Blue Jays Discussion: Split Against O's, Up Next, Yankees

[The Nemesis]

Rockies up next, then the Jays.

 

[dredeye]

gonna have to shut down the laptop after the jays pick. Bloody thing is burning hot. Guess the fans not working

 

[GoHabsGo95]

Jays take Lane Thomas LF 144th overall

 

[The Nemesis]

Lane Thomas, high school RF.

 

[Cor]

With the 144th pick, The Toronto Blue Jays select; OF Lane Thomas

​

 

[Blitzkrug]

gonna have to shut down the laptop after the jays pick. Bloody thing is burning hot. Guess the fans not working

Should buy one of those cooling deck things.

I picked one up for like 20 at wal-mart and now my laptop stays cool, even if left on for hours on end. Pretty damn good value for 20 bucks imo.

 

[dredeye]

Should buy one of those cooling deck things.

I picked one up for like 20 at wal-mart and now my laptop stays cool, even if left on for hours on end. Pretty damn good value for 20 bucks imo.

Not a bad idea but I got the extended warranty on my mac that expires in december but I haven't been able to bring it in for repair because I use it for work. A real catch 22

 

[Eyedea]

no punts yet

 

[Gardiner Expressway]

really glad the team is loading up on some hitting... can't take pitchers forever and the lack of bats in our top 10 should suggest the need for some quantity in our farm when it comes to position players

 

[The Nemesis]

From the MLB draft tracker:

Thomas has shown good tools across the board this spring. At the plate, Thomas has a quick bat and an advanced approach and has shown the ability to make hard contact consistently. He also has developing power and should grow into more as he matures. Defensively, Thomas has good range in the outfield due to above-average speed and also has a solid arm. Thomas also has great instincts on the basepaths and should be able to steal a decent number of bases in pro ball. Scouts love his makeup and believe that he should improve even more as he physically matures.

not bad. Good all-around player with a good bat.

 

[Nasty Nazem]

I like that Jays are drafting some hitters and doing a good mix of HS and college.

 

[The Nemesis]

I like that Jays are drafting some hitters and doing a good mix of HS and college.

Thomas makes sense here. They've spent the first few rounds going high projectabilty on players like Hoffman and Pentecost and Reid-Foley, so now in round 5 they dial it back a bit and take a kid that probably has a lesser ceiling, but still seems like he could be a useful everyday player or at worst a versatile utility OF (and maybe a touch of IF) guy with a playable bat.

 

[Scion]

MLB Top 200 BPA​

 

[BertCorbeau]

When are the Jays up again?

 

[Scion]

When are the Jays up again?

The Jays have the ninth pick of every round the rest of the way.

 

[The Nemesis]

When are the Jays up again?

They're just going to start Round 6 now, so 9 picks to go. I think there's a 10 minute break now between the end of Round 5 and the start of Round 6

 

[Cor]

Jays will be drafting in about 10 minutes

edit: forgot about the break, so more around 20

 

[Highlander23]

Beede getting hit hard in the NCAA Tournament: 6 ER, 4 walks, 2ks, in 5 innings !!

 

[Nasty Nazem]

Blue Jays-Official ‏@BlueJays 4m
Tonight's @BlueJays lineup:
Reyes-SS
Cabrera-LF
Bautista-RF
Lind-1B
Encarnacion-DH
Francisco-3B
Lawrie-2B
Navarro-C
Gose-CF

Stroman-P

Edwin back in the line-up.

 

[Blitzkrug]

Like the call by Gibby to split EE and Bautista up. It worked pretty well against Detroit.

Probably helps that you have a competent hitter in between them too.

 

[The Nemesis]

Found a scouting report on Thomas:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...-profile-for-toronto-blue-jays-5th-round-pick

Hitting: 40/50

Thomas' hitting has always been an asset; contact-oriented approach and some gap power in his swing; bat speed is just average and hip rotation is minimal, so he too often relies on his upper body to drive the ball; sturdy base to work with and solid hand-eye coordination to project as an average hitter.



Power: 35/45

Even though he's listed at 180 pounds, Thomas looks much smaller; has thin frame but doesn't have the kind of bat speed to really put a charge into the ball; tends to drift out on his front side when swinging, leading to softer contact on fat pitches; power, as much as there is, will be doubles instead of homers.



Plate Discipline: 40/50

Thomas is a patient hitter who isn't going to chase a pitch he doesn't like; at times that gets him in trouble when aggressive pitchers who pound the zone put him behind the eight ball early; ability to track pitches is strong, showing a good eye and an understanding of when to go the opposite way.



Speed: 55/55

The best tool in Thomas' arsenal is the one he was born with: speed; above-average runner who isn't going to win any sprinting contests but knows how to use his legs on the bases and in the field.



Defense: 45/50

Despite lacking plus speed typically found in center fielders, he projects well in center field thanks to above-average instincts and feel for the position; always putting himself where he needs to be, instead of having to make up ground. His routes are also clean and direct.



Arm: 50/55

Thomas has also done some pitching in his high school career, being clocked in the low 90s, giving him more than enough arm strength for center field; could also handle right field on a part-time basis, but his bat doesn't profile well in a corner.



MLB Player Comparison: Alejandro De Aza

Alejandro De Aza doesn't get much attention playing for a mediocre Chicago team and without monster numbers across the board, but he plays a solid center field and is good enough with the bat to hit at the top of the order. That's the kind of player Thomas is going to be. There's nothing fancy about his game, but all the pieces make a solid package.

Not bad. the #s project out to him being MLB average to above average pretty much clean across the board. Could be an average everyday CF or a good corner OF or backup/utility OF.

Getting down away from the top rounds, you could do worse than picking a guy that's at worst all-around MLB caibre with no obvious holes.

 

[alcanalz]

Like the call by Gibby to split EE and Bautista up. It worked pretty well against Detroit.

Probably helps that you have a competent hitter in between them too.

They've been doing it for a while now and it's continuing to work. Our lineup with Lind and Francisco in just mashes righties.

 

[The Nemesis]

2 picks to go before the Jays are up (Philly & Colorado)

 

[Cloned]

And to think a lot of people wanted to jettison Lind this offseason. He's been one of our best hitters.

 

[The Nemesis]

LHP Grayson Huffman, Texas JuCo player

low 90s FB, good change, inconsistent, but workable curveball.

Attacks the zone. not a "stuff" guy, but apparently a smart pitcher who could be a good 4-5 man in the rotation.