Blue Jays Prospect Report - April 2018
Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2018 11:31 pm
Jays prospects appearing on BA's first Prospect Hot Sheet of the season...
BA PROSPECT HOT SHEET
1. Juan Soto, OF (Nationals, Low A SAL) | Age: 19
Why He’s Here: .361/.489/.861 (13-for-36), 7 R, 2 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 19 RBIs, 10 BB, 7 SO, 2-for-2 SB
The Scoop: Soto has everything scouts look for in a hitter. He has a calm, balanced approach with a quick, compact swing and a knack for barreling balls in every quadrant of the strike zone. Whether it’s a fastball or an offspeed pitch, Soto can hit it, and he’s a smart, disciplined hitter who doesn’t chase much off the plate. Soto is a pure hitter first, but now the power is coming too, as evidenced by his eight extra-base hits in his first 10 games. Injuries were the only thing that slowed Soto last year, but his preternatural hitting polish should have him moving quickly up the ladder as long as he can stay on the field.
11. Michael Baumann, RHP (Orioles, Low A SAL) | Age: 22
Why He’s Here: 2-0, 0.82, 2 GS, 11 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 19 SO.
The Scoop: After taking high school lefthander DL Hall in the first round of the 2017 draft, the Orioles hedged their bet a little by following up with a pair of very productive college pitchers with their competitive balance and third-round picks. Right now all three of them (plus 26th round pick Cameron Bishop whose stuff is just as good) are in the Delmarva rotation and excelling. Baumann has better pure stuff than Zac Lowther, but with a little less deception. While Lowther leaves hitters shaking their head, Baumann is more likely to beat them with power thanks to a 91-96 mph fastball and a hard slider.
13. Justin Dunn, RHP (Mets, High A FSL) | Age: 22
Why He’s Here: 2-0, 0.00, 10 IP, 8 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 14 SO, 3 BB, 0 HR
The Scoop: After a rough turn with high Class A last year, Dunn returned to St. Lucie to begin 2018. And this time, he appears to have found his groove. The former college closer at Boston College opened his year with 14 punchouts in 10 innings, or nearly 20 percent of the strikeouts he achieved over 95.1 innings in the Florida State League in 2017.
BA PROSPECT HOT SHEET
1. Juan Soto, OF (Nationals, Low A SAL) | Age: 19
Why He’s Here: .361/.489/.861 (13-for-36), 7 R, 2 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 19 RBIs, 10 BB, 7 SO, 2-for-2 SB
The Scoop: Soto has everything scouts look for in a hitter. He has a calm, balanced approach with a quick, compact swing and a knack for barreling balls in every quadrant of the strike zone. Whether it’s a fastball or an offspeed pitch, Soto can hit it, and he’s a smart, disciplined hitter who doesn’t chase much off the plate. Soto is a pure hitter first, but now the power is coming too, as evidenced by his eight extra-base hits in his first 10 games. Injuries were the only thing that slowed Soto last year, but his preternatural hitting polish should have him moving quickly up the ladder as long as he can stay on the field.
11. Michael Baumann, RHP (Orioles, Low A SAL) | Age: 22
Why He’s Here: 2-0, 0.82, 2 GS, 11 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 19 SO.
The Scoop: After taking high school lefthander DL Hall in the first round of the 2017 draft, the Orioles hedged their bet a little by following up with a pair of very productive college pitchers with their competitive balance and third-round picks. Right now all three of them (plus 26th round pick Cameron Bishop whose stuff is just as good) are in the Delmarva rotation and excelling. Baumann has better pure stuff than Zac Lowther, but with a little less deception. While Lowther leaves hitters shaking their head, Baumann is more likely to beat them with power thanks to a 91-96 mph fastball and a hard slider.
13. Justin Dunn, RHP (Mets, High A FSL) | Age: 22
Why He’s Here: 2-0, 0.00, 10 IP, 8 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 14 SO, 3 BB, 0 HR
The Scoop: After a rough turn with high Class A last year, Dunn returned to St. Lucie to begin 2018. And this time, he appears to have found his groove. The former college closer at Boston College opened his year with 14 punchouts in 10 innings, or nearly 20 percent of the strikeouts he achieved over 95.1 innings in the Florida State League in 2017.