NEW YORK -- Down on the farm, the Blue Jays’ young pitchers are pacing well ahead of the hitters so far.
These things tend to happen in April, as prospects acclimate themselves to new levels and hitters try to drive the baseball through the cold air with affiliates that are a little further north than sunny Dunedin, Fla.
Up in Toronto, the Blue Jays don’t need to reach into their Top 30 prospects just yet. The Major League roster is deep and solid, but it’s not always about helping the big league club directly. This organization should be a major buyer at the Trade Deadline, and while that’s well down the road, every success story is another card in the Blue Jays’ favor.
Here is how the top hitters have fared at each level:
Triple-A Buffalo: Waiting on Barger’s power
In the second game of Buffalo’s season, Addison Barger launched a 456-foot home run and it looked like his momentum from Spring Training would carry right into the season.
Since then, Barger has been searching for his second. He’s hitting just .230 with 21 strikeouts over 16 games, but it’s still early and Buffalo’s lineup as a whole isn’t hitting. There are some signs that Barger is about to turn it around, such as his line from Saturday. The club’s No. 6 prospect (per MLB Pipeline) went just 1-for-4 with a walk, but one of his outs came on the hardest-hit ball of the game, a 111.7 mph rocket that went straight to the second baseman. He made the catch but ended up on his backside.
The Blue Jays need Barger to force their hand. He has made just one start in the outfield, where his role should continue to expand, and split his other reps evenly between shortstop and third base. Watch for Barger to heat up as the Buffalo weather does.
Worth mentioning: Spencer Horwitz, the No. 18 prospect, has walked 13 times in 16 games. As a first baseman, he needs to hit for more power, but his plate approach remains one of the best in the entire organization.
Double-A New Hampshire: Boom or bust for Martinez
Orelvis Martinez has a pair of big home runs, but he has otherwise hit .089 with 12 strikeouts in 12 games. It’s not the start the Blue Jays were hoping for after Martinez balanced out 30 home runs with a .203 average and .286 on-base percentage last season.
The No. 4 prospect is still just 21, so the shine isn’t wearing off just yet, but it’s not exactly blinding anyone. Twelve games won’t write the story of Martinez’s season, and while his raw power is very impressive, there has to be something else working alongside it. These are a big few months ahead for Martinez.
Worth mentioning: Steward Berroa, the ball of energy in New Hampshire’s outfield, is already batting .275 with an .843 OPS and six stolen bases. With 47 steals last season and 58 in 2021, Berroa is a sparkplug.
High-A Vancouver: Doughty's power potential
Toronto’s second-round pick from the 2022 MLB Draft, Cade Doughty is batting .211 with a .664 OPS through seven games.
Doughty is the club’s No. 8 prospect coming out of LSU, and at 22, he could move very quickly to Double-A if his production and a positional opening line up by mid-summer. Keep an eye on Doughty’s power numbers, as a change to his stance when he joined the Blue Jays could be unlocking some more pop.
Worth mentioning: Outfielder Alan Roden has a .485 on-base percentage through eight games, with seven walks compared to just six strikeouts. In his final year of NCAA ball with Creighton, the on-base machine walked 29 times and struck out just eight times in 49 games. Yes, you read those numbers correctly.
Single-A Dunedin: Highs and lows for Toman
By this time next season, you’ll be hearing Tucker Toman’s name more. A lot more. The Blue Jays love this 19-year-old infielder, who’s the No. 5 prospect in the system.
Through 12 games, Toman has already struck out 20 times, but the Blue Jays are confident that he’ll adapt well to the challenge of each level. That should come soon. Toman is a switch-hitter with a sweet swing from the left side, and his right-handed swing is coming along nicely.
Worth mentioning: No. 16 prospect Adrian Pinto “plays with his hair on fire,” says everyone you ask. At 5-foot-6, he’s more about contact than power, and his speed could be a huge weapon. He’s already stolen five bases in nine games.