It appears the Toronto Blue Jays are officially calling Buffalo home for 2020, a place Santiago Espinal finished the season a year ago. He is the super utility man for the Blue Jays this year as he has seen a dozen games in center, nearly twenty at third, over 120 at second, and more than 220 at short in his minor league career. The first two sections of his career triple slash line are solid (.285/.345) but the slugging is telling in regards to the hole in his game, just .390.
Thomas Hatch was drafted by the Chicago Cubs out of Oklahoma State in the third round of the 2016 draft and traded to the Blue Jays for David Phelps at the deadline last season. He has only appeared as a starter in his pro career, but the Blue Jays will likely be rolling him out as a multi-inning reliever. He has a good fastball and above-average slider to go with a changeup that works well in getting lefties out. Expect him to be the long man this season with a chance to get more high-leverage innings in the future, but there is little chance he has a future as a starter.
A third member of the Blue Jays who will be making his MLB debut is Shun Yamaguchi. He is another guy who can throw multiple innings but has also been an effective closer in Japan. The 33-year old has spend 14 seasons in the NPB with 50 starts (16 of those complete games) and 112 saves. His career ERA in Japan is 3.35 with a K/BB ratio just over 2.50. He has a four-pitch mix and can command each of them, fastball, slider, curve, and fork/change. He could quickly become the eighth inning man to set up Ken Giles.
Shaun Kernahan is the founder and lead writer of Three Quarter Slot, where he blends scouting precision with a storyteller’s eye for the human side of the game. Based in Parker, Colorado, he has covered baseball prospects at every level since 2013, delivering in-depth evaluations, draft analysis, and developmental insight. Over the years, he has built Three Quarter Slot into a trusted home for thoughtful prospect coverage, detailed scouting reports, and a grounded look at how talent evolves
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