1. CF D.J. Davis (BLU): 29 AB, 9 H, .310/.394/.552 (.946 OPS), 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 4 SB, 3/7 BB/K

D.J. Davis was Toronto's number one pick in the 2012 draft (Image courtesy PerfectGame.org)

The Blue Jays number one pick in last June appears to have taken a real liking to Bluefield. Since being promoted up from the Gulf Coast League in mid-August, Davis has filled up the stat sheet on a nightly basis. This week was no different, as he reached base in each of his seven games, and reached at least twice in five of those seven. With his on-base percentage sitting at a lovely .394 for the week, his legs took over, as Davis racked up four more stolen bases, giving him a total of 24 in 55 games. That’s roughly a 70 stolen base pace over the course of a full season. That’s what scouts call 80 speed. The most pleasant part of Davis’ debut has been the power, as while few called him a slap hitter out of the draft, no one suggested a 148 ISO in year one either. Davis has done just that, with 18 extra base hits, including five home runs.

2. RHP Javier Avendano (VAN): 1-0, 9 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 15 K

Why is Javier Avendano still pitching in the Northwest League? His two starts this week continued a trend of dominance that dates back over a month. Since the 16th of July, Avendano has allowed just four earned runs in 47 innings – a 0.77 ERA. The peripherals have been just as strong, as he struck out 55 and walked just 13. He’s second in the league in ERA and WHIP, and first in strikeouts – twenty ahead of the second place pitcher, Victor Sanchez of the Mariners, who is a top prospect in his own right. Avendano has proven himself in both Lansing and Vancouver, and if I had some input on the minor league decision making, he would have been promoted to Dunedin a month ago. Avendano has been the Northwest League pitcher of the week for two weeks running, and given the numbers above, a third consecutive title is likely headed his way.

3. LHP Sean Nolin (NH): 0-0, 9 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 11 K

Last week’s hottest prospect slips to third place this week, due mostly to some shaky command in his August 25th start. Less important than the three walks was his pitch count, as Nolin threw 81 in just four innings, forcing the manager to pull him earlier than we all would have liked. This late in the minor league season, with nearly every pitcher nursing a bit of arm soreness, there was no reason to send him out for the fifth after four stressful innings. Even so, his August 20th start was more than enough to give him a high ranking, as he struck out eight Binghamton batters in five innings, allowing just one run on four hits. With the playoffs well out of reach, the Fisher Cats have just eight days left in their season. Nolin is probably looking at one more start, and at just 4.2 innings shy of 100 for the year, you know he’d love to reach the century mark.

4. 3B Kellen Sweeney (VAN): 25 AB, .320/.452/.400 (.852 OPS), 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 2 SB, 6/3 BB/K

Kellen Sweeney is having the best month of his young career, and is showing Blue Jays fans the talent that made him a second round pick back in the 2010 draft. Sweeney has continued to do what he does best, reaching base in 20 of 24 August games. It hasn’t just been walks, as he’s hit and even hit with some authority. Sweeney has 26 hits in those 24 games, 10 of which have gone for extra base hits. In total, his August slash line is up to .292/.388/.461, which is exceptional production from the hot corner. His overall Vancouver line has risen up to respectability, sitting at .232/.339/.382 through 63 games. A month ago, it was looking like Sweeney was going to fall off my top 30 prospect list altogether, but he’s done enough here in August to tread water and earn himself another look in 2013.

5. RHP John Stilson (NH): 0-0, 5 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K

All season I have been pushing the “John Stilson to the bullpen” card, and after a short stint on the disabled list earlier this month, the Blue Jays have finally responded. Stilson simply doesn’t have the mechanics or durability to pitch 200 innings year in and year out – the risk of shoulder aggravation is too great. The 2011 third round pick seems to have taken to the relief role quite well, as in his five total appearances (seven innings), Stilson has allowed just eight base runners and one run, while striking out nine. He even earned his first career save on August 17th – the first of many, I hope. While closing for Texas A&M his stuff played up extremely well, and if that has carried over to pro ball, the Blue Jays could have a very electric reliever on their hands.

6. LHP Justin Nicolino (LAN): 1-0, 5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Nicolino has appeared on five consecutive hot sheets, which speaks volumes about the type of season the left hander has had down in Lansing. I can’t say enough about the reliability of Nicolino, as since being moved exclusively to the rotation on June 11th, he’s pitched at least four innings in every game, and at least five in 12 of his last 13 starts. In the statistical age we currently live in, durability often gets overlooked, but there’s something to be said for a pitcher who can go out every fifth day and give your team a good chance to win. The fact Nicolino has found this consistency at just 20 years of age makes it that much more impressive. With another week left in the season, plus the playoffs, Nicolino could easily find himself approaching 130 innings before all is said and done. It’s not an insignificant jump (he had just 61 innings in 2011), but as he doesn’t throw max effort on every pitch, the Blue Jays obviously feel Nicolino has the type of arm that can handle such a workload without substantial risk.

7. 2B Christian Lopes (VAN): 24 AB, .375/.423/.417 (.840 OPS), 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 1 SB, 1/4 BB/K

Without a doubt, Christian Lopes has been the star hitter of short season ball in the Toronto organization. He skipped the Gulf Coast League and debuted with Bluefield, and after 49 exceptional games there, he received the promotion the Vancouver. Lopes hasn’t skipped a beat since setting foot on Canadian soil, as he has two or more hits in three of his five games for the club. Between the two levels, his overall season line is a well rounded .290/.347/.478. The Blue Jays may well have found their long term answer at second base, the problem is, at just 19 years old, Lopes is at least a few years away.

Honorable mention: Marcus Knecht (DUN)

1. RHP Anthony DeSclafani (LAN): 1-0, 17 IP, 15 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 14 K

Lansing right hander Anthony DeSclafani pitching for the University of Florida during the 2011 season (Rob Foldy, GaterCountry.com)

Since being separated from Noah Syndergaard, Anthony DeSclafani has flown under the prospect radar down in Lansing. Over the past two weeks, however, he’s been the most dominant arm on the staff. DeSclafani made three starts, and despite being fantastically dominant, the Lugnuts offense could only give him one win. He maintained his season long exceptional command, walking only two in his 17 innings, but displayed strikeout prowess we haven’t seen since he pitched in relief earlier this year. In July, DeSclafani struck out only 9 batters in 27 innings, a number he’s already bested in just three starts. He struck out seven on August 12th, which was the second highest total of his season (8, on May 17th). I still feel his ultimate future lies in the bullpen where his fastball/slider combination should allow him to flourish, but the fact the Blue Jays have kept him in the rotation to receive extra innings for development is a huge plus for the long term.

2. CF D.J. Davis (GCL): 25 AB, .240/.424/.440 (.864 OPS), 3 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 5 SB, 5/11 BB/K

Toronto’s top pick in the 2012 draft has started his career off very smoothly. Davis’ athleticism was without question, but there was plenty to debate about his offensive game. He’s quelled some of those concerns early on, as he’s managed 11 extra base hits in 39 games as well as an acceptable .248 batting average. The speed has been as advertised, as with 18 stolen bases, he’s leading the Gulf Coast League. Complex league statistics are basically meaningless and should be taken with a grain of salt, but it’s good to see Davis having some success.

3. LF Marcus Knecht (DUN): 30 AB, .300/.417/.467 (.883 OPS), 5 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 2 SB, 3/9 BB/K

Knecht was the one of the three 2011 Lansing outfielders to make the jump to Dunedin this year, and was the median player in terms of production. Now in August, he’s the only of the three still with the team. Marisnick received his promotion to Double-A last month, while Crouse was demoted back to Single-A. The season has been a continuum of mediocrity for Knecht, as outside of a dominant May, he’s struggled to keep his OPS in the .700’s. His secondary stats (9.8 BB% and 182 ISO) have remained strong, but contact has been a serious issue, with his strikeout rate soaring to 28.9%. Knecht’s August has started with a bang; we’ll have to see if he can maintain it through to the end of the year.

4. 3B Kellen Sweeney (VAN): 41 AB, .268/.362/.488 (.850 OPS), 4 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 1 SB, 5/4 BB/K

Sweeney has been one of the system’s biggest disappointments this year, as many – myself included – were looking for him to take a big step forward. The Blue Jays were clearly onboard as well, as they assigned him to full season Lansing with only 25 career games under his belt. He was awful for the Lugnuts, and after a demotion he was even worse through his first few weeks in Vancouver. Sweeney has begun to turn things around, as with an .850 OPS to start August his overall Vancouver line is up to .212/.320/.364 (.684 OPS). His power has been far better than expected, particularly given the large dimensions of the park the Canadians play in, and the walks, as expected, are plentiful. There’s still a long way to go, but it’s good to see him finishing the year on a positive note.

5. RHP Javier Avendano (VAN): 2-0, 16 IP, 10 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 19 K

I still don’t really know what to make of Javier Avendano. He had four strong years in the Cardinals organization, and despite being just 21, they allowed him to be taken in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft. With Toronto, Avendano opened the year in relief with Single-A Lansing, and performed very well. As a reward, the team decided to demote him to Vancouver, where he’s shifted to the rotation. The numbers improved, as evident by his dominance in August listed above, raising his season totals to a 1.53 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 10.60 K/9 through a career high 88.1 innings. His performance earned him the Northwest League pitcher of the week award. What the Blue Jays ultimately plan on doing with Avendano is a mystery, but he’s handled everything the team has thrown at him so far.

6. 2B Christian Lopes (BLU): 33 AB, .364/.364/.515 (.879 OPS), 5 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 1 SB, 0/3 BB/K

Lopes has been one of Bluefield most consistently productive hitters this season, which is significant given the insane prospect depth on the roster. His .813 OPS this year is better than that of Santiago Nessy (.730), Matt Dean (.657), Dickie Thon (.646), Dwight Smith Jr (.629), and Jacob Anderson (.603). A lot of that has been driven by his extra base power, as he’s first on the team in triples, and his doubles total (16) is twice the total of the team’s second highest player (Nessy, 8). Lopes was mostly overlooked when offseason prospect rankings were written, but should find himself in the top 30 this winter.

7. 1B Mike McDade (LAS): 45 AB, .356/.375/.511 (.886 OPS), 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 0 SB, 2/5 BB/K

After being the lone offensive prospect in New Hampshire for much of the year, McDade finally received a promotion to Las Vegas. The problem is, d’Arnaud is injured, Snider and Thames were traded, and Gose, Sierra, Hechavarria, Cooper, and Gomes are in Toronto. Long story short, he’s once again in a very thin lineup. Big Mac has gotten off to a very hot start with the 51s, with five multi-hit games already in August. Unfortunately, McDade was placed on the minor league disabled list this week, so both his season – and the Las Vegas offense – take yet another blow.

8. RF Michael Crouse (LAN): 28 AB, .250/.364/.571 (.935 OPS), 0 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 0 SB, 5/8 BB/K

To say Crouse’s 2012 season has been a disappointment would be a colossal understatement. After producing an .827 OPS in the Midwest League last year – arguably the hardest of the minor leagues in which to hit – Crouse joined Knecht and Jake Marisnick in Dunedin, where he did next to nothing. In parts of three months, he maintained a batting average around the .200 mark with an on-base percentage below .300. Both his power and speed, which were superb last season, vanished. Even a demotion back to Lansing wasn’t enough to rekindle the spark – at least until this week. Crouse smashed three home runs, which is the greatest total of anyone on the hot sheet.

Honorable mention:
Jorge Vega-Rosado (BLU), Jesus Gonzalez (GCL), Justin Nicolino (LAN)

1. 3B Kevin Ahrens (DUN): 17 AB, .471/.526/.882 (1.408 OPS), 1 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 0 SB, 2/5 BB/K

Kevin Ahrens is set to enter his fifth season with the Blue Jays. The native of Houston, Tx., was a first round draft pick in 2007 and is hoping to prove the skeptics wrong by earning a place at third base for the Jays this year. (Arun Srinivasan/Toronto Observer)

I had a small glimmer of optimism with Ahrens after he performed fairly well in the Arizona Fall League last year. It’s predominantly a Double-A to Triple-A talent level, so I imagined his performance would create a Double-A assignment in 2012, especially given the lack of depth at that position. Instead, Toronto assigned him to Dunedin, where he’s opened the year for an astonishing four straight years. Now 23 years old, the door has all but closed on Ahrens’ major league future, but career-best weeks from former first round picks deserve mention. He has three home runs this season, all of which have come in the last eight days. This is Ahrens’ first placement on the Blue Jays prospect hot sheet –- and very likely his last –- but as someone who still fondly and naively remembers the Chipper Jones comparisons on draft day, it was nice to relish in his success, even if only for a couple of minutes.

2. C Travis d’Arnaud (LAS): 24 AB, .417/.440/.583 (1.023 OPS), 1 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 0 SB, 1/7 BB/K

Travis d’Arnaud didn’t have a great week, which makes the 1000+ OPS that much more impressive. In six games, he totaled only two extra base hits and a single walk. Yet, thanks to 10 hits, his overall numbers look very good. The power numbers this season have, unsurprisingly, been otherworldly. His extra base hit percentage is up to 40% with an isolated power of 248. The only discernible problem with d’Arnaud’s year has been his plate discipline. While his 18.1% strikeout rate is the lowest it’s been since 2009, it’s still a little high for a 23-year-old elite prospect in Triple-A. His 7.4% walk rate is in a similar boat, as while it’s in the average range, elite prospects should be better than average.

3. LHP Sean Nolin (DUN): 1-0, 5.2 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K

Nolin has been one of the most pleasant surprises of the 2012 season. He had a solid professional debut with Lansing in 2011, but has taken his game to the next level this year. His latest impressive start on June 5th propelled his season record to 7-0, and Nolin has been a huge factor in Dunedin clinching the first half division title. With a 2.43 ERA and 1.15 WHIP through the first two-plus months of the season, one has to doubt he’s long for A-ball, as Nolin is quickly proving himself to be ready for the upper minors. With the Double-A Fisher Cats sitting dead last in the Eastern League, they could certainly use his talent.

4. 1B Mike McDade (NH): 22 AB, .273/.360/.545 (.905 OPS), 3 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 0 SB, 3/3 BB/K

Big Mac has been the lone bright spot on an otherwise thin New Hampshire offense. With the preseason promotions of d’Arnaud, Gose, Hechavarria, Sierra, and Gomes, and the season ending injury of A.J. Jimenez, there are really no other noteworthy prospects in the starting nine. Opposing pitchers appear to have taken note, as with 27 walks through only 59 games –- including three base on balls this week –- he’s on pace to shatter his previous career high of 33 back in 2008. Teams can simply work around McDade, as no one else in the lineup can do any significant kind of damage to them. I’d really like to see him get a chance at Las Vegas with a lineup of top prospects, but until Toronto can sort out the David Cooper/Adam Lind/Vladimir Guerrero mess, McDade appears stuck in New Hampshire.

5. RHP Javier Avendano (LAN): 1-0, 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 11 K

The Lansing long man snuck onto the second edition of the Blue Jays prospect hot sheet, and thanks to a thin group of performances from the system’s elite talent this week, he finds himself in the fifth spot again. Avendano appeared in three games and displayed some of his versatility, earning a win, a hold, and a save. He’s been a big strikeout guy this year, and his 11 strikeouts over six innings this week boosted his season total to 39 in 30.1 innings (11.57 K/9). With the Syndergaard/DeSclafani tandem often struggling to reach their seven or eight innings, Avendano has been a huge asset to the first place Lansing team this year.

Honorable mention: Marcus Knecht (DUN), Adeiny Hechavarria (LAS), Sean Ochinko (NH)

1. C/1B/3B Yan Gomes (LAS): 27 AB, .407/.407/.556 (.963 OPS), 4 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 0 SB, 0/0 BB/K

Mar 3, 2012; Dunedin, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays catcher Yan Gomes (68) throws to second base during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Florida Auto Exchange Park. The Blue Jays defeated the Pirates 7-1. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE

To say Yan Gomes is on a hot streak would be a bit of an understatement. After setting a career high in 2011 with 13 home runs – in only 290 at-bats, mind you – Gomes was assigned to the Arizona Fall League where he continued to rake, hitting .302/.380/.413 in 19 games. That performance resulted in an invitation to the major league camp at this year’s spring training, where he turned heads hitting .333/.333/.590 in 20 games. Many fans were clamoring for him to steal the backup catching job from Jeff Mathis, but that was more than a bit ridiculous in every sense of the word. Now back in Triple-A, Gomes has found playing time all over the diamond, with starts at catcher, first base and third base  just in the past week. The lack of a defined defensive role hasn’t slowed his bat, however, as he has displayed his usual extra base power and aggressive plate approach. He’s currently riding a six-game hit streak, including five multi-hit efforts.

2. RHP/LHP Jaron Nanchez (LAN): 1-0, 6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K

While the three inning, piggyback appearances are good for controlling innings, they’re awful for gauging performance. For this week, Justin Nicolino and Aaron Sanchez have combined to create the super pitcher whose awful nickname rivals only Mike Wilner’s strange creations: Jaron Nanchez. The two pitchers worked the first six innings of Lansing’s April 19th game against Burlington, and were instrumental in the victory. Their outstanding start paved the way for a 2-0 victory, and the Lugnuts are now a perfect 3-0 in games in which this duo has appeared. Things will get very exciting in the summer, as the organization loosens the reins and allows Lansing to unleash these two on the opposition in back-to-back games.

3. RF Moises Sierra (LAS): 26 AB, .385/.407/.500 (.907 OPS), 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 0 SB, 1/6 BB/K

Sierra’s three home runs last week made him one of the last cuts, but his all-around solid offensive performance – coupled with the struggles of most other top prospects – earned him the number three spot on the list this week. When healthy, Sierra has always shown legitimate power potential, and in my top prospect rankings at Hypocritical Sports Fan, I glibly suggested Sierra could hit .320 with 5 home runs in April and get people talking. In hindsight, I might have undersold him. The Pacific Coast League – especially Las Vegas – is a hitter’s paradise, so this could be the first of many appearances for Sierra on the Blue Jays prospect hot sheet this season.

4. LHP David Rollins (LAN): 0-0, 9.1 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 11 K

While Rollins lacks the star potential of many of his rotation mates in Lansing, the 2011 draft pick has gotten off to a hot start while providing his team with valuable innings. With good command of a well-rounded three pitch arsenal, he has been able to generate impressive strikeout-to-walk numbers throughout his career. Rollins made two starts this week, but failed to factor into the decision in either of them. It was no fault of his, however, as evidenced by his 0 runs allowed across the two games. Jays Journal editor Jared Macdonald was able to watch his career-best start on April 17 (4.1 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K) in person, and had a glowing review of the young left hander.

5. RHP Javier Avendano (LAN): 0-1, 3.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K

Few Blue Jays fans are familiar with Javier Avendano, as the right hander was selected in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft last winter. He was drafted out of the St. Louis Cardinals organization, and has been acting as the Carlos Villanueva-like long-man for the Class-A Lansing club, working more than one inning in each of his four games this season. Avendano made two relief appearances this week, and while the 1.80 WHIP is less than attractive, he incredibly recorded 9 of his 10 outs by way of the strikeout – good for an insane 24.30 K/9. Hopefully the system’s prospects will perform well enough in the weeks ahead that a relief pitcher doesn’t take one of the top five spots, but Avendano’s performance certainly deserved recognition.

Travis Snider Watch: 30 AB, .433/.514/.733 (1.247 OPS), 6 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 1 SB, 5/3 BB/K

Another week of domination at Triple-A, and another week of me wondering why I am forced to watch Eric Thames do his best Juan Pierre impression up in Toronto. Not only has Thames struggled at the plate – the one thing he should be good at – but he’s been a butcher in left field; the easiest defensive position in baseball. His awful base running error last week only further emphasized the mistake Toronto made when they chose to bring Thames north and leave Travis Snider behind.

Thames is more than capable of having a decent major league career, but for an organization who has high aspirations – and more importantly, a better all-around player waiting in the wings – there is absolutely no reason for him to be the starting left fielder. Snider’s monster week boosted his season line to .431/.500/.769 (1.269), which is far too loud for the “Vegas effect” to be a viable disclaimer. Fact: Snider’s current slugging percentage (.769) is higher than Thames’ career OPS in the majors (.753).

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On a night where gusty winds made for a chilly atmosphere for the announced attendance of 646, I was fortunate to be one of mere 30 actual people that were on-hand to witness this impressive pitching display from two highly-touted right-handers.

Ranked as the Jays’ best pitching prospect and No. 99 in all of baseball by MLB.com, Noah Syndergaard, known for his blazing fastball, lived up to the hype while showcasing an impressive curveball.

That curveball got Syndergaard his first strikeout of the game in the first inning, but a throwing error from Lugnuts backup catcher Pierce Rankin allowed the runner to reach base. After a stolen base and a groundout advanced the runner to third, Syndergaard induced a popout to end the frame unscathed.

Using his curveball once again in the second inning, Syndergaard threw off the timing of his next victim, Silver Hawks first baseman Bobby Stone, to record his second swinging strikeout of the night. Then, after giving up a single, Syndergaard proceeded to freeze the next two batters and strike them both out looking — the first on a curveball and the second on a fastball, for good measure.

Then in the third inning, after using a fastball to rack up his fifth strikeout of the night, Syndergaard fielded a bunt attempt down the first base line and twirled an off-balance toss that wound up taking Lugnuts first baseman K.C. Hobson off of the bag, allowing the runner to reach safely. He responded by going right after Silver Hawks DH Gerson Montilla, who flailed helplessly out in front of yet another curveball to give Syndergaard his sixth and final strikeout of the night.

For a guy who apparently needs to work on his off-speed stuff, Syndergaard seems to be doing just fine. He toggled between his fastball, curveball and circle changeup while allowing merely three hits in three scoreless innings with six strikeouts. The man he was up against, however, pitched even better.

Archie Bradley, considered the Diamondbacks’ No. 2 prospect and No. 20 in baseball overall, single-handedly overpowered the Lugnuts in five no-hit innings. Hovering in the mid-90s with his fastball, Bradley, who told MiLB.com later in the night that he could have gone the whole game if his manager wanted him to, looked exactly like a top prospect. He fanned a personal-high eight batters – including a stretch of six straight – induced nine groundouts and issued a pair of walks that both came after full counts.

Despite not managing a hit, the Lugnuts had runners in scoring position in three of Bradley’s five innings thanks to some poor fielding by South Bend and a stolen base from Lansing center fielder Markus Brisker, who had been hit in the helmet with a fastball moments before. The Lugnuts that reached base gave Bradley a few chances to showcase his impressive pickoff move, and there was one time where he started to walk off the mound because he thought he had gotten a runner at first.

The star pitching duel between Syndergaard and Bradley overshadowed an impressive performance by Lugnuts right-hander Anthony DeSclafani, who worked quickly and finished with three scoreless innings of his own, including three strikeouts.

Things got interesting for DeSclafani in the fifth, though, when Lugnuts third baseman Kellen Sweeney fielded a two-out grounder but airmailed the throw way over the head of Hobson to extend the inning. Then, fielding a single from the very next batter, Brisker misplayed the ball in center field but threw out the potential first run of the game rounding third with a great throw to the plate.

Also important not to be overlooked was a dominant performance from right-handed Lugnuts reliever Javier Avendano, who struck out all six batters he faced thanks primarily to his filthy curveball. Avendano, a 21-year-old from Venezuela, was selected by the Blue Jays in the minor league portion of last year’s Rule 5 Draft.

Lugnuts closer Ajay Meyer, who found his footing with Bluefield last year but has really carved himself a role in the back end of Lansing’s bullpen, logged his league-leading fifth save of the year in only the Lugnuts’ 11^th game of the season.

-JM

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