Batter's Box Interactive Magazine

Riley Adams hit two home runs yesterday, Samad Taylor repeated the feat today. Taylor leads the Fisher Cats with six home runs. Riley Adams added another home run on Saturday. Taylor's bombs helped New Hampshire win. Adams shot was in a losing cause although Nick Allgeyer looked like his old self. The C's lost behind Adam Kloffenstein while Dunedin returned to their losing ways.

Syracuse 7 Buffalo 6

Binghamton 3 New Hampshire 8

Eugene 7 Vancouver 4

Bradenton 11 Dunedin 1

This is what I noted from yesterday's games.

Nick Allgeyer pitched well and left with the lead but Casey Lawrence gave up four runs while getting just one out. Patrick Murphy had some control problems. An error and two walks loaded the bases and the winning run scored on a ground out. Murphy had trouble throwing strikes, he had as many balls as strikes thrown. Allgeyer was back on track, pitching five innings, three hits, three walks, seven K's.

Riley Adams followed his two home run night with a two hit night, one of them another home run. His OPS is now up over 1000. Kevin Smith also homered, both he and Adams have six on the season.

Samad Taylor homered twice and drove in four runs. Both homers were to right field. Taylor seems to be improving week over week. He is still just 22 in AA, which is good. His six home runs lead the team. He is striking out 40% of the time but hopefully he can find a blend between the home runs and the power. Gabriel Moreno also homered, his fourth, and drove in three runs. His home run hit the hotel in left field. Otto Lopez had two hits and scored twice.

The Jays signed free agent Johnny Barbato and assigned him to New Hampshire. He made his first start on Saturday and gave the Cats 5.1 decent innings, two earned runs on six hits and two walks.

Adam Kloffenstein gave up four runs in 4.2 innings on Saturday. But it wasn't as bad as it looks. Kloff did load the bases in the second inning with a hit and two walks but with two out Luis De Los Santos made an error that conceded a run. Kloff didn't help himself by walking in a second run. In the fifth Kloff left with two on and two out but the bullpen let both runs score. Kloff's line was 4.2 3 4 2 4 5

Luis De Los Santos and Tanner Morris each had a single and a double.

Another tough one in Dunedin. The bats were quiet other than Leonardo Jimenez who had three hits.

Lazaro Estrada got the start and gave up one run over four innings. Rafael Ohashi followed and pitched two shutout innings. The bullpen collapsed after those two giving up ten runs.

Three Stars

Third Star - Leonardo Jimenez

Second Star - Riley Adams

First Star - Samad Taylor

Boxes

Posted by Gerry on Sunday, June 06 2021 @ 07:56 AM EDT.

Samad Power | 8 comments | Create New Account

The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.

bpoz - Sunday, June 06 2021 @ 08:31 AM EDT (#399373) #

At about 100 ABs on the seasons various players are performing well. The individual teams are not however. S Taylor has 11 SB and 1 CS. That part of his game is doing well.

Shoeless Joe - Sunday, June 06 2021 @ 10:30 AM EDT (#399379) #

The Jays have a lot of middle infielders in the minors this year who are showing pop, but a lot of Ks such as Barger, Taylor and the maybe he�s a prospect again Kevin Smith. I had written off Smith after a disaster season in AA, but he seems to have gone back to a more level swing and seems to have turned his career around.

bpoz - Sunday, June 06 2021 @ 10:54 AM EDT (#399381) #

I wonder when promotions will be considered. Moreno, O Lopez both made the jump from Lansing 2019 and are dominating AA. Groshans also from Lansing. He and Martin are not dominating. Maybe by about 200 ABs.

greenfrog - Sunday, June 06 2021 @ 10:57 AM EDT (#399382) #

Taylor is riding a high BABIP (.392) but his BB/K ratio is 4.8%/37.5%. He seems like a very fringy prospect at this point, but perhaps he can improve his plate discipline as the season goes on and improve his standing as a prospect.

John Northey - Sunday, June 06 2021 @ 12:08 PM EDT (#399383) #

Taylor is interesting - 10th round pick by Cleveland in 2016, traded to the Jays in 2017 on July 31st. Jays traded Joe Smith (middle reliever) for Samad Taylor and Thomas Pannone (now with the Angels) - forgotten as it was the same day of the Liriano for Teoscar Hernandez deal. At 22 in AA he could still develop but his lifetime 246/328/399 line isn't inspiring. 94-33 SB-CS suggests he could be useful like Davis is now. Mostly 2B, a bit of 3B, 7 games in the OF, 5 at SS. His best bet is to work on playing everywhere (maybe even learn how to catch so he could be an emergency 3rd catcher) and to work on his strike zone judgement and bunts (15 sac bunts in the minors, none this year) He was smart and played in Australia last year so he got some games in (700 OPS over 25 games).

Yeah, I'd be surprised if he ever is more than a backup. But with that speed he has a legit chance at that if his defense is decent and he can be solid on the 'fundamentals' like bunting, and can cut his K's down so he can be a good contact guy. Every organization needs a few of these guys around (like Espinal and Davis right now) and that is his best path to a ML career.

jerjapan - Sunday, June 06 2021 @ 02:37 PM EDT (#399393) #

Hobie Harris and Connor Overton are both looking like potential bullpen arms. We got Harris in the minor league rule v, which doesn't generally produce big league talent, but per FG, his FB is a 70, with an average splitter. Hard to see why the Yanks gave up on him, although apparently his velo was down in 2019, and walks have always been a problem for him. His 8.9 BB% thus far would be a career best for him if he keeps it up.
Laura Armstrong has a good article in the Star on Overton. He's had quite the long journey to AAA making him easy to pull for.

https://www.thestar.com/sports/bluejays/analysis/2021/06/05/blue-jays-prospect-watch-pitcher-connor-overton-makes-his-own-breaks-and-catches-on-with-bisons.html?li_source=LI&li_medium=thestar_sports
He's apparently added 25 pounds in the offseason, and his velo is up to 96-98 as a result. He can start or relieve, with one start of 6 IP to go with a number of multi-inning outings.

bpoz - Sunday, June 06 2021 @ 04:55 PM EDT (#399408) #

Nice game by Zeuch. Don't know if he is improving.

Cracka - Monday, June 07 2021 @ 04:18 PM EDT (#399449) #

Here's the big problem that I see with Zeuch. His best games are usually the ones with the FEWEST strikeouts, usually when he's doing his best Josh Towers impersonation and inducing weak contact and groundballs. When he's running into deep counts and forced to try to strike guys out like everyone else, he'll eventually get hit hard. There are not many guys like this in the MLB anymore, unless they are left-handed. I don't know how he fits in on a contending team -- maybe as a long relief bullpen arm?

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