeruns and (Reed, Arcia, Gillaspie, Pentecost and Wilson) all had solo homeruns and SP Jamie Cox tossed 8 innings of 2 hit shut out baseball as the Jays cruised to a 8-0 victory. Toronto would end up sweeping the series and at the end of the month would find themselves sitting in 3rd in the American League East trailing the Boston Red Sox (13-5) by 2.5 games and the New York Yankees (12-7) by 1 game. The hot start by the Red Sox is a little unexpected as they have not been very good the last few seasons and most of the baseball pundits had them finishing 4th in the east.

AL East Standings - May 1st

Boston Red Sox -13-5
New York Yankees - 12-7 (1.5 GB)
Toronto Blue Jays - 11-8 (2.5 GB)
Baltimore Orioles - 6-13 (7.5 GB)
Tampa Bay Rays - 6-13 (7.5 GB)

AL Wild Card Standings

New York Yankees - 12-7
Seattle Mariners - 11-7
Texas Rangers - 11-7
Cleveland Indians - 10-7 (1/2 GB)
Toronto Blue Jays - 11-8 (1/2 GB)
Houston Astros -10-8 (1 GB)

April's Hot Players

SP Jake Godfrey - 3-1 2.70 ERA
SP Alex Wood - 2-1 1.16 ERA
C Max Pentecost - .362 6 HR 12 RBI
3B Stu Daniels - .286 3 HR 8 RBI
1B A.J. Reed - .274 5 HR 11 RBI

April's Cold Players

SP Jamie Cox - 1-3 5.65 ERA
MR Nick Kennedy - 0-1 18.00 ERA
2B Tim Miller - .156 0 HR 3 RBI
DH Casey Gillaspie - .188 2 HR 3 RBI
RF Oswaldo Arcia - .185 2 HR 5 RBI

April News & Notes

Injuries

The injury bug continues to be an issue for this Jays team as they were forced to place two regulars on the disabled list in the opening weeks of the season and their minor league depth was tested early. the first to go down was SS Carlos Correa. He suffered a strained quad that is expected to keep him out of the lineup for 5-6 weeks. He was hitting .438 with 0 HR and 2 RBI and was placed on the 15 day disabled list. The Jays recalled SS Tyler Halas who is off to a slow start in AAA Buffalo hitting just .122 with 0 HR and 4 RBI in 7 games.

The Jays also lost CF Albert Almora who is going to miss 4-5 weeks with torn ankle ligaments. Almora was off to a decent start this year hitting .280 with 4 HR and 6 RBI. He was placed on the 15 day disabled list and the Jays called up their #4 prospect LF Don Bergeron. Bergeron has been on fire to start the season in AAA hitting .369 with 1 HR and 10 RBI.

Minor League Signing

The Jays added a bit of depth to the bullpen in AAA inking 27 year old CL P.J. Conway to a minor league contract. Conway was originally drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 18th round back in 2014 out of Hialeah High School in the USHSBA. He elected not to sign with Atlanta and was then drafted in 2016 by the Texas Ranges in the 2nd round 46th overall out of UMBC in the NCAA. He spent all of 2022 in AAA Round Rock where he was 3-1 with 34 Saves a 1.97 ERA and walked 17 and struck out 49 in 64 innings of work. He features a 94-96 MPH fastball as well as a very good slider. He will give the Bisons a bit of depth and a veteran presence in the back end of their bullpen.

Awards

1B Pat Olsen (1st Round Pick 32nd overall by Toronto in 2019) was named the Florida State League Batter of the Month after hitting .439 with 6 HR and 27 RBI for the Dunedin Blue Jays.

SP Bernie Cantrell (Supplemental 1st Round Pick 27th Overall in 2021 by Toronto) was named the Florida State League Pitcher of the Month for April after posting a 4-0 record with a 2.00 ERA for the Dunedin Blue Jays.

Up Next: May 2023 Update

[ryan008]

Blue Jays Go 19-11 in May, Still Trail the Yankees

June 1st, 2023

The Blue Jays were the second hottest team in baseball in May and unfortunately for Jays fans the New York Yankees were the hottest. The Jays went 19-11 in a very busy month that saw the Jays have just a single off day. They improved their overall record to 30-19 but still trail the Yankees by 2 games for top spot in the American League East. The Yankees who are now 31-16 continue to be the best team in baseball and have extended their lead in the division. The Boston Red Sox who got off to a very good start have cooled a little bit of late and have fallen back to 3rd in the East with a 25-21 record. The Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays are battling it out not only for the basement of the AL East but for worst record in all of baseball.

In the American League Wild Card standings the Jays have vaulted into the #1 slot with the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians tied for the second wild card just 3.5 games back of the Jays. The AL Wild Card race is tightening up significantly as the Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros are right on the heels of the Red Sox and Indians trailing the 2nd wild card spot by just 1 game.

AL East Standings - June 1st

New York Yankees - 31-16
Toronto Blue Jays - 30-19 (2 GB)
Boston Red Sox - 25-21 (5.5 GB)
Baltimore Orioles - 18-28 (12.5 GB)
Tampa Bay Rays - 16-32 (12.5 GB)

AL Wild Card Standings - June 1st

Toronto Blue Jays - 30-19 --
Boston Red Sox - 25-21 --
Cleveland Indians - 25-21 --
Seattle Mariners - 24-22 (1 GB)
Houston Astros - 25-23 (1 GB)

May's Hot Players

SP Jose Cerventes - 4-1 3.62 ERA
SP Jamie Cox - 3-1 2.05 ERA
SP Jake Godfrey - 3-1 3.35 ERA
MR Mark Montgomery - 0-0 1 SV 1.98 ERA
MR Jorge Miranda - 0-1 2.93 ERA
LF Don Bergeron - .408 2 HR 11 RBI
DH Casey Gillaspie - .321 4 HR 8 RBI
C Max Pentecost - .309 4 HR 18 RBI

May's Cold Players

MR Tony Boone - 0-0 18.00 ERA
SS Carlos Correa - .091 0 HR 3 RBI
LF Marcus Wilson - .188 1 HR 11 RBI

May News & Notes

Injuries

None! to the major league roster that is. We did get some bad news from AAA Buffalo. SP Steve Sampson who was picked up in an off season trade went 4-0 with a 1.76 ERA in the Month of May and was named the International League Pitcher of the Month, but in his last start he left in the 6th inning and it was revealed that he has a torn rotator cuff and he is going to miss 8-9 months. Its a shame as he was of to a very good start in Buffalo posting a 5-1 record with a 1.57 ERA.

Contract Extensions

There are rumors flying around that the Jays and SS Carlos Correa are close to coming to terms on a long term contract extension. The 28 year old was picked up in a deal with the Houston Astros back in 2021 and has put up some good numbers in Toronto. The contract is rumored to be in the 7+ year range and in the $120,000,000 range. GM Ryan Stewart would not comment on specifics noting that they are working on a deal with Correa but club policy wouldn't allow them to release any specific details.

Awards

SP Steve Sampson (2nd round pick 45th Overall in 2017 by Atlanta) was named the International League Pitcher of the Month after going 4-0 with a 1.76 ERA.

LF Don Bergeron (2nd Round Pick 60th Overall by Toronto in 2017) was named the American League Batter of the Month after he hit .367 with 2 HR and 12 RBI.

1B Cesar Garza (3rd Round Pick 95th overall by Toronto in 2021) was named the Midwestern League Batter of the Month for the Lansing Lugnuts after he hit .315 with 5 HR and 25 RBI.

Up Next: 2023 First Year Player Draft Preview

[ryan008]

2023 MLB First Year Player Draft Preview

June 5th, 2023

The First Year Player Draft is once again upon us and the Toronto Blue Jays and GM Ryan Stewart are going to be very busy on draft day. The Jays hold the 20th overall selection as well as three selections (33rd, 35th and 36th overall) in the Supplemental 1st round. The Jays received the compensation selections when they lost a trio of free agents that declined arbitration and elected to sign with other clubs this off season. CL Rex Brothers, LF Justin Williams and C Mike Zunino all signed lucrative free agent contracts this off season. The three extra picks will help the Jays bolster a farm system that currently ranks #5th overall. GM Ryan Stewart "This is looking like a fairly deep draft and we expect to be able to add a lot of talent to the system with our additional picks. We don't have a preference heading into the draft in regards to pitching vs hitters but I do believe that you can never have enough pitching".

The Minnesota Twins hold the first overall selection in the draft this year after finishing last in the Majors in 2022 with a record of 65-97. They will be followed by the Colorado Rockies, Miami Marlins and the Kansas City Royals hold the 4th and 5th picks in this years draft after failing to sign their 1st round pick in 2022. The New York Yankees will round out the first round drafting 21st overall.

Baseball America's Pre Draft Top 10

According to Baseball America the top rated players for the 2023 First Year Player Draft are as follows:

SP Sammy Johnston - 21, LHP (University of Arizona, NCAA)
3-2 2.68 ERA 8 BB 45 K
Johnston doesn't have the prototypical power pitchers build standing just 5'11" tall but he has a very good fastball that sits in the 92-94 MPH range and has a curve, changeup and forkball that all grade out as well above average major league pitches. He has very good control and is a workhorse who can eat innings. He isn't the sexiest arm on the list but he has the talent to be a top of the rotation pitcher.

SP Mike Lord - 19, RHP (New Haven High School, USHSBA)
1-1 1.40 ERA 7 BB 58 K
Lord struggled with injuries in his senior season in High School making just 5 starts and finishing with a 1-1 record. He has great stuff for a prep arm topping out in the 92-94 MPH range and he compliments his fastball with a slider, chageup and is working on a forkball. He is very raw coming out of high school and will take some time to develop in the minors but if he can put it all together he has the potential to be a top of the rotation arm. He has been heavily recruited by the NCAA and could easily play in College next year if he doesn't get his asking price by the team that drafts him.

3. SP Jose Torrez - 21, LHP (Wake Forest University, NCAA)
4-1 2.11 ERA 15 BB 78 K
Torrez is a power pitcher with a 95-97 MPH fastball and a devastating change and slider. He stands 6'2" and weighs in at 195 lbs. Most scouts believe he can add some more velocity as he fills out and could top the 100 MPH barrier. He is a very durable arm who can eat a ton of innings. He probably isn't going to be a #1 starter at the MLB level but he has the talent to be a very good #2 or #3.

4. SP Lou Sullivan - 19, RHP (Scottsdale High School, USHSBA)
3-5 2.78 ERA 7 BB 79 K
Sullivan is a bit of a risky pick. He has everything you would want in a power arm. He is 6'3" tall and features a 94-96 MPH fastball that should only get harder as he matures and fills out. He also has a devastating slider and curveball and is developing a changeup, he can throw them all for strikes at any time in the count. The issue is with his stamina. He has bounced back and fourth between the rotation and bullpen in high school and a lot of scouts see him more as a closer than a starter. There is no question the talent is there the issue is do you want to risk a high first round pick on a player who may end up in the bullpen.

5. SP Chris Monroe - 19, RHP (Anchorage Highschool, USHSBA)
4-1 1.27 ERA 6 BB 58 K
Monroe has the highest ceiling of any of the prep arms in this draft class. He has the power pitchers build at 6'3" and 195 lbs and uses that to generate a very hard 91-93 MPH sinker. He also throws a curve and slider for a three pitch mix that all grade out as above average. He has very good polish and control for a high school arm and has the potential to be a perennial All Star and Ace of the Staff in the future. He is looking for a huge bonus demand (rumored to be around $9,000,000) and is being heavily recruited by NCAA schools to play college ball next year.

6. 1B Alfredo Beltran - 21, Switch (University of Oklahoma, NCAA)
.402 18 HR 47 RBI
Far and away the best hitter in the draft this year. He is a monster at the plate standing 6'8" and weighing in at 240 lbs. In his 3 seasons at Oklahoma he hit 40 homeruns and was an All Star 3 times. He is a rare player who can hit for both power and average, leading the NCAA with a .402 batting average this season. He is a 2 time NCAA All Star and there is a good chance he goes 1st overall in the draft. the only real knocks on him are his average defense at first and his complete lack of speed. But with his ability to hit those short comings will be quickly forgotten.

7. 1B Doug Reed - 21, RHB (Fresno State University, NCAA)
.271 13 HR 36 RBI
Reed draws a lot of comparison to the #6 ranked prospect 1B Alfredo Beltran because they are both NCAA first baseman. Reed is better defensively but has less power and is a bit more of a free swinger. He doesn't hit for as high average or walk nearly as much. He projects as a middle of the lineup bat and is good enough defensively that he is not a liability. He has a tremendous work ethic and strives to get better at every level he plays and this should help him move quickly through the minors.

8. SP Dan Parker - 21, RHP (University of Maryland, NCAA)
2-4 2.61 ERA 10 BB 75 K
Parker is another hard throwing NCAA righty in a deep class of NCAA pitchers. He runs his fastball up in the 94-96 MPH range (his fastball is by far his best pitch) and also throws four other offerings (a curve, slider, changeup and forkball). He has perhaps the most impressive and diverse assortment of pitches of any of the starters in this years draft class. He struggles at times with his control and tends to overthrow his fastball. He has the ceiling of a #1-2 starter and should go pretty early on draft day.

9. 2B Kurt Gibbs - 21, RHB (University of Indiana, NCAA)
.319 6 HR 15 RBI
Gibbs is a professional hitter. He hits for a high average and has a very discerning eye at the plate. Rarely swinging at pitches out of the zone he is not afraid to take a walk and rarely strikes out (27 walks vs 17 strikeouts in his senior season). He has a good arm and is able to turn double plays easily and is a speed demon on the basepaths. Overall defensively his range is just above average and he isn't likely to win you any gold gloves. He profiles as a top of the order bat maybe even a lead off hitter with a bit of power and is probably the 2nd best hitter in the draft.

10. SS Wes Whitehead - 21, RHB (University of Indiana, NCAA)
.344 17 HR 52 RBI
Whitehead is another tremendous hitter and he has a lot of power for a shortstop. He finished 2nd in the NCAA Golden Spikes Award Voting (behind 1B Alfredo Beltran) this year and is a 3 time NCAA All Star. Defensively he has very good range but only an average arm and isn't the best at making the turn at second. He is a versatile player who can play 2B and LF as well. He has very good speed and base stealers instincts which makes for a unique skill set when combined with his ability to hit homeruns.

Previous Blue Jays Picks

2020 - 20th Overall
2B Tim Miller
.270 0 HR 4 RBI (AAA Buffalo)
.156 0 HR 3 RBI (18 Games with Toronto)
Miller broke camp with the big club this year and was the opening day second baseman thanks to an injury to the Jays starting 2B Chris Goodwin. He struggled in his first taste of MLB action hitting just .156 but its a very small sample size. The 24 year old will be back in September for sure and will be looking to seize a permanent roster spot very soon.

2021 - 24th Overall
SP Dave Winters
9-2 3.64 ERA 23 BB 149 K (2022 with A Lansing)
3-3 4.14 ERA 14 BB 74 K (2023 with A Dunedin)
The 23 year old moved up to the Florida State League and has been the best pitcher on a very bad Dunedin team that has struggled to start the season. The Jays have been cautious with his development not wanting to rush him and he has responded well. Look for him to be promoted to AA New Hampshire before the conclusion of the 2023 season.

2022- 25th Overall
LF Dan Mueller
.190 1 Hr 20 RBI (2022 in Rookie Ball)
The 20 yer old had a hard time adjusting to the increased level of competition in pro ball and struggled to make solid contact with the GCL Blue Jays. He started the season in extended spring training and is slated to repeat the year with the GCL Blue Jays. If he can make some strides there the Jays expect him to see a few games in Short Season A Vancouver before moving to full season ball at some point in 2024.

Up Next: 2023 First Year Player Draft