Blue Jays starting pitcher Marcus Stroman will get his second start of the season later today after an improbable and successful return to the major leagues following knee surgery in March.
Dalton Pompey, a 22-year-old who grew up in the shadow of the CN Tower, clinched a win for Toronto by stealing bases.
Jays鈥� break-out star Kevin Pillar has been taking flight to make highlight-reel catches in centerfield for months, and Roberto Osuna, the 20-year-old Mexican closer, saved all but two games and allowed only one run in the month of August.
These players are part of a surging Blue Jays line-up that holds a lead in the American League East. All four played in 麻豆传媒映画for the single-A Canadians and are among 10 pitchers and position players drafted by Toronto since 2011 to move up through the ranks and dress for the Jays. In the previous decade, 50 more prospects drafted by the Athletics moved through 麻豆传媒映画on the way to Oakland.听
鈥淎t the end of the day that鈥檚 why we do what we do,鈥� said C鈥檚 manager John Schneider. 鈥淲hether it can help our major league team with a player like Pillar or Dalton or Osuna or Sanchey [Aaron Sanchez] and guys like that, it鈥檚 really cool. And then if you also have them traded for a guy like Tulo or David Price, it鈥檚 almost just as cool but bittersweet.鈥�
Those 10 one-time C鈥檚 represent a fraction of the prospects who sign with the Jays. From rookie ball in Bluefield, West Virginia to AA action with the Fisher Cats in New Hampshire, all are professionals on contract with different amounts of money in their pocket. Most never reach the peak of their sport. Of those who came through Vancouver, each made the majors by following their own course built on talent and timing.听
鈥淭here is not a typical route,鈥� said Charlie Wilson, the baseball club鈥檚 manager of player development. 鈥淲e get players that come into our system from high school, from college and from junior college as well as international players from Latin America and other parts of the world.鈥�
The Blue Jays minor league teams, plus fall and international leagues
If a first-year player isn鈥檛 busting down the door with super-stardom or at least numbers and experience, he will likely head to the Gulf Coast or Bluefield, where both rookie teams are called the Blue Jays like their major league affiliate. In some cases, teenage rookies will also find themselves in 麻豆传媒映画and, in special cases, travelling to B.C. will be their first time out of the U.S. or, for international athletes from the Caribbean and Latin America, their first visit to Canada. For some players who stay in the minors, although they are owned by a Canadian team, they may never set foot in Canada if they don鈥檛 play for the C鈥檚 and are never promoted to the Jays.
鈥淭ypically, first-year players start in rookie or short-season ball,鈥� said Wilson. 鈥淭he older first-year group and more experienced college players typically go to Vancouver. But that鈥檚 not clear-cut either. We assess the players very quickly in analysis and evaluation camp immediately after they鈥檙e drafted. We rely heavily on scouting reports and evaluations from our amateur scouts as to where our first-year players go.鈥�
Once assigned, players get promoted 鈥� or relegated 鈥� based on their performance and other player movement said Wilson.
鈥淎fter half a year of short-season baseball, we have a pretty good idea of everyone鈥檚 skill and ability,鈥� he said.
Since the C鈥檚 turned from class AAA to short-season class A in 2000, 59 players have reached the big leagues after dressing for at least one regular season game in Vancouver. Once the Blue Jays took over as Vancouver鈥檚 MLB affiliate four years ago, 麻豆传媒映画has seen would-be Jays come and others go, including Miguel Castro, a bright spot that has faded slightly and who was traded in July to the Colorado Rockies as part of a package in exchange for two-time Golden Glove Award winning shortstop Troy 鈥淭ulo鈥� Tulowitzki. Another spark that only shone brighter is Noah Syndergaard, a first-round draft pick whom Toronto traded to the New York Mets in exchange for Cy Young-winning knuckleballer R.A. Dickey in 2012. Syndergaard and the Mets are in their own pennant race in the National League East for the first time in two decades.
鈥淚n a perfect world, the guys you draft would all make the big league team but that鈥檚 not the way the game works. The players understand that,鈥� said the C鈥檚 manager, Schneider.
In the case of Pillar, he鈥檚 not counted in this tally of 59 who passed through 麻豆传媒映画on his way to the majors because he was parachuted in for the C鈥檚 post-season. In 2011, Pillar helped 麻豆传媒映画to their first of three Northwest League championship titles with four RBIs, two doubles and one home run to top off his team-leading .391 batting average.
For Kevin Pillar and Dalton Pompey, games played in the outfield through Sept. 17, 2014.
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In 2012 and 2013, the outfielder played extra games in the Arizona Fall League. He debuted for the Jays Aug. 14, 2013 at the age of 24, but after 35 games in the field, was demoted the next season to the class-AAA Buffalo Bison before eventually returning to Toronto by ousting home-town hero Pompey in centre field. This season, Pillar has continued to soar, often literally.
Pompey grew up in Mississauga and has continued to watch Toronto as an outsider. Despite starting the 2015 season in the outfield and celebrated as a 鈥渉ometown hero,鈥� after 23 games he was sent down to Buffalo where, as the lead-off hitter, he batted .209 with 22 strikeouts before dropping further to class-AA New Hampshire.
In Toronto after he misjudged balls and made mistakes, he took the unusually candid approach to admit in April that he was playing 鈥渟cared.鈥� He told reporters, "I've found ever since the season started I've been playing somewhat scared just because I don't want to make a mistake.
The Jays鈥� development manager Wilson said this admission had nothing to do with sending him down.
鈥淚鈥檓 honest when I say performance dictates our transfers. At the time, we felt it was best that Dalton was assigned back to the minor leagues to get more seasoning and, most importantly, to play every day.鈥�
Pompey worked his way back. In 30 games with the Fisher Cats, he hit .346, bringing in 21 runners and nailing six home runs. Back in Buffalo, the 16th round draft pick bumped up his hitting average to .303 with five RBIs and one home run. He made the expanded Jays roster in September.
There has been no less drama on the Blue Jays pitcher鈥檚 mound.
The entire baseball world has followed the nearly unprecedented return of Marcus Stroman, an irrepressibly buoyant 24-year-old who completed a degree from Duke University while rehabbing his left knee on campus. Initially written-off for the season, Stroman vowed he鈥檇 be back and in time for a pennant race. He met both expectations, ones no one really believed but himself.
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Home debut Friday night in the 6. Man, I'm excited. Thank you all for being with me every step of the way. Means the world to me!
鈥� Marcus Stroman (@MStrooo6)
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In Vancouver, Stroman pitched 11.1 innings over seven games and allowed eight hits and five runs. His 3.18 ERA was slightly better than Roberto Osuna鈥檚 3.20. The pair overlapped in 麻豆传媒映画for three days in 2012. That year, Osuna debuted in 麻豆传媒映画July 28, three days before Stroman jumped up to the class-AA Fisher Cats.
For Roberto Osuna and Marcus Stroman, games pitched through Sept. 17, 2014.
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Before April 8 this year when Osuna became one of the youngest pitchers to appear for the Jays, he got his start in Mexico City with the Diablos. Pitching beyond his 20 years, Osuna was 16 when he signed a $1.5 million contract with the Jays. He pitched five games in 麻豆传媒映画and very quickly advanced through the low-level minor leagues.
鈥淥suna is not a typical case,鈥� said Wilson, nothing the six-foot-two right-hander is mature beyond his years. 鈥淥suna is somebody who has tremendous ability. He made the jump from minor to major league quicker than any other player we had. You could say that Osuna and Miguel Castro made very quick rises.鈥�
The Mexican played his first game April 8. He came in to face Alex Rodriguez in the bottom of the eighth at Yankee Stadium. Trailing the home team and divisional rival, he started his major league career by striking out A-Rod.
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