December 13, 2024
Right-handed pitcher Johnathan Lavallee really enjoyed his time pitching in the Arizona Fall League at the conclusion of the 2024 season.
“I loved my time in the AFL,” said Lavallee. “It was awesome playing in Arizona like when I was a kid but to actually play in the big-league stadiums was surreal.”
Pitching 10 1/3 innings for Scottsdale; Lavallee struck out nine batters and had a WHIP of 0.97 in the AFL.
“The experience was extremely helpful,” stated Lavallee. “I’ve never pitched that late in the year without any rest, so it was a good test for my mind and body.”
Lavallee’s time in the AFL came after he pitched 49 2/3 innings split between High-A and Double-A in 2024.
“I noticed a lot of guys in High-A would swing at a lot more bad pitches, so you can get away with a lot more than you can in Double-A,” explained Lavallee. “Also, in Double-A the lineups are a lot more balanced, you always have those guys you need to be more careful with but still any mistake you throw to any guy up there can make your outing turn south really quick.”
Currently using a three-pitch mix of: a 4-seam fastball, a slider, and a curveball; Lavallee is trying to improve his pitches this off-season.
“I haven’t added any pitches this year,” stated Lavallee. “I’m just going to continue to work on the pitches I have now and perfect them as much as I can.”
Be sure to follow Johnathan Lavallee’s progress in the Blue Jays’ system in 2025.