Blue Jays Discussion: The official Danny Jackson Appreciation Society

[Suntouchable13]

Where does Ryu fit in in the rotation once he is back? Atkins said he is a starter because that's what he is, he will not be in the bullpen.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Where does Ryu fit in in the rotation once he is back? Atkins said he is a starter because that's what he is, he will not be in the bullpen.

#5 with Manoah back. Kikuchi either pushes into the pen or they can go with a 6 man rotation for a while.

 

[Bjindaho]

#5 with Manoah back. Kikuchi either pushes into the pen or they can go with a 6 man rotation for a while.

6 man is the answer. We haven't had nearly enough sample size to say that Manoah is back.

 

[phillipmike]

Where does Ryu fit in in the rotation once he is back? Atkins said he is a starter because that's what he is, he will not be in the bullpen.

They probably run a 6 man rotation after the high innings Gausman, Berrios, Bassitt and Kikuchi put up pre all star break or some variation of it with guys like Gausman, Berrios and Bassitt getting regular starts.

If everyone is healthy, the Jays will have to move a pitcher or use options on Cimber, Pearson and Francis;

Gausman
Berrios
Bassitt
Kikuchi
Manoah
Ryu

Romano
Swanson
Mayza
Garcia
Green
Richards
Pearson/White

Minors:
Cimber
Pop
Francis

Not bad pitching depth when you look at it. 17 legit MLB pitchers when healthy and pitching well for 13 spots. 6 starters. 3 backend guys in Romano, Swanson and Mayza. Maybe 2-3 more if you view Garcia, Pearson and Green the same. And 3 bulk guys in Richards, Francis and White. Cimber and Pop as darkhorse 6-7th inning guys.

Pop just got optioned. Francis is currently with the team and i assume he goes down when Ryu is ready. Cimber and Green are on the IL. Green could be back soon. And it comes down to White and Pearson. I think a White trade is more likely with a 6 man rotation. But a slim chance Pearson gets sent down as he has options if they want to keep White.

Cimber does have options. Normally a great pitcher, but having a bad year so maybe he gets optioned to give him innings.

 

[canucksfan]

 

[Suntouchable13]

The bullpen has not been a problem this year, and it might get better with Chad Green coming after the break. People don’t need to freak out when the bullpen gives up a couple runs in a game or an inning.

 

[phillipmike]

MLB Draft grades 2023: Complete results & analysis for every pick in Round 1 | Sporting News

The Sporting News graded each team's first-round selection during the 2023 MLB Draft. Follow for live results and analysis of each pick.

www.sportingnews.com

20. Toronto Blue Jays — Arjun Nimmala, SS, Strawberry Crest HS (Fla.)

• Grade: A

Nimmala was seventh on our big board, behind only the clear top five and Lowder. He's young (17) but has already shown himself to be a power-hitting threat, and he has room to grow with his 6-1, 170-pound frame. Most believe he'll stick at shortstop, and his rocket arm should at least ensure he stays on the left side of the infield. Because he's such a raw talent, the hit tool has some way to go, but the upside is the highest of any player left on the board at this point.

2023 MLB Draft Picks: Live Team-by-Team Day 1 Grades and Analysis

Welcome to Bleacher Report's 2023 MLB draft tracker! Once again, the draft is being held during the MLB All-Star festivities, with this year's event spanning…

bleacherreport.com

First Round (No. 20 Overall): Arjun Nimmala, SS, Strawberry Crest High School (FL)
Nimmala has the loudest offensive tools among this year's deep high school shortstop class, though his aggressive approach and unrefined pitch selection lead to more strikeouts than usual for an elite-level prep prospect. He has the arm, range and quick-twitch athleticism to stick at shortstop, and he has drawn some comparisons to Alfonso Soriano for his offensive upside.
Grade: A

The Blue Jays ended up with their pick of a deep high school shortstop class, and they swung for the fences with the highest ceiling from that demographic. With Bo Bichette locked in at shortstop, they can give him time to build toward a legitimate superstar ceiling, though there is definitely some risk here.

2023 MLB Draft grades: Paul Skenes goes No. 1 to Pirates; Nationals, Rangers, Red Sox, Braves nail their picks

The first round of the 2023 MLB Draft is in the books, so let's hand out some grades

www.cbssports.com

No. 20 Blue Jays: Arjun Nimmala, SS, Strawberry Crest HS (FL) -- Nimmala is an extremely young shortstop prospect who'll require a good deal of developmental time before he's ready to make his big-league debut. That said, if everything breaks right he has the chance to develop into a high-quality player thanks to his athleticism and budding skill set. We were very high on him (evidently too high) entering the spring. To us, then, this looks like a great value pick. It's reasonable to disagree with that assessment. Grade: A

 

[phillipmike]

Nimmala works out with Francisco Lindor. Law compares his game to Javier Baez and Carlos Correra.

Nimmala says he compares his own game to Lindor and Tatis Jr.

 

[phillipmike]

 

[hockeywiz542]

 

[SDig14]

Some interesting names on the board still, but curious how much Nimmala will cost. He was mocked as high as 6 or 7, which I would have assumed would be way underslot. But with him and a lot of other HS shortstops falling as teams wanted to get reasonable deals for college hitters, unsure the price tag for him. If they can even just pay slot at 20 for him and go cheaper rounds 4 onward then some interesting names for sure.

 

[Tony Romo]

For anyone who follows college baseball, former Jay Troy Tulowitzki has become a hot commodity in the coaching world. Just got hired as Texas Baseball, director of player development. Was previously their hitting coach and in voluntary role with them.

 

[SDig14]

now lets snag sykora in the third

Of course he went the first pick of round 3.

 

[hockeywiz542]

 

[metafour]

How's your boy Gunnar Hoglund doing, bud?

Not too good buddy! How is Ryan Cusick doing? Will Bednar? Cam Collier?

What's Chase DeLauter up to? All tools and no hit still?

Do you think there is something to the Jays targeting top-ranked "fallers" yet? Considering that it's 3 years in a row now after Barriera last year and Nimmala yesterday? Are we at enough of a trend?

 

[phillipmike]

Jays Select RHP Juaron Watts-Brown with their 3rd round pick, 89th overall.​

Watts-Brown is 67th on MLB.com's board;

Watts-Brown originally committed to Texas Tech as a California high schooler, but the Red Raiders backed off him when he injured his shoulder playing quarterback as a senior and he wound up at Long Beach State. After redshirting while getting healthy in 2021, he made his college debut last spring, threw the school's first nine-inning no-hitter and set a school record with 13.6 strikeouts per nine innings (the fifth-best rate in NCAA Division I). He starred in the Cape Cod League during the summer before transferring to Oklahoma State, where he led the Big 12 Conference in strikeouts (124) and strikeout rate (13.6) despite an up-and-down spring. Watts-Brown's best weapon is a plus 83-86 slider that he commands better than his other offerings, showing the ability to get swings and misses in and out of the strike zone. His fastball parks at 90-93 mph and tops out at 96 with decent running action, but it's fairly ordinary in terms of velocity and life and gets hit harder than any of his pitches. He also employs a solid low-80s curveball with bigger break than his slider and an average mid-80s changeup with some fade and tumble. More athletic than physical, Watts-Brown has a slender 6-foot-3 frame and some questions about how well he'll handle a pro starter's workload. He shows some feel for pitching and should be able to refine his control and command as he gets more innings. His biggest need is to add some power or movement to his fastball so he can keep it off barrels.

56th on FG's Board:

Juaran Watts-Brown​

Watts-Brown was a high-profile transfer from Long Beach State who had a down 2023, walking a batter every other inning and posting an ERA around 5.00. His breaking ball quality is still so good, and Brown is such a smooth operator on the mound, that he still presents a dev-friendly foundation for a team in the second round. Watts-Brown's slider breaks late and his curveball has big time depth. Both of them are easily plus, while the rest of his skill set is below average. His delivery is more graceful than it is athletic and powerful, and scouts are split as to whether or not JWB is going to throw harder in pro ball. Pro teams don't consider Oklahoma State to be especially good at developing pitchers, so perhaps there's meat on the bone here, either in terms of coaxing more velo out of Watts-Brown by altering his mechanics or simply by helping him impart more effective movement on that pitch. He could be a no. 4 starter with an improved heater and more consistent release, and is more like a generic no. 5 if he can only find one of those things.

 

[Canada4Gold]

I would have expected Nimmela to be be overslot given he has leverage to go to college and he was generally ranked higher than where he went but they've now drafted 2 player who were also ranked higher than their pick in round 3 and 4 so maybe not. Or maybe there's lots of underslot nobodies to come.

Landen Maroudis, potential 2 way HS player, who's better on the mound and probably where he sticks is who they took in round 4

 

[hockeywiz542]

https://www.mlb.com/prospects/draft/landen-maroudis-805793

Landen Maroudis

RHP, Calvary Christian (FL)

AGE: 18

BATS: R

DOB: 12/16/2004

THROWS: R

HT: 6' 3"

WT: 190

COMMITTED

North Carolina State

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50

Calvary Christian High School in Florida has one of the deepest high school pitching staffs in the country with right-hander Liam Peterson, lefty Hunter Dietz and Maroudis. Also the club's shortstop when he isn’t pitching, Maroudis entered the spring third on the depth chart, but many evaluators believed he had vaulted to the top of the list based on his performance and upside.

Maroudis is a solid infield prospect, a good athlete who can swing the bat well, but his future at the next level lies on the mound. The 6-foot-3 right-hander has the chance to have an excellent three-pitch mix. His fastball had touched 96 mph early in the spring, though that velocity backed up a bit as he tired a bit thanks to his two-way duties. There’s good ride and spin to the fastball, something sure to speak to the analytics fans. His changeup is his best secondary offering, ahead of the spike slurve he throws that’s more of a frisbee-like slider than anything else, with some evaluators worrying a little bit about his breaking stuff due to how low his elbow is in his delivery.

Committed to North Carolina State, Maroudis does a very good job of throwing strikes, and teams will certainly be interested in his fastball qualities as well as the upside that comes with his athleticism. Teams that think there could be another gear to reach once he stops hitting could be intrigued in the first few rounds.

 

[Eyedea]

3 legit picks so far kinda like the way they went in 2022. Expect the reliever "punts" to come now, though they honestly hit on those too with Fluharty/Brock last year.

 

[Canada4Gold]

Jays pick hometown kid Connor O'Halloran. College pitcher from Michigan via Mississauga. Ranked right around where he was selected

 

[phillipmike]

https://www.mlb.com/prospects/draft/landen-maroudis-805793

Landen Maroudis

RHP, Calvary Christian (FL)

AGE: 18

BATS: R

DOB: 12/16/2004

THROWS: R

HT: 6' 3"

WT: 190

COMMITTED

North Carolina State

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50

Calvary Christian High School in Florida has one of the deepest high school pitching staffs in the country with right-hander Liam Peterson, lefty Hunter Dietz and Maroudis. Also the club's shortstop when he isn’t pitching, Maroudis entered the spring third on the depth chart, but many evaluators believed he had vaulted to the top of the list based on his performance and upside.

Maroudis is a solid infield prospect, a good athlete who can swing the bat well, but his future at the next level lies on the mound. The 6-foot-3 right-hander has the chance to have an excellent three-pitch mix. His fastball had touched 96 mph early in the spring, though that velocity backed up a bit as he tired a bit thanks to his two-way duties. There’s good ride and spin to the fastball, something sure to speak to the analytics fans. His changeup is his best secondary offering, ahead of the spike slurve he throws that’s more of a frisbee-like slider than anything else, with some evaluators worrying a little bit about his breaking stuff due to how low his elbow is in his delivery.

Committed to North Carolina State, Maroudis does a very good job of throwing strikes, and teams will certainly be interested in his fastball qualities as well as the upside that comes with his athleticism. Teams that think there could be another gear to reach once he stops hitting could be intrigued in the first few rounds.

Taken from the same school as Braden Halladay, Roy Halladay’s son.

 

[Canada4Gold]

Wow Jays take the 66th ranked guy on MLB.com in the 6th round. 3rd highest guy left on the board. College outfielder so maybe not as expensive as all the HS guys who want tons of money, but shoudl be expensive still you would think being ranked in the 2nd round

Jace Bohrofen

 

[phillipmike]

Jays 5th round pick, Connor O'Halloran (LHP, Michigan) is the 2nd ranked Canadian in the draft.

 

[Discoverer]

3 legit picks so far kinda like the way they went in 2022. Expect the reliever "punts" to come now, though they honestly hit on those too with Fluharty/Brock last year.

Now five picks in and still no punting despite having picked a couple highly-rated high schoolers and a few guys rated quite a bit higher than where they took them. Assuming they can get all these guys signed, it's hard not to like the strategy so far.

 

[Eyedea]

Now five picks in and still no punting despite having picked a couple highly-rated high schoolers and a few guys rated quite a bit higher than where they took them. Assuming they can get all these guys signed, it's hard not to like the strategy so far.

Yeah I'm honestly not entirely sure how/if they'll sign them all. Maroudis is probably looking at ~1m and I don't see much, if any savings yet.