Las Vegas 51s (more…)

pic courtesy of MLB Dirt

There’s a great chance that one of the hottest hitters the Jays have in their system is someone you haven’t heard about in the Jays system is OF Brad Glenn. He’s on a tear of late, hitting .436/.463/1.077 over his last 10 games, hitting the ball with authority with 6 HRs and 7 doubles (13 extra base hits) making up the majority of his 17 hits over 39 ABs. That brings Glenn to a total of 29 extra base hits in 234 ABs and a very telling overall line of .256/.309/.500. It’s telling because it indicates just how badly Glenn began the 2012 campaign.

Glenn, now 25 and promoted to AA after spending 2011 in HiA, hit .221 in April and .190 in May, accumulating only 14 extra base hits over those 2 months. Now barely through 1 week in July, Glenn has awoken since then to the tune of .324 in June and .429 so far in July. After accumulating a whopping 52 extra base hits in 418 ABs for Dunedin last season, Glenn is finally showing an ability to hit AA pitching not only for the power he displayed that season, but also for some average – a very encouraging sign. (more…)

June 6, 2010; Miami, FL, USA; Texas A

On August 25th, 2011, I wrote an article entitled “Introducing John Stilson, Pick #108 in the 2011 Draft“. I still don’t believe you’ll find one article out there that will tell you any more than that about the man that seems to be getting very close to being “next in line” for a Jays promotion. In fact, if you simply type “John Stilson” into Google, you don’t see his Texas A&M page, his draft page from MLB.com, or a Baseball America article about him. You get the article linked above! Therefore, I encourage you to read through it and check out all linked articles within that piece if you’re interested in getting to know this great Jays prospect as much as possible.

I came away very impressed with what the Jays got with that pick and was ecstatic that they’d take that big a risk to get an upside arm (due to the injury risk). Late in that article, I stated the following:

“Between him and Sam Dyson, the Jays will have some fast-moving pen prospects moving through the system, even if both carry health questions with them.” (more…)

No. 28: Joel Carreno

Pitcher / 25 years old / 6′2″ 220 lbs

Born: March 7, 1987 in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic

Bats: Right    Throws: Right

High School: N/A

College: N/A

Acquired: Signed as a non-drafted free-agent by the Blue Jays on October 11, 2004

Pre-2011 Rank: 21

Quick Facts:

• Name is pronounced Jo-elle Carr-ehn-eeoh
• 2008 New York-Penn League Mid-Season All-Star
• 2008 New York-Penn League Pitcher of the Week for July 6-12
• 2011 Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for May 16-22
• 2011 Eastern League Mid-Season All-Star

Career stats:

New Hampshire Fisher Cats team ranking (min. 5 GS):

• 1st in losses (9), starts (23), innings pitched (134.2), hit batters (12), walks (68), wild pitches (16) and strikeouts (152)
• 2nd in H/9 (6.3) and K/9 (10.2)
• T-2nd in wins (7) and home runs allowed (12)
• 3rd in hits allowed (100)
• 5th in ERA (3.41) and WHIP (1.25)
• 8th in K:BB (2.24)
• 10th in BB/9 (4.5)

Scouting report:

Coming off of a breakout 2010 campaign that saw him finish second in the High-A Florida State League with 173 strikeouts (including a league-record 15 in one six-inning game), Joel Carreno moved further up the minor league ladder in 2011, pitching in two different roles.

As a starter with Double-A New Hampshire, Carreno stumbled out of the gate last season to the tune of a 6.56 ERA in five April starts and gave up eight home runs in only 23 innings because of, like the year before, failing to mix up his pitches enough.

He bounced back with a lights out May, where he allowed just four earned runs in five starts, nearly doubling his strikeout total from the month before but issuing 21 walks in just under 32 innings . His best start of the season came on May 28, when he fanned a season-high 11 batters while allowing just two hits in seven scoreless innings.

Carreno generates so many whiffs because of his plus slider, an offering that sits in the low-80s and is particularly nasty against right-handed hitters. It’s easily his best pitch, to the point where he overuses it and relies on it when he runs into trouble. He complements the slider with an 89-94 mph fastball that has late life, though he runs into bouts of inconsistency with it and has trouble finding the strike zone with it. A two-pitch pitcher for the majority of his career, Carreno added a mid-80s changeup just over one year ago in an effort to diversify his arsenal, but the pitch is an average offering at best right now.

Carreno continued to pitch well for the Fisher Cats through the summer, and although he issued his fair share of walks in the process, he used his slider to rack up the strikeouts and give his team a chance to win every time he was out on the mound. Making the infamous jump between High-A and Double-A, Carreno maintained his very good strikeout rate at 10.2 per nine innings while giving up a career-low 6.7 hits per nine, but was more wild than he has ever been in the past, easily leading his team in hit batters (12), wild pitches (16) and walks (68), with the latter averaging out to a career-high 4.5 per nine frames.

Given the Blue Jays’ emphasis on developing and using a changeup, some of  Carreno’s wildness last season could possibly be attributed to his coaches and the organization forcing him to rely less on his slider and use his changeup and fastball more. Regardless, what you get from Carreno is straightforward: an overpowering slider that will pile up strikeouts, but bouts of inconsistency and wildness combined with his inability to mix up pitches as much as he should raises questions about his ability to stick as a starter.

The Blue Jays might have felt the same way, as Carreno made his major league debut out of the bullpen after being called up in late August last year. After issuing three walks and giving up eight hits, including a home run in four August appearances (7 1/3 innings), he allowed just three hits over his final seven appearances with nine strikeouts in 8 1/3 innings. Overall, Carreno finished with a 1.15 ERA in 15 2/3 innings in his first big league stint, demonstrating that he could be a valuable reliever down the road.

2012 team: Las Vegas 51s/Toronto Blue Jays

Ultimate ceiling if he puts it all together: Setup man, possible closer

Despite having already started for both the Jays and Triple-A Las Vegas this season, Carreno currently finds himself back in the bullpen after replacing left-hander Evan Crawford, who was optioned to Triple-A yesterday. I’d like to see the Jays continue to try and market Carreno as a starter, but the fact that he has MLB experience will help his trade value regardless and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was shipped out of town in a package by Opening Day 2013.

Should he still be around and in the picture, though, he’d slot nicely into a Blue Jays bullpen that should see Darren Oliver, Francisco Cordero and even Jason Frasor all depart over the offseason.

-JM

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The short article is definitely worth a read, as it has quotes from Jimenez, LaCava and current Blue Jays reliever Evan Crawford, who spent only a few weeks with Jimenez at Double-A New Hampshire this season prior to getting called up to Toronto but raved about the catcher, saying that “he’s one of the most athletic people I’ve ever met in my life” and that “he’s going to be something special.”

Coming off of an impressive 2011 campaign that saw him set new career-highs in doubles (29), walks (28), batting average (.303) and on-base percentage (.353) in a career-high 102 games, Jimenez is off to a slow start offensively with New Hampshire this season with a .236 average and .585 OPS in 14 games but has, however, already caught six of 13 basestealers for a 46% mark.

More importantly, Jimenez has been reunited with Fisher Cats manager Sal Fasano, as the pair developed a special bond when they were previously together in 2010 with the Class-A Lansing Lugnuts.

Getting to know him both as a player and a person, Fasano not only had high praise for Jimenez but taught him the intricacies of being a catcher, including how to frame pitches. Another year under Fasano this season should only help Jimenez continue to grow.

Here’s a clip of Jimenez making a tag at home during Arizona Fall League play in 2009:

- JM

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No. 30: Moises Sierra

Moises Sierra has the best arm in the Jays' minor league system. (Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE)

Right fielder / 23 years old / 6′1″ 225 lbs

Born: September 24, 1988 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Bats: Right    Throws: Right

High School: N/A

College: N/A

Acquired: Signed by the Toronto Blue Jays as a non-drafted free agent on December 20, 2005

Pre-2011 Rank: 30

Quick Facts:

• 2009 Florida State League Mid-Season All-Star
• 2009 Florida State League Player of the Week (June 15th)
• 2009 Organizational Player of the Month (June)
• 2009 R. Howard Webster Award winner (High-A)
• 2011 Eastern League Mid-Season All-Star
• Runner-up to teammate Mike McDade in the 2011 Eastern League Home Run Derby

Career Stats:

New Hampshire Fisher Cats team stats ranking:

• 1st in hits (137) and GIDP (12)
• 2nd in games played (133), at-bats (495), runs (81), home runs (18), caught stealings (14) and HBP (12)
• T-2nd in sacrifice flies (4)
• 3rd in RBI (67), total bases (216), walks (39) and stolen bases (16)
• T-3rd in triples (3)
• 4th in slugging percentage (.436), batting average (.277) and OPS (.778)
• T-5th in on-base percentage (.342)
• 6th in strikeouts (93)
• 7th in doubles (19)
• T-7th in errors (4)

Interviews:

• Q & A at Bus Leagues Baseball
  

Video:

• Hitting one of his 18 home runs with New Hampshire last season:

Extra Information and previous experience:

After breaking out in 2009 with High-A Dunedin and going 12-for-34 (.353) in eight games following a late-season promotion to Double-A New Hampshire, Moises Sierra’s world came crashing down the following year when he was forced to miss the entire first half of the 2010 season after suffering a microfracture in one of his shins. When he finally resumed baseball duties, he then broke the hamate bone in one of his wrists, which sidelined him for the remainder of the season. By the time the offseason rolled around, all Sierra had to show for his 2010 campaign was a pair of 10-game stints with Dunedin and the Gulf Coast League Jays.

Finally healthy, Sierra spent all of last season with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, making his presence known with a dynamite first two months. On top of hitting over .300 with an OPS above .800 in his first 46 games, he hit seven home runs — just two shy of his previous career-high of nine that he set in 130 games with Lansing back in 2008.

Sierra could not sustain his hot start as the season wore on, though, as he hit roughly .227 with an OPS below .700 over his next 55 games in June and July. He did, however, start improving his free-swinging approach against left-handers over the summer, and eventually worked his way out of his mid-season rut to put everything together and finish the year strong with a .308 average and an OPS right around .800 in his final 32 games.

When the Blue Jays signed Sierra back in 2005, he was viewed as a possible five-tool player. He was touted for his power potential, and after failing to impress in that aspect earlier in his career, he finally showcased his power last season with New Hampshire, setting a new career-high with 18 home runs.  He was also selected to participate in the Eastern League Home Run Derby last summer, where he made it to the finals and matched teammate Mike McDade shot-for-shot until the very end.

His power comes from excellent bat speed and a thick lower half that really lets him drive the ball, especially to his pull side. It was said that he was more confident at the plate and was seeing the ball better last season, but he could still benefit from continuing to work on his aggressive approach at the plate, which sometimes coaxed him to swing at pitches out of the zone.

Though Sierra’s bat is promising, he’s well-known for his work in the field. An above-average defender, Sierra’s trademark is his cannon of an arm, which is easily the best in the Jays’ minor league system and considered by some scouts to be the best in all of minor league baseball. Sierra’s presence in right field easily deters runners from tagging from any base, and most runners re-think the idea of running from first to third if the ball is anywhere close to him. Easily a plus-plus tool, Sierra’s arm is not only powerful but very accurate, to the point where one-hoppers from deep right field to third or home are the norm, with some arriving without a bounce at all.

While in Florida for one of the Jays’ spring training games against the Pirates at the beginning of March, I remember a play where Sierra caught a deep fly ball with a runner on second. The runner was Pirates infielder Josh Harrison, a relatively-quick runner for his size that has a 72% stolen base success rate in 111 minor league attempts. After deciding to tag, Harrison stopped dead in his tracks and returned to second after seeing the ball rocket right past him to Jays third baseman Brian Bocock on one-hop. Almost half of the section I was sitting in on the first-base side ‘oohed’ and ‘aahed’ after witnessing Sierra’s throw.

Initially projected to have good speed, stolen bases won’t factor much into Sierra’s game when he makes it to the big leagues. Although he has reached double digits in stolen bases in each of his full minor league seasons, Sierra has just a 62.6% success rate to show for his efforts, brought down considerably by his 16-of-30 showing in 2011. His baserunning instincts also factor into that percentage, considering he’s sometimes too aggressive on the base paths and can hurt his team with periodic lapses of judgment.

2012 Team: Las Vegas 51s (Triple-A)

Ultimate ceiling if he puts it all together: MLB everyday RF

Building off of a successful return to full-season ball in 2011, Sierra should see his offensive numbers improve this season from hitting in the Pacific Coast League and through working with 51s hitting coach Chad Mottola. Consistency will be key for him, though, as his offensive production tailed off midway through the season last year before recovering with a late surge near the end.

With speculation that Jose Bautista could move to first base in the near future, staying healthy will also be important for Sierra. He’s already on the 40-man roster and is the closest right fielder to the majors, with other notable outfielders down in High-A and lower.  At the very least, he’ll earn a September call-up to the Jays this year.

- JM

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Drew Hutchison, Deck McGuire, Chad Jenkins and Joel Carreno all return to the rotation, and all four hurlers will be knocking on the major-league door by season’s end. Right-hander Ryan Tepera is the only new starter after making 23 starts for High-A Dunedin in 2011.

A.J. Jimenez, considered the best defensive catcher in the Jays’ minor league system, makes his Double-A debut after putting together a breakout year on both sides of the ball with Dunedin last season. Brian Jeroloman, who spent the majority of last season with Triple-A Las Vegas, will return to New Hampshire to be the backup.

The infield will look very familiar, as all the players outside shortstop Ryan Goins were with the Fisher Cats last year. One new addition from outside the organization is first baseman Koby Clemens, a true power hitter that is indeed the son of former Blue Jays pitcher and Cy Young winner Roger Clemens.

Outside of John Tolisano, a second baseman that can dabble in the outfield, the Fisher Cats’ outfield will be made up entirely of players who spent all or most of the 2011 campaign with High-A Dunedin: Brian Van Kirk, Brad McElroy, Brad Glenn and familiar face Justin Jackson, who appeared in two separate stints with the Fisher Cats last season.

Here’s the full list:

Pitchers

RHP Drew Hutchison

RHP Deck McGuire

RHP Chad Jenkins

RHP Joel Carreno

RHP Ryan Tepera

RHP Yohan Pino

RHP Ronald Uviedo

LHP Evan Crawford

LHP Danny Farquhar

RHP Boomer Potts

RHP Matt Daly

RHP Fernando Hernandez

LHP Aaron Loup

Catchers

A.J. Jimenez

Brian Jeroloman

Infielders

1B Mike McDade

1B Koby Clemens

2B John Tolisano

SS Ryan Goins

3B Kevin Howard

3B Mark Sobolewski

SS Jonathan Diaz

Outfielders

LF Brian Van Kirk

CF Brad McElroy

RF Brad Glenn

OF Justin Jackson

-JM

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With nine days of spring training commitments followed by attempts to move while being sick when I returned home, it’s been difficult to update the top 50 these last two weeks without compromising thoroughness. Now, however, the list will definitely be continuing in the coming days to make up for the lost time.

No. 33: Michael McDade

March 2, 2012; Dunedin, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Michael McDade (66) poses for a portrait during photo day at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

First baseman / 22 years old / 6’1″ 255 lbs

Born: May 8, 1989 in Las Vegas, Nevada

Bats: Both  Throws: Right

High School Team: Silverado (Las Vegas, NV)

College: N/A

Acquired: Drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 6th round (205th overall) of the 2007 Amateur Draft

Jersey Number: 40 for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats

Pre-2011 Rank: 28

Quick Facts:

• Was drafted as a catcher before moving to first base
• Named Organizational Player of the Month in August 2009
• Led the Florida State League with 21 home runs in 2010
• Won the R. Howard Webster Award as Dunedin’s MVP in 2010
• Eastern League All-Star in 2011
• Outdueled teammate Moises Sierra this past season to win the Eastern League Home Run Derby

Career Stats:

New Hampshire Fisher Cats team stats ranking:

• 1st in doubles (37)
• 2nd in hits (136), RBIs (74), total bases (221), strikeouts (104) and OPS (.785)
• T-2nd in sacrifice flies (4)
• 3rd in games played (125), at-bats (484), batting average (.281) and slugging percentage (.457),
• T-3rd in home runs (16)
• 4th in runs (71) and errors (7)
• T-4th in HBP (8)
• 7th in walks (28)
• 9th in on-base percentage (.328)

Extra Information and previous experience:

After hitting a league-leading 21 home runs but striking out a team-high 141 times in 128 games for the Dunedin Blue Jays in 2010, Mike McDade knew he was going to have to make some adjustments with Double-A New Hampshire in 2011. He made his fair share of them.

As the Fisher Cats’ cleanup hitter, McDade set new career-highs with a 136 hits, 37 doubles and 74 RBIs after tinkering with his swing in spring training, working hard to command the strike zone and lay off breaking balls, and continuing to be aggressive early in counts.

It’s this aggressiveness, however, that leads to the main knock on the 22-year-old as well.

Having averaged more than one strikeout per game from 2008-10, McDade made it a priority to cut down on his swing-and-miss last season with New Hampshire. He was successful in doing so, bringing down his strikeout rate from a career-high 27.2% in 2010 to a career-low 19.8% last season with room to improve even more in 2012.

While he did manage to improve his strikeout rate, McDade’s walk rate last season was nearly identical to his 2010 campaign at 5.3%. With a career .314 on-base percentage in 512 minor league games, the biggest challenge that lies ahead for the Las Vegas native is seeing more pitches per at-bat and working deeper into counts — crucial for a first baseman and cleanup hitter.

It’s something that he’s well aware of and focuses on as much as he can.

“Every day I’m trying to work on that,” said McDade this spring of his strikeout and walk totals. “The biggest thing is just trying to get my pitch, and I felt like I did a better job last year, I feel like I progressed from the year before. I’m getting a little more mature, starting to know the little things. Right now it’s a work in progress but it’s going well.”

Consistency at the plate, especially in the second half of the season, will be key for McDade this season, since his power potential is evident.

On May 31, McDade was hitting .325 on the season with an .892 OPS that included an impressive .382 on-base percentage. Then, after hitting 18 doubles and six home runs in his first 50 games, he smacked seven doubles and six home runs in 26 June games. But in his final 58 games, he went 47-for-190 (.247) at the plate with a .660 OPS.

A switch-hitter, McDade has always been a better hitter against right-handed pitchers and his performance against southpaws brings down his numbers. That was the case last season with the Fisher Cats, when he hit .291 with a .823 OPS from the left side but just .246 with a .653 OPS from the right. His willingness to chase pitches varied as well, as he swung at only 18% of pitches outside the zone as a left-handed hitter, nearly half as much as the 32% he did right-handed.

Though offense has to be a huge part of his game, McDade has worked incredibly hard on his defense since becoming a first baseman after being drafted by the Blue Jays. Whether it’s turning slick double plays or stretching to scoop short throws, McDade fields his position well and with ease.

He’s quite agile for a 255-pounder and is proud of the improvements that he has made to his defensive game.

“I’m always looking to play defense and just try to help my teammates out any way possible,” he said. “A throw in the dirt, anything — that’s something I really take pride in.”

Added to the 40-man roster back in November, there are things about McDade that the Blue Jays obviously like. Assistant GM Tony LaCava confirmed to MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm that, along with David Cooper, McDade will open the 2012 season at Triple-A Las Vegas, splitting time at first base and DH to get the everyday at-bats that he’ll need at the level.

There, McDade will be reunited with 51s hitting coach Chad Mottola, who spent time in Jays camp this spring filling in for Dwayne Murphy. Mottola has drawn rave reviews for his work with players like Brett Lawrie, Adeiny Hechavarria and Cooper, and McDade is looking forward to working with a familiar face.

“I had the chance to work with him when he was our hitting rover a few years ago so we really know each other and have a really good relationship. It’ll be interesting to work with him this year.”

Expected 2012 Team: Triple-A Las Vegas

Ultimate ceiling IF he puts it all together: Near-everyday 1B with Gold Glove-caliber defense

- JM

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While the younger Clemens, an infielder, won’t follow in his father’s legendary footsteps on the mound, he does represent an interesting signing for the Jays–and not because of his bloodlines. (more…)