Blue Jays top prospects of the week
Here’s a look at the top performances of the past week by Blue Jays prospects in the Minor Leagues:
The regular season came to a close on Sept. 2. Class A Advanced Dunedin qualified for the playoffs, but the Florida State League cancelled this year's playoffs because of Hurricane Dorian.
Monday, Sept. 2: Conine belts 22nd home run
Griffin Conine finishes the Class A regular season with the second-most home runs of any Blue Jays Minor League player, behind only Patrick Kivelehan, who the Blue Jays acquired from the Pirates in May. The club’s No. 15 prospect went 2-for-4 with his 22nd homer on Monday, giving him a .283 average and .947 OPS over 80 games this season after serving a 50-game suspension and debuting on May 29. Conine’s 125 strikeouts will challenge him as he climbs the ladder in 2020 and beyond, but the 22-year-old outfielder has some of the best raw power in the system at a position the Blue Jays don’t have a wealth of prospect depth at.
Sunday, Sept. 1: Diaz saves best for last
Yennsy Diaz’s final regular-season start for Double-A New Hampshire was a gem, as the Blue Jays’ No. 23 prospect matched his season highs in innings (seven) and strikeouts (eight) while leading the Fisher Cats past Portland, 7-1. He allowed one run on one hit and two walks and threw 58 of 91 pitches for strikes in the outing. The 22-year-old right-hander finishes his first Double-A campaign with a 3.74 ERA in 144 1/3 innings, during which he compiled 116 strikeouts against 53 walks and held hitters to a .234 average. A member of the Blue Jays’ 40-man roster, Diaz could be back in the big leagues in September after making his debut back on Aug. 4 (2/3 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 4 BB). Sunday's prospect stats »
Saturday, Aug. 31: Murray takes tough-luck loss Joey Murray took the loss in his longest Double-A start as Double-A New Hampshire fell to Portland, 2-0. The Blue Jays’ No. 28 prospect allowed two runs on three hits over seven innings, striking out eight and walking three on 94 pitches (57 strikes). The 2018 eighth-rounder from Kent State has befuddled hitters across three levels this season with his disappearing low-90s fastball en route to 169 strikeouts in 137 1/3 innings. He’s also pitched to a 2.75 ERA in that span while holding hitters to a paltry .210 average.Saturday's prospect stats »
Friday, Aug. 30: Robertson has huge day at the plate
After collecting a career-high four hits including a home run on Thursday, Will Robertson was back at it again for Class A Short-Season Vancouver on Friday, going deep for a second straight game en route to a career-best four RBIs. The Blue Jays’ No. 20 prospect and Creighton product was 7-for-10 with seven RBIs between the two contests. Overall, Robertson, a 21-year-old outfielder, has produced a .265 average with five home runs and 32 RBIs in 59 games during his pro debut in the Northwest League after being taken in the fourth round of this year’s Draft. Friday's prospect stats »
Thursday, Aug. 29: Williams fans four over four innings
It’s hard to start a professional career much better than Kendall Williams. The Blue Jays’ No. 12 prospect, a second-round pick from this year’s Draft, has pitched to a 1.13 ERA through six appearances (five starts) in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. Williams threw four strong innings Thursday, giving up just one unearned run on two hits and striking out four in the process. The 19-year-old hasn’t surrendered an earned run in four of his six appearances and has fanned 19 over 16 innings. Thursday's prospect stats »
Wednesday, Aug. 28: Conine doubles twice, drives in three
Griffin Conine boosted his average to .278 with a pair of doubles for Class A Lansing. The Blue Jays’ No. 16 prospect drove in a run via a double in the first and then added a two-run double in the fifth as part of his 2-for-5 night at the plate. Conine, a 2018 second-round Draft pick, has a tendency to swing and miss at times, but also has the power necessary to drive the ball to all fields and possesses plus arm strength. Wednesday's prospect stats »
Tuesday, Aug. 27: Kay extends scoreless streak
Blue Jays No. 5 prospect Anthony Kay has been putting up nothing but a string of zeros lately. The 24-year-old, acquired from the Mets as part of the Marcus Stroman trade, hasn’t allowed a run over his last 12 innings after his second straight scoreless start. The lefty fired 6 2/3 scoreless frames for Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday, yielding five hits and also striking out five. Kay has now given up two runs or fewer in five of his six starts since the trade. Tuesday's prospect stats »