Vancouver Canadians shortstop Orelvis Martinez (Photo by Christopher Oertell @cjimagesnw)
A dozen of the top 30 Toronto Blue Jays prospects for 2022 ranked by Baseball America have Vancouver Canadians ties.
Five of the players listed suited up for Monty’s Mounties in 2021. They are listed below.
- 2. Nate Pearson, RHP (2017)
- 3. Orelvis Martinez, SS/3B (2021)
- 6. Otto Lopez, INF (2018)
- 11. Samad Taylor, 2B (2017)
- 13. Sem Robberse, RHP (2021)
- 15. Spencer Horwitz, 1B (2019, 2021)
- 16. C.J. Van Eyk, RHP (2021)
- 17. Adam Kloffenstein, RHP (2019, 2021)
- 19. Tanner Morris, INF (2019, 2021)
- 24. Zach Logue, LHP (2017)
- 27. Hagen Danner, RHP (2021)
- 30. Josh Palacios, OF (2016)
In its Best Tools survey, BA ranks Martinez as the best power hitter in the Blue Jays system and Horwitz with the best strike-zone discipline. Pearson has the top fastball and slider. 2017 C’s outfielder Chavez Young is considered to have the best outfield arm.
More Prospect Rankings
Keith Law from The Athletic released his Top 20 Blue Jays prospects list with six players who have worn the red and white. Martinez is listed as the second best Jays prospects and came in at number 44 on Law’s Top 100 prospects throughout the minor leagues. Robberse ranked eighth and Lopez checked in at number 10. Van Eyk, Taylor and Kloffenstein were rated at 16, 17 and 18 respectively and 2021 righthander Hayden Juenger placed 20th. Logue, Danner and 2018 C’s righthander Joey Murray were listed by Law as other prospects of note. Lopez was named as one of the players likely to make an impact on the 2022 Blue Jays roster.
With the cancellation of the Rule 5 draft in the wake of the MLB lockout being resolved, the Blue Jays get to keep Taylor for another season. After a breakout year with Double-A New Hampshire. in which he batted. 294 with 16 home runs and 30 stolen bases, it was a surprise Taylor was not added to the the Jays 40-man roster. Taylor will have the opportunity to increase his stock in the Jays system if he can succeed with Triple-A Buffalo in 2022.
Baseball America and Law did not mention the fact. that Van Eyk underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow last September.
C-Notes
The Toronto Blue Jays have announced its 2022 coaching staff. John Schneider—who managed the Canadians in 2011, 2014 and 2015—has been promoted from major league coach to bench coach for manager Charlie Montoyo. One of the players Schneider managed in 2011 will join him on the Jays coaching staff as former C’s catcher Luis Hurtado will be one of the bullpen catchers. Hurtado managed the Low-A Dunedin Blue Jays last season.
2012 C’s second baseman Christian Lopes has signed a minor league deal with Oakland with an invite to spring training. The 29 year-old from Huntington Beach, California has spent time in the Texas Rangers, Miami Marlins and Arizona Diamodbacks organizations since his six-year tenure in Toronto’s farm system. Lopes slashed .271/.384/.497 at Triple-A Reno with 36 extra-base hits, including 12 home runs, and 16 stolen bases.
2017 Canadians catcher Matt Morgan made his TV debut on A&E’s Flipping Down South Saturday, March 12. He is among three young entrepreneurs in a house flipping business in Birmingham, Alabama. Morgan is also continuing his baseball career as he recently signed on with the Cleburne Railroaders of the American Association of Professional Baseball, an MLB Partner League.
Canadians president Andy Dunn appeared on Donnie & Dhali-The Team on CHEK TV recently to talk about the upcoming season.
Dunn was asked about having to play ball in April and May.
“We’re going to have some days where it’s going to be chilly, we’re going to have some days once they might be a little dreary and wet outside, we’re going to have to grind through those. There’s other clubs that play full season. Tacoma is a full-season club with a similar weather pattern. There are teams from the upper northeast that have the same type of weather. We’ll get through it one way or another.
The one thing we’re going to do this year Is in April and May to try to keep our fans in the best possible situation. We’ll traditionally have our Friday Nooners and our Sunday afternoon games. But in April and May, we’re also going to play Saturday 1:05 dates just to get fans opportunities to sit out in and hopefully Be 10 or 15 degrees warmer during the ball game and also give our guys a night off on the field and go from there. But we’re going to try to be creative about it. Some years we’re going to wear it, we understand that from the weather. Some years we might have a better spring. I mean, we’ve been through both in the summer in Vancouver. We have a tarp, we’ll be ready with the staff and put it down. I don’t think the people in Vancouver are too worried. “
Dunn also says fans can expect some changes to the game at the High-A West level in 2022.
“Things we’re looking at right now for this year are larger bases, we’re looking at limiting shifts, pitch clocks to expedite games. We will have one pitching clock this year in Nat Bailey, we’ll have larger bases this year in Nat Bailey and we’ll have rules for at least half of the year. It will be announced soon regarding shifts.
Last year, the Low-A West League, which was the California League years ago, put in a pitch clock and it cut the game times down 40 minutes. It was unbelievable. The average game time went from like 3:05 to 2:24. It’s getting the players used to it, it’s getting the model in place, it’s getting the umpires used to making the call because it’s either you’re not in the (batter’s) box, it’s an automatic strike, or you’re not throwing the pitch, it’s an automatic ball. “
Canadians co-owner Jake Kerr was interviewed by Kirk LaPointe on BIV News. Among the highlights:
- Kerr says the C’s received sympathy but no financial assistance from any level of government but received some help from the Blue Jays when the club was in Hillsboro last year.
- Kerr believes there will be Major League Baseball in Vancouver one day but not in his lifetime.
- Canadians players may be housed at the University of British Columbia but Kerr says that is not confirmed.
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