Left-hander Ricky Tiedemann remained the Blue Jays’ top prospect in despite being injured for almost three months of the season. And he showed why last week — in 3 2/3 innings — for the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats.
Tiedemann is No. 33 in MLB’s top 100, one of only two Blue Jays prospects on the list. Buffalo infielder Orelvis Martinez is the other at No. 92. But the rankings, while often focused on the long term, can overlook players closer to the big leagues. Davis Schneider was ranked as the 28th prospect in the Jays farm system by before the season, and is 13th on the team’s mid-season list despite 21 homers in 87 Triple-A games this year.
A roundup of how the did this year with comments from Joe Sclafani, the Jays’ director of player development (all stats prior to Saturday’s games):
1. Rickey Tiedemann, LHP
The Jays have been bringing Tiedemann back slowly from a biceps injury, with seven appearances at three different levels since July 21. He threw a season-high 64 pitches against Reading last week while getting every one of his 11 outs via strikeout. His overall numbers don’t impress — he is 0-4 with a 6.04 ERA with New Hampshire this year, before and after the injury — but the 21-year-old could be the club’s best prospect since Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The Jays might have him pitch this winter.
Sclafani: “We look at him, and the ball just comes out of his hand different. He has elevated stuff, but he’s also mature beyond his years. We’re excited for him to finish this summer strong.”
2. Orelvis Martinez, SS, 3B
The Jays have pushed Martinez — he started last season in New Hampshire as a 20-year-old — and his numbers haven’t always impressed. He hit just .203 with the Fisher Cats last year and is just a .239 hitter in four minor-league seasons. But he has always had power, with 28 homers in 2021, 30 last year and 24 this season between New Hampshire and Buffalo. He has improved as this year has gone on, hitting .273 in 36 games with the Bisons.
Sclafani: “It’s just super positive across the board for him. The adjustments he made this season have translated well at the plate. The power is there, the ball comes off his bat differently, and he’s not chasing those sliders in the dirt … The big thing is he’s putting himself into a quality at bat every time to the plate.”
3. Arjun Nimmala, SS
The 17-year-old was the Jays’ top pick, 20th overall, in this year’s draft. He soaked up everything he could in a post-draft visit to the Rogers Centre, and continued doing the same in a nine-game stint in the Florida Complex League. Nimmala hit .200 in 25 at-bats but had 14 walks.
Sclafani: “He’s tall, wiry, and his moves at shortstop are great. He didn’t crush the ball in (Florida), but he gave a taste of what’s to come. He doesn’t turn 18 until October, and we’re excited to see what he can do.”
4. Brandon Barriera, LHP
The 19-year-old suffered a pair of injury setbacks — an elbow problem in a May and a biceps issue in August — and spent more time in the rehab room than on the field (20 1/3 innings). Barriera had a 4.42 ERA and 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings in six starts with Class-A Dunedin.
Sclafani: “It was a tough year for him with injuries, and he’ll be the first to tell you that. But it was also a learning experience for him … (and) the stuff is there.”
5. Addison Barger, 3B, 2B
The Jays’ minor-league player of the year in 2022, when he had 26 homers and 91 RBIs at three levels, Barger has been plagued by an elbow injury this season. It has limited him to 69 games in Buffalo, where he has seven homers and 33 RBIs, but it hasn’t dimmed the Jays’ interest in him.
Sclafani: “He had injuries and just couldn’t get on a roll. But we’re thrilled with what we have in him. The power is there, he can play lots of positions, and he has a ton of tools.”
6. Leo Jimenez, SS, 3B, OF
Jimenez started the season with a couple of stints on the injured list, but he rebounded to hit .287 in 76 games with New Hampshire, earning a promotion to Buffalo for the final two weeks of the season.
Sclafani: “Just a really good year for him. When he performs and stays healthy, it shows why we put him on the 40-man (roster) … He controls his at-bats, he can play multiple positions … We all like Leo.”
7. Alan Roden, OF, 1B
The 23-year-old was hitting .321 with Vancouver when he was promoted in late July to New Hampshire, where he was hitting .321 again entering Sunday. The left-handed-hitting Roden has had one of the best seasons in the system, with a .433 on-base percentage and a .907 OPS.
Sclafani: “An extremely productive year for his first full season in pro ball. He’s a grinder, a fun player to watch. He doesn’t give away any at-bats.”
8. Landen Maroudis, RHP
A multi-talented athlete at Calvary Christian High School in Florida, Maroudis was not only his team’s shortstop but also part of a starting rotation ranked among the best in the country. The 2023 fourth-round pick had committed to North Carolina State, but pc28reportedly signed the 18-year-old with a bonus of $1.5 million (U.S.), almost $1 million above his draft slot.
Sclafani: “It’s going to be fun to get going with him. We want to get right after it in the off-season with him, and we’re looking forward to him coming to spring training.”
9. Juaron Watts-Brown, RHP
A third-round pick this year, Watts-Brown was a standout strikeout pitcher in the NCAA with Oklahoma State and Long Beach State. At six-foot-three, he has shown good velocity but his strikeout pitch is his slider.
Sclafani: “We were thrilled to get him in the draft. He’s an outstanding kid, he can really spin the ball, the velo is there, and he’s a tall kid … There’s a lot to like there.”
10. Yosver Zulueta, RHP
Zulueta has one of the best fastballs in the system and hits 97 m.p.h. routinely, with sink. He has struggled with injuries in Buffalo this season but has 56 strikeouts (and 41 walks) in 52 1/3 innings with a 4.47 ERA. He rejoined the Bisons on Saturday.
Sclafani: “We shortened some of his outings in Buffalo due to injuries. He has big-time stuff and, for him, it’s all about mastering the strike zone and getting ahead of hitters.”
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