Minor League Review: Dunedin Blue Jays
The early results from Buffalo and New Hampshire have been promising for the team's top prospects there. The same can't be said for many of the prospects in Dunedin. It's still way too early to draw any definite conclusions from the numbers, but there are a few whose strikeout or walk numbers are a tad concerning. These articles at this point aren't so much for drawing conclusions as they are to get an idea of how players are doing early on so we can get an idea of how they progress throughout the season.
Logan Warmoth has been a below average hitter so far in the young season with a 80 wrc+. Much of that low number has to do with his .222 BABIP. His strikeout and walk percentages of 17.1 and 9.8 are quite good and point to an improved slash line. He has yet to hit for much power with just a .086 ISO. He isn't expected to hit for much power, so he will need his strikeout and walk numbers to stay where they are or improve if he hopes to be an asset at the plate.
Riley Adams is off to a brutal start with the bat. He has a .206/.229/.382 slash line and it can't really be blamed on his BABIP which sits at a slightly low .286. His poor performance has to do with his brutal 34.3% k Rate and equally bad 2.9% walk rate. His 17.5% swinging strike rate is second highest on the team, behind non-prospect John La Prise. Adams is considered a bat first catching prospect, so he will need to pick things up at the plate if he doesn't want his prospect star to diminish.
Joshua Palacios has yet to get much prospect hype due to lacking a standout tool and instead possessing solid skills across the board, aside from below average power. He produced strong results during his first two professional seasons and is off to a good start in 2018. He is hitting .366/.413/.415, but that is propped up by a .469 BABIP. His walk rate is an acceptable 8.7% and his strikeouts are a touch high at 21.7%
Anthony Alford has been on a rehab assignment in Dunedin and has hit well in 17 plate appearances. He has a 130 wrc+ thanks to a very strong 11.8% walk rate and a .400 BABIP. The strikeouts are high at 23.5%. Strikeouts are an area of concern for me regarding Alford. In 2016 he had an unacceptable 29.2% strikeout rate, but managed to lower it to 15.6% at AA last year. However, his swinging strike rate stayed the same. Keep an eye on his k rate, because it could be the thing that keeps him from his sky-high potential.
Dalton Pompey is also on a rehab assignment and his peripheral numbers look pretty good. He's striking out just 16.7% and walking an acceptable 8.3%. Pompey is a bit of a forgotten man with the likes of Alford and Hernandez passing him on the depth chart. However, Pompey is still just 25 years old and still has plus speed that makes him a threat in the field and on the bases. If he can maintain a solid OBP he has the potential to be a valuable player at the major league level. He doesn't have to hit a lot to provide value. Hopefully he can stay healthy and show us why he was such a highly touted prospect just a few years ago.
TJ Zeuch has done well in 3 starts. He has a 2.89 ERA through 18.2 innings with 17 strikeouts and 4 walks. Zeuch's 1.93 BB/9 is very exciting when you put it next to his 60.3 groundball percentage. He has a similar statistical profile to Marcus Stroman. Nate Pearson has the highest ceiling among Blue Jays pitching prospects, but I believe Zeuch has the highest floor.
Patrick Murphy has had trouble staying healthy, but when he's on the mound he has had strong results. In 2 starts so far this season he has a 3.60 ERA. He generates a lot of groundballs, but doesn't have the same command that makes TJ Zeuch so exciting. He has back-of-the-rotation potential if he can stay healthy.
