Toronto Blue Jays 2018 Top Prospects: #9 Sean Reid-Foley

Our 9th ranked prospect for 2018 struggled in the 2017 season at Double-A, New Hampshire. However, Sean Reid-Foley still maintains the status of a highly regarded prospect in the Blue Jays system.

It certainly wasn’t the season Blue Jays top prospect Sean Reid-Foley was hoping for entering the year after his stellar 2016 breakout campaign. In 2016 between Class A Dunedin and Double-A New Hampshire, he posted a combined 3.04 ERA in a total of 115.1 innings. His record for the season was 10-5 in 21 starts.

However, 2017 was a different story for MLB Pipeline’s #6 prospect in the Blue Jays system. The right-hander struggled in his first full season with the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, and his 5.09 ERA and his losing record 10-11 show just that. The BB9 rate rose from 3.0 in 2016 to 3.6 in 2017. Also, his SO/9 fell from 10.1 to 8.3, a significant drop. The positives that can be taken from his campaign are the number of innings he pitched, and the starts he made, both career highs for Reid-Foley.

Name: Sean Reid-Foley
Position: RHP        Age: 22
Height: 6’3”    Age: 220 lbs.
Throws: Right            Bats: Right
Acquired: 2nd round pick (2014)

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Reid-Foley’s fastball can reach 97 mph at times, but it’s usually about 92-95 mph. His slider, as well as his curveball, have above average potential according to MLB Pipeline. In his scouting report, it says “Reid Foley’s deceptive delivery and arm action make him particularly tough on right-handed hitters”. So expect swing and misses when Reid Foley pitches.

The 22-year-old will start the 2018 season at Double-A or Triple A. He’ll need to bring back down his BB/9 rate to be more consistent, and most importantly bring down his HR/9 rate. From 2014 to 2016 it did not pass the 0.4 mark. However, in 2017 it went all the way up to 1.5, which obviously impacted his overall numbers.

At 22, Reid-Foley still has time to refine his four main pitches, curveball, slider, changeup, and his mid 90’s fastball. This coming season will be key for him as a comeback campaign and could see him earn a spot in September and make him a possible option for the 2019 season due to the fact that J.A. Happ, and Marco Estrada are free agents after 2018. Last year may have been a setback, but there should be time and opportunity left for the hard-throwing righty.

Next: Blue Jays need to take a run at Alex Cobb

Top-30 Blue Jays Prospect Rankings:
#30: OF Jonathan Davis    #29: OF Harold Ramirez    #28: OF Joshua Palacios 

#27: 1B/OF Ryan Noda    #26: SS Kevin Smith    #25: OF Roemon Fields                

#24: P Angel Perdomo    #23: C Reese McGuire     #22: OF Dwight Smith Jr. 

#21: P Jordan Romano    #20: P Jon Harris    #19: P Tim Mayza

#18: C Riley Adams    #17: P Thomas Pannone    #16: P Justin Maese

#15: C Hagen Danner   #14: C Max Pentecost    #13: 1B Rowdy Tellez

#12: P Eric Pardinho    #11: SS Richard Urena    #10: P Ryan Borucki