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Minor League Update Watson, Schreck Power New Hampshire
Two wins for the affiliates. Ryan Watson spun a gem while Schreck woke up from his slumber. Yhoangel Aponte also had a big game as did Orelvis Martinez.

Buffalo 2 Iowa 4

Portland 2 New Hampshire 8

Hillsboro 7 Vancouver 4

Daytona 2 Dunedin 8


Three Stars

Third Star - RJ Schreck

Second Star - Yhoangel Aponte

First Star - Ryan Watson


Boxes


NOTES


In Buffalo's loss Orelvis Martinez doubled twice and walked...signs of life? Trenton Wallace was the starter and struck out six in five innings. He walked three and Iowa had three hits off him.


Ryan Watson threw seven shutout innings for New Hampshire. He used 84 pitches, just 12 an inning. He had just three strikeouts but ten ground balls versus two fly balls. Watson's strikeout rate is just 7.3 per nine innings but his walk rate is under one. His 2025 BABIP is .203 which is probably unsustainable.


Coming into Fridays game RJ Schreck had been very disappointing in 2025. He was back in AA where he hit .255 last season. On Friday morning Schreck had not hit a home run and was hitting just .132. So the manager out him in the lead off position in the order and he homered in the first inning. He added a single and a double for a 3-4 game.


Fernando Perez looked to have gotten back on track after his last start but it was another step back on Friday. In four innings Hillsboro had eight hits off him leading to three runs.


Dunedin had eleven hits, three players had nine of them. Manuel Beltre, Yhoangel Aponte and Kendry Chirinos each had three hits. Aponte doubled and homered and drove in four runs. Peyton Powell walked five times.


Colby Holcombe went five innings with six K's, one walk, one run.


The FCL season starts today.

Posted by Gerry on Saturday, May 03 2025 @ 02:38 AM EDT.
Watson, Schreck Power New Hampshire | 12 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
Glevin - Saturday, May 03 2025 @ 07:19 AM EDT (#459583) #
Orelvis got off to a horrid start last year and had a good year so not giving up on him at all. AA seems like the level they dumped most of the guys they got last year at deadline and not sure there's a real prospect there.
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Marc Hulet - Saturday, May 03 2025 @ 09:26 AM EDT (#459593) #
The rookie league Blue Jays play their first game today but can barely field a team after adding players to the IL.

They have 3 catchers, 4 infielders, and 3 outfielders. Only one extra man.

The inability to develop from the international market is hurting... and with the 165 player in the minors now, they can't just go out and solve the issue by signing some depth guys without releasing other players.

Maroudis has been assigned to the team to start rehabbing. Weird he's back before Barriera, who had surgery first but I guess it's because Maroudis had the new hybrid TJ and Brandon had full TJ.
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Gerry - Saturday, May 03 2025 @ 10:58 AM EDT (#459598) #
Maroudis started for the FCL Jays today, 2.1 innings, four K's, 2 walks. Looks like a solid first rehab start.
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Marc Hulet - Saturday, May 03 2025 @ 01:23 PM EDT (#459605) #
Bonilla went 0-for-5 today and was the only player who didn't get a hit. The other 8 players combined to sign for less than him. But, hey, he only struck out once... so progress.

Juan Rosas, a powerful catcher who has been injury prone, went 3-for-4 with two doubles.

Silvano Hechavarria, a hard-throwing Cuban, went 4 innings and should move up to Dunedin quickly.

Luis Torres, a personal fav, struck out 3 and walked one in one inning. He's a small-framed lefty who sits 93 mph (up.to 95) but gets whiffs on multiple secondary offerings. But he doesn't command the fastball well so it's not overly effective.
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Kelekin - Saturday, May 03 2025 @ 01:41 PM EDT (#459606) #
Marc, do you think to some degree the FO decided to add a 2nd DSL team (finally) because they realized this? i.e. it is easier to find hidden gems with more players playing. Seems all the "good" teams at finding international players had two teams, so it's weird it took us that long to go back to having two.
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Kelekin - Saturday, May 03 2025 @ 01:42 PM EDT (#459607) #
(Or is it more a factor of reacting to the 165 domestic limit?)
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Marc Hulet - Saturday, May 03 2025 @ 04:26 PM EDT (#459616) #
This front office always seems to identify trends late going back to the Kendrys Morales days up through the bat speed days... And now the proper way to manage the 165 limit/elimination of a second short season league, as well as the shift in the Rookie leagues starting sooner rather than right after the draft.

It's also likely due to the Jays chnage in philosophy to keep players in the DSL longer (ie two years). I think it's a perfect storm of all those things that the Jays just didn't properly plan for...
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mendocino - Saturday, May 03 2025 @ 04:48 PM EDT (#459619) #
or DSL facilities needed an upgrade to host two teams and had to wait its turn.
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Waveburner - Saturday, May 03 2025 @ 08:45 PM EDT (#459640) #
Marc, I am curious. What is the proper way to manage the 165 player limit that the Jays are failing to see?
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greenfrog - Saturday, May 03 2025 @ 09:27 PM EDT (#459642) #
Nimmala with a hit and a couple of walks today (no strikeouts), OPS now .953.
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Kelekin - Saturday, May 03 2025 @ 09:43 PM EDT (#459644) #
Khal Stephen with another 5 shutout innings. 8 Ks, 19 whiffs. Rogers back on track with 5.2 shutout innings. 7 Shutout innings between Dominguez and Jennings in AA.

Stephen and Yesavage should be in Vancouver soon, with Stanifer and Holcombe not far behind (though Holcombe really is throwing only two pitches).

Rogers, JWB are ready for AA. Watson and Sanchez on a trajectory for AAA if they keep it up.

Honestly, there isn't much for disappointment starting pitching wise in the system this year below AAA so far, other than Perez and Cates. Part of this is surely due to keeping players down a level, but still feels good.
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John Northey - Saturday, May 03 2025 @ 10:30 PM EDT (#459645) #
To manage the player limit the Jays basically need to let go of some players. 165 over 5 teams is 33 each. So not a lot of room for IL guys - just 7 per club. Still, that should be plenty one would think. BR has 64 hitters and 69 pitchers used so far = 133 total with 32 slots left for the rookie league team that hasn't started. But the Jays have draft picks and others hanging around.

That limit might explain the lack of 30+ aged guys in the system - just 6 pitchers (Barnes, Nance, Tate, Overton, Lauer, and Walker for pitchers, Christian Bethancourt the only hitter over 30). Some of those minor leaguers are in the majors now - Varsho, Tate, Walker, Lauer, Barger have all been in both and now are in the majors thus don't count against that 165 I'd think. Do 40 man roster guys count against it?

This is due to the new CBA with minor leagues (set before 2024). Used be allowed 180 players, but now 165. A good article on it is right here. Sad mess for vets in the minors. Teams just trying to figure out how to handle it - when do you say 'screw it' with prospects - I suspect anyone 2+ years overage for a level will be dumped quickly unless they are killing it. Also, don't be shocked if the draft goes down to 10 rounds in the next CBA.
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Watson, Schreck Power New Hampshire | 12 comments | Create New Account
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