...in the sun or shade...without the busy pace back east.
The
Phoenix Desert Dogs went all the way this AFL season with Blue
Jays farmhands playing a lead role. Chip Cannon, Kyle Yates, Curtis
Thigpen, Ryan Klosterman, Dustin McGowan, Jordan DeJong and Tracy
Thorpe all contributed to the Dogs' success. Shall we take a look at
how some of them did, and how it affects their prospect status?
Chip Cannon, 105 at-bats, .352/.474/.714
It is lucky for a left-handed power hitter to slug .714. Cannon
turns 25 next week, and now finds himself in a position where he might
be ready to make a contribution to the big club in the second half of
next year. He has the same strengths and weaknesses that he has
always had, excellent power, the willingness to take a walk, and the
propensity to strike out in bunches. For the season (580
at-bats), he hit 38 homers and struck out 191 times. That is not
a recipe for success, but 42 homers and 175 strikeouts is. He
still needs a small step, but it is possible that he will take it.
Kyle Yates, 24 IP, 19 H, 1 HR, 6W, 25K, 1.13 ERA
Yates'
excellence in the AFL puts a completely different spin on his
season. His Eastern League tenure would have to be considered
treading water, but after the AFL, he now is a 23 year old who has
thrown 150 good innings at the double A level. He may very well
start 2007 in Syracuse, and could be contributing at the big-league
level later in the year.
Curtis Thigpen, 88 at-bats, .307/.392/.500
Thigpen continued producing at a reasonable rate for a catcher, and
honed his defensive game in the AFL. It is noteworthy that he
earned the start over Landon Powell as the Dogs' catcher in the
final. He too will likely start 2007 in Syracuse, and should earn
a cup of coffee with the Jays at the end of next season.
Tracy Thorpe, 12.1 IP, 10 H, 0 HR, 5 W, 18 K, 0.32 G0/AO, 4.38 ERA
Thorpe
turns 26 next month, but brings major heat. Check out that K rate and
the ground-to-air ratio. He continues to get pop-ups at the rate
of 15% of balls in play. The Jays added him to the 40 man
roster. This appears to be a wise decision. He will start 2007 in
Syracuse, and may be ready to help out in the bullpen, if needed, later
in 2007.
Dustin McGowan, 19.1 IP, 18 H, 1 HR, 9 W, 18K, 5.53 ERA
One can safely ignore the ERA. McGowan pitched well enough,
as he did in Syracuse this past year, but lacked the good control that
he once had. He remains an interesting prospect despite his
health issues.
It was a very successful AFL season for the Jay farm system, with all
of the prospects either holding their own or improving their
standing.
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20061120102235110