Archive for September, 2011
The Toronto Blue Jays: Could ‘Maybe Next Year’ actually be ‘Next Year?’
37 months ago
by Rob Bland
in News and Notes
As fans of sports in Toronto, I am sure I speak for everyone when I say we are tired of hearing “next year.” Why can’t it be this year? Why can’t the process be sped up? Because it takes time to build a perennial contender. Because the Blue Jays have to face the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays 18 times each, which collectively, is exactly 1/3 of their entire schedule. These franchises either have the financial wherewithal to basically make any move they need, or they make shrewd moves that supplement the team in a cost-effective way.
Brett Lawie has been a key component to the Blue Jays' organization this year
The Blue Jays are backed by the richest owners in the MLB in Rogers Communications. Many people are calling for the Blue Jays and GM Alex Anthopoulos to open the cheque book and spend more money on big name free agents. This would not be in line with the overall plan that Anthopoulos set out, and fans need to have patience. This year has seen the emergence of Henderson Alvarez as a viable option in the rotation, Brett Lawrie is a potential yearly All-Star, Jose Bautista is the real deal, and some very key pieces falling in place.
While some have faltered, Alvarez has impressed this season with a hard sinking fastball and tremendous change-up
The biggest question marks surrounding this team moving forward are centred around the rotation and bullpen. Behind Ricky Romero, the pitching staff has been extremely disappointing, even with the late season call-up of Alvarez, who has impressed with a hard sinking fastball and tremendous change-up. Brandon Morrow, Brett Cecil, Kyle Drabek and the other experiments have surely disappointed this season. However, Drabek is a supreme talent who should figure it out fairly soon in his career.
The bullpen has been riddled with holes and since the Jays traded some key pieces to acquire Mega-talented outfielder Colby Rasmus, the bullpen has been stretched to the limit. Casey Janssen has been spectacular, and although he has blown some saves, Frank Francisco has been pretty good the last few months, though it is not a guarantee he will be back with the club in 2012. There has been a good sign in youngsters Luis Perez and Joel Carreno, and I firmly believe Carreno has the stuff to be a dominant closer in the near future.
Does Carreno have the stuff to be a dominant closer in the near future?
The outfield is close to being set. Rasmus and Bautista will man centre field and right field, respectively, while left field will go to some combination of Thames, Snider, Loewen and the oft-forgotten Rajai Davis. I see Thames as a good possibility of being sent to AAA, ultimately, with this year being the year Snider finally breaks out. Loewen will probably have to find a home with another organization, because there simply isn’t enough room for him. (Which kills me to say, as a former teammate, and he is a great guy with a great story.) Davis makes a great candidate for 4th outfielder, with tremendous speed off the bench, and if healthy, can actually do a bit of damage at the plate.
The other big hole the Blue Jays need to fill is second base. With Kelly Johnson an impending free agent, a decision needs to be made on what they would like to do to fill the position. Johnson is a good defender, and he brings a lot of pop from the right side of the plate. Although the numbers haven’t been particularly amazing since joining the Jays, he has hit the ball hard to all fields. That being said, the free agent market this year is fairly thin in the middle infield. Toronto should either hold on to Johnson on a short-term deal, bring back Aaron Hill to see if he can keep up his performance from Arizona or find another mediocre second baseman to hold the fort until a better option presents itself through trades.
With everyone talking about Lind’s lack of production this year, and every Canadian clamouring for Joey Votto, Lind should have a short leash at first base. I would not be surprised to see Lind get some kind of back surgery this off-season, and the Jays will give him another year in the first base experiment. Shortstop is a lock for Yunel Escobar, even with mega-prospect Adeiny Hechavarria hot on his toes. Third belongs to Lawrie, and JP Arencibia will hold down the catcher’s position. The change here is that Jose Molina is a Type-B free agent and thus would net a draft pick when he ultimately signs elsewhere at the end of the year. This leaves an opening for backup catcher, which they could give to Brian Jeroloman. However, if they were confident in his abilities, he would have gotten playing time since his call-up in August. A short-term signing of a backup will not hurt the club going forward, as they will have two supremely talented catchers at the MLB level full-time no earlier than 2013.
Anyone remember when the Jays were so close to contending in the mid to late 80s, then they finally got over the hump when the big free agents were signed and the trades were made to supplement the ultra-talented core? That is exactly what Toronto NEEDS to do now. The core is mostly in place, and they are so close, that fans want them to go for broke now. But they must be patient in order to have a continuous run of success in the future. Anthopoulos himself has stated he would go the trade route more than free agency at this point, and I feel as though this is the right move. When the time is right, and the Jays are on the cusp of winning, you will see bold and radical moves to forever shape the landscape of this storied franchise.
The Northwest League Championship
08 months ago
It was ten days ago on a sun-soaked Sunday afternoon that the Vancouver Canadians topped the Tri-City Dust Devils in one of the most exciting games ever played at old Nat Bailey Stadium. For our readers that couldn’t be in Vancouver, JaysProspects was there covering the hustle and heart that the C’s brought to the field that day. For anyone who wanted to get a bit of the atmosphere- here you are. Enjoy!
Season Recap: Bluefield Blue Jays
38 months ago
The Bluefield Blue Jays (low-A) finished the season in first place in the Appalachian League East (APP) with a 40-18 record. They finished with a 19-15 record at home and a 21-13 record.
While Johnson City (the affiliate team the St. Louis Cardinals) defeated Bluefield in the championship series, Bluefield has a lot to be positive about.
BATTING
The team finished fifth in the league in terms of team batting stats, holding an overall .262 average and hitting as a team 54 homeruns, 26 triples (first overall), and 135 doubles. They also lead the league in walks taken with 246 (however, did strike out 576 times). This is a drastic improvement from 2010, where they placed last overall with a .227 average and hit only 24 homeruns. Several players can be attributed for the improvement, including:
1) Kevin Pillar: Chosen in the 32nd round of this year MLB Draft, Pillar has shown great promise. Leading the team (and the entire league) with a batting average of .347, the young 22-year old from California hit 17 doubles, three triples, seven homeruns and drove in 37 RBI. He was named to the Appalachian All Star team in August along with teammates Art Charles and Chris Hawkins. His persistence and determination earned him a promotion to the Vancouver Canadians when Bluefield’s season ended. Expect the young outfielder to make other promotions with the Blue Jays organization next season.
Chris Hawkins posted a .318 average with 15 doubles, nine triples, five homeruns and 52 RBI with Bluefield this season
2) Christopher Hawkins: Before the season began, Hawkins made #23 on JaysProspects top 25. Evidently, for good reason. Hawkins led the team in triples with six (third in the league), and runs scored with 49 (also third in the league). Combine that with the fact that he also hit .318 with 15 doubles, five homeruns, 52 RBI, and only made two errors in the outfield, it is apparent why the Jays’ organization thinks so highly of the young prospect from Sugar Hill, Georgia. Hawkins was also in Toronto last week to receive the R. Howard Webster Award, after exemplifying excellence in leadership, work ethic, and overall statistics this season. (Click here to read his interview with JaysProspects)
3) Art Charles: Charles was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 33rd round of the 2008 MLB June Amateur Draft, the Kansas City Royals in the 39th round of the 2009 MLB June Amateur Draft and the Toronto Blue Jays in the 20th round of the 2010 MLB June Amateur Draft. That said, the Blue Jays are mighty glad they signed with them. The young Californian showed patience and power at the plate, leading the team in walks with 39 (third in the league), RBIs (61) (first in the league) and in homeruns with 11. He also hit .240 with 18 doubles, three triples, and 61 RBI. In the future, Charles needs to work on his strikeout total (89) and his errors in the field (at first base) with eight.
4) Gustavo Pierre: The young shortstop from the Dominican Republic was another bright star in Bluefield’s lineup. In 250 at-bats, Pierre batted .252 with twelve doubles, three triples, six homeruns, and 23 RBI. He was also second on the team with steals, stealing nine bases but getting caught five times.
5) Daniel Arcilla: The 21-year-old Venezuelan batted .243 with 43 runs scored, 10 doubles, five triples and 10 homeruns. He was also fourth on the team with RBI, scoring 37. While his average and slugging percentage (.481) is a little lower compared to his counterpart at shortstop, Gustavo Pierre (mentioned above), that said, his fielding is much more accurate, having only committed three errors on the season.
Honorable Mention: Andy Fermin: The second baseman from Florida, played in 59 games with the Bluefield Blue Jays. During this time, Fermin hit .261 with 15 doubles, five homeruns, and 33 RBI. Thanks in part to powerful batters behind him and good speed on the base paths, Fermin also scored 59 runs. He had an excellent walk to strikeout ratio, walking 35 times and only striking out 37 times. He did, however, lead the team in errors.
PITCHING
Last year the Bluefield Blue Jays team pitching finished the season in 9th place overall with an era of 4.44 allowing 290 earned runs, 39 homeruns, 225 walks and 468 strikeouts. This year, however, they improved greatly, finishing the year in 5th place with an ERA of 4.10 as a team and allowing only 288 earned runs in over 606 innings pitched. They also had a much better WHIP, striking out 585 batters but only walking 233. The drastic improvement from year-to-year can be attributed to these star players:
1) Ajay Meyer: Meyer had a great season with the Bluefield Blue Jays, leading his team in wins and innings, and also having the third best ERA in the league with 3.02 in 13 games. The young 24-year old from Ohio finished the season, allowing only 22 earned runs and three homeruns in over 65 innings pitched. He also had a very impressive WHIP, allowing only 13 walks, while striking out 55.
2) Mitchell Taylor: With a 4-2 record, Taylor dominated the strike zone, leading his team in strikeouts with 61, good for seventh overall in the league. While only starting in eight of the 13 games he played in, Taylor still recorded the second most innings overall and was 12th in the league with a 4.23 ERA. While he hit four batters and walked 18, the 19-year-old Texan had an impressive 1.22 WHIP after striking out 49 batters in 55.1 innings pitched.
Ian Kadish recorded a 2-3 record with a 2.67 ERA with nine saves
3) Aaron Sanchez: Without a doubt, Sanchez certainly impressed this season. Recording a 3-2 record with a 5.48 ERA, first round (34th overall) draft pick of the 2010 MLB Draft started in six of his 11 games in which he appeared, allowing 26 earned runs in over 42.2 innings pitched. His impressive performance with Bluefield earned him the promotion to the Vancouver Canadians, where he finished the season going 0-1 with a 4.63 ERA.
4) Ian Kadish: Playing in the most games for Bluefield (23), good for second overall in the league, Kadish recorded a 2-3 record with a 2.67 ERA. He also recorded seven saves which was good for 4th overall in the league. The Ohio native pitched over 30 innings, allowing only nine earned runs and did not allow a single homerun. He also had an impressive walk-to-strikeout ratio, walking nine but striking out 35. Expect for the Marshall University grad to earn a promotion next season. (Click here to read his interview with JaysProspects)
5) Tyler Ybarra: Third on the team in strikeouts, Tyler Ybarra cruised to a 2-0 record and an outstanding 2.15 ERA in 13 games with the Bluefield Blue Jays, a drastic improvement from the 2-4, 6.64 ERA he recorded last year in the Gulf Coast League. This season, the Blue Jays’ 43rd round of the 2008 amateur entry draft, allowed only 11 earned runs in 46 innings pitched and recorded an impressive WHIP of 1.09. After receiving a promotion this year, expect the 22-year-old to move up next year as well.
Honorable Mention: Myles Jaye: With a last name of Jaye, Myles Jaye deserves to become a Toronto Blue ‘Jaye’ in the future. His numbers prove that he has potential as well. This season with Bluefield, the right-handed from Georgia posted a 3-3 record and a 3.00 ERA. In 46 innings pitched, the young 19-year-old prospect allowed only 18 earned runs. That said, he did, however, allow seven homeruns.
Honorable Mention: Arik (Andrew) Sikula: After being drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 36th round of this year’s MLB player draft, Arik Sikula joined the Bluefield Blue Jays and helped the team become eastern division champions. The newly-acquired right-handed relief pitcher, played in 18 games with Bluefield posing a 1-1 record in 30.1 innings pitched. While he allowed two homeruns, he did however, only allow 10 earned runs, giving him an impressive 2.97 ERA on the season. (Click here to read his interview with JaysProspects)
That sums up the season of the Bluefield Blue Jays. JaysProspects looks forward to seeing some new faces on next year’s team!
Click here for the GCL Blue Jays season recap. Stay tuned for the season recap of the Vancouver Canadians!
2011 Jays Prospects Awards
78 months ago
by cmessina85
in News and Notes
JaysProspects.com is proud to entitle outstanding prospects with the following awards:
The Minor League season is officially over. Jays Prospects would like to congratulate The Vancouver Canadians and The New Hampshire Fisher Cats on winning their championships! Without a doubt, it was a fantastic year for the Jays farm system. As we prepare for the off-season, it’s time to give out some awards! Some fun some serious!
Best Graduating Pitcher to the Majors: Henderson Alvarez: After posting an 8-4 record with a 2.84 ERA in New Hamsphire, Alvarez got the call to the majors. So far, this top prospect is having tremendous success at the Big League level with two very strong pitches and a developing slider.
Best Graduating Position Player to the Majors: Brett Lawrie: While I am sure I do not need to explain this, Lawrie finally reached the majors and met (and succeeded) all expectations. This 21-year-old has so far posted a .295 batting average with nine homeruns, four triples, eight doubles, and 24 RBI.
Best Team: This was a tough one to choose as every Jays affiliate team showed such promise and determination. That said, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, filled with tremendous stars and strong prospects deserve this award this year. They won the Eastern League Championship this year and posted a 77-65 record.
Pitcher with the Most Promising Future: Nestor Molina, everybody says he’s got ridiculous stuff, and by looking at his stats, they agree! Molina posted a 10-3 record in Dunedin this year as well as a 2-0 record with a 0.41 ERA in New Hampshire. Wowza!
Travis d'Arnaud won JaysProspects' 'Hitter with the Most Promising Future' Award
Hitter with the Most Promising Future: It was evident to everyone at JaysProspects that Travis D’Arnaud deserved this award. Not only did he win the Eastern League MVP, but he can play defence and can hit for average and power. He posted .311 batting average with 33 doubles, 21 homeruns, and 76 RBIs as the New Hampshire Fisher Cats’ catcher this season.
Most Promising Defensive Prospect: Adeiny Hechavarria: There is no denying that this young Cuban is just a gem of a shortstop with the glove. In fact, in 111 games this season at shortstop with the Fisher Cats, Hechavarria committed only 11 errors. His defense and his offense both improved once getting promoted to AAA Las Vegas. That said, he will certainly be a delight to watch next season.
John McDonald Hustle and Heart Award: Nicholas Baligod: In his first season with the Toronto Blue Jays organization, Baligod posted a .248 average, hitting 13 doubles, a triple, two homeruns, and 32 RBI. He takes home this award, however, due to his persistance, and true ‘Hustle and Heart,’ recording a .975 fielding percentage and giving it his all both in the field and at the plate.
Feel Good Story of the Year: Adam Loewen: After making it back to the Majors after blowing his arms as a pitcher three years ago while a top pitching prospect, Loewen made it back to the Majors with the Blue Jays as an outfielder. Not only that, but he has shown passion and determination since the return, posting a .313 average thus far in the Magors with one homerun and seven RBI. Dustin McGowan is not eligible for this award because he’s not a minor leaguer or a prospect. He was only on an extended rehab assignment.
Biggest Surprise: Casey Lawrence: Now let’s be honest – you hadn’t heard of him before this year unless you write for JaysProspects.com. However, after this year, it’s evident that you do now. Lawrence posted a 14-9 record between the Lansing Lugnuts and the Dunedin Blue Jays with a 3.04 ERA. Expect to hear his name even more next year.
Emerging Prospect: Drew Hutchison: It’s hard to believe that Hutchison is only 21-year old. This prospect from Florida has proven himself tremendously this year after starting the season in Lansing and ending in AA New Hampshire. While he got shut down near the end of the season, he still posted a 3-0 record in AA with a 1.20 ERA and recording 21 strikeouts in over 15 innings pitched.
Best Base Stealer: Anthony Gose: If you expected any other name here, you do not visit this site often enough. Not only did Gose successfully steal 70 bases this year, but he also raised his success rate from 57% to 82%. With the help from manager, Sal Fasano, he also learned when to steal, and had the majority of his failed attempts coming at third base.
Prospect Used to Acquire the Best Asset: Zach Stewart: There is no denying that Blue Jays fans will miss Zach Stewart. Stewart was sent to the Chicago White Sox in a three-way deal that landed the Jays Colby Rasmus. Since his time with Chicago, he has proven why he was a top prospect with the Jays organization, taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning recently.
David Cooper deserves some high fives after winning two JaysProspects awards, including, 'Best Contact Hitter.''
Best Contact Hitter: David Cooper: This should also not be a suprise to many. After being entitled the PCL batting champ, Cooper has been named JaysProspects Best Contact Hitter after hitting .364 in AAA Las Vegas. The 2008 1st-round pick also hit 51 doubles, nine homeruns, and 96 RBI.
Too Bad You’re Blocked Behind Another Prospect Award: While I am sure these guys do not want to realize the reality of this award, this award has been given to both Carlos Perez and AJ Jimenez – both catchers behind Travis D’Arnaud. Both Perez and Jimenez have had successful seasons behind the plate on their respective teams, yet when you are behind a guy named d’Arnaud on the organization depth chart it’s tough to stand out. This award has been presented to these prospects, letting them know that we see their hard work!
Best New Asset to the Organization: Daniel Norris: While Norris dropped way down the draft board because of signing bonus demands, he is since been called the best left-handed high school pitcher on the board. The Blue Jays organization (along with everyone here at JaysProspects) is mighty glad Alex Anthropolos drafted him and that he signed!
Most Promising Canadian: Marcus Knecht: Ever since his interview with JaysProspects, Knecht has become even more dominating at the plate. This Ontario native had an amazing season with the Lansing Lugnuts hitting 16 homeruns, 86 RBI and posting a .273 AVG & .851 OPS.
Best Name: Deck McGuire: With a name like, Deck McGuire, it certainly sounds like you would be killer at baseball… that said… he certainly lives up to his name! With the Fisher Cats, McGuire posted a 2-1 record with a 4.35 ERA. (Additionally, McGuire deserved the award as he has been so nice to us at Jays Prospects for us not to give him an award! Check out his Q&A with us here and here).
Prospect Most Likely to be Traded: While David Cooper must have been elated to win the Jays Prospects’ Best Contact Hitter award, we are not too sure how he will feel now that we have given him this award. While Cooper has definitely done all he has been able to with the organization, Adam Lind has him blocked at first in the Majors.
What awards would you give some of the players? What do you think of our awards? Let me know your thoughts by commenting below and by following me on twitter @cmessina85.
Jays have tough outfield decisions as prospects near Majors
18 months ago
by cmessina85
in News and Notes
Let’s push the clock forward one year. It’s September 2012 and the Major League Baseball regular season is winding down as teams take their last look at September call-ups.
The Toronto Blue Jays are going to be in for some real tough decisions because of the depth the organization has in the outfield.
Assuming there are no trades between now and then, (though it is apparent this is not going to be the case) and everybody stays healthy (again probably not going to happen) Toronto will have a very crowded outfield. There will be top tier prospects Anthony Gose and Moises Sierra pushing for starting jobs in the Jays outfield for 2013. Currently, Toronto has Colby Rasmus in center, Jose Bautista in right and Eric Thames in left.
Thames, could be the DH next year or he might be back in Vegas, (depends what happens with Edwin Encarnacion and Travis Snider) but as of right now he’s played well enough to be on the Jays’ Big League roster at the start of next year.
Colby Rasmus was acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals mid-season with hopes that he will turn into the player he was becoming last summer. In 2010, as a sophomore, he batted .276 and hit 26 homers with .859 OPS. Prior to the 2009 season, Baseball America ranked him as the 3rd best prospect in baseball.
Jose Bautista is under contract through at least 2015 and regarded as one of the best players in the game.
Adam Loewen can play all three outfield positions and with a strong September, he has proved he is good enough to be the club’s fourth Outfielder next year. Plus, the Jays can’t send him to the minors unless he clears waivers.
Travis Snider had a poor 2011, but he’s definitely not out of the teams plans just yet. He was suppose to get a September call-up from AAA Vegas, but an arm injury ended his season in August. Snider hit .225 with only 3 homers in 187 at bats for Toronto this year.
Let’s not forget Rajai Davis who struggled at the plate this past summer, but can steal bases as well as anyone in the game. Davis was hitting .238 with an On Base Percentage of .273 and stole 34 bases before a hamstring injury ended his season.
Now enter the prospects. Anthony Gose and Moises Sierra have had great years playing in double-A with The New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Both will probably be in AAA Las Vegas to start off next season. AAA is just a heartbeat away from the Majors. An injury or a slump could have either of them promoted to the Big Club next summer.
Gose was acquired from the Houston Astros in a trade for Brett Wallace in July 2010. Wallace was a prospect the Jays got from Oakland in return for Michael Taylor, who was in fact part of the package the Jays acquired in the Roy Halladay deal. Anthopoulos has said numerous times he tried to get Gose from Philadelphia in the Halladay deal, but the Phillies wouldn’t budge. Case in point, Jays management really like Anthony Gose.
Sierra has a wicked throwing arm, not to mention he has put up decent power numbers in New Hampshire this year. All this after playing in only 10 games last summer. Sun Media baseball columnist, Bob Elliott, recently said in a radio interview on The Fan 590 in Toronto that he has been told, many believe Sierra is an even better prospect that Fisher Cats catcher Travis D’Arnaud. That is pretty high praise from a pretty credible baseball writer.
Decision time is coming and its coming fast, what Toronto does this off-season with the Outfield is still up in the air. One thing we do know is Gose and Sierra have given the Jays a good problem to deal with as they apply pressure to those a head of them on the depth charts. If the Toronto decides to deal Snider or Thames this winter (or both), it might just be because of those two.
Having some good outfield prospects at the upper levels of the minor leagues, has us at Jays Prospects wonder what The Jays are going to do with their outfield?
One thing we do know is Toronto has some tough decisions to make this winter and maybe even next.
Tell me what you think, post a comment or send me a tweet on twitter @cmessina85.
Season Recap: GCL Blue Jays
08 months ago
by April Whitzman
in GCL Blue Jays
The Gulf Coast League (GCL) Blue Jays finished the season in fourth place in the GCL North, eight games back of… you guessed it… the New York Yankees GCL team. They finished with a 27-32 record, having a winning record at home 16-14 and an away record of 11-18.
Despite a losing record overall, the team showed great promise featured star players including OF Eric Arce, shortstop Jorge Verga-Rosado, pitchers Colby Broussard and Tucker Jensen, and a few games featuring 2011 draft picks including Jacob Anderson, Andrew Burns, and Nico Taylor.
BATTING
The team finished fourth overall in terms of team batting stats, holding an overall .256 average and hitting as a team 51 homeruns (first overall), 15 triples, and 87 doubles. They also lead the league in walks taken with 245 (however, did strike out 478 times). This is a drastic improvement from 2010, where they placed 13th overall with a .238 average and only 34 homeruns. Several players can be attributed for the improvement, including:
After dominating performances, Eric Arce (pictured above) and teammate, Jorge Veda-Rosado, were named to the GCL All Star team.
1) Eric Arce: Arce had a tremendous year with the GCL Blue Jays. In 49 games played as the team’s DH, the young 19-year old from Tampa, Florida posted a .268 average and hit a league-leading 14 homeruns. To put this into perspective, the most homeruns hit last year from a player on the team was Michael Crouse… who hit three. Arce also led his team in triples (3), RBIs (40) and walks (38). This performance named him as a GCL All-Star. (Click here to read his Q&A).
2) Jorge Veda-Rosado: A shortstop from Puerto Rico, Veda-Rosado was dominating at the plate. In 51 games, he was second on the team in batting average (based on a minimum of 30 games played), batting .317; this was good for seventh overall in the league. The 20-year old prospect also showed his speed, having a team leading 22 stolen bases, getting caught four times, good for third overall in the league. The one thing this prospect will have to work on is his fielding, having committed a team-leading 11 errors. His dominance at the plate enabled him to also be named to the GCL All-Star team.
3) Nico Taylor: Drafted in the 38th round of this year’s player draft, Taylor played an impressive 30 games with the GCL team this year. Leading the team with a batting average of .319, the young Texan also scored 17 runs and hit eight doubles and three homeruns. The prospect also showed strong presence in the outfield, committing only one error on the season.
4) Dalton Pompey: Blue Jays fans love with Canadians do well, so of course they must be happy to hear that young Ontario-native, Dalton Pompey has showed great promise in his second-year with the organization. The young outfielder played in 42 games, hitting .259 with seven doubles, two triples and four homeruns. He showed great knowledge on the base paths as well, stealing 19 bases without getting caught once.
5) Dickie Joe Thon: Yet another Puerto-Rico native proved what he could do this year with the GCL Blue Jays. While he started the season hot, hitting .348 in June, Thon only hit .109 in August. While he only hit .223 overall, Thon shows great promise both at the plate and in the infield. In 45 games played, he scored 23 runs and hit 15 RBI.
Honourable Mention: Jacob Anderson: Signing late after being drafted 35th overall in this year’s player draft, Anderson played only nine games in the Gulf Coast League – but what an amazing nine games it was! In 37 at-bats, the young Californian, had 15 hits, hit two doubles, two homeruns, and seven RBI, for an overall average of .405. It’s suffice to say that Blue Jays fans should be excited to see what he could do in a full season with the organization.
PITCHING
While the GCL Blue Jays finished third overall last year in team ERA, this year they were not as lucky. In 2011, the Jays ended the season dead last in ERA with 4.85, allowing 501 hits, 322 runs (272 earned), 36 walks, while walking 232 but striking out 446. Despite the higher ERA, many players hit the mound with a lot of potential this season, including:
1) Randal Thompson: Signed as a free-agent, Thompson excelled on the mound with the GCL Blue Jays. Leading the team in innings pitched, (47.0) and strikeouts, (44), the young Orlando native recorded a 1-2 record with a 2.87 ERA. He holds a 0.34 ERA when the bases are empty so in the future if Thompson can keep them empty, he can definitely expect success.
Adonys Cardona (pictured above) was one of the key pitchers for the GCL Blue Jays this season.
2) Griffin Murphy: Drafted 61st in the 2010 MLB Draft, Murphy proved why he was worth the extra signing bonus. Posting a 2-2 record with a 4.39 ERA, Murphy pitched in 41 complete innings, allowing only 20 earned runs, and having a great walk/strikeout ratio with 16 walks and 39 strikeouts. The one thing he will have to work in the future is allowing the long ball, as he lead the team in allowing six homeruns.
3) Adonys Cardona: Last year the Blue Jays signed Adonys Cardona to a $2.8 million contract. Only 17 years old, he is thought to be one of the best Venezuelan talent his age. That said, his numbers weren’t jaw-dropping this year, but did show great promise and composure on the mound. Cardona posted a 1-3 record with a 4.57 ERA. He had a great WHIP, thanks in part to allowing only 12 walks, while fanning 35. He also allowed only two homeruns in over 31 innings pitched.
4) Tucker Jensen: This starting pitcher became a favourite on JaysProspects.com and on the mound with the GCL Blue Jays. With a minimum of five games played, Tucker led the team with an ERA of 1.77. Starting in all eight of his games played, Tucker pitched 40.2 innings, allowing only one homerun, eight homeruns, while walking only six and striking out 40. His performance with the GCL Blue Jays earned him a promotion to Bluefield and Lansing. (Click here and here to read his Q&As).
5) Joseph Musgrove: With the 46th pick in the 2011 MLB Draft, the Toronto Blue Jays selected pitcher Joe Musgrove from El Cajon, California. Musgrove wasted no time signing, eager to play professional ball. He played in eight games with the team before getting promoted to the Bluefield Blue Jays, posting a 0-1 record with a 4.57 ERA. In 21.2 innings pitched, Musgrove allowed only 17 hits, 11 earned runs, and one homerun. Much like the rest of his team, he also had an impressive walk to strikeout ratio, allowing four walks yet striking out 16. (Click here to read his Q&A).
Honourable Mention: Colby Broussard: Broussard was signed in the 44th round of this year’s player draft 2011. Upon signing, he joined the GCL Blue Jays for 18 games, where he had a very impressive 1-2 record and 1.85 ERA. In 24.1 innings pitched, he allowing only 12 hits, five earned runs, while striking out 17 and walking three. While his command and plate coverage was great, he did manage to hit three batters.
That sums up the season of the GCL Blue Jays. JaysProspects looks forward to seeing some new faces on next year’s team!
Stay tuned for the season recap of the Bluefield Blue Jays!
Interview with RHP Arik Sikula
18 months ago
by April Whitzman
in Interviews
Arik Sikula was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 36th round of this year’s MLB player draft from Marshall University
After being drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 36th round of this year’s MLB player draft, Arik Sikula joined the Bluefield Blue Jays and helped the team become eastern division champions. That said, having only played in 18 games this season, Blue Jays fans are anxious to find out more about their newly-acquired right-handed relief pitcher. Fortunately, Sikula set down with JaysProspects to discuss some interesting information about himself that many may not have known.
Sikula was first asked whether he had a favourite team or player both growing up or presently. To this, the young 22-year old stated, “As a kid I always loved the Seattle Mariners. My favorite player was Ken Griffey Jr. He has such a smooth swing and made a lot of great defensive plays. Presently, I like James Shields. I really like how he throws and what he does off the field as well. He is a great pitcher and even a better person.”
While Sikula likes how Shields throws, the Blue Jays organization likes how he throws. Sikula has always been dominant on the mound. In his senior year of high school, not only did he post a .440 batting average with five homeruns, 38 RBI, and 27 stolen bases but he also finished the year with a 1.30ERA striking out 74 batters.
n 2009, Sikula appeared in 18 games, posting a 2-2 record and recording, stirking out 36 and walking only 17.
His dominance continued at Marshall University. In 2009, Sikula appeared in 18 games (38.1 innings), posting a 2-2 record and recording a very impressive walk-to-strikeout ration with 36 strikeouts and 17 walks. In 2010, Sikula was moved from a long reliever role to a starter. In 17 games, (nine starts), he posted a 6-5 record with a 3.88 ERA. Discussing his level of play during those seasons, Sikula stated, “My favorite moment on the mound was in 2009 playing in the Northwoods League for the Rochester Honkers. I was our closer and we were playing in the championship game. I came in during the 8th inning and pitched two innings, recording the save. The dog pile happened right on top of the mound, and I was on the bottom of it. It was an amazing feeling.”
Sikula had other amazing feelings in his first year with the Blue Jays organization, pitching in 18 games, and recording a 1-1 record with a 2.97 ERA. In fact, in 30.1 innings pitched, he allowed only two homeruns and had an impressive walk/strikeout ratio with only 9 walks but 35 strikeouts. When asked who could be attributed to his success, Arik replied: “I would have to give most of my accomplishments within my baseball career and life to one of my older brothers, A.J. He helped me establish a work ethic that has awarded me with plenty of opportunities. He always pushed me as a kid to be better than average and try to be better than him (I am still not as good as him in basically anything). If it weren’t for him setting a good example for me when I was younger, then I don’t believe I would be where I am.”
Speaking of his siblings, it should be made known that in addition to A.J, Arik has 4 other siblings – Alissa, Andrew, Ana and Drew. For this reason, JaysProspects was curious in recognizing what the family dynamic was like growing up and whether baseball was prominent within the whole family. Arik replied, “Growing up the youngest of six was a blessing for me. I was always challenged to compete amongst my brothers and their friends in all kinds of sports. We played plenty of different games from standard basketball to made up games, where we would have one (or more) person(s) on the trampoline and two others on opposite sides basically playing dodge ball. Baseball was played two different ways at our house. We either played with a small souvenir wooden bat with a plastic golf ball in our back yard or play with a tennis ball thrown against the garage door with duck tape as a strike zone (the tennis ball would be wet so it would leave a mark and we could tell if it was a ball or strike). These games were usually one on one. My brother AJ and I played them quite a bit. AJ is my only brother to play baseball past high school as he was awarded a baseball scholarship at Marshall University.”
While JaysProspects could think of many answers to this question, Arik was then asked what he would indicate his best skill was both on and off the mound. He indicated, “My best skill on the mound is my mind. I feel I am a very competitive person who is able to concentrate and focus when need be. When things aren’t going my way on the mound, I stay focused and know my job is to execute one pitch at a time. My best skill off the field is my exceptional athleticism in recreational sports. Whether it be darts, golf, pool, ping-pong, tennis, etc., I will be good at it. I do not like to lose in any of those games, and I thoroughly enjoy the trash talking that goes along with each of those games as much as the games themselves.”
Now enjoying his off season, Sikula states that he will spend his time, “waiting tables, working out, and winning [his] fantasy football leagues in South Charleston, WV. [He] will start training with [his] agent on January 1st in southern California.”
Blue Jays fans cannot wait for the off season to be over so that Sikula can be seen again.
JaysProspects would like to thank Arik Sikula for his time and wish him a great off season and the best of luck in the future.