In the comments on the last couple iterations of this column, people have wanted to know what’s going on in the bottom tier of the minors, with the new Domincan signings and the draft class. I tend to focus my write-ups here on the full season affiliates (Dunedin, Vancouver, New Hampshire, and Buffalo) because their games are broadcast, which is important for me in Calgary to be able to see players. Among those four leagues, A and AAA are the easiest to cover because their StatCast data is publicly
available. The Northwest League and the Eastern League are also wired with Hawkeye systems (as are the complex and the Dominican Summer League fields), but for whatever reason that data isn’t published.
It’s getting to the end of the season, though. The DSL finished their regular season on Wednesday, the Florida Complex League Jays brought home that league title three weeks ago, and the FSL and NWL wrap up their regular seasons in a couple of weeks. Given that, I thought it’d be a good time to dump some notes on guys who’ve been interesting at lower levels.
Dominican Summer League
The Jays’ big breakout in the DSL this season was Juan Sanchez, whose .341/.439/.565 line made him one of the five most productive hitters among the newly signed 17 year olds in the league. Baseball America provided some data to back the performance on Wednesday. Sanchez chased just 26% of the time, and made contact on 89.6% of his swings inside the zone. That shows that he already has a very good idea of the plate and can get the bat on most things DSL level pitchers can throw. He paired that with a 34.5% hard hit rate (95mph+) that wouldn’t be impressive for MLB but is excellent when you consider that if he were Canadian he’d still be prepping for next year’s draft. Sanchez has the potential for a balanced offensive game with an above average hit tool, walks, and plus power. Scouts seem to think he’ll move off short, but if it all comes together offensively he can be a star at third.
The other notable DSL performer was Sanchez’ teammate (the Jays have two DSL affiliates this year) Elaineiker Coronado. Coronado’s .346/.504/.383 was also among the league’s best, powered by a 23% walk rate and just a 10.4% strikeout rate. He missed on just 3.6% of his swings, second best among the league’s 304 qualified hitters. It’s a zero impact approach right now (the 5’10”, 160lb Coronado managed just five doubles and a triple in 248 PA), and there’s always a question of whether a prospect at the lowest levels who walks a lot has a good eye or is just passively waiting for teen pitchers to miss four times. Excellent feel for contact and a glove that will stick in the middle of the diamond are a great place to start a prospect off, though.
Florida Complex League
2023 Dominican International Free Agent signing Dariel Ramon was the best hitter among the age appropriate players at the complex. Like Coronado, he managed minimal impact, but 17% and 14% walk and strikeout rates, respectively, supported by plus contact, mark him as someone to keep an eye on in A ball next season. 2023 Brazilian Sann Omosako throws in the high 80s, but there’s a little room on his 6’1” frame to fill out and he can really spot it with just a 2.1% walk rate. 2024 11th round draftee Troy Guthrie’s 4.2% rate was also impressive, and he paired it with just 68% contact allowed. Neither Guthrie nor Omosako turn 20 until this winter, and both have the potential to pop onto the radar next season.
Florida State League
Few of the Jays’ 2025 draftees have gotten any significant playing time yet. Two who’ve impressed are 10th rounder Austin Smith, who’s running a plus 80% contact rate and a 14.5%:9.1% strikeout rate to walk rate ratio with at least a little bit of pop, and 15th rounder Jake Casey, who has already produced a 111.7mph exit velocity that would be plus in the major leagues paired with average contact and a solid approach. Neither was a notable signee out of college, but they’re showing at least flashes of some interesting tools.
