Farm System Report: Dunedin Blue Jays (A)

By: Isaac Boloten
Sorry for this being two days late. But better late than never. Week 3 of the Farm System Report will feature the Dunedin Blue Jays. This team is very shallow. It has a few prospects, most notably Aaron Sanchez and A.J. Jimenez, but other than that it isn't all that deep. Let's start with overall team performance.

Dunedin Blue Jays, 18-11, 1st in Florida State League North Divison. 

Well, this team has played really well. It actually was surprising to me, looking at the roster as a whole. Offensively, the Blue Jays have been middle of the pack, not great in any category, but not awful. The pitching has carried the Blue Jays, leading the Florida State League in ERA and WHIP. I can't see them sustaining this pace, yet you never know.

I will now proceed to write about the following players: 

Aaron Sanchez, SP
Casey Lawrence, SP
Tyler Ybarra, RP
Jesse Hernandez, SP

AJ Jimenez, C
K.C. Hobson, 1B
Michael Crouse, OF



Aaron Sanchez, SP

2013 Season
Team	League	W	L	ERA	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	GO/AO	AVG
DUN	FSL	1	1	3.07	6	6	0	0	0	29.1	18	12	10	0	9	28	2.39	.170

Why not start with the #1 prospect in all of the Blue Jays organization?  Sanchez and Roberto Osuna were really the only top prospects left from the offseason, although the system does have some depth. Sanchez has impressed so far. The K's are high, which is to be expected with the stuff Sanchez possesses pitching in the Florida State League. One thing that he has to work on is being efficient. Sanchez reached his pitch limit of 75 pitches on May 2 after just 3.2 innings. As he continues to grow, he will learn to be more of a pitcher, and less of a thrower. We can expect big things out of Sanchez. Jason Parks at Baseball Prospectus says that Sanchez could be a top 5 prospect in all of baseball next year.

Casey Lawrence, SP 

2013 Season
Team	League	W	L	ERA	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	GO/AO	AVG
BUF	INT	0	1	11.25	1	1	0	0	0	4.0	10	6	5	0	2	3	1.00	.455
DUN	FSL	2	2	3.48	5	5	0	0	0	33.2	29	13	13	3	5	20	1.30	.236

Lawrence isn't all that much of a top prospect, but he is worth being written about simply because of the start he has gotten off to in 2013. He went through a 2 game stretch in which he pitched 17.2 Innings, throwing 9.2 innings in one of those games. Since then, it hasn't been as stellar. I have my doubts about Lawrence as a prospect, seeing as he doesn't strike out a lot of guys, and he's in the FSL at age 25...So he's not a prospect.

Tyler Ybarra, RP

2013 Season
Team	League	W	L	ERA	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	GO/AO	AVG
DUN	FSL	0	0	5.40	3	0	0	0	0	5.0	4	3	3	0	2	5	0.67	.222

The lefty has been a bullpen pitcher from the start. His ERA doesn't look all that great in the small sample size of 7 innings, but he has worked a 2.49 FIP. Ybarra has never had an issue with striking batters out, doing that consistently in his 3 years in the Blue Jays organization. Because he is a bullpen arm, he may develop faster, and the Jays might be a little bit less careful with him. I wouldn't be surprised if he is in AAA by next year, and AA by the end of this year.

Jesse Hernandez, SP

2013 Season
Team	League	W	L	ERA	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	GO/AO	AVG
DUN	FSL	2	3	3.00	7	7	0	0	0	39.0	31	13	13	2	17	27	1.24	.217

Hernandez has gotten off to a decent start this year, providing needed innings for the Dunedin pitching staff. Much like Lawrence, his inability to strike batters out on a consistent basis in high-A ball concerns me.  In this era, not many pitchers turn out to be MLB'ers if they can't strike out batters. Henderson Alvarez comes to mind, but at this point he is a 4th starter at best. The only way Hernandez can get around not striking out a lot of guys is inducing a lot of ground balls. Unfortunately, I don't have that data.


AJ Jimenez, C

2013 Season
Team	League	AVG	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	TB	BB	SO	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	OPS
DUN	FSL	.375	5	16	4	6	1	0	1	5	10	1	3	0	0	.412	.625	1.037

In the smallest of sample sizes, Jimenez is hitting the ball very well in 2013. In his last full game, he was 3-4 with his 1 home run, and was the player of the game for Dunedin. Us Jays fans are praying that Jimenez is a "young Travis d'Arnaud." Jimenez hasn't done anything to prove that wrong, but he is taking his sweet time to develop, mainly because his 2012 was cut short by Tommy John Surgery. He did show what he could do though in 2011, with a .303/.353/.417 triple slash that year. Many are impressed with his eye at the plate, and how he has really cut down on his strikeouts (which is something Jays fans aren't used to at the catcher position.)  Jimenez is a prospect who didn't receive much praise last year due to his injury, but I am sure will shoot up the rankings by midseason. I am very high on this kid(OK, he's older than me). He left the game last night before receiving one at bat which he says was because of elbow pain. Hopefully just some scar tissue, and nothing more.

Michael Crouse, OF

2013 Season
Team	League	AVG	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	TB	BB	SO	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	OPS
DUN	FSL	.357	4	14	1	5	3	0	0	2	8	2	5	1	1	.438	.571	1.009

I lied when I said Jimenez had the smallest of sample sizes. Crouse's 2013 sample size is microscopic. Despite being in the organization since 2008, the Canadian is still very raw. He has tools, but is not polished at all. Historically, he has had extremely high strikeout percentages, and an on base percentage below .300, which simply isn't going to cut it. He is known to steal bases, though. Profiles as a possible 4th outfielder.


K.C. Hobson, 1B

2013 Season
Team	League	AVG	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	TB	BB	SO	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	OPS
DUN	FSL	.203	17	69	5	14	2	0	4	10	28	3	17	1	0	.233	.406	.639

Despite the power numbers being there, Hobson is off to a very slow start in 2013. He has struck out way too many times, and has yet to show any patience at the plate. This is odd, because historically, he hasn't had all that much trouble getting on base. Hopefully this isn't a sign of things to come.