For the third time this week the Bisons walked off Lehigh Valley. On Sunday it was Christian Colon who hit a ground rule double with the bases loaded in the tenth inning to win the game. Lehigh decided to intentionally walk Kevin Smith in the tenth to setup the double play. But Gregory Polanco also walked to set the stage for Colon.
Buffalo trailed 4-1 in the bottom of the seventh. In that inning Otto Lopez doubled in a pair of runs to make it a one run game. Then in the bottom of the eighth Rodrigo Vigil doubled in the tying run.
Yesterday every team lost. On Sunday Vancouver and Dunedin reversed course and won. Buffalo were one hit. For Vancouver Rafael Lantigua hit two home runs.
I have not tried to compile an updated Blue Jays top 30 list and I do not keep a running list. But it struck me recently that by some measures this has not been a great year for the Blue Jays minor league system. By one measure it has been good, Alek Manoah, Alejandro Kirk, Reese McGuire and Santiago Espinal have contributed at the major league level. Outside of those players, when we look at the future, how many minor leaguers from last years top 30 have made significant strides forward? Obviously Gabriel Moreno is one. Orelvis is another. Kevin Smith, Samad Taylor, maybe Otto Lopez. But several have not had good years. Nate Pearson probably tops this list. But who pushes into the top ten? Miguel Hiraldo, Anthony Kay, CY Van Eyk, Adam Kloffenstein, Estevan Machado, Eric Pardinho, Rikelbin De Castro, Dasan Brown, Joey Murray, Manuel Beltre, Tanner Morris or Will Robertson? All of them were in a top 30 and none have really a great season. Time is still on most of their sides but when you combine this lack of advancement with the prospects lost in trades, I think the system takes a hit in the post season farm system rankings.
So who is in your top 10, if we exclude this years draft picks? Assume Pearson loses his eligibility. Moreno, Smith, Lopez, Orelvis, Groshans, Samad Taylor, possibly Leo Jimenez. and then the list gets thin.