Jays Journal » Drew Hutschison

The “One” Jays Fan Christmas Wish: Appropriate Risk

Mat Germain — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 17:08:35 +0000

There’s one thing that the Yu Darvish sweepstakes taught me, and it seems to be the same thing as that Jays fans have been waiting for since J.P. Ricciardi blew millions on B.J. Ryan, A.J. Burnett, and the rest of what I like to call “the lost cause” candidates. It’s the same thing that took Toronto fans by storm and united them in one constant voice that said “show us you really want to win”, and it’s the “One” thing that they can all agree upon. Go out there and prove you want to win by being aggressive not only in the minors and international markets, and in the trade market, but also in the free agent market. Well, when that aggressiveness and risk are both appropriate, that is. (more…)

Jays Spring Training Stats and Oddities

Mat Germain — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 11:52:50 +0000

As we wind down to the final few games of spring training and finally head towards the beginning of the 2011 season, I thought it would be fun to sift through some of the stats from this spring training and to see what looks right, and what looks odd. I want to stress that I don’t put any stock into spring training stats, other than to say that one hitter or pitcher seems to be “right” and healthy, but it’s still a fun excercise that can sometimes point to guys that could surprise during the upcoming season.

Here’s a run down of what I’ve noticed to this point: (more…)

20 Starting Pitching Reasons For a Decade of Jays Success

Mat Germain — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 17:52:19 +0000

Finally, everyone is taking notice of the potent Jays rotation that features young, controllable, cheap, and dominant arms. Ricky Romero leads the staff with his poise and demeanor, Shaun Marcum provides a change of pace and leadership, Brett Cecil may have the best group of pitches that all grade as above-average and looks to be a workhorse style pitcher, and Brandon Morrow….well, you know. When you take a look at that top 4 grouping, and add others to the group in Jesse Litsch, Brad Mills, and Marc Rzepczynski – who are all MLB well-to-slightly seasoned and capable #5 pitchers, it seems like the Jays are set for a decent period of time in their rotation. However, it’s what is coming up the ladder behind them that makes me – and plenty of others – believe that the Jays are entering a new ERA where winning and competing for playoff spots will be the norm and expectation for the club.

Just imagine what that rotation would have looked like if Roy Halladay had stuck around…….ugh. Can you say first place?

The following are my “Top 20 Jays Minors Starting Pitchers” that are stepping up the ladder and are providing wave after wave of pitching for the Jays. I have discounted Rzepczinsky and Mills as we know what they have to offer. As we all know, you can never have too much pitching, and health issues can quickly unravel even the best season.

1 – Kyle Drabek, 23 years old (this month), AA New Hampshire, 6’1″ 190 lbs, RHP (#1-3, 2011)

12-9/ 2.92 ERA/ 142 IP/ 110 hits allowed/ 54 walks/ 110 Ks/ .213 average against
There is no doubt that Kyle may very well be one of the most highly touted Jays SP prospects to bless our system in quite a long time. Others who came up the ranks, such as Roy Halladay and Chris Carpenter, had a rougher time getting established. Kyle has the potential to be a true #2 pitcher, with the chance of being a #1. He has swing and miss stuff that drops off and tails away from hitters. RHB are hitting .198 against him, showing just how dominant he is against them, while lefties are only hitting a lowly .228 – not too shabby. There’s a reason Drabek was untouchable for a long time in the Doc Halladay deal, he’s a top fo the rotation starter that will be ready to take that role on full time -and for a full season innings wise – in 2011.

2 – Zach Stewart, 23 years old, AA New Hampshire, 6’2″ 205 lbs, RHP (#2-#4, 2011)

8-2/ 3.67 ERA/ 115.1 IP/ 108 hits allowed/ 48 walks/ 92 Ks/ .251 average against
Sure, the Jays gave up Scott Rolen in acquiring Stewart, a player that could have helped bring the Jays to the playoffs this season, but the Jays will get many years of performance from Zach. He’s getting better as he gains confidence after being swithed from a RP to a SP, and now has a 2.54 ERA over his last 10 games with a lower .237 average against. He may need a little more seasoning than Kyle does in order to be successful in The Show, but he should be a more than adequate #3-4 once all is said and done.

3 – Asher Wojciechowski, 21 years old, SS Auburn DoubleDays, 6’4″ 235 lbs RHP (#2-3, 2012)

0-0/ 0.75 ERA/ 12 IP/ 6 hits allowed/ 4 walks/ 11 Ks/ .146 average against
I’d love to slide Noah Syndergaard in here, but simply due to playing at a higher level and being more seasoned and closer to the majors, I went with Asher. He’s a big guy, strong, a workhorse that pounds the bottom of the zone on a great downward plane. He’s currently on the DL and will hopefully return before the season ends, but everything he showed after signing points to the fact that he could begin the 2011 season as high as HiA Dunedin, possibly AA New Hampshire. He’s more seasoned than the other 2 sandwich picks, and if Deck McGuire doesn’t sign, he will be the first 2010 drafted SP to make an impact with the Jays.

4 – Noah Syndergaard, 17 years old, GCL Blue Jays, 6’5″ 200 lbs, RHP (#2-3, 2013)

0-1/ 0.82 ERA/ 11 IP/ 7 hits allowed/ 4 walks/ 5 Ks/ .194 average against
Noah is already big and strong and will only turn 18 at the end of August, leaving him plenty of time to add an inch or two and lots of strength. Of all of the pitchers taken in the 2010 draft, Noah and Aaron Sachez come with the highest ceilings and greatest tools. His fastball is dominant, a true power pitcher, and his curve ball and change ups are already showing above average potential. Although it may take him a little longer to get up the ladder, Noah should be ready for LoA Lansing at the very young age of 18 in 2011, making him a very impressive SP in the Jays system. (more…)

Jays Minors Notes

Mat Germain — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 11:14:14 +0000

As the Jays sit a mere 8 games out of the Wild Card spot in the AL, here are some happenings in the minors that I’d like to share with you:

The Jays made the Shane Opitz signing official on the 31st of July. He’s a huge signing for the Jays that was expected to be a tough signing to complete.
OF Jacob Marisnick has been promoted to LoA Lansing. He’s struggling a bit to find himself over his first 30 ABs there, but it’s definitely where he belongs.
OF Michael Crouse, a 2008 16th rd pick, was promoted more recently after hitting 4 HRs with a .333 average over 96 ABs in the GCL.
Hitters in SS are hitting .185 against Casey Lawrence who is mowing down hitters with ease. He has a 2.11 ERA and 9 walks to his 38 Ks.
Sean Ochinko, who was converted from a Catcher to a 3B, is hitting .421 over his last 10 games. He now has a season’s average of .310, 30 doubles, 7 HRs, 52 RBI, and a .363 OBP. He’s earned his keep this season and could get a look in HiA before long. (more…)

Jays Minors Notes: 25-Jul-10

Mat Germain — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:28:38 +0000

Here are some Jays minors notes as we begin the last week of July 2010:

Adeiny Hechavarria is really beginning to get hot at the plate. The Cuban SS is hitting .349 with 4 doubles and 2 stolen bases during his 10 game hitting streak and now has a .295 average in AA this season. That’s a huge improvement over his sub Mendoza period in HiA.
Eric Thames hammered his 19th HR of the season in AA and has a .432 OBP over his last 10 games. The 23 year old outfielder will surely get a shot at AAA very soon.
Adam Loewen hit his 11th HR of the year and joins Thames in terms of great OBP over his last 10 games with a .425 OBP.
Merkin Valdez got the start last night for AAA Las Vegas and allowed 12 ER in 2 IP…..I’m fairly certain that this experiment is over and that Merkin will head back to the pen. The squad wound up losing that game to a football score of 21-4. Forget about it, move on. (more…)