Monday Bantering: Keith Law Ranks Jays Farm System 7th

I’m spending a few days in Edmonton, we are cleaning out my parent’s condo. My parents didn’t like to throw things out, “you might need it one day.” There are clothes that my sister wore when she was five. There is 2 sets of ‘good china’. I counted 14 cups and saucers on the one set, the other much be about the same. Neither set had been used for years (well the good stuff may have never been used). They have endless everyday plates, cups, glasses. Considering that it was only the two of them and they didn’t have people over often, they wouldn’t have had to do dishes for weeks. Many years ago I gave them a boxed smoked salmon for Christmas, they still had the box.

Anyway.....

Keith Law has his rankings of the MLB farm systems up at the Athletic.The Blue Jays are ranked 7th, which is pretty amazing considering all the players who graduated to the majors last year. About the Jays he says:

The Blue Jays system remains in the top 10 thanks to a little of everything. Their past two drafts, in particular, look very strong. Their international scouting department has added some of the highest-ceiling prospects they’ve had since before I worked there. They added two more of their top-10 prospects in the Marcus Stroman trade. And they’re developing well, with their top two prospects improving since they entered the Toronto system.

It is the first time in a long while where I’ve felt there are a few pitchers who are likely to start in the minors, who could do a decent job in the majors this year. And there are some batters working their way up the ladder.

The number 1 ranked system is the Rays. The Yankees are 6th. Orioles are 24th and Red Sox 25

So this is interesting. Jose Bautista throwing a 94 MPH fastball doesn’t surprise me. The slider on the other hand.....

Stroman saying he could pitch in a bullpen this season I take with a grain of salt.

Nate Pearson has faced 9 batters this spring and has struck out 6 of them. And hasn’t allowed a base runner. I’d love him to be part of the major league rotation to start the season, but I know it isn’t going to happen. The team is going to want to watch his innings, and that will be easier to do in the minors. He threw 100 innings for the first time last year, I don’t think they would want to get him past 140ish this year. I think we will see him at some point.

This morning, Ross Atkins told the beat reportersthat Nate would start in Buffalo.

Barring injury, I think we pretty much know the rotation. I’m pretty sure that Thornton gets the fifth spot. It is a better looking rotation than last year, with Ryu, Shoemaker, Anderson and Roark getting the first four spots.

Today Matt Shoemaker gets his first start of the spring. The game isn’t on TV.