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The affiliates came out on top five times out of seven on Tuesday and three Vancouver Canadians contributed to the Northwest League's victory over the Pioneer League in Utah.


Syracuse 5 Buffalo 1 (Game 1 - 7 Innings)

Syracuse, NY
- The Nationals lit up Casey Lawrence (2-4, 3.86) in the first two innings to earn the victory. There was an unearned run in the first after an Andy Burns error at short to start the game and two more unearned markers took place in the second after Lawrence botched a sacrifice bunt. The damage was done on four hits and two walks but Lawrence flipped the switch after that by setting down the last 13 hitters in a row for a six-inning complete game that featured two strikeouts and nine groundouts.

The Bisons' only run came in the form of a Darrell Ceciliani home run in the second that briefly tied the game at 1-1. A.J. Jimenez had a pair of hits while Burns singled and Dalton Pompey walked. Chris Colabello was 0-for-3.


Buffalo 4 Syracuse 0 (Game 2)

Syracuse, NY
- The Herd managed to split the doubleheader and get back above the .500 mark. They rumbled to a 2-0 lead on a Matt Dominguez double in the first to plate a Darrell Ceciliani single and a Chris Colabello walk. Erik Kratz doubled in the second and would later come in to score on a Jio Mier fielder's choice. Mier would drive in Kratz again with a base knock in the fourth. Kratz had two singles and a walk. Andy Burns and Jesus Montero both went 1-for-3 but Dalton Pompey was 0-for-4.

Pat Venditte pitched four innings and worked around five hits by striking out four with zero walks. Aaron Loup (3-0) navigated his way around a pair of hits by striking out the side in the fifth. Dustin Antolin struck out one in the sixth but gave up a hit and a walk in the seventh. Ryan Tepera came in to strand those runners with a 1-2-3 seventh for his 16th save.


New Hampshire 6 Akron 4

Manchester, NH
- The Fisher Cats fell behind 3-0 in the first but managed the score the next six runs to beat the Cleveland affiliate. RBI singles by Rowdy Tellez and Jason Leblebijian helped New Hampshire cut into the Akron lead in the first before Emilio Guerrero belted a two-run homer to score a Derrick Loveless base hit in the fourth. Roemon Fields padded the lead with a bunt single in the sixth and a double in the eighth. Tellez, Guerrero, Loveless, Fields, Christian Lopes and Ryan Lavarnway all had two hits with Lopes adding a walk. Dwight Smith Jr. was 1-for-4 but Shane Opitz was 0-for-4. Loveless, Guerrero and Tellez all stole bases.

Jeremy Gabryszwski (6-8, 4.71) recovered from a shaky first inning to get through five frames in which he gave up four hits, two walks and a hit by pitch. He struck out four to go along with three groundball outs. Murphy Smith gave the infielders more work in two innings with five groundouts to go with a strikeout in two perfect frames. Chris Smith gave up a run on two hits but struck out two over the final two frames for his eighth save.


Fort Wayne 6 Lansing 3

Fort Wayne, IN
- The Lugnuts had a pair of one-run leads early before falling to the Padres affiliate. Andrew Guillotte singled in the first and raced home on a Max Pentecost triple with the game's first run. Pentecost would double home an extra-base hit by Jake Thomas in the third to regain the lead for Lansing. John La Prise would drive in the final run in the sixth with a double to score Ryan Hissey, who took one for the team. Justin Atkinson joined Pentecost in the two-hit club with a pair of singles. Guillotte and La Prise were on base twice after drawing walks.

Justin Maese (1-1, 3.22) was jolted for four runs (three earned) in 5-1/3 innings on nine hits, including a two-run home run. He struck four, walked nobody and induced a half-dozen groundball outs. Daniel Young walked one and struck out one to get through the sixth. Tom Robson was roughed up for two runs on three hits but had a 4-0 K/BB total over two innings.


Bluefield 5 Burlington 0

Burlington, NC
- Juandy Mendoza's two-run single gave the Jays a 2-0 first-inning lead and that was more than Yennsy Diaz (3-3, 4.67) would need as he trumped the Royals with six shutout innings of two-hit ball, walking one and striking out eight. Diaz finished with a flourish, retiring the last 10 hitters he faced to earn a Game Score of 78. Five of his nine outs in play were on the ground. Andrew Deramo worked a 1-2-3 seventh before giving way to Chris Hall, who walked one and struck out one in the eighth. Connor Eller turned in the same pitching line as Hall in finishing up the ninth.

After Mendoza's two-run knock, Levi Scott doubled in a run in the third before Matt Morgan and Javier Monzon went yard in the sixth and eighth innings respectively. Nick Sinay had an eventful day with a hit, a walk, two hit by pitches and a stolen base. Scott and Reggie Pruitt both had a hit and a walk. Pruitt and Monzon also swiped a base apiece. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. sat this one out.



GCL Blue Jays 3 GCL Tigers East 0

Lakeland, FL
- The Jays had just three hits but still won thanks in large part to Lane Thomas. He launched one over the wall to lift the Jays to a 1-0 lead in the first before putting his legs to more strenuous use in the seventh when he singled, stole second and third before coming home on a wild pitch. Alfredo Bohorquez brought in a run the painful way by taking one for the team with the bases loaded in the second. Ryan Gold had the other hit after replacing Owen Spiwak, who walked all three times in his plate appearances. Jon Berti and Jesus Navarro both walked with Berti also stealing a bag. Miguel Almonte was hit by a baseball.

Wilfri Aleton (3-1, 1.43) tamed the Tigers over 5-2/3 shutout innings on three hits and a walk. He struck out four and recorded six outs on the ground for a Game Score of 70. William Ouellette stranded a runner for Aleton in the sixth and pitched 2-1/3 innings of one-walk ball. Jared Carkuff took no guff from the Tigers, save for a hit, in a scoreless ninth for save number seven.


DSL Blue Jays 10 DSL White Sox 3

Boca Chica, DR
- The Jays broke a 2-2 tie with a five-run fourth to upend the Pale Hose. Aldo Ovando, Andres Guerra and McGregory Contreras all ran the count to ball four before racing home on a double by Jonelvy Molina. Luis De Los Santos brought in the other two runs with a single in the fourth. Molina brought in the Jays' first run with an RBI groundout to the mound in the second and De Los Santos delivered a run in the third with a double. After a run-scoring wild pitch in the seventh, Contreras tripled home a Guerra walk before coming home on a Molina base hit. The quartet of De Los Santos, Ovando, Contreras and Molina all had two hits. Contreras walked twice but Guerra did the ball four stroll three times.

Luis Mendoza's (2-5, 2.82) line was a complete game three-hitter that saw him walk three, plunk one and whiff six. One of the three runs was unearned after a pair of errors by Ronald Concepion at second base. Mendoza gave the infielders a lot of work with 13 groundball outs, resulting in a Game Score of 79.


Tuesday's Linescores


Northwest League 11 Pioneer League 5


Cavan Biggio contributed a key triple in the Northwest League's victory over the Pioneer League.

Ogden, UT - Three members of the Vancouver Canadians helped the Northwest League defeat the Pioneer League. Cavan Biggio had a two-run triple to put the Northwest League ahead for good and went 2-for-3. Patrick Murphy got the win despite giving up four runs on four hits, including a two-run homer in the fourth but two of the runs were unearned. Javier Hernandez was 0-for-1 after entering the game behind the dish in the seventh.


*** 3 Stars!!! ***


3. Erik Kratz, Buffalo


2. Luis Mendoza, DSL Blue Jays


1. Yennsy Diaz, Bluefield



And finally, your random blast from the past Blue Jays minor leaguer.

Diaz & Mendoza Line Up Wins | 43 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
China fan - Wednesday, August 03 2016 @ 01:58 PM EDT (#328075) #
Since people always mention Dalton Pompey's hot streaks as proof that he should be promoted, I feel compelled to mention -- purely for the sake of balance -- that Pompey has an average of .182 over the past 10 games.

Personally I think it's fairer to look at his numbers over the full season, so that the sample is bigger, and the ups and downs are balanced out.  For 2016 so far, he has a batting average of .283 and an OBP of .350 with very little power.  His OPS is .713.   He does have speed, and I guess the question is whether he can translate the OBP to a decent number in the majors.  How much would we reduce the .350 OBP to equalize it to a MLB probable number?  And we could factor in his .372 OBP last season in Buffalo.  So we could say that he averages a .360 OBP at the AAA level.   If we reduce that to (hypothetically) around .325 or .330 in the majors, it's on the margins of being good enough for a major-league job, as long as the Jays are prepared to accept his minimal slugging power.

uglyone - Wednesday, August 03 2016 @ 02:15 PM EDT (#328078) #
you were just waiting for him to have a bad day like yesterday's doubleheader, eh?

Last 5: .283avg, .350obp, .063iso, 101wrc+
Last 10: .182avg, .250obp, .030iso, 33wrc+
Last 15: .275avg, .333obp, .059isi, 93wrc+
Last 20: .310avg, .375obp, .127iso, 135wrc+

Did he run over your dog or something?
China fan - Wednesday, August 03 2016 @ 02:30 PM EDT (#328080) #
Didn't you notice that the bulk of my post was about Pompey's season numbers and his 2015 numbers, rather than yesterday's games?

You seem to take it very personally if anyone questions your enthusiasm for Pompey.  What's wrong with me providing a little balance for your endlessly zealous praise of the guy?

The bigger question is why the Jays have repeatedly refused to promote Pompey over the past two seasons.  Why do they give major-league playing time to Carrera and Lake, and why did they trade for Upton, rather than promoting Pompey as you advocate?   Your theory, as expressed here in the past, is that he didn't get promoted because of some minor injuries that he suffered.  Obviously not true, since his DL stints have been just a small fraction of the past two seasons.  So let's look for other reasons.  But when I look for those other reasons, you don't want to hear them, or you think it's some petty vendetta.  I'm just trying to help all of us understand why he's still in the minors, despite the Jays often needing a new outfielder.

SK in NJ - Wednesday, August 03 2016 @ 02:38 PM EDT (#328083) #
Ramirez: 3-4, 2B, BB
Urena: 3-5, 3B
McGuire: 1-4
John Northey - Wednesday, August 03 2016 @ 02:43 PM EDT (#328084) #
Good point there China Fan. I hope Pompey can make it but odds are he'd become a Billy Hamilton type - 244/290/333 with 162 SB vs 37 CS. Pompey seems better (in the minors) at getting on base. Hamilton never played in AAA but lifetime in minors was 280/351/377 (with 155 SB in one season...glurg). Very useful as a 4th OF but not as an everyday one. I suspect if the Jays make the playoffs they will find a slot for Pompey again as his baserunning is fantastic.
jerjapan - Wednesday, August 03 2016 @ 02:46 PM EDT (#328086) #
The bigger question is why the Jays have repeatedly refused to promote Pompey over the past two seasons.

Respectfully, this argument could be viewed as an appeal to authority ... they haven't promoted him, and they are the experts, therefore something is wrong with Pompey.

My view of his lack of a promotion is the fact that they want him playing everyday, and they want to control his service time. 

IMO, Pompey gets the call in September and has a shot at making the team next Spring, barring any unexpected offseason moves. 
jerjapan - Wednesday, August 03 2016 @ 02:49 PM EDT (#328087) #
also, I continue to love your old baseball cards #2.  Medicine Hat - that really has to be the lowest rung on the minor league ladder that I can recall.
PeterG - Wednesday, August 03 2016 @ 02:54 PM EDT (#328088) #
I agree that they wanted Pompey to have a full year in Buffalo as he had been aggressively promoted the previous season. I don't know whether he can be a starter or just a good 4th OF. As said above, he will get a good look in ST and at some point in season. If he does not step up though, Ramirez may pass him on depth list. There's that.
China fan - Wednesday, August 03 2016 @ 03:01 PM EDT (#328091) #
"....this argument could be viewed as an appeal to authority ... they haven't promoted him, and they are the experts..."

Nobody on this site has deferred to authority -- we question everything!   So I don't think an appeal to authority would be a very good argument for anyone to make.  And that's certainly not the basis for my argument.  The Jays might be right, or they might be wrong.  But the dominant narrative on this site is that the Jays are wrong -- many people here have argued repeatedly (in 2015 and 2016) that Pompey should have been returned to the majors.  All I'm doing is asking -- what if they Jays are right?  If so, what is the possible basis for their opinion?
Mike Green - Wednesday, August 03 2016 @ 03:27 PM EDT (#328093) #
Pompey has had the following results in the high minors and major leagues:
AA- 271 PAs, .325/.387/.512
AAA- 566 PAs, .284/.361/.359
MLB- 143 PAs- .226/.295/.391

I think that he's good for .265/.325/.400 in MLB right now based on that record. 

The options to him against RHP are Smoak and Upton Jr.  Smoak is a less valuable player than Pompey taking into account batting, baserunning, defence.  Upton Jr.'s performance against RHP over the past 3 years is considerably worse than my projection for Pompey.  They are comparable as baserunners (maybe a slight edge to Upton Jr.).  Pompey is definitely a better outfielder. 

Even if you don't use Pompey every day, he has added use as a very effective base-stealing threat. 

I advocated for both Pillar and Pompey a couple of years ago.  I still think that Pompey is a better player, not that Pillar is anything less than good.

China fan - Wednesday, August 03 2016 @ 04:03 PM EDT (#328096) #
Mike, two questions:

  1) Why would you expect Pompey's power to improve in the majors when he hasn't shown any power at the AAA level?  He'll be 24 in a few months, he doesn't project as a power hitter, and his SLG has been a mediocre .359 at the AAA level, so why would it actually get better when he's hitting against much better pitchers in the majors?

  2) Why would you cite Upton's past 3 years as the comparison point, when you know that Upton went through an unusual slump in Atlanta?  A better point of comparison would be Upton's numbers in 2015 and 2016, and those numbers are better than Pompey's numbers in those same two seasons, even though Pompey is hitting against worse pitchers at the AAA level.  (Upton's major-league OPS in those two seasons is .740, compared to Pompey's OPS of .731 at the AAA level.)

I've also argued that a narrow look at Pompey's numbers is misleading because it omits the significant issues of erratic focus and lack of mental discipline, which were analyzed and acknowledged in the longest and most substantial published article on Pompey this year:
     http://bluejaysnation.com/2016/6/16/lott-dalton-pompey-is-learning-to-focus-on-focus

uglyone - Wednesday, August 03 2016 @ 04:15 PM EDT (#328097) #
"Didn't you notice that the bulk of my post was about Pompey's season numbers and his 2015 numbers, rather than yesterday's games?"

these numbers?

2015-16

AA 148pa, 7.4bb%, 15.5k%, .351avg, .405obp, 175wrc+, 7/10sb
AAA 576pa, 10.8bb%, 15.8k%, .284avg, .361obp, 111wrc+, 29/41sb

Since returning from last injury:

AAA 80pa, 10.0bb%, 17.5k%, .310avg, .375obp, 135wrc+
Mike Green - Wednesday, August 03 2016 @ 04:20 PM EDT (#328098) #
Power is best measured by IsoP.  I'm projecting an IsoP of .135 which is lower than his double A or MLB IsoP but higher than his triple A IsoP.  The batting average component has fluctuated quite a bit, and I am comfortable with a middle ground.  My projection for Pompey is significantly better than Upton's 2 year vs. RHP or 3 year vs. RHP.  I chose 3 year because I wanted something of an apples-to-apples comparison (some of Pompey's performance is from 2014).

Incidentally, it's kind of funny that Saunders was getting more time off at the beginning of the year than he is lately.  If you give Saunders a day off, you can give Pompey and Upton a start in the OF with Bautista DHing and Edwin at first base.  At that point, it's a pure Pompey vs. Smoak comparison which is a very low bar for Pompey to hurdle. 

uglyone - Wednesday, August 03 2016 @ 04:23 PM EDT (#328099) #
Pompey Isolated Power

MLB: 146pa, .165
AAA: 632pa, .076
AA: 275pa, .187
A+: 317pa, .152


Current 21yr old Comps (wRC+)

Pompey: A+ 150 / AA 138 / AAA 137 / MLB 105
Tellez: A+ --- / AA 141 / ---
Ramirez: A+ --- / AA 113
McGuire: A+ --- / AA 95
Alford: A+ 107

I can't wait for you to bail on them when they're not established mlbers the year after next.
China fan - Wednesday, August 03 2016 @ 04:32 PM EDT (#328100) #
Uglyone, you don't win debates by tossing a bunch of numbers at us and failing to acknowledge the small sample sizes.   Your usual tactic is to think that numbers alone will win debates.  Numbers without context -- without clear comparisons of sample size, level, etc. -- are as misleading as anything else.  Yet you keep doing it.
China fan - Wednesday, August 03 2016 @ 04:35 PM EDT (#328101) #
"....Since returning from last injury..."

An obvious example of cherry-picking.  Why is this more significant than his 2016 season numbers?  And why not at least acknowledge that this small sample (since last injury) has trended sharply downward in the past 10 games?
China fan - Wednesday, August 03 2016 @ 04:38 PM EDT (#328103) #
"....I can't wait for you to bail on them...."

When people don't share your zealous opinion of a prospect, it doesn't mean that we have "bailed on them."   I don't think anybody, least of all the Jays, has "bailed" on Pompey.  Some of us are just keeping a balanced perspective.  Yet it still provokes your ire.
Mike Green - Wednesday, August 03 2016 @ 04:54 PM EDT (#328106) #
The organization from Shapiro and Atkins to Gibbons does seem generally to have a preference for the "battle-tested", which among other things explains the Smoak extension.  I will certainly grant that it is a matter on which reasonable people may disagree, in light of Pompey's less-than-awesome 2016.  One person might see Smoak's (or Upton Jr's.) power and experience as a plus, another might see a player like Pompey and prefer his strengths in other areas. 

There do not appear to me to be any service time advantages to having Pompey in Buffalo at this point.

uglyone - Wednesday, August 03 2016 @ 06:18 PM EDT (#328121) #
"Uglyone, you don't win debates by tossing a bunch of numbers at us and failing to acknowledge the small sample sizes."

I literally used the sample you told me to.
uglyone - Wednesday, August 03 2016 @ 06:25 PM EDT (#328122) #
"An obvious example of cherry-picking. Why is this more significant than his 2016 season numbers? "

Well, when I include both the total and the partial sample, i don't think that can be cherrypicking. i mean all the numbers are there.

his hitting very well since finally getting past 3 injuries this year may be a fluke, and it may not be. It's a decent sample to take a snapshot of how he's doing currently though imo. and considering his numbers while dealing with those 3 injuries were well below what he usually does, there's at least some chance this is just him finally being healthy.

Overall, a decent description of his year is "comfortably above average at an age appropriate level, even in an injury riddled season".


It's funny because some people keep mentioning Montero as a 1B possibility with zero defensive value, and he's barely outhitting Pompey.

PeterG - Wednesday, August 03 2016 @ 06:49 PM EDT (#328129) #
Montero is more than barely outhitting Pompey. He could be a platoon DH or 1B option. He at least deserves a good look in ST if he is still with us. It will be difficult to find a 40 man spot for him in September as there are now only 2 obvious deletions. If another player is added through trade and a catcher is added in September, no more room.

I am thinking Kratz will be added in September, then DFA after season with possibly Jiminez being added then. I don't like Kratz that much but Gibbons does.
China fan - Wednesday, August 03 2016 @ 07:22 PM EDT (#328130) #
Mike, I think you're right about the Jays preference for veterans at this stage of the season.  But your point about Smoak (compared to Pompey) is a good one.  Smoak is still not showing any signs of improving his hitting numbers.  If we could be sure that Pompey would get enough playing time (so that his development isn't hindered), I would personally be willing to see Smoak riding the bench and Pompey getting some time in the outfield, with Bautista and Saunders seeing more time at DH.  As long as it's clear that it's only Smoak who loses playing time.  This would boost the defence and boost the speed on the base-paths. But my concern is that this scenario would probably lead to a reduction of Upton's playing time too, and I would rather see Upton getting untracked and getting enough time to stay sharp, because he could be a key piece this year.  I don't want a scenario that leads to Upton being mostly on the bench, and I suspect that's what would have to happen if Pompey is promoted and given significant playing time.
dan gordon - Thursday, August 04 2016 @ 01:44 AM EDT (#328166) #
While this year's numbers have dampened my enthusiasm for Pompey somewhat, I still think he has a very good chance to be a good big league player. He's still just 23. He reached the majors at 21, a year in which he OPS'd around .850 in both AA and AAA. He got off to a bad start last year, but turned things around. Injuries have probably been a factor in his numbers this year. Despite being pretty young, he's a career .283 hitter in the minors, will take a walk, has shown flashes of power, is a high percentage base stealer, and a good outfielder. Power is often the last skill to develop, and I think he can be a 12-15 HR guy.
Chuck - Thursday, August 04 2016 @ 05:53 AM EDT (#328170) #
I'd be surprised to see Pompey enter the team's calculus this year in any way that was different than last year. I imagine he'll once again be a September pinch-runner.

I would guess that the Pompey Experience will be revisited in the spring of 2017, when there should be more job openings in the outfield.

PeteMoss - Thursday, August 04 2016 @ 07:48 AM EDT (#328174) #
I think Montero has a AAAA rep. Sometimes those guys develop later (Chris Davis was a guy who always tore up AAA and then came up to the MLB and was terrible until joining Baltimore), but lots of those guys just never learn to handle the MLB.
Chuck - Thursday, August 04 2016 @ 08:07 AM EDT (#328178) #
Davis is not a great comp for Montero. Career minor league numbers:

Montero 3400 PA, 309/362/498
Davis 2000 PA, 318/374/596

Disclosure: Half of Davis' time was in the PCL. Only a quarter of Montero's was.

PCL or not, Davis' last stint in AAA (after about 800 MLB PA), at age 25, saw this line: 368/405/824 (24 HR in 210 PA).

It is difficult to be optimistic about Montero. Few teams have the roster space to carry such a limited bench player (can hit lefties, sort of, can play first base, sort of). Even if there was hidden potential there, I'm not sure who'd give him a chance to show it.

jensan - Thursday, August 04 2016 @ 10:27 AM EDT (#328194) #
I think Tampa Bay would give him the opportunity. Definitely San Diego. There are two teams.

I think LA Dodgers, so that they can get rid of Puig's salary and the headache.
cybercavalier - Thursday, August 04 2016 @ 10:29 AM EDT (#328196) #
Does Montero's batting order in the Triple-A lineups matter ? In Buffalo this season, he usually bat 3rd or cleanup: he carries the burden for batting runners in. His striking out hurts his chance to drive in runs. Pompey bats leadoff in most 2016 Bisons' lineup. Montero does not draw much walk and does strike out quite a bit: maybe slotting him 5th in the rest of this season Bisons' ball games.

A challenge to Pompey's ability where stats does not matter as much as in the MLB is bats him 2nd to make use of his switch hitting or 3rd.
2) Slot someone who has good pitch selection -- usually veterans who are stilling playing, to leadoff or 2nd.

1) a player good pitch selection, showing that in drawing walks or less striking out: IF Goins ? 2B Adams ? 3B Dominguez ?
CF Pompey
3B Dominguez, OF Ceciliani, DH Kotchman
1B Cola
C Kratz
1B/DH Montero
RF/LF Brown
OF Lake
IF Burns/ Casilla

Jimenez to pitch hit, Mier pitch run or defensive sub.

The idea was to put MLB vets 3,4,5. Players, who already has good pitch selection in comparison to an AAA MiLBer, play leadoff or second. Montero is batting 6th: someone is gonna get on base in front. He just needs to concentrate on cutting down the strike out.

uglyone - Thursday, August 04 2016 @ 11:03 AM EDT (#328198) #
I still don't really get it tbh.

2016 AAA

Montero (26): 123wrc+
Pompey (23): 108wrc+

Last month AAA

Montero (26): 104wrc+
Pompey (23): 113wrc+

Career MLB

Montero (21-25): 92wrc+
Pompey (21-22): 88wrc+

Career AAA

Montero (20-26): 128wrc+
Pompey (21-23): 114wrc+

Career AA

Montero (19-19): 152wrc+
Pompey (21-22): 158wrc+

One of these guys is an immobile DH, the other is a speed & defense CF.
PeterG - Thursday, August 04 2016 @ 11:28 AM EDT (#328202) #
Your work is valuable and appreciated Ugly but might have even more credibility if you didn't sometimes embellish. For example, I don't think that the Jays see Pompey as a CF but a corner and they clearly have concerns about his defense and concentration.

I am one of those that have mentioned Montero. Just think he deserves a major league look , that's all. He might be a late bloomer. What if Josh Donaldson had not been given an opportunity in Oakland?
Mike Green - Thursday, August 04 2016 @ 11:37 AM EDT (#328203) #
The Blue Jays are playing Pompey in CF in Buffalo most of the time.  In the event of an injury to Pillar, I am pretty sure that he would be up very quickly to fill the role.  If he were to be traded, I am pretty sure also that another club would see him as a CF. 

Pillar has turned out to be a far better defensive centerfielder than I imagined.  He's fast, but not that fast.  He has pretty good instincts but not great ones.  His athleticism, risk-taking and durability has (to date) been off the charts and that is what has made the difference.  He obviously works very hard at it. 

PeterG - Thursday, August 04 2016 @ 11:47 AM EDT (#328204) #
So, you guys think that the Jays have no concerns about Pompey? If so, you are clearly not paying attention and are letting personal bias cloud judgment.

I have posted many positive things about Pompey but am far from sure he will ever be a major league starter. He will likely get an opportunity next year but I would not be surprised if he turns out to be a 4th OF.
Mike Green - Thursday, August 04 2016 @ 11:55 AM EDT (#328205) #
I am sure that the club has some concerns about Pompey.  It is, however, interesting that he remains with the club after the deadline.  If they genuinely feel that he is a 4th outfielder in the making, they ought to trade him to a club that has a different opinion.  I'll bet that there is at least one out there. 
uglyone - Thursday, August 04 2016 @ 12:17 PM EDT (#328208) #
Pompey has been a CF his entire career, and a very good one. He was our starting CF last year at 22. There is no embellishment.

Pillar being a generational defensive CF is the only reason pompey has played in a corner.
Chuck - Thursday, August 04 2016 @ 12:31 PM EDT (#328210) #
I am one of those that have mentioned Montero. Just think he deserves a major league look

He's 26 and he's already had 800 MLB at-bats with a 94 OPS+. That's not conclusive evidence that he can't become a useful major leaguer, but I wouldn't want any team I am rooting for to go out of their way to give him another 400 at-bats to find out for sure.

To me, his only shot for playing time is to keep hanging around in AAA for whatever organization will have him and then hope to be an injury replacement in the majors.

lexomatic - Thursday, August 04 2016 @ 12:31 PM EDT (#328211) #
I think they have been waiting for Pompey to force the situation. He hasn't. He's had his moments, and had some decent seasons at AAA, but nothing great.
There will likely be openings next season and he'll have the chance to earn a position out of spring training, or go back to AAA and improve some part of his game to force things. Or, I guess wait for an injury.
Anyways, a .730 OPS in AAA isn't going to cut it. Yes, sometimes players improve in the majors, and I wouldn't be surprised if that happened  with him. Some guys stagnate staying in AAA. These 2 call-ups where he's failed to stick are his first real professional failures as a ballplayer. Some players get super motivated by that and it doesn't really appear that Pompey has. Maybe that's where the focus and character comments are coming from.
I still think Pompey has a reasonable chance at being a decent regular, but he's going to have to do something more than he has already. The one thing that concerns me is that his plate discipline numbers are significantly worse this season than last, with the power being about the same. He needs to show some kind of progress, which is the opposite of what he has done.

Hodgie - Thursday, August 04 2016 @ 12:53 PM EDT (#328212) #
"Some players get super motivated by that and it doesn't really appear that Pompey has. Maybe that's where the focus and character comments are coming from."

Unless I have missed something (which is certainly possible), I fail to recall Pompey's character ever being called into question, unless shaken confidence is considered a character flaw. Further, his focus issues as I have read them are all related to a problem with letting go of in game failures. I only bring this up as Pompey's issues, as discussed by fans, seem to be evolving into character failings that have little grounding in reality based on all reports and stories I have read.

PeterG - Thursday, August 04 2016 @ 12:57 PM EDT (#328213) #
I think that the main reason he is still with club is because OF situation for next year is very much up in the air. Pompey could still be traded in the off season or in ST. I am not saying that I don't think that he can be a starter, but that I have doubts and Ugly saying that he has always been a CF is just not true. He barely played centre at all last year.

As for Montero, there may be an opening at his position and not to at least give him a look would be foolish imo.
China fan - Thursday, August 04 2016 @ 01:14 PM EDT (#328215) #
"....his focus issues as I have read them are all related to a problem with letting go of in game failures...."

You're right.  According to the John Lott article (the best available analysis), his issues are a lack of focus and a lack of mental discipline.  Those are NOT "character" issues. Nobody is questioning his character, they're just noting his occasional difficulty in maintaining focus.  And those are issues that can be fixed, and the Jays are working with him to fix it.  Their new "player development" director, Gil Kim, has been working with him on it.  I'm not really worried about those issues long-term.  That's why he'll get a good long look in spring training 2017 to see if he can make the team as a starting outfielder.
uglyone - Thursday, August 04 2016 @ 01:31 PM EDT (#328219) #
And for those who think stats oversimplify, there's plenty of narrative to be read into pompey's AAA if you like....

He first got promoted to AAA at 21, where he posted an 137wrc+ in 56pa, then went up to MLB and posted a 105wrc+ in 43pa.

Age 22 he started the year in mlb and had a really tough april (63wrc+), was sent down and struggled just as bad for a month in AAA (59wrc+). Being that bad in AAA may have indicated a serious confidence issue.

So they sent him down to AA for month, where he raked at a ridiculous level (175wrc+), then came back up and once again showed the abiltity to rake AAA pitching for 2 months (143wrc+), and topped that off by raking MLB pitching for a brief september callup (215wrc+).

So while his AAA numbers at that point were just a very good 118wrc+, it was 3 distinct different stints, 2 of which were his usual elite raking shown at every level, interruptdd by one horrific month coming off a demotion due to failing in his first shot at regular mlb duty.

Now this year has seen a different but still spotty record due to some major injuries. He actually started off like a house on fire in the first week (192wrc+) but then immediatelt picked up a nagging foot injury which he first tried to play through, then took a couple games off and tried to play again, then finally went on the DL for a couple weeks to fix it. By the time he got back to playing regularly he was a month into the year sporting a 53wrc+.

But healthy again he managed to put up a 124wrc+ oved the next 5weeks - though even that was interrupted by missing a few games to a knee injury - and had managed to pull his season line up over average with 103wrc+. Then he got a serious concussion which put him out for 3 weeks.

Now he's come back from the concussion strong, was red hot for 2 weeks before slowing down this past week. But he's still only 3 weeks removed from returning from the concussion.

Basically, his AAA career has not been a steady does of mediocrity, but pretty much five different AAA stints seperated by weeks and even months, 3 of which he showed impact offense, 2 of which he showed nothing at all.

As for the FO calling him up this year - they really haven't had much chance to with 3 serious injuries in 3 months.



Chuck - Thursday, August 04 2016 @ 01:31 PM EDT (#328220) #
As for Montero, there may be an opening at his position and not to at least give him a look would be foolish imo.

But what does a "look" entail? How many at-bats?

uglyone - Thursday, August 04 2016 @ 01:38 PM EDT (#328221) #
Pompey

2013: CF - 102gms, LF - 6gms, RF - 6gms
2014: CF - 116gms, LF - 9gms, RF - 0gms
2015: CF - 86gms, LF - 35gms, RF - 0gms
2016: CF - 50gms, LF - 17gms, RF - 0gms

With the only reason for that moderate increase in LF duty being that the Jays have an elite glove in CF blocking his way.
lexomatic - Thursday, August 04 2016 @ 07:49 PM EDT (#328251) #
"....his focus issues as I have read them are all related to a problem with letting go of in game failures...."

You're right.  According to the John Lott article (the best available analysis), his issues are a lack of focus and a lack of mental discipline.  Those are NOT "character" issues. Nobody is questioning his character, they're just noting his occasional difficulty in maintaining focus.  And those are issues that can be fixed, and the Jays are working with him to fix it.  Their new "player development" director, Gil Kim, has been working with him on it.  I'm not really worried about those issues long-term.  That's why he'll get a good long look in spring training 2017 to see if he can make the team as a starting outfielder.

This whole issue of focus and character is basically me remembering what I saw on here. I haven't seen any of those issues, so basically I was speculating. Not great, but whatever.
I'm a little less concerned. But those kinds of things do contribute to players not getting a fair shot sometimes, and that would probably be the worst thing for Pompey & the Jays right now.
Let him play full time, don't give him a shot at if he's on a really short leash and is just going to get sent down at the first rough stretch.
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