Jul 12, 2017
Future Watch: Guerrero Jr., Bichette to be tested at next level
Each week, baseball reporter Scott Mitchell takes a look at how the consensus top 10 prospects in the Blue Jays’ minor-league system have fared over the past seven days.
Each week, baseball reporter Scott Mitchell takes a look at how the consensus top 10 prospects in the Blue Jays’ minor-league system have fared over the past seven days. With Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus both releasing mid-season rankings recently, we’ve shuffled up the list to reflect the changes for the second half of the season.
1. 3B Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Affiliate: High-A Dunedin Blue Jays
Age: 18 (3/16/1999)
Mid-season top 100 prospect rankings: Baseball America (2); Baseball Prospectus (13)
Projected MLB ETA: 2020
Season stats: .316/.409/.480 with 7 HR, 45 RBI, 6 SB in 269 AB at Low-A
The long-awaited promotion for Vladdy Jr. and the next guy on this list came to fruition this week, sending the pair of top prospects onto the next stage of their development. But before Guerrero Jr. officially joined High-A Dunedin, he rapped out a pair of singles and scored two runs in Sunday’s Futures Game. The bat control was on display, as Guerrero was squaring up 99-mph fastballs.
2. SS Bo Bichette
Affiliate: High-A Dunedin Blue Jays
Age: 19 (3/5/1998)
Mid-season top 100 prospect rankings: Baseball America (44); Baseball Prospectus (29)
Projected MLB ETA: 2020
Season stats: .378/.444/.615 with 10 HR, 51 RBI, 12 SB in 288 AB at Low-A
He’s enjoyed one of the biggest prospect stock jumps in all of baseball over the past three months, and now he’ll get to prove his gaudy Midwest League stats are for real in the Sunshine State. Not only is the Florida State League considered pitcher friendly, there’s a ton of top-flight arms on the circuit, which will have everyone paying close attention to the transition Bichette and Guerrero make as their first full seasons of pro ball wind down over the next two months. Bichette went 0-for-2 with a strikeout in the Futures Game.
3. OF Anthony Alford
Affiliate: MLB Toronto Blue Jays
Age: 22 (7/20/1994)
Mid-season top 100 prospect rankings: Baseball America (38)
Projected MLB ETA: Arrived May 19
Season stats: .325/.411/.455 with 3 HR, 11 RBI, 9 SB in 123 AB at Double-A; .125/.125/.250 in 8 MLB AB
Alford is closing in on a return from a broken hamate bone that he suffered in the majors May 24. The 6-foot-1, 215-pounder has been taking part in baseball activities while rehabbing and is expected to be in the High-A Dunedin lineup Wednesday night as the DH. They’ll ease Alford back in but don’t be surprised to see him return to Toronto later this season.
4. 2B/SS Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
Affiliate: Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats
Age: 23 (10/19/1993)
Mid-season top 100 prospect rankings: Baseball America (90)
Projected MLB ETA: 2018
Season stats: .197/.217/.258 with 1 HR, 8 RBI, 1 SB in 66 AB at High A
With Bichette and Guerrero making up the new left side of the infield in Dunedin, Gurriel will head to Double-A this week where he’s expected to play second base and dabble at shortstop. At this point, the Blue Jays plan to continue play him up the middle, with outfield being the fallback plan. The 23-year-old Cuban is still trying to get his timing back at the plate after missing two months to a hamstring injury.
5. RHP Sean Reid-Foley
Affiliate: Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats
Age: 21 (8/30/1995)
Pre-season team prospect rankings: Baseball Prospectus (1); Baseball America (3); MLB (2); FanGraphs (3)
Projected MLB ETA: 2019
Season stats: 5-7, 4.76 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 70 Ks in 75.2 innings
The 2014 second-round pick has been alternating between good and bad starts, and that continued Sunday when the righty allowed five earned runs on seven hits over 4.1 innings against the Eastern League-leading Trenton Thunder (New York Yankees).
6. SS Richard Urena
Affiliate: Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats
Age: 21 (2/26/1996)
Pre-season team prospect rankings: Baseball Prospectus (6); Baseball America (5); MLB (4); FanGraphs (4)
Projected MLB ETA: 2019
Season stats: .239/.285/.366 with 4 HR, 43 RBI, 0 SB in 331 AB
It’s been a struggle offensively this season for Urena, who’s still really young for the Eastern League. Gurriel’s arrival in Double-A won’t change much as Urena is considered a legit shortstop defensively.
7. RHP Conner Greene
Affiliate: Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats
Age: 22 (4/4/1995)
Pre-season team prospect rankings: Baseball Prospectus (4); Baseball America (4); MLB (6); FanGraphs (9)
Projected MLB ETA: 2019
Season stats: 4-6, 4.37 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 64 Ks in 90.2 innings
Greene, a seventh-round pick from the 2013 draft, enjoyed one of his best starts of the season last Thursday against Portland (Boston Red Sox), tying a season high by going seven innings while allowing three earned runs on nine hits. Most importantly, Greene, who has walked 52 batters this season, issued just one free pass and struck out six.
8. 1B Rowdy Tellez
Affiliate: Triple-A Buffalo Bisons
Age: 22 (3/16/1995)
Pre-season team prospect rankings: Baseball Prospectus (8); Baseball America (6); MLB (5); FanGraphs (8)
Projected MLB ETA: 2018
Season stats: .204/.274/.327 with 6 HR, 36 RBI, 3 SB in 269 AB
Since the month of June came to a close, Tellez has struggled to a .188/.235/.250 slash line in July. The big first baseman did start to turn things around during a weekend series against Pawtucket (Boston Red Sox), with three hits in three games.
9. RHP T.J. Zeuch
Affiliate: High-A Dunedin Blue Jays
Age: 21 (8/1/1995)
Pre-season team prospect rankings: Baseball Prospectus (7); Baseball America (7); MLB (7); FanGraphs (6)
Projected MLB ETA: 2019
Season stats: 3-3, 3.23 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 42 Ks in 53 innings
He’s been sitting on the seven-day DL since May 27 with a lower-back strain, but he’s throwing in Dunedin and is expected to return before the end of the season.
10. C/1B Max Pentecost
Affiliate: High-A Dunedin Blue Jays
Age: 24 (3/10/1993)
Pre-season team prospect rankings: Baseball Prospectus (9); MLB (12); FanGraphs (15)
Projected MLB ETA: Late 2018
Season stats: .291/.355/.495 with 9 HR, 40 RBI, 0 SB in 182 AB
Similar to Zeuch, a lower-back strain (Pente) cost him a month, but he returned to the Dunedin lineup July 8 and has collected four hits in three games. Pentecost’s work behind the plate this season has been a nice development. “His athleticism really shows behind the plate,” Blue Jays director of player development Gil Kim said. “(Dunedin manager) John Schneider and our catching coordinator Ken Huckaby have worked tirelessly with Max, not just on the throwing but on all aspects of defence. He’s blocking the ball well, receiving well, and the ball’s got some steam coming out of his hand.”