ryan008

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ryan008 last won the day on April 22 2015

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  1. Blue Jays Drop out of Top Spot in AL East, Trail the Yankees by 1/2 Game June 1st, 2026 May wasn't he best month for the Jays as they would go 15-10 and would be caught and passed by the New York Yankees for top spot in the American League East. The Jays currently occupy the top wildcard spot with a game and a half cushion over the Chicago White Sox and a 4 game lead over the Boston Red Sox. Much of the Jays recent struggles can be traced back to the starting rotation. With the exception of SP Jamie Cox who had a stellar month going 5-1 with a 1.90 ERA, SP Jose Cerventes (0-3 4.74 ERA) and SP Vic Johnson (0-4 9.57 ERA) were awful and if they don't have there performance pick up there are a couple of guys knocking at the door in AAA who are chomping at the bit to get into the big league rotation. AL East Standings - June 1st AL Wild Card Standings May Pitching Statistics May Batting Statistics May's Hot Players SP Jamie Cox was by far the Jays best player in May going 5-1 with a 1.90 ERA. MR Jacob Bukauskas was also very good not allowing a run with 14 strikeouts in 9.2 innings of work. MR Greg Taylor also had a great month going 2-0 with a 1.72 ERA. Offensively SS Carlos Correa continues his torrid pace hitting .327 with 5 HR and 17 RBI, 2B Tim Miller (.325 0 HR 10 RBI) and C Max Pentecost who is returning from injury hit .322 with 4 HR and 10 RBI. May's Cold Players SP Jose Cerventes (0-3 4.74 ERA) and SP Vic Johnson (0-4 9.57 ERA) had just dreadful months of May and didn't produce a victory between them. MR Rodrigo Rivera also struggled in May posting a 1-0 record but a 6.75 ERA. On the offensive side of things the Jays got almost nothing out of the third base position 3B Bo Bichette (.163 1 HR 7 RBI) and 3B Jesus Valdez (.213 3 HR 17 RBI) both players struggled considerably. 2B Luis Hernandez is off to a good start in AAA nad could replace either Bichette or Valdez in the Majors if their production doesn't increase. May News & Notes Injuries The Jays lost yet another outfielder this month as LF Abel Black suffered a torn ligament in his thumb and is expected to miss the next 3 months. He was one of the Jays best offensive contributors this year hitting .390 with 9 HR and 22 RBI. The Jays recalled CF Cesar Gutierrez who was hitting .188 with 0 HR and 0 RBI for AAA Buffalo this season. Awards AA New Hampshire - RF Tommy Rodriguez (18th round pick 544th overall in 2020 by the Blue Jays out of Washington High school in the USHSBA), hit .366 with 5 HR and 28 RBI to take home the Eastern League Batter of the Month Award. Low A Lansing - LF Ron Ortega (5th round pick 157th overall in 2022 by Toronto out of Memphis High School in the USHSBA), hit .374 with 2 HR and 23 RBI and was named the Midwestern League Batter of the Month. Low A Lansing - SP Dan Shannon (4th round pick 127th overall in 2024 out of the University of Mississippi in the NCAA by Toronto), went 5-1 with a 1.47 ERA with 42 K's in 36.2 innings of work to take home the Midwestern League Pitcher of the Month Award. Around the Majors CF Andrew McCutchen of the Pittsburgh Pirates got career hit #2000 in a 4-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves. The 39 year old McCutchen is hitting just .241 with 2 HR and 6 RBI so far in 2026 and carries a career line of .282 batting average with 2000 hits, 246 home runs, 915 RBI and 1036 runs scored in 2017 career games all with the Pirates. He is a 5 time NL All Star and was the 2013 NL MVP winner. RF Giancarlo Stanton of the New York Yankees got career hit #2000 in a 9-4 Yankees victory over the Chicago White Sox. The 36 year old is hitting .241 with 9 HR and 29 RBI for the Yanks in 2026 and carries a career line of .257 BA with 2000 hits, 453 HR, 1289 RBI in 2115 games between the Marlins, Phillies, Red Sox and Yankees. He is a 3 time All Star. 3B Kris Bryant of the Los Angeles of Anaheim belted career home run #300 in a 8-4 victory over the New York Yankees. The 34 year old Bryant is hitting .206 with 7 HR and 27 RBI this season for the Angels. For his career the veteran 3B is hitting .249 with 1496 hits, 300 HR , 937 RBI and scored 789 runs in 1574 games with the Cubs, Nationals, Red Sox, Yankees and Angels. Up Next: 2026 First Year Player Draft Preview
  2. Blue Jays Hanging Tough in the East, Injuries Beginning to Pile Up May 1st, 2026 April started off really well for the Jays as they swept the opening 3 game series at home against their division rivals the Baltimore Orioles and they would ride the momentum of that series win to a 16-7 record during the month. Toronto finds itself tied atop the AL East with the New York Yankees (15-6) and three games up on the third place Boston Red Sox (13-10). The best teams record wise in the Majors to start the season were the Colorado Rockies and the Chicago Cubs both 17-5 and the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates (4-17) are by far the worst team in the Majors. The Blue Jays have also announced that they are bringing back a familiar face to the Jays front office. Former General Manager Alex Anthopolous has agreed to a 3 year contract to become the teams Assistant General Manager. Anthopolous left the Jays and would spend 3 seasons in Los Angeles with the Dodgers and has been out of baseball since 2024. GM Ryan Stewart is happy to have him on board and is looking forward working together "Alex is a great baseball mind and we plan on having him focus mostly on our minor league development. He was great at churning out talent that helped sustain the big club and were hoping that he can reprise that role with us now". AL East Standings - May 1st AL Wild Card Standings April Pitching Statistics April Batting Statistics April's Hot Players To no ones surprise SP Jamie Cox was one of the Jays hottest pitchers to start the season going 3-1 with a 1.78 ERA. SP Vic Johnson was also very good going a perfect 3-0 with a 3.34 ERA. Offensively C Max Pentecost has been a man on a mission tearing up opposing pitchers to the tune of a .451 batting average with 2 HR and 14 RBI. Newly acquired 1B Dave Johnson has also been very good in his first month with the team hitting .347 with no homeruns but driving in 9. LF Abel Black has also gotten off to a great start hitting .386 with 5 HR and 14 RBI. April's Cold Players For the most part our pitching has been very good the lone exception has been SP Erik Black who is 0-2 with a 4.72 ERA out of the gate. His last two starts have been better despite not getting a decision in either and I think it is just a matter of time before he heats up. MR Dylan Bundy is also on a short leash as his 12+ ERA is alarming and it seems like he is not adapting well to his new role as a reliever. He may find himself moved to another team or even down to AAA if he can't pick up his play. April News & Notes Injuries The injury bug got the Jays pretty hard at the end of the month as two of their three starting outfielders would require a trip to the disabled list. CF Albert Almora (.329 2 HR 18 RBI) is going to miss the next 2-3 months with a bruised knee cap and RF Isaac Green (.276 6 HR 20 RBI) is out for 3 weeks with back soreness. The Jays recalled CF Cesar Gutierrez (.250 0 HR 0 RBI in AAA) and CF Jerry Irwin (No Stats) to fill in while Black and Green are down with injuries. Awards Majors - SS Carlos Correa was named the American League Batter of the Month after hitting .323 with 8 HR 18 RBI. Majors - 3B Jesus Valdez was named the American League Rookie of the Month after hitting .323 with 1 HR and 14 RBI. Lansing - SP Gilberto Cruz (International free agent signing in 2021 out of Venezuela for $350,000) was named the Midwestern League Batter of the Month after going 3-0 with a 1.99 ERA for the Lugnuts. Around the Majors 3B Pablo Sandoval of the Cleveland Indians hit his 300th career homerun in a 4-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins. The veteran 39 year old is hitting .306 with 3 HR and 5 RBI this season. For his career he is hitting .286 with 2517 hits 300 HR and 1189 RBI in 2343 games with the Giants, Baltimore Orioles, Angels, Braves and Indians. CL Aroldis Chapman of the Milwaukee Brewers earned career save in a Brewers 2-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. The 38 year old is 2-0 with 7 saves and a 1.50 ERA this season. For his career he is 66-72 with 400 saves and 1326 career strikeouts in 924.2 innings with the Reds, Orioles, Cardinals and Brewers. Up Next: May 2026 Update
  3. 2026 Regular Season is Ready to get Rolling! The Toronto Blue Jays wrapped up their Spring Schedule with a 5-1 loss to the Houston Astros that dropped them into a tie for the second best record in the spring with the Boston Red Sox at 18-8. The surprising Baltimore Orioles were the hottest team this spring leading the Grapefruit League with a record of 19-7. 2026 Spring Training Standings Spring Training Statistics Starting Pitchers Surprises SP Jamie Cox had a fantastic spring not allowing a run in 15.1 innings of work and notching 23 strikeouts vs just 3 walks. Almost all of the Jays starters were really good this spring with SP Tyler Ivey (1.13 ERA), SP Erik Black (1.13 ERA) and SP Dave Winters (1.62 ERA) leading the way. Winters will start the season as the #1 starter in AAA and is on the short list to be called up should the Jays have any issues in the rotation this season. Disappointments SP Bernie Cantrell, a former 1st round pick 27th overall back in 2021 out of the University of Minnesota struggled a lot this spring. He was 1-1 with a 12.96 ERA in 8.1 innings of work. Cantrell is the Jays top pitching prospect and will start the season in AAA Buffalo. Spring Training Statistics Relievers Surprises MR Jorge Miranda who has been a stalwart in the Jays bullpen since 2023 suffered a Torn Flexor Tendon in his elbow and is going to miss the next 6 months. Just as Spring Training was getting under way the Kansas City Royals approached us with a deal that landed us 27 year old MR Greg Taylor in exchange for MR Bob Townsend and SS Shane Benes. Taylor was the 16th overall pick by the Royals back in 2018 and was billed as a potential top of the rotation arm, two arm injuries later and he is no longer considered a front line starter but my scouts believe he could be a dominant set up/back of the rotation arm that cost us virtually nothing. He had a great spring with the Jays pitching to a 1.29 ERA in 7 innings of work and has earned himself a spot in the Jays bullpen to start the season. Disappointments None really, we were quite happy with the performance of our relievers in camp and it made it really hard to pick just 7 to make up the opening day bullpen. If I had to pick one person that was a little disappointing it would be free agent acquisition MR Dylan Bundy who was 0-0 with 2 saves and a 4.50 ERA in 10 innings of work. Spring Training Statistics Catchers Surprises None really, Jays fans have come to expect C Max Pentecost to be a leader offensively and this spring was no different. Pentecost was very good putting up a line of .376/.455/.541 with 2 HR and 11 RBI and was out-shown by C Arturo Lugo who was dynamite this spring slashing .304/.400/.571 with 4 HR and 7 RBI and easily won the back up catcher's job to start the season. Disappointments None Spring Training Statistics Infielders Surprises SS Carlos Correa was a beast this spring putting up video game like numbers. He slashed .397/.518/.721 with 5 HR and 11 RBI and looks like he is ready to try for yet another American League MVP title this season. Disappointments The rest of the Blue Jays infielders were pretty much just average. We lost 2B Luis Hernandez to a fractured thumb and he missed 4 weeks during the Spring, essentially handing the starting second base job to 2B Tim Miller. 1B Dave Johnson (.242/.316/.399 2 HR 11 RBI), 3B Bo Bichette (.225/.320/.326 1 HR 9 RBI) and 3B Jesus Valdez (.230/.287/.279 0 HR and 7 RBI) were not that great but weren't terrible either. Hopefully they can pick up their numbers as the regular season begins. Spring Training Statistics Outfielders Suprises Nothing really earth shattering here. We had a couple of minor injuries that sidelined CF Dan Mitchell and LF Abel Black but both players would be ready for the regular season. Disappointments CF Cesar Gutierrez who was picked up in a trade with the San Francisco Giants back in 2022 was a little bit of a disappointment as we were hoping for a bit of a breakout from the 26 year old. He would hit just .217/.339/.326 with 1 HR and 6 RBI and didn't really make enough of an impression to stick on the opening day 25 man roster. He was sent back to AAA Buffalo. OPENING DAY ROSTERS SP Jamie Cox SP Jose Cerventes SP Vic Johnson SP Erik Black SP Tyler Ivey MR Phil Jones MR Nick Kennedy MR Sam Turner MR Mike McNeal MR Rodrigo Rivera MR Jorge Miranda CL Dave Davis C Max Pentecost 1B Cesar Melendez 2B Chris Goodwin 3B Stu Daniels SS Carlos Correa LF Abel Black CF Albert Almora RF Isaac Green C Jesus Lopez INF Shane Benes INF Tim Miller OF Don Bergeron 1B/DH Pat Olson Pre-Season Predictions Financial Information The Blue Jays start play in 202 with the 11th highest payroll in the Majors at $142,037,000 but its a far cry from the New York Yankees ($271,990,000), Boston Red Sox ($253,250,000) and the surprising Milwaukee Brewers ($197,450,000). The Jays are in tough in the AL East and are expected to finish in 3rd place in the division behind New York and Boston if you believe the pre-season predictions. Top Prospects and Farm Systems Baseball America released their first prospect rankings today and the 10 best prospects in the majors were: The Blue Jays farm system got some great reviews by Baseball America and would end up with three players ranked in the top 10 opening day prospects list. It comes as no surprise that with three prospects ranked in the top 10 the Jays have the #1 rated farm system for the first time under GM Ryan Stewart. The Boston Red Sox have the #1 rated prospect and the #2 rated farm and the Miami Marlins come in with the #3 ranked farm system. Up Next: April Review as Opening Day is here
  4. Blue Jays 2025 Off Season Report The memory of yet another early playoff exit at the hands of the hated New York Yankees is still fresh in the minds of most Jays fans as the team gathers in Florida with Spring Training about to commence. The 2026 Blue Jays are going to have a very different look this year as a number of faces have departed as free agents and some new blood has been brought in. The Jays starting infield was pretty much decimated by free agency as 1B Cesar Melendez signed in Boston for 5 years and $99,500,000, 2B Chris Goodwin inked a 4 year deal worth $69,600,000 with the San Francisco Giants and 3B Stu Daniels signed a 5 year deal with $109,400,000 deal with the Atlanta Braves. With their departures the Jays had a shoping list heading into the off season and GM Ryan Stewart was quite pleased with how things turned out. Blue Jays Off Season: 1. First Base The Blue Jays would fill the hole at first base by agreeing to a trade with the Oakland Athletics. The trade would see SP Gus Price dealt to Oakland in exchange for 1B Dave Johnson. Players to Oakland SP Gus Price is a 25 year old right handed pitcher who was a former supplemental 1st round pick of the Houston Astros back in 2020 out of Denver High School in the USHSBA. He was traded to the Blue Jays in 2023 by the Miami Marlins in exchange for SP Steve Sampson. Price was 3-10 with a 4.49 ERA with 47 BB and 89 strikeouts for AAA Buffalo in 2025. He has yet to live up to his billing as a possible middle of the rotation arm at the major league level and a change of scenery should do him a lot of good. Players to Toronto 1B Dave Johnson is a 26 year old former 3rd round pick 79th overall by the Oakland A's out of Georgetown University in the NCAA. He hit .438 with 1 HR and 6 RBI in AAA for the A's this season but struggled in 100 games with the A's hitting just .212 with 4 HR and 19 RBI. Johnson didn't get a lot of regular playing time and most of his at bats came as a pinch hitter. The Jays are hoping that with regular at bats he can put up some better numbers at the MLB level. 2. Third Base The Jays made a bit of a splash during free agency landing 3B Bo Bichette to a 7 year deal worth $75,000,000. Bichette isn't an All star by any means and did struggle last season with Pittsburgh (.221/.335/.328 with 12 HR and 55 RBI) but did produce a WAR of 3.7. He also led the majors with 94 walks last season and is a gold glove caliber defender. He was signed as insurance and will likely split time at third with 3B Jesus Valdez unless one of the two absolutely runs away with the position to start the season. 3. Second Base The Jays were quiet on this front during free agency. We like our depth and will give them a chance to show what they can do during the Spring. 4. Assistant GM We have a contract offer on the table for a new Assistant GM but as of the start of Spring Training nothing has been finalized as of yet. 5. Other Moves GM Ryan Stewart was quite happy to add MR Dylan Bundy on a 1 year $1,300,000 contract. The 33 year old is coming off a down season where he suffered through injuries with the Pittsburgh Pirates and was only able to pitch to a 5-4 record with 1 save and a 5.98 ERA with 30 walks and 69 strikeouts. He still has great stuff with a 93-95 MPH fastball and he was brought in to add a veteran presence and is a great bounce back candidate. He has not won 10 games in the majors since 2023 with the Nationals but GM Ryan Stewart believes this could be a major steal for relatively no cost. The Jays also added another power arm that is a reclamation project in MR Jacob Bukauskas who signed a 1 year deal worth $1,000,000. The 29 year old can top triple digits with a 99-101 MPH fastball but has struggled a ton with command. He was 4-10 with a 7.14 ERA walking 61 and striking out 101 in 103.1 IP with the Texas Rangers last season. He made 16 starts for the Rangers last year and we intend to have him pitch out of the bullpen where his stuff can be a very dangerous weapon. Rule V Draft The Jays 40 man roster is full so they were unable to select anyone in the Rule V draft but they did lost a pair of players in 1B Cesar Garza and CL Jesus Sosa. 1B Cesar Garza is a 26 year old former 3rd round pick 95th overall out of the University of New Mexico back in 2021. He hit .322/.385/.527 with 23 HR and 114 RBI with AA New Hampshire last season. I am really kicking myself for not protecting him and was hoping that he could sneak through but he was nabbed by San Diego with the 6th pick in the 1st round. CL Jesus Sosa is a 24 year old righty who was signed as an International Free Agent out of the Dominican Republic for $750,000 back in 2018. He was 11-8 with a 2.50 ERA walking 28 and striking out 138 for Advanced A Dunedin. The 24 year old has a big arm with a fastball that can touch 96-98 MPH. Waiver Claim The Jays would lose 1B Chris Daniels on waivers when he was claimed by the Kansas City Royals. Daniels was placed on waivers to make room for newly acquired 1B Dave Johnson. With the aquisition of Johnson Daniels slid down to #3 on the depth chart and we thought we might be able to slide him through waivers and stash him in AAA. 2025 Major Free Agent Signings SP Alex Wood - 2 years $36,500,000 (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) 3B Chris Goodwin - 4 years $69,600,000 (San Francisco Giants)* 3B Bo Bichette - 7 years $75,000,000 (Toronto Blue Jays) 1B Cesar Melendez - 5 years $99,400,000 (Boston Red Sox) 3B Manny Machado - 2 years $28,000,000 (Arizona Diamondbacks) SP Shelby Miller - 2 years $55,200,000 (Milwaukee Brewers) RF Derek Fisher - 4 years $13,280,000 (Baltimore Orioles) 1B Will Benson - 6 years $199,200,000 (New York Yankees) Extension SP Jim Meltron - 5 years $78,700,000 (Atlanta Braves) SP Dan Mullen - 7 years $155,200,000 (New York Yankees) CL Christopher Machamer - 3 years $37,300,000 (Boston Red Sox) CF Jesus Rivera - 2 years $15,800,000 (Boston Red Sox) 1B J.P. Crawford - 4 years $35,600,000 (Baltimore Orioles) SS Hideto Asamura - 1 year $12,600,000 (San Francisco Giants) SP Rob Waller - 5 years $111,000,000 (Colorado Rockies) SP Mike Sanford - 5 years $111,800,000 (Detroit Tigers) 3B Miguel Sano - 5 years $71,600,000 (Chicago White Sox) C Travis D'Arnaud - 1 year $15,400,000 (Boston Red Sox) SP Max Kranick - 5 years $42,100,000 (Kansas City Royals) SP Noah Syndergaard - 2 years $38,800,000 (St. Louis Cardinals) SP Jose Marquez - 7 years $163,200,000 (Boston Red Sox) SP Carlos Rodon - 4 years $72,800,000 (Milwaukee Brewers) 3B Stu Daniels - 5 years $109,400,000 (Atlanta Braves) SP Archie Bradley - 1 year $17,000,000 (Boston Red Sox) SP Jameison Taillon -2 years $29,600,000 (New York Yankees) Note: *Blue Jays will receive supplemental 1st round picks for Daniels, Goodwin and Melendez in the 2026 First Year Player Draft. Up Next: Spring Training 2026
  5. 2025 Salary Arbitration Cases & Possible Free Agents The 2025 off season is going to be a very busy one for GM Ryan Stewart and the Blue Jays front office. In addition to having 10 players eligible for salary arbitration the Jays will have three compensation eligible free agents as 3B Stu Daniels, 1B Cesar Melendez and 2B Chris Goodwin will all be free agents after failing to sign extensions with the Jays this of season. The Jays 10 salary arbitration cases and the results of the hearings were: 1B Chris Daniels - $1,250,000 LF Don Bergeron - $5,250,000 SP Jose Cerventes - $7,500,000 MR Phil Jones - $1,500,000 MR Rodrigo Rivera - $1,600,000 C Jesus Lopez - $2,500,000 SP Erik Black - $7,500,000 MR Nick Kennedy - $1,600,000 MR Jose Miranda - $2,035,750 2026 Operating Budget The Blue Jays 2026 Operating Budget has been set at $204,000,000 this season which represents a meager increase of just $4,000,000 over the 2025 season. Toronto's $204 million dollar budget is the 7th largest in the majors trailing the New York Yankees ($296 million) and the Boston Red Sox ($276 million) by significant amounts. When you factor in coaching expenses, draft estimates ($10 million), player payroll ($135,800,000), Scouting ($18 million) and development ($18 million) the Jays have approximately $35 million in payroll space to be utilized this off season. There are a lot of holes to fill so that $35 million needs to go a long way this off season. The off season is just about upon us and my wish list for the off season includes: 1. First Base The loss of 1B Cesar Melendez to free agency has created a huge hole at first base. We have a couple of options in house in 1B Chris Daniels (.219/.300/.351 with 10 HR and 28 RBI in 2025 with the Jays) and 1B Pat Olson (.276/.351/.378 5 HR 60 RBI in AAA Buffalo) but neither has the offensive abilities that we lost in Melendez. There are a couple of options out there in free agency but no one who really blows my socks off. This is a hole that will most likely be filled via trade. 2. Third Base 3B Stu Daniels rejected extension talks that went right down to the wire and elected to see what his options were in free agency. The 29 year old was a Rule V pick up by the Jays back in 2019 from Arizona and has turned into an All Star. He hit .317/.342/.452 with 10 HR and 78 RBI for the Jays last season. I'm hoping that 2B Jesus Valdez who is a 24 year old former International Free Agent signing out of Venezuela back in 2018 can make the transition over to third. He hit .380/.420/.560 with 3 HR and 16 RBI for the Jays in 2025 but in just 35 games. I would like to find someone who has a little more experience to provide some depth and backup in case Valdez struggles. 3. Second Base 2B Chris Goodwin who has spent 4 seasons with the Jays after being acquired from the Kansas City Royals for SP Nathan Kirby elected to test free agency as well. This is a position that will be filled in house. We have tremendous depth at second base with former first round pick 2B Tim Miller (..321/.364/.384 0 HR 71 RBI with Toronto), 2B Luis Hernandez (.259/.357/.397 12 HR 67 RBI with AAA Buffalo) and 2B Chad Flannery (.313/.340/.400 2 HR 52 RBI with A Dunedin). Of the three its most likely that Miller and Hernandez will battle for the starting job while Flannery will head to AAA Buffalo to start the season. 4. Assistant GM the Jays Assistant GM Jim Duquette retired after spending just one season as the Jays Assistant GM. We wish Jim all the best and will start interviewing for his replacement immediately. Up Next: 2025 Off Season Transactions Report
  6. 2025 Salary Arbitration Cases & Possible Free Agents The Blue Jays are going to see some significant turn over this off season as they have three compensation eligible free agents who will not be back with the Jays next year after declining Arbitration and electing to become free agents. Those include 3B Stu Daniels who has been with the Jays since being taken in the Rule V Draft from the Arizona Diamondbacks back in 2020. He will join the likes of 1B Cesar Melendez and 2B Chris Goodwin on the free agent market leaving the Jays with just C Max Pentecost and SS Carlos Correa returning from their opening day infield from 2025. In addition to the three comp eligible free agents the Jays had 10 players who were arbitration eligible. They would all resign with the club earning 1 year deals worth the following amounts: 1B Chris Daniels - $1,250,000 LF Don Bergeron - $5,250,000 SP Jose Cerventes - $7,500,000 MR Phil Jones - $1,500,000 RF Isaac Green - $5,953,750 MR Rodrigo Rivera - $1,600,000 C Jesus Lopez - $2,500,000 SP Erik Black - $7,500,000 MR Nick Kennedy - $1,600,000 MR Jorge Miranda - $2,035,750 2026 Operating Budget The Blue Jays operating budget will remain the same for the 2026 season holding steady at $200,000,000. With the Jays current payroll sitting at $135,800,000 and the draft budget ($7,500,000) and international amateur budget ($3,000,000) the Jays have approximately $35,000,000 that they can use to spend on free agents. With a number of holes to fill, particularly on the infield a significant portion of that money could be eaten up finding replacements at first, second and third. The Jays do have a number of internal candidates that will be pushing to make the opening day roster next year and the team has been linked to a number of free agents. This could be a very eventful off season for GM Ryan Stewart and the Toronto Blue Jays. GM Ryan Stewart's Off Season Wish List The off season is just about upon us and my wish list for the off season includes: 1. Hire a New Assistant GM At the conclusion of the 2025 season Assistant GM Jim Duquette decided that it was time to retire from professional baseball, He was hired by the Jays back in 2020 when GM Ryan Stewart took over the team and has been the GM's right hand man ever since. He was particularly good at working wit scouting director Brian Parker at identifying amateur talent and working with our player development department to get it up to the major leagues. 2. Fill the hole at first base 1B Cesar Melendez had a huge season for the Jays last year slashing .283/.384/.395 with 7 HR and 77 RBI all while providing 4.8 WAR and gold glove caliber defense at first. He elected to become a free agent this off season after rejecting the Jays qualifying offer. The Jays are going to have to find a replacement for his bat and glove and with very few options available in free agency we will likely have to address the need through trade. 3. Fill the hole at 2B We lost 2B Chris Goodwin to free agency after the veteran second baseman rejected a qualifying offer and became a free agent. The Jays are going to have to find a way to replace his .286/.316/.485 slash line with 25 HR and 94 RBI and 4.8 WAR. 4. Fill the hole at 3B The third of the infield trio that elected free agency was 3B Stu Daniels. He slashed .317/.342/.452 with 10 HR and 71 RBI providing the Jays with 2.6 WAR. He was also a gold glove caliber defender at the hot corner. Up Next: 2025 Off Season Transactions Report
  7. 2025 Awards & Blue Jays Minor League POTY's Major League Baseball announced its winners for the Gold Gloves, Rookie of the Year, Cy Young Award and the MVP today and there were a couple of Jays that took home some hardware. The Jays also announced their R. Howard Webster Award Winners for the Best Player at each level of the Jays minor leagues. 2025 AL Gold Gloves P SP Ken Quick (Houston Astros) C Johnny Mann (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) 1B Will Benson (New York Yankees) 2B Reid Humphreys (Oakland Athletics) 3B Stu Daniels (Toronto Blue Jays) SS Francisco Lindor (New York Yankees) LF Oscar Tavares (New York Yankees) CF Cisco Rodriguez (Boston Red Sox) RF Bryce Harper (Boston Red Sox) 2025 NL Gold Gloves P Erik Brown (Philadelphia Phillies) C Tim Susnama (Colorado Rocikes) 1B Justin Belanger (Chicago Cubs) 2B Ricky Aracena (Philadelphia Phillies) 3B Mason Templet (Los Angeles Dodgers) SS Cole Stobbe (Atlanta Braves) LF Gareth Morgan (Los Angeles Dodgers) CF Elijah James (Arizona Diamondbacks) RF Kyle Parker (Arizona Diamondbacks) 2025 American League Rookie of the Year 1B Jarred Patterson (27 Years Old) (Chicago White Sox) 5th Round Pick 149th overall in 2017by Texas out of Miami High School in the USHSBA. .271 25 HR 70 RBI 2025 National League Rookie of the Year 1B Daniel Thompson (24 Years Old) (Atlanta Braves) Supplemental 1st round pick 26th overall by Atlanta out of Purdue University in the NCAA. .270 22 HR 73 RBI 2025 American League Cy Young Award SP Jamie Cox (33 Years Old) (Toronto Blue Jays) 1st Round Pick 9th Overall in 2014 by Toronto out of Michigan State University in the NCAA. 16-1 1.92 136 K 2025 National League Cy Young Award SP Bryan Hoeing (28 Years Old) (Atlanta Braves) 1st Round Pick 4th Overall in 2015 by Atlanta out of Georgia High School in the USHSBA. 16-6 1.63 ERA 174 K 2025 American League MVP Award SS Carlos Correa (31 Years Old) (Toronto Blue Jays) 1st Round Pick 1st Overall pick by Houston in 2012 out of the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy in the USHSBA. .374 47 HR 127 RBI 2025 National League MVP Award LF Mike Brown (23 Years Old) (Colorado Rockies) 1st Round Pick 2nd Overall in 2023 by Colorado out of Florida State University in the NCAA. .363 20 HR 84 RBI 2025 Blue Jays Minor League Players of the Year AAA Buffalo Bisons - 71-73 5th in North Division 2B Jesus Valdes 24, RHB Acquired: Signed as an International Free Agent out of Venezuela for $1,250,000 in 2018. 2025 Stats: .309 11 HR 64 RBI GM's Comments: Valdes was easily the best hitter on the Bisons this year and he would have had even better numbers if he didn't spent significant time with the big club due to injuries. He hit .380 in 34 games with the Jays this year and has pretty much assured himself a job as the everyday second baseman with 2B Chris Goodwin expected to leave as a free agent. He was an International League All Star in 2025 and finished 3rd in the gold glove voting for second base. AA New Hampshire Fishercats - 88-54 1st in Northern Division & 2025 Eastern League Champions! 1B Cesar Garza 25, RHB Acquired: 3rd round pick 95th overall in 2021 by Toronto out of the University of New Mexico in the NCAA. 2025 Stats: .322 23 HR 114 RBI GM's Comments: The Fishercats were able to repeat as Eastern League Champs in 2025 and a big reason for that was the hitting of Garza. He was a 2025 Eastern League All Star and would take home the Eastern League MVP Award. Garza is never going to win a gold glove as his fielding skills are almost non existent so he will likely be a designated hitter at the next level. He is headed to Spring training with the Jays next season and could even compete for the DH spot with DH Chris Daniels who has been a disappointment for the Jays over the last few seasons. High A Dunedin Blue Jays - 77-63 1st in North Division SP Norberto Perez 25, LHP, V:94-96 MPH Acquired: Signed as an International Free Agent for $122,000 by Toronto out of Cuba in 2017. 2025 Stats: 12-7 3.15 ERA 54 BB 117 K GM's Comments: Perez was not a highly rated prospect on the International Market back in 2017 but is quietly making a name for himself in the Jays organization. He is a little old at 25 to still be pitching in A ball but he has shown good fastball command and has steadily increased his stock. He will never be a top of the rotation arm but should be a good 4th/5th starter option. He will be challenged this season heading to AAA and will probably get a few spring innings with the Jays as well. Low A Lansing Lugnuts - 88-52 2nd in Eastern Division LF Dan Mueller 22, LHB Acquired: 1st round pick 25th overall in 2022 by Toronto out of Hialeah High School in the USHSBA. 2025 Stats: .341 10 HR 61 RBI GM's Comments: Mueller was a guy that we were very excited about in his draft year and he has burst onto the full season scene by hitting .341 and winning a Gold Glove in his rookie season in Lansing. The 22 year old is very close to being MLB ready and will get a shot at cracking the opening day roster in Spring Training. Our Scouting and development staff all think very highly of him and see him as an impact player and possible lead off hitter at the MLB level. Short Season A Vancouver Canadians - 53-23 1st in West Division & 2025 Champs! SP Gilberto Cruz 20, RHP, V: 92-94 MPH Acquired: Signes as an International Free Agent by Toronto for $350,000 out of Venezuela in 2021. 2025 Stats: 10-2 2.57 ERA 24 BB 83 K GM's Comments: Cruz has developed nicely since moving to North America and was the Ace of the Canadians Staff this year leading the team in just about every pitching category. He is still very young at just 20 years old and his future is likely that of a #3 starter at the big league level. the plan is to have him spend all of 2026 in Lansing to get his feet wet in full season baseball and then see how he develops from there. Bluefield Blue Jays - 43-25 1st in East Division SP Bob Dickey 21, LHP, V: 93-95 MPH Acquired: Drafted by the Blue Jays in the Supplemental 1st Round 33rd overall in 2023 out of Madison High School in the USHSBA. 2025 Stats: 5-1 1.34 ERA 27 BB 46 K GM's Comments: Dickey has shown that he has nothing left to learn in rookie ball and the Jays plan on challenging the former 1st round pick with full season ball next season. He will join SP Gilberto Cruz in Lansing and should headline a fairly impressive Lugnuts rotation. He has top of the rotation potential and is the Jays top pitching prospect. We have high hopes for him down the road. GCL Blue Jays - 40-20 2nd in North West Division SP Kevin Perkins 20, RHP, V:92-94 MPH Acquired: Drafted by the Blue Jays in the 1st round 27th overall in 2024 out of Pasadena High School in the USHSBA. 2025 Stats: 6-2 1.95 ERA 25 BB 57 K GM's Comments: Last years 1st round pick had a huge season in his second go around with Bluefield and he showed why the Jays took him in the first round. He is another guy that the Jays scouts are very high on but is still very raw. He will likely be moved up to Short Season A Vancouver to start the season next year and depending on performance could see some time in full season A ball before the end of 2026. Dominican Summer League Blue Jays - 32-36 4th in San Pedro De Marcois Division 3B Alfredo Lopez 22, RHB Acquired: Signed by the Blue Jays as an International Free Agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2020 for $75,000. 2025 Stats: .329 5 HR 19 RBI GM's Comments: Lopez was an under the radar signing back in 2020 and has spent almost 4 seasons in the Jays International Complex and had a breakout season in his second go around in the DSL. He projects to be a good back up infielder at the MLB level and probably is never going to be a starter. He will get his chance to make his debut in North America as the plan is to have him start the season in Vancouver. Up Next: Salary Arbitration
  8. Chicago Cubs are the Best in Baseball in 2025, Defeat the Yankees in 7 November 9th, 2025 The Chicago Cubs took home the 2025 World Series with a thrilling 7 game series victory over the American League Champion New York Yankees. The Cubs road to the World Series went through the Colorado Rockies whom thy defeated in 4 games in the NLDS and then a 4-2 series win over the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS. This is the first time the Cubs have won the World Series since 2018. Up Next: The 2025 Off Season Begins
  9. And the Broken Record Continues - Jays Downed by Yankees in 5 Games Again October 20th, 2024 For Blue Jays fans the feeling of deja vu is understandable as the team cruised to 120 victories and the best record in baseball only to be bounced in 5 games in the American League Division Series by their division rival the New York Yankees. The Jays were short handed this year without star players SP Jamie Cox, LF Abel Black and CF Albert Almora. Perhaps the biggest blow was the loss of SP Jamie Cox who would have been the starter for the team in game #1. With the Jays out of the post season they will be looking to the off season and the team has a number of pending free agents and he roster next year could look vastly different. ALDS Game #1 - New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays SP Jake Odorizzi (14-9 3.64 ERA) vs SP Jose Cerventes (20-2 2.70 ERA) W: SP Jake Odorizzi (1-0) L SP Jose Cerventes (0-1) Recap: The Blue Jays would send 20 game winner SP Jose Cerventes to the hill in game #1 against the Yankees against veteran SP Jake Odorizzi and the Yankees and he was cruising until the 7th inning. With the game tied at 2 RF Butch Townsend ripped an RBI double and would then score 2 batters later on a DH Giancarlo Stanton homerun. The Yankees bullpen then shut down the Jays offence the rest of the way on the way to a 10-2 whipping of the Jays in game #1. ALDS Game #2 - New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays SP Jorge Rodriguez (14-8 3.48 ERA) SP Tyler Ivey (15-5 4.13 ERA) W: SP Tyler Ivey (1-0) 6.0 IP 6 H 4 R 3 BB 6 K L: MR Tyler Mondile (0-1) S: CL Dave Davis (1) Recap: Toronto would turn to SP Tyer Ivey to try and even up their series with the Yankees and he did just enough to keep the Jays in the game and let the offence take over. Ivey tossed 6 innings allowing 4 runs on 6 hits with 3 walks and 6 k's to earn his first career playoff victory. Ivey had a rough start as RF Giancarlo Stanton had an RBI single in the bottom of the 1st and then SS Francisco Lindor drove him in on an RBI triple. Lindor would score on a 2 run blast off the bat of C Bob Garner and the Yankees held a 4-0 lead before the Jays even had a chance to hit. SS Carlos Correa would respond with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 1st making it a 4-1 Yankees lead. RF Cesar Gutierrez belted a 2 run RBI double off the wall in right field in the in the 6th to cut the lead to 1. After a walk to C Max Pentecost DH Chris Daniels belted his first homerun of the post season giving the Jays a 5-4 lead. Toronto's bullpen would shut down the Yankees for the rest of the game and the Jays would tie the series at 1's with a 5-4 victory. ALDS Game #3 - Toronto Blue Jays @ New York Yankees SP Josh Murphy (22-6 3.26 ERA) SP Erik Black (14-5 4.22 ERA) W: CL Mike Scott (1-0) L: CL Dave Davis (0-1) Recap: The Yankees would turn to SP Josh Murphy to the hill in Game #3, Murphy is the leader in the American League East in wins with 22 and is fresh off a wild card victory over the Chicago White Sox. The Jays countered with SP Erik Black who was 14-5 with a 4.22 ERA this season. Black was very good going 7 innings allowing 3 runs on 7 hits with a pair of walks and 3 K's. SP Josh Murphywould last 6 innings allowing 2 runs on 4 hits. Neither pitcher would factor in the decision however as it would go to extras and DH Arturo Rivera would hit a walk off double in the bottom of the 10th offCL Dave Davis to give the Yankees a 4-3 victory in game #4 and putting the Jays on the brink of elimination. ALDS Game #4 - Toronto Blue Jays @ New York Yankees SP Jose Cerventes (0-1 2.36 ERA) SP Stephen Strasburg (3-8 4.88 ERA) W: Mr Phil Jones (1-0) L: CL Mike Scott (1-1) S: CL Dave Davis (2) Recap: The Jays turned to game #1 starter SP Jose Cerventes to try and stave off elimination and the Yankees countered with veteran SP Stephen Strasburg who had missed most of the season with an arm injury. The Yankees jumped out to an early lead in this one as SS Francisco Lindor got them on the board int he 2nd with an RBI single making in 1-0. The Yankees would add 5 more runs in the bottom of the 4th capped off by a RF Arturo Rivera 3 run homerun. The Jays would however chip away at the lead with SS Carlos Correa getting them on the board with a solo homerun in the bottom of the 7th. They would not score again until they rallied for 8 runs in the top of the 9th inning capped off by a 3B Stu Daniels RBI sac fly that tied the game at 7 and then a DH Chris Danies 2 run double that gave the Jays the victory and forced a game #5. ALDS Game #5 - New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays SP Jorge Rivera (0-0 1.35 ERA0 SP Tyler Ivey (1-0 6.00 ERA) W: MR Ben Warner (1-0) L: MR Sam Turner (0-1) Recap: The Blue Jays got off to a great start in game #5 with CF Albert Almora belting a 3 run homerun in the bottom of the 1st. The Yankees didn't let the lead stand for long as 3B Rob Duncan hit a 2 run triple in the top of the 2nd cutting the Jays lead to 1. In the top of the 4th CF Jim Chavez had an RBI single in the 4th and that knotted the game at 3. The Jays retook the lead in the the with a sacrifice fly off the bat of LF Don Bergeron making it a 4-3 lead for the Jays. Once again that would not last long as 3B Rob Duncan belted a 2 run homerun in the 7th inning giving the Yankees a 5-4 lead. Once again Toronto would tie the game up in the 8th with C Max Pentecost had an RBI double in the 8th inning. In the top of the 9th veteran DH Giancarlo Stanton hit his 3rd homerun of the series a 2 run shot to give the Yankees a 7-5 lead. In the bottom of the 9th 2B Chris Goodwin would score on a wild pitch cutting the lead to 7-6 but thats as close as they would come as the Yankees would move on to the ALCS. Up Next: 2025 World Series Winner
  10. Blue Jays are Best in Baseball, ALDS Vs Yankees in up Next October 5th, 2025 The Blue Jays just completed their best season in franchise history tying the 2024 team with 120 victories and took home their 3rd consecutive AL East Title. The Jays ill make their 8th consecutive playoff appearance and have not missed playing baseball since they finished in 2nd place in the East back in 2017. The Jays will play their division rival the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series after the Yankees took down the Chicago White Sox in the American League Wild Card Game. The Jays will be without LF Abel Black when the American League Division Series gets underway against the Yankees as the veteran right fielder is suffering from a sports hernia and is expected to miss the next 8 weeks effectively ending his season. Black is hitting .294 with 16 HR and 69 RBI on the year. The Jays recalled CF Cesar Gutierrez from AAA Buffalo where he was hitting .253 with 1 HR and 23 RBI. Around the Majors 3B Pablo Sandoval the veteran infielder for the Cleveland Indians notched his 2500th career hit in a 3-2 victory over the Miami Marlins. The 39 year old had a resurgent year for the Indians in 2025 hitting .291 with 13 HR and 52 RBI and for his career is a .285 hitter with 2500 hits 299 HR 1181 RBI between Dan Francisco, Los Angeles Angels, Baltimore, Atlanta and Cleveland. He is a 4 time All Star and is under contract for 1 more season with the Indians. Up Next: ALDS New York vs Toronto
  11. Blue Jays Lead the AL East by 13.5 Games but Injuries Mounting August 1st, 2025 The Toronto Blue Jays had another great month posting a 20-8 record and adding to their lead in the American League East. They have extended their lead over the second place New York Yankees to 13.5 games and with just over a month left in the season they have a magic number of just 20 to wrap up another division title. The news has not been all good for the Jays however as the injury bug has hit them hard over the last few weeks. They leaned that they will be without CF Albert Almora for 7 weeks and both SP Jamie Cox and MR Jorge Miranda are done for the season. Cox is suffering from shoulder inflammation and is expected to miss at least the next 5 months and Miranda is out for 13 months after suffering a torn flexor tendon. The biggest loss by far is SP Jamie Cox, the 6 time Cy Young Award winner and 7 time All Star has been the Jays best pitcher for the better part of a decade and will leave a huge hole in the starting rotation come playoff time. AL East Standings - August 1st AL Wild Card Standings - August 1st August Pitching Statistics August Batting Statistics August's Hot Players SP Jose Cerventes had his contract purchased from AAA Buffalo after SP Jamie Cox was placed on the 60 day disabled list and he was very good in August going 3-0 with a 1.99 ERA the rookie had a little bit of an issue with his control walking 10 batters and striking out 12 but he was able to minimize the damage with a lot of ground balls. Offensively C Max Pentecost (.398 9 HR 20 RBI) and SS Carlos Correa (.371 8 HR 18 RBI) both have returned to form after suffering injuries earlier in the season and have been the most formidable middle of the order in baseball this season. August's Cold Players August saw a couple of the Jays players have tough months. SP Erik Black pitched to a 1-2 record with a 5.43 ERA in 5 starts and had a lot of trouble with control walking 16 batters in 30 innings of work. Offensively 1B Cesar Melendez struggled mightily hitting just .163 with 0 HR and 9 RBI and rumors are beginning to swirl that he might be hurt. If he is that would be a huge blow to the Jays line up as he has been one of their best and most consistent hitters this season. August News & Notes Injuries The injury bug hit the Jays very hard this month with three players requiring extended stays on the disabled list. The biggest loss by far was that of SP Jamie Cox. Cox was having yet another Cy Young caliber season with a 16-1 record and a sparkling 1.92 ERA is suffering from shoulder inflammation and is expected to be out for the next 5 months. He was placed on the 60 day disabled list and the Jays recalled SP Jesus Gutierrez who was 8-7 with a 4.15 ERA in AAA Buffalo this season. The next to go down with a season ending injury was MR Jorge Miranda who was 1-5 with 5 saves and a had posted a 4.35 ERA this season. He suffered a torn flexor tendon and is expected to miss the next 13 months. He was also placed on the 60 day disabled list and the Jays recalled MR Jorge Aromas who is off to a great start in AAA Buffalo going 8-8 with 29 saves and a 3.26 ERA. The injury train kept rolling along and CF Albert Almora was the next to hop on. The injury prone outfielder is hitting .291 with 27 HR and 77 RBI this season and is expected to be out for 7 weeks after suffering a fractured rib. He was placed on the 15 day disabled list and is expected to return in time for the post season. The Jays purchased the contract ofCF Dan Mitchell from AAA Buffalo where he was hitting .298 with 9 HR and 39 RBI. Finally the Jays would lose yet another starting pitcher as SP Tim Libby who was 6-4 with a 3.93 ERA is suffering from elbow inflammation and is expected to miss at least the next 3 weeks. He was placed on the 15 day disabled list and the Jays purchased the contract of SP Dave Winters. Winters who was the 24th overall pick in the 2021 first year player draft by the Jays was 10-2 with a 2.89 ERA this season and will make his major league debut with Toronto in August, First Year Player Draft Update The Jays most recent crop of draftees has had a couple of months at the professional level to get adjusted to the pro game and a couple of the Jays picks were off to great starts. 1st Round - SP Rob Norton - 5-3 1.92 ERA (GCL). Currently out for 11 months after undergoing Tommy John surgery. 2nd Round - SP Dan English - 3-7 3.71 ERA 35 BB 35 K (GCL) 3rd Round - SS Dan Brooks - .177 0 HR 9 RBI (96 AB's) (GCL) 4th Round - SP Sean Funk - 2-1 1 SV 1.82 ERA (GCL) 5th Round - RF Art Frazier - .257 0 HR 14 RBI (GCL) Waiver Claim GM Ryan Stewart announced that they club had claimed 27 year old MR Danny Simpson off waivers from the San Diego Padres. The 6'3" 210 lb right hander was originally drafted in the Supplemental 1st round 33rd overall by the Texas Rangers in 2018 out of Colorado Springs High School in the USHSBA. So far in 2025 he is 2-7 with a 3.41 ERA with 33 walks against 87 strikeouts for AAA El Paso. He features a 91-93 MPH fastball as well as a curveball, slider, changeup, cutter and kunckle curve. He projects as a decent middle reliever and with the rosters expanding to 40 man the Jays have time to give him an audition at the big league level. Awards C Max Pentecost (.398 9 HR 20 RBI) was named the American League Batter of the Month. A Lansing - LF Dan Mueller (1st round pick 25th overall in 2022) was named the Midwestern League Batter of the Month after hitting .372 with 3 HR and 23 RBI for the Lugnuts. A Lansing - SP Danny Esquiver (10th round pick 311th overall in 2019) was named the Midwestern League Pitcher of the Month after going 4-0 with a 1.66 ERA with 33 K's and just 3 BB for the Lugnuts. September Callups The Jays have added a number of reinforcements to the roster due to the injuries that they have suffered already this month but with rosters expanding to 40 man they have added a few more. With a large lead in the AL East the plan is to try and rest a lot of the regulars so that they can be fresh for playoff time. The Jays recalled the following players from AAA Buffalo: SP Bernie Cantrell - 9-14 5.33 ERA SP Sam Burns - 8-10 4.83 ERA SP Dave Winters - 10-2 2.89 ERA CL Steve O'Quinn - 3-8 2 SV 5.71 ERA C Arturo Lugo - .296 10 HR 55 RBI 2B Jesus Valdes - .309 11 HR 64 RBI Up Next: End of the 2025 Regular Season
  12. Blue Jays Go Nuts on the International Prospect Market August 1st, 2025 The Toronto Blue Jays were the most aggressive team on the International Amateur Free Agent market this July 1st landing a number of the top players available and spending a total of $31,800,000 on 10 players including shelling out a pair of $10 million dollar contracts. GM Ryan Stewart "Our ownership group was very supportive of this strategy to spend heavily during the current July 1 period and then deal with the penalties for the next two seasons. We really liked the level of talent in this years class and thought it was a very good opportunity to add a bunch of talent to our low minors" On the field the Jays continue to roll posting an 18-6 record during July and improving to 77-25 on the season. They hold a commanding 12.5 game lead on the second pace New York Yankees in the American League East and barring a complete collapse are looking to defend their AL East title. The news wasn't all good for the Jays however as they will be without RF Isaac Green and All Star SS Carlos Correa. Green is going to miss the next 5 months and is done for the season and Correa will miss the next 3 weeks. AL East Standings - August 1st AL Wild Card Standings - August 1st http://s255.photobucket.com/user/rya...g.html?filters[user]=59138963&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=3 July Pitching Statistics July Batting Statistics July's Hot Players The Jays bullpen was a big part of their success this month as the rotation (with the exception of SP Jamie Cox who was 4-0 with a 1.13 ERA) struggled a bit. CL Dave Davis was lights out going 1-0 with 8 saves and didn't allow an earned run, MR Mike McNeal was also great in a middle relief role going 4-0 with a sparkling 0.97 ERA. Offensively SS Carlos Correa was tearing the cover off the ball hitting .402 with 10 HR and 26 RBI before he was injured and C Max Pentecost (.366 4 HR 16 RBI) and 3B Stu Daniels (.319 2 HR 15 RBI) both had tremendous months at the plate. July's Cold Players Much like June there really isn't anyone in the starting lineup or one of the pitchers who I would be considered to be "cold". CF Cesar Gutierrez who had his contract purchased from AAA Buffalo and made his major league debut is off to a slow start hitting just .190 with 1 HR and 5 RBI and C Jesus Lopez who doesn't get a lot of playing time backing up Pentecost is hitting just .133 in the month of July. On the pitching side of things really only MR Sam Turner (0-1 6.07 ERA) had a bad month and that can really be attributed to 1 bad outing. July News & Notes Injuries The Jays were dealt a pair of serious injuries this month with RF Isaac Green suffering a ruptured finger tendon. He was hitting .263 with 9 HR and 52 RBI at the time. He is expected to miss the next 5 months and is done for the rest of this season. The Jays purchased the contract of CF Cesar Gutierrez who was hitting .253 with 1 HR and 23 RBI for AAA Buffalo this season. All star SS Carlos Correa also suffered an injury that will require a stay on the disabled list. He will miss the next 3 weeks with a strained back muscle. The reigning AL MVP was hitting .390 with 36 HR and 86 RBI at the time of his injury. The Jays recalled 2B Jesus Valdes (.313 9 HR 49 RBI) who will get his second chance with the Jays this season. First Year Player Draft Update The deadline to sign 2025 first year player draft picks has passed and the Jays were able to come to agreements with all but two of their picks. 11th round pick SP Joe Bradleyelected to attend Gonzaga and 26th round pick SP Don Fisher chose to attend the University of Texas. International Amateur Signing Period GM Ryan Stewart would be very busy during the signing period shelling out a total of $31,800,000 on 10 prospects out of this years prospect class including 7 of the top 10 ranked heading into the signing period. The pre-draft top 10 was: 1. 1B Jose Vazquez (16, LHB) Venezuela - Toronto - $10,500,000 2. SP Jose Magana (16, RHP) Dominican Republic - Toronto - $8,000,000 3. SS Alfredo Repenicaro (16, RHB) Venezuela - Toronto - $1,250,000 4. C Ihazul Paradinum (17, LHB) Venezuela - Boston - $1,700,000 5. SP Pepe Hinojosa (16, RHP) Venezuela - Toronto - $950,000 6. CF Jose Gonzalez (16, RHB) Dominican Republic - New York Yankees - $1,200,000 7. SP Dani Ordonez (16, LHP) Dominican Republic - Toronto - $950,000 8. SP Anastasio Anaya (16, LHP) Venezuela - Toronto - $250,000 9. C Hector Barbadillo (16, S) Dominican Republic - Toronto - $10,000,000 10. CF Meodemo Pieare (16, S) Venezuela - Boston - $700,000 Awards SS Carlos Correa was named the American League Batter of the Month after hitting .402 with 10 HR and 26 RBI GCL - CL Clarence Jones (6th round 189th overall in 2023) was named the GCL pitcher of the Month after going 3-0 with 11 saves and a 0.47 ERA. FSL - LF Jim Kelley (9th round 279th overall in 2023) hit .333 with 5 HR and 24 RBI and was named the Florida State League Batter of the Month. A Vancouver - LF Ron Ortega (5th Round 158th overall in 2022) was named the Northwestern League Batter of the Month after hitting .385 with 1 HR and 20 RBI. R Blue - CL Charlie Clements (4th Round 127th overall in 2023) went 3-1 with 9 Saves and a 3.08 ERA and was named the Pitcher of the Month. Up Next: August 2025 Update
  13. Jays Open Up 10.5 Game Lead in AL East as Summer Approaches July 1st, 2025 The Blue Jays had another good month in June posting a win-loss record of 17-11 and opening up a 10.5 game lead over the New York Yankees in the American League East. The Jays did have a bit of a slump in the middle of the month as they would be swept by the lowly Tampa Bay Rays in a 4 game set at Tropicana Field. That might have been a good wake up call as they would go 8-2 in the 10 games after. GM Ryan Stewart "The series against the Rays we played really bad. We didn't hit or catch well committing 7 errors in the 4 games and scoring just 8 runs total. Hopefully that series is a reminder that a big lead in the division is not safe and that there is still a lot of season left before the playoffs start and a lot can happen between now and September" AL East Standings - July 1st AL Wild Card Standings - July 1st June Pitching Statistics June Batting Statistics June's Hot Players Toronto's success in June was a well balanced approach between the hitting and pitching. SP Jose Cerventes was nearly un-hitttable going 4-0 with a 2.40 ERA and SP Jamie Cox was almost as good going 2-1 with a 1.17 ERA, he was the recipient of some bad luck as the bullpen would blow 2 of his leads late in ballgames. Offensively SS Carlos Correa (.369 11 HR 23 RBI) continues his MVP like pace and C Max Pentecost (.340 3 HR 17 RB), 1B Cesar Melendez (.360 2 HR 12 RBI) and LF Don Bergeron (.397 2 HR 16 RBI) all had really good months to carry the offence in June. June's Cold Players You will be really hard pressed to find anyone in the Jays lineup who is really cold either offensively or defensively. On the pitching side of things SP Tim Libby didn't have a great month going 0-2 with a 6.38 ERA in 4 starts and MR Sam Turner was 0-3 with a 9.61 ERA. Offensively 1B Chris Daniels continues to struggle hitting just .158 with 2 HR and 5 RBI and is increasingly losing at-bats as the DH to LF Don Bergeron who has been raking. June News & Notes Injuries SS Shane Benes whom the Jays acquired in the off season will spend the next 4 weeks on the disabled list with a sore throwing shoulder. The veteran utility man has had a rough debut to his season with the Jays hitting just .171 with 1 HR and 4 RBI and now is going to be out until after the July 31st trade deadline. The Jays called up one of their top prospects in 2B Jesus Valades who is having a huge season in AAA Buffalo hitting .319 with 9 HR and 39 RBI. First Year Player Draft Update GM Ryan Stewart was very busy getting the Jays 2025 Draft Class under contract and into the minor league system to start their development. With just 2 weeks left before the signing deadline the Jays have signed all but a pair of their draftees. 11th round pick SP Joe Bradley and 26th round pick SP Don Fisher have yet to decide on the offers that they received from the Jays. Both are longshots as they have very strong commitments to play baseball in the NCAA in 2026. The Jays other draft picks all signed and to date the Jays spent $6,300,000 on their picks in the first 5 rounds. Their bonuses broke down as follows: 1st Round (25th Overall) - SP Rob Norton - $5,000,000 2nd Round (69th Overall) - SP Dan English - $650,000 3rd Round (96th Overall) - SS Dan Brooks - $190,000 4th Round (125th Overall) - SP Sean Funk - $250,000 5th Round (155th Overall) - CF Rob Meyers - $210,000 International Scouting Discovery Scouting Director Brian Parker didn't let the draft stop him from scouring the international ranks and he came up with another prospect that the Jays inked to a minor league contract. 16 year old SP Tony Meza is a 6'0: 165 lb lefty who hails from the Dominican Republic. He features a fastball, curveball and slider and tops out in the 87-89 MPH range. He doesn't have the best stamina right now and might be better suited for a role in the bullpen down the road. Awards SS Carlos Correa was named the American League Batter of the Month after hitting .369 with 11 HR and 23 RBI. July 1st International Signing Period The 2025 International Free Agent class is a deep one with a number of impact players available. GM Ryan Stewart didn't want to tip his hand but did say that they are heavily in on a number of the top ranked players. The top 10 ranked players available are: 1. SP Jose Vazquez (16, LHB) Venezuela 2. SP Jose Magana (16, RHP) Dominican Republic 3. SS Alfredo Repenicaro (16, RHB) Venezuela 4. C Ihazul Paradinum (17, LHB) Venezuela 5. SP Pepe Hinojosa (16, RHP) Venezuela 6. CF Jose Gonzalez (16, RHB) Dominican Republic 7. SP Dani Ordonez (16, LHP) Dominican Republic 8. SP Anastasio Anaya (16, LHP) Venezuela 9. C Hector Barbadillo (16, S) Dominican Republic 10. CF Meodemo Pieare (16, S) Venezuela Up Next: July 2025 Update
  14. 2025 First Year Player Draft June 6th, 2025 The Baltimore Orioles were on the clock and they would make 19 year old SP Jim Wooddisse out of Mesa High School in the USHSBA the #1 overall pick in the 2025 First Year Player Draft. Wooddisse was ranked as the #8th prospect heading into the draft by Baseball America but he probably has the highest ceiling of any of the prep arms available in this draft class. He features a 91-93 MPH sinking fastball and a slider and changeup. His changeup is his best pitch and he gets a lot of swing and misses with it. At 6'4" and 185 lbs he has some room to fill out and should add velocity as he fills out an matures. He was 2-1 with a 0.49 ERA with 9 walks and 85 strikeouts in 2025. He is not going to come cheep as he is looking for a $9,500,000 signing bonus and has a number of NCAA options should he decide to not sign with Baltimore and return to school next year. Blue Jays Draft First Round - 25th Overall With the 25th overall pick the Jays were ecstatic to select 19 year old SP Rob Norton out of Seattle High School in the USHSBA. Norton was ranked as the #3 prospect heading into the draft by Baseball American and slid all the way down to the Jays at #25. The 6'5" 185 lb righty features a 90-92 MPH fastball a curveball and a changeup. He has very good command of all of his pitches and should add some velocity to his fastball in the minors. He was 3-1 with a 0.36 ERA with 6 BB and 54 strikeouts in 2025. A 3 time USHSBA All Star with Seattle he was named 2025 USHSBA Pitcher of the Year this season. He scouts as a top of the rotation arm and the Jays are very happy to have landed him at #25. He is not going to come cheep and is looking for a $6,000,000 signing bonus, with a slot recommendation of $1,200,000 the Jays are going to have to go significantly over slot to get him signed. Second Round 69th Overall In the second round the Jays selected another high upside prep arm this time in 19 year old righty SP Dan English out if Scottsdale High School in the USHSBA. English is an imposing figure on the mound standing 6'7" and tipping the scales ate 210 lbs. He doesn't really back up his imposing size with overpowering stuff sitting 89-91 MPH with his fastball and complimenting that with a cutter and changeup. There is a good chance that he will add some velocity as he matures and makes mechanical adjustments in the minors. In 2025 he was 0-3 with a 2.56 ERA with 16 BB and 55 K. He struggled at times with wildness but we believe he can make some adjustments with his frame with our development staff. He scouts as a middle of the rotation arm or possibly a good back end of the bullpen reliever. He is looking for a slot signing bonus of $380,000. Third Round 96th Overall The Jays nabbed their first position player with the 96th overall selection in the draft taking 19 year old switch hitting SS Dan Brooks out of Hayward High School in the USHSBA. Brooks hit .250 with 0 HR and 15 RBI in 2025. He makes a ton of contact and doesn't strikeout much and he can spray the ball to all fields. He isn't going to hit for a ton of power. likely 10 HR at the MLB level at the most. On the basepaths he has great speed and instincts and should be able to swipe 30+ bases. Defensively he is slightly below average and a move to second or 3rd might not be out of the question. He is looking for a $250,000 signing bonus which is the slot amount for the 69th overall pick. Fourth Round 125th Overall In the 4th round the Jays went back to the prep ranks to grab yet another 19 year old pitcher taking SP Sean Funk out of Los Angeles High School in the USHSBA. Funk is a 6'2" 190 lb right hander who features a 91-93 MPH fastball a slider and is developing a changeup. He was 3-2 with a 1.80 ERA with 4 walks and 37 strikeouts in 2025. A 2 time USHSBA All Star he has the potential to be a middle to back end of the rotation arm. He will really need to work on his changeup to give him 3 above average pitches or he could end up being moved into the bullpen. The Jays plan on having him start as he begins his pro career in the Jays system. He is looking for a $180,000 signing bonus (slot is $180,000) and should be an easy sign for the Jays. Fifth Round 155th Overall In the 5th round the Jays took their first NCAA Collage player selecting 21 year old RF Art Frazier out of the University of Vermount. Frazier hit .365 with 6 HR and 35 RBI in 2025 and took home a NCAA Golden Glove Award for his defensive play in 2024. He is a good all around player who doesn't do anything that particularly jumps out at you but he doesn't have any glaring weaknesses in his game either. He projects at a minimum to bee a serviceable 4th outfield and a good left handed bat off of the bench. He is looking for $150,000 (slot) to sign and should be an easy sign for the Jays. Blue Jays Picks rounds 6 through 30: 6. SP Geoff Edwards (19, RHP) Talahassee High School, USHSBA 7. C Don Johnston (22, RHB) University of Texas, NCAA 8. SS Leo Ryan (22, RHB) Wake Forest University, NCAA 9. CF Joe Cooper (22, S) TCU, NCAA 10. CL David Martinez (19, LHP) Little Rock High School, USHSBA 11. SP Jose Bradley (19, LHP) Nashville High School, USHSBA *$1,900,000 signing demmand 12. SP Joe Johnson (19, LHP) Memphis High School, USHSBA 13. 2B Liam Harris (19, RHB) Sacremento High School, USHSBA 14. LF Jamie Cook (21, RHB) Clemson University, NCAA 15. SS Ivan Alarcon (19, RHB) Oceanside High School, USHSBA 16. C Christian Benetiz (21, LHB) South Florida University, NCAA 17. SP Dave Turney (21, RHP) Virginia Tech, NCAA 18. C Shawn McMullon (19, RHB) Austin High School, USHSBA 19. C Wilson Beltre (19, RHB) Jacksonville High School, USHSBA 20. SP Chris King (19, RHB) Newark High School, USHSBA 21. 3B Ken Taylor (21, RHB) University of Vermount, NCAA 22. SP Tony Wilson (19, RHP) Tampa High School, USHSBA 23. SS Ken Summers (22, LHB) University of San Diego, NCAA 24. CL Maczysz Rachaslzj (19, RHP) Cleveland High School, USHSBA 25. CL Paul Brandt (22, RHP) Baylor UNiversity, NCAA 26. SP Don Fisher (19, LHP) Medford High School, USHSBA *2,400,000 bonus demmand 27. SS Tommy Hunter (19, RHB) Seattle High School, USHSBA 28. SP Ron Elliott (19, RHP) Honolulu High School, USHSBA 29. MR Steve Caldwell (21, RHP) San Jose State, NCAA 30. SP Noel MacDonald (21, RHP) UCLA, NCAA Up Next: June 2025 Update
  15. 2025 MLB First Year Player Draft Preview June 5th, 2025 The Toronto Blue Jays scouting, and development staffs along with GM Ryan Stewart have been very busy as the 2025 first year player draft quickly approaches. The Jays will have to wait until the very end of the 1st round to make their first selection at #25 overall. Toronto has had some success in identifying prospects in the 20-25 range that have gone on to produce for the major league club or who are very close to being MLB ready right now. 2B Tim Miller was the 20th overall pick in 2020 and has been a regular for the Jays for the last two seasons, SP Dave Winters (24th overall in 2021) and SP Bernie Cantrell (27th overall in 2021) are in AAA and knocking at the door. The last time the Jays made the 25th overall pick in the draft they selected LF Dan Mueller back in 2022. He is currently in A Lansing hitting .293 with 1 HR and 11 RBI but is on the 7 day disabled list with an oblique strain. The Baltimore Orioles will make the #1 selection in this years draft and they will have a number of very good arms to chose from. The top end of this draft is very pitcher heavy and the Orioles will have the pick of the litter. The Miami Marlins who failed to sign their 1st overall pick last CF Phil Ellis, will select 2nd and then again at #3 giving them 2 of the top 3 picks and a great chance to add to an already impressive farm system. The Houston Astros and Colorado Rockies will round out the top 5 picks. Baseball America's Pre Draft Top 10 According to Baseball America the top rated players for the 2025 First Year Player Draft are as follows: SP Bud Beauregard - 19, RHP (Jersey City High School, USHSBA) 0-0 0.00 ERA (1.0 IP) Missed rest of season with shoulder injury. Beauregard had 3 stellar seasons with Jersey City being named to the USHSBA All Star Team 3 times. He was the consensus #1 choice before suffering an arm injury in his first start of the 2025 season. He is a big 6'3" righty with a fastball in the 94-96 MPH range as well as a slider, changeup and splitter. He has great command and should be a #1 in a MLB rotation. He could still go #1 overall despite the injury. SP River Campos - 21, RHP (Air Force Academy, NCAA) 5-2 1.65 ERA 11 BB 75 K Campos is the top ranked collage arm in this years draft class. He won't dazzle you with pure stuff featuring a 92-94 MPH sinking fastball as well as a slider, change up and splitter. He has very good command of the strike zone and can locate all of his pitches. He probably isn't going to be a #1 at the MLB level but he is very consistent and should be a good #2/3 at the MLB level. 3. SP SP Rob Norton - 19, RHP (Seattle High School, USHSBA) 3-1 0.36 ERA 6 BB 59 K Norton has the build of a prototypical power pitcher standing 6'5", his fastball isn't quite at the level of a power arm yet topping out in the 90-91 MPH. He weighs just 185 lbs and he should gain some significant velocity as he fills out. He has pretty good control for a young arm that is that big walking just 5 batters in 50.1 innings of work. He compliments his fastball with a curveball and changeup. Both pitches grade out as potential plus pitches but are well below average right now. 4. CF Jim Sanchez - 21, LHB (University of Portland, NCAA) .297 1 HR 20 RBI The first batter to show up on the BA Top 10. Sanchez could easily go #1 overall if Baltimore decides to go with a bat over a pitcher. He is basically a 4 tool player (not a lot of power). He sprays the ball all over the field and has some pop in his bat to get the ball into the gaps. He has a great eye at the plate and doesn't chase many bad pitches. He is a threat to steal on the bases swiping 21/24 bases this year. Defensively he has the range and arm to stick in center field and can play both right and left. 5. SP Rory Gilbert - 19, RHP (Medford High School, USHSBA) 3-3 0.96 ERA 9 BB 59 K Gilbert might have the highest potential of any of the prep arms available in this years draft class. He throws 6 pitches a fastball that sits 92-94 MPH as well as a curve ball, change up, splitter, forkball and a knuckle curve. 5 of the six pitches grade out as plus potential but are very raw. He could be the ace of a staff some day but is a long way from being MLB ready and the team that drafts him will have to wait a while before he makes an impact at the MLB but he could be well worth the wait. 6.SP Tye Main - 19, LHP (Little Rock High School, USHSBA) 4-2 1.00 ERA 11 BB 65 K Main is probably not in the conversation for the top tier of prep arms available in this years draft class but would slot in in the next tier. He features a 91-93 MPH fastball as well as a curve, slider, change up and splitter. His fastball is by far his best pitch and his secondary stuff will need some work to become a good middle of the rotation starter. His stamina is a little low for a starter as well and there are some questions as to his ability to go deep into ball games and if he may end up in the bullpen down the road. 7. CF Phil Ellis - 22, RHB (University of Texas, NCAA) .398 3 HR 49 RBI The first overall pick in last years draft by the Miami Marlins failed to sign and would go back to the University of Texas for his senior season and he put up big numbers. The two time All Star is a 4 tool player (he doesn't have much power) and could be a perennial All Star at the MLB level. He is a little further behind in his development as he delayed his professional debut by not signing with the Marlins last season. He is in the conversation for the #1 overall pick this year as well, however its more likely that one of the pitchers is chosen over him. The big question will Miami take him with the 2nd or 3rd overall picks if he slips past Baltimore at #1. 8. SP Jim Wooddisse - 19, RHP (Mesa High School, USHSBA) 2-1 0.49 ERA 9 BB 85 K Wooddisse has the tools and makeup to be a top of the rotation arm. He stands 6'4" and weighs in at 210 lbs and can bring his fastball in the 91-93 MPH range. He was the 2024 USHSBA Pitcher of the Year and MVP and is a 2 time USHSBA All Star. He features a plus-plus sinker, slider and changeup and combines his pure stuff with pin point control. Based on his ratings I'm surprised that he is not rated higher and I think he will get top consideration as the #1 overall pick. 9. SP Kip Williams - 19, RHB (Jacksonville High School, USHSBA) 0-0 2.16 ERA 1 BB 13 K (2 Games) Williams threw just 8.1 innings in his Senior season with Jacksonville High and then missed the remainder of the year with a strained hamstring muscle. He put up an impressive 13 strikeouts in those 8 innings and would have most likely been ranked much higher had he not been injured. He features a fastball in the 91-93 MPH range as well as a slider, curve and changeup. He does struggle with command at times and does tend to over throw and rely on his fastball too much. He scouts as a good #2 or 3 but with some work on his secondary stuff he could be a #1. 10. SP Dave O'Brien - 21, RHP (San Diego State University, NCAA) 5-2 2.53 ERA 10 BB 65 K O'Brien has the best fastball in the top 10 as he can bring it in th e96-98 MPH range. He also throws a devastating splitter and changeup and is developing a curveball. He has great stamina and is a durable workhorse that should feature at the top of a rotation. He doesn't have the ceiling of some of the wild card prep arms but his floor is much higher. After spending 3 seasons in the NCAA he is very well polished and could move up through the minors quickly and could be one of the first from the 2025 draft class to make the Majors. Previous Blue Jays Picks 2020 - 20th Overall 2B Tim Miller .348 0 HR 12 RBI in 23 games (Toronto) Once again Miller has been the back up infielder in Toronto but his recent offensive surge has given him a lot more playing time. At 26 years old he could make pending free agent 2B Chris Goodwin expendable as he could take over the starting role full time in 2026. 2021 - 24th Overall SP Dave Winters 5-2 4.12 ERA (AAA Buffalo) The 25 year old was in the mix for a rotation spot in the Spring this year but ended up in AAA as the Bisons #1 starter. He has put up good numbers and will be a September Callup for sure this year and the Jays are going to have to decide on his future as early as next year as he is running out of MLB options. 2022- 25th Overall LF Dan Mueller .293 1 HR 11 RBI (Low A Lansing) Muller is repeating with Lansing and has hit the ball very well in his second go around. He is currently on the 7 day disabled list with a strained oblique muscle. The plan is to promote him to High A Dunedin when he is eligible to return and then if he performs well get him up to AA New Hampshire by the end of this season. He should compete for a spot in the outfield as early as 2026. 2023- 20th Overall SP Claude Meyer 5-5 3.47 ERA (2024 with S.A. Vancouver) Meyer got hammered in his first taste of pro ball back in 2023 and bounced back in 2024 with a good season in Vancouver. The Jays brass want to move him along slowly and have had him in extended spring training with him starting the season in Vancouver again. He should see a promotion to full season A ball before the season is over providing he pitches well. 2024- 27th Overall SP Kevin Perkins 4-5 5.54 ERA (GCL Blue Jays in 2024) Perkins had a respectable pro debut with the GLC Blue Jays and the 21 year old was sent to extended Spring Training as he awaits the start of the short season leagues shortly after the draft. He is ticketed for S.A. Vancouver as the Jays are going to be a little aggressive with the hard throwing righty. Up Next: 2025 First Year Player Draft