Ask and ye shall receive.....ayjackson asked for a minor league thread to discuss BA's top 20's by league lists. I have been away so I am playing catch-up here. One thing to note about these lists is league size. For example the Midwest League had 16 teams, the GCL 18. So there is just over one top 20 spot per team. The Northwest League has 8 teams, the Appy League ten. If you play in those two leagues you have almost double the chance to make a top 20 list. Through four affiliates, the full season teams, the Jays have just five players make the lists.
The IL list had Lourdes Gurriel Jr. but no Danny Jansen. The accompanying chat appears to be lacking any Blue Jay content.
The EL had Vlad and Bo at #1 and #2 and Cavan Biggio at 14. BA sat on the fence in regard to Biggio's defensive position, opting for a future utility role. They did note that Biggio's arm is light for 3B so I don;t know what that means for the utility role. In the chat Max Pentecost received a good review for his catching and noted that he is working on his hitting. Jordan Romano needs to improve his changeup to be considered a future starter, otherwise he is headed for the bullpen. And scouts would like to see more swing and miss from TJ Zeuch. He just missed the top 20.
The FSL had Kevin Smith at 11. The write-up notes his excellent hitting but says his defense is OK, but not great, at shortstop. They describe him as a bat first player. Patrick Murphy just missed the list in whgat BA call a strong year. Murphy needs to improve his change up, like Romano, to be considered a top starter prospect.
Smith is also the only Blue Jay on the Midwest League list, this time at 15. No Blue Jay questions were answered in the chat.
The Blue Jays were shut out from the Northwest League list. That's not good given that there are 20 spots for eight teams.
The Jays had three players on the Appy league top 20. Eric Pardinho was #4 followed by two catchers, Alejandro Kirk at #12 and Hagen Danner at #16. The write up notes that Kirk has to slim down and Danner needs to work to improve his defense.
The GCL list is up at BA. The Jays have three players on the list. Jordan Groshans is at #5. Gabriel Moreno is at #15 and Leonardo Jimenez at #19. Moreno's inclusion makes it for three Blue Jay catchers that BA have listed in the short season leagues. Between Kirk, Danner and Moreno the Jays will have some decisions to make when they have to make up next years Lansing roster.
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20181003130256729