Batter's Box Interactive Magazine

Dunedin prevented a total disaster on an otherwise disappointing Tuesday. At least the Leafs won.

Rochester 8 Buffalo 4 (11 Innings)
Binghamton 6 New Hampshire 2
Everett 3 Vancouver 2
Dunedin 6 Tampa 3

Boxscores

*** 3 Stars!!! ***

3. Nate Garkow, Vancouver

2. Kal Stephen, Dunedin

1. Yeuni Munoz, Dunedin

Notes

Joey Loperfido had a two-run homer, a single and a walk. Jonatan Clase singled and walked twice. Riley Tirotta had a triple, a walk and a stolen base. Orelvis Martinez doubled and Steward Berroa singled and walked. Daulton Varsho was 0-for-4. Andrew Bash opened with two shutout innings and Bobby Milacki put up four more goose eggs. Justin Bruihl was jolted for six runs (four earned) in 1-2/3 innings to take the loss. Will Robertson was summoned to get the final out and picked up a base hit in the pitcher's spot in the 11th.

Yohendrick Pinango homered and walked and Eddison Paulino had an RBI double. Ryan McCarty singled and walked. Michael Dominguez struck out five over three shutout innings of one-hit ball with two walks. Hunter Gregory also chipped in with two scoreless stanzas and two whiffs. Johnathan Lavallee gave up four unearned runs in the eighth, getting just one out.

Home runs by Je'Von Ward and Adrian Pinto could not stand up in a come-from-ahead walkoff loss. Pinto had two hits, as did Victor Arias, the reigning Northwest League Player of the Week. Arjun Nimmala was 1-for-4. Grant Rogers gave up his first earned run of 2025, a solo homer, but he struck out six to help offset three hits and four walks over five innings. Nate Garkow rung up five over two shutout frames. JJ Sánchez gave up two runs (one earned) in the ninth to take the loss.

Yeuni Munoz had a double among three hits and had an assist in right field. Manuel Beltre and (that's what you're paid for) Braden Berry had two-hit efforts and an RBI single. Kal Stephen surrendered two runs on six hits and fanned five over five innings. Bennett Flynn gave up a run and struck out three over two innings for the win. Javen Coleman put up two zeros and struck out one for the save.

Posted by #2JBrumfield on Wednesday, April 23 2025 @ 04:22 AM EDT.

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Mike Green - Wednesday, April 23 2025 @ 11:23 AM EDT (#459229) #

Pinto has been in centerfield for the last few games. I think he'll stay healthier if they leave him there.

He was called up to Vancouver during the last month of 2024. Since then, he's slashing a cool .282/.354/.538 with 6 homers and 10 doubles in 117 at-bats.

Nigel - Wednesday, April 23 2025 @ 12:02 PM EDT (#459230) #

Mike - that might be the case and might be the reason that they have played Pinto in CF. However, two things to note: a) Pinto is getting bigger (not taller) and I think he's already athletically stretched to play CF; b) unlike last year when there were several legit CF defenders on the team, I'm not sure Vancouver really has a CF this year (It's early for my viewing so I may be missing someone or something). The bat definitely has some pop to it though. I think he might ultimately be a LF.

Mike Green - Wednesday, April 23 2025 @ 02:55 PM EDT (#459233) #

Maybe he does end up in LF, Nigel. But, he hasn't had much time in the outfield and I'm reluctant to infer too much from his size after Kirby Puckett. At the very least, some time in centerfield as a young player will give him more chance to develop in game situations.

Marc Hulet - Wednesday, April 23 2025 @ 03:47 PM EDT (#459235) #

I also noted the issues with Pinto's frame last week (ie. The filling out). His frame is more Jose Ramirez now than, say, Jose Altuve (but still a few inches shorter)...

The power may be real (not sold yet) but he was previously intriguing because of the advanced bat for his age (gone due to injury), speed (gone due to injury/filling out) and versatility (he's no longer overly athletic).

I'm open to him as a very unique prospect but now the power has to play and he'll need to improve upon the 64% ground ball rate (HR/FB is 50%). He would also be third in the Majors with his 60% pull rate.

Nigel - Wednesday, April 23 2025 @ 04:33 PM EDT (#459238) #

I agree with that Marc (I have to admit I'm not totally sold on Pinto). But I also agree with Mike's point that they might as well play him in CF (for the reasons Mike mentions) and I don't think he's blocking another CF prospect in Vancouver.

Mike Green - Wednesday, April 23 2025 @ 05:50 PM EDT (#459241) #

Pinto is 22 in High A ball, and I'm certainly not suggesting that he's a can't-miss prospect. The Blue Jays have precisely zero of those can't-miss prospects, and many who are interesting in some way- that they could develop into good major league players. Pinto is one of those.

Nigel - Wednesday, April 23 2025 @ 06:54 PM EDT (#459242) #

That’s fair Mike. This isn’t a novel thought, but the player in Vancouver who’s in that camp but even more interesting than Pinto is Arias.

greenfrog - Wednesday, April 23 2025 @ 06:57 PM EDT (#459243) #

Even “can’t miss” prospects sometimes miss.

As for ones that didn’t miss, Trout and Harper probably fell into that category before they arrived in The Show. Skenes comes to mind as a recent example of a can’t miss prospect.

Glevin - Wednesday, April 23 2025 @ 07:34 PM EDT (#459246) #

Pinto's likely path to majors seems like utility guy to me. Arias has more upside but still, his size definitely works against him. Sure there are small major leaguers who make it work, but not many and they are almost all middle infielders. Still, he's looking good so hopefully he just keeps on hitting. The lack of offensive prospects continues to be a massive problem. There's one guy who I think has a decent to good chance of being an everyday player and that's Nimmala (not counting Roden who is in majors). There are a whole bunch of guys who I think have a decent chance of being major league starting pitchers of some sort. I think a product of missing out on a few top international picks in a row and spending a ton of draft capital on pitchers. Very hard to rely on 5th rounders becoming top prospects.

knuckeler - Wednesday, April 23 2025 @ 11:02 PM EDT (#459261) #

I mentioned this yesterday, to this point in the season the Jay's have faced more high velocity pitching then any other team.

I would suggest this would also apply to "good stuff" as well.
As critical as I can be at times I try to be reasonable and objective and I think they have likely had the toughest schedule so far and it is hard to get on a roll of any sort when you are facing top tier pitching and overall teams every day.

Of course this has to change at some point but it may, by then, be too late as the players and team as a whole struggle to do better and get frustrated and down on themselves as they deal with the negative media.

Then the part of me that knows there is dirty politics and immoral people everywhere including sports begins to kick in and has me questioning how they draw up the schedule as the Jay's seem to have it real tough at the beginning of every season.

Interestingly, the odds of the Jay's facing the toughest pitching in the league so far, forgetting for the moment they are in the always tough East Division, is roughly 1 in 30.

Yet here we are, just keep this in mind next year, and I would make a wager the Jay's will be in the top 5 facing high velocity or just tough pitching again next year to start the season.

Just cause I am paranoid doesn't mean I can't be right. :o)

uglyone - Thursday, April 24 2025 @ 01:04 PM EDT (#459267) #

Thank god the season doesn't start until after the Leafs playoffs.

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