The Blue Jays have the 20th ranked farm system on Keith Law’s pre-2024 list, and more!
5 months ago
The baseball season is just around the corner, which means that new rankings are coming out!
At the end of January, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN released his Top 100 prospect list with The Athletic’s Keith Law doing the same a day prior. On top of that, Law recently released a his top farm system ranking.
Let’s dive in!
Kiley McDaniel’s Top 100 list:
On January 31, McDaniel released his Top 100 list, with only one Blue Jay ranking on it: Ricky Tiedemann at 24th.
Tiedemann is the de facto number one Jays prospect, and for good reason. The left-handed pitcher sits in the mid-90s with his fastball but has reached a touch below triple-digits. The slider is absolutely disgusting and could be his best pitch, with the changeup not far behind.
McDaniel noted that he has three plus pitches and a low release point. His scouting report also notes that Tiedemann has ace potential if his delivery can be repeated.
Last season, Tiedemann had a 3.83 ERA and a 1.98 FIP in 47 innings pitched between Single-A, Double-A, and Triple-A. On top of that, he had a 43.7 K% and a 12.2 BB% for a 31.5 K-BB%, the fourth-highest in the organization, and the second-highest with 20+ innings pitched.
The 21-year-old pitched in the Arizona Fall League where he had a 2.50 ERA with a 31.5 K% and an 11 BB% in 18 innings pitched, winning the Arizona Fall League Pitcher of the Year.
Tiedemann’s 2024 season will be a big one, as he’ll likely start the season in Triple-A, and with a good performance, may find himself in the major leagues.
Furthermore, former Blue Jay Nick Frasso ranked 86th-overall, but is expected to miss all of the 2024 season with a shoulder injury.
Keith Law’s Top 100 list:
Unlike McDaniel, the Blue Jays have three prospects on Law’s Top 100 list.
Last season, Law ranked Tiedemann as baseball’s 47th-best prospect, noting that he has big stuff when healthy. On the downside, Law noted that “[Tiedemann] has a rough delivery to repeat… locating the glove side is a challenge.
Somehow, Tiedemann dropped in his list to 52nd-overall. Law points out in this article that the delivery isn’t great and puts a lot of “undue pressure on the joint”. A season later, Law notes that Tiedemann’s potential is “mid-rotation starter or better depending on the control and command”. I disagree with this, as the stuff is fantastic, but he’s correct about the reliever risk.
Ranking 57th-overall is Orelivs Martinez, who slashed .247/.344/.505 with 30 home runs and a 12.4 BB% and 23.3 K% in 563 plate appearances. Those home runs led the organization for the third straight season. Law notes that his swing and approach look different, with his defence at third base potentially becoming above average.
Law ranks a third Blue Jay in the 50’s, as 2023 first-round Arjun Nimmala was awarded the 59th spot on law’s list. According to Law, Nimmala has the makings of a shortstop that can hit for power, but will need to fill out his frame. In his brief time as a professional, Nimmala found a lot more patience than he did in high school.
Keith Law’s Top Farm System list:
This will probably be the highest ranking for the Blue Jays farm system, as Keith Law has the Jays ranked as the 20th-best farm system in the league.
Personally, I think the Jays have a farm system ranks somewhere between 23rd and 26th. They don’t have a lot of high-end prospects, but have a lot of upper minor prospects who can contribute quite a lot, think Davis Schneider in 2023.
Law notes that a few prospects such as Tucker Toman, Brandon Barriera, Dasan Brown, among others, took a step back. Of course, the first two were drafted in 2022 out of high school, so they have a lot of time to figure it out, but they were supposed to contend for Top 100 lists in their first full season in the organization.
There are a ton of potential breakout candidates for the Jays, but time will tell if they pan out in 2024.
As always, you can follow me on Twitter @Brennan_L_D.
ARTICLE PRESENTED BY BETANO
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