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| Prospects flourishing in Arizona First-sacker Cannon clubs two homers against Peoria By Ryan McConnell / Special to MLB.com Since Toronto drafted him in 2004, Chip Cannon has quickly proven he is among the organization's most promising power hitters. After slugging 42 home runs in his first two professional seasons, the 24-year-old first baseman didn't slow down in 2006, leading the Eastern League with 27 roundtrippers. Now he's out to conquer another level, the Arizona Fall League. Judging by his performance on Oct. 16, he's well on his way. The graduate of The Citadel went 3-for-3 with two home runs and three RBIs to lead Phoenix to a 14-6 victory over the Peoria Seguaros. Cannon went 5-for-17 with four RBIs in five games this week. Here's how the rest of the Blue Jays prospects performed during the week of Oct. 11-17: RHP Jordan De Jong -- De Jong secured his second win of the season, despite allowing a run in 1 1/3 innings in Phoenix's victory over the Seguaros on Oct. 15. He's 2-0 with a 4.15 ERA in 4 1/3 innings overall. C Curtis Thigpen -- Thigpen ripped a triple in Phoenix's 7-3 win over Scottsdale on Oct. 12. He finished the week 3-for-14 with two RBIs. 2B/SS Ryan Klosterman -- Klosterman, who hit .248 in 43 Double-A games last season, has hit safely in all four games with the Desert Dogs, going 6-for-15 with two RBIs. RHP Dustin McGowan -- McGowan was shelled for six runs on four hits and five walks while striking out two in 2 1/3 innings on Oct. 17. RHP Tracy Thorpe -- Thorpe surrendered three runs on five hits and two walks with one strikeout over two innings in two appearances this week. RHP Kyle Yates -- Yates was masterful in his lone outing on Oct. 12, striking out six in three scoreless innings. |
| QUOTE (Hunt @ Oct 20 2006, 03:19 PM) |
| Ugh... why can't he just dominate everybody... it hurts my head thinking about what he could be... :wacko: |
| QUOTE (jaysdude09 @ Oct 20 2006, 02:52 PM) |
| it just pisses me off to read news about McGowan....his talent is just getting wasted... Great news about Yates :) |
| QUOTE (Hunt @ Oct 20 2006, 03:55 PM) | ||
Couldn't agree more jaysdude. Nice Skydome sig, BTW! :D |
| QUOTE (BlueJaysfan @ Oct 20 2006, 11:51 PM) |
| i woulda pinned it, but for some reason i don't have that power anymore..... |
| QUOTE (BlueJaysfan @ Oct 21 2006, 12:26 AM) |
| yep, but for some reason all i can do is trash things |
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| McGowan searching for groove in AFL 2000 first-round pick looking to prove himself to Blue Jays By Ryan McConnell / Special to MLB.com Once a can't-miss prospect destined for greatness, Dustin McGowan has struggled with consistency and control since the Blue Jays selected him in the first round of the 2000 First-Year Player Draft. Now pitching in the Arizona Fall League, McGowan hopes a successful stint will put him in the running for a Major League roster spot. The AFL season didn't start off so well for McGowan after the Peoria Saguaros touched him up for six runs in 2 1/3 innings on Oct. 17. But the enigmatic right-hander bounced back in his next outing. He gave up just two runs on six hits over five innings in Phoenix's 3-2 win over Mesa on Monday. But it wasn't a dominant outing as he struck out just one batter. Here's how other Blue Jays prospects fared from Oct. 18-24: Arizona Fall League SS Ryan Klosterman -- Klosterman went 2-for-9 in three games. He's reached base in all seven games he's played and is hitting .333 on the season. 1B Chip Cannon -- Cannon continued to tear up AFL pitching last week, going 5-for-16 with two home runs and seven RBIs in five games. After leading the Eastern League with 27 home runs last season, Cannon was tied for second in the AFL with four dingers through Tuesday. RHP Jordan De Jong -- De Jong tossed one hitless inning, striking out one and walking one in the process. He's 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA in five appearances. C Curtis Thigpen -- Thigpen went 5-for-16, including a home run and three RBIs, in Phoenix's 9-6 victory over the Peoria Javelinas on Oct. 18. He's hitting .265 in 34 at-bats. RHP Kyle Yates -- After fanning seven batters in 6 2/3 innings, Yates leads the AFL in strikeouts with 13. The 23-year-old is 1-0 with a 1.86 ERA over 9 2/3 innings, but he has allowed 10 hits and five walks. RHP Tracy Thorpe -- Thorpe earned his first save of the AFL season on Oct. 18, tossing 1 1/3 scoreless innings. He was touched up for three runs on four hits while recording just one out in the Desert Dogs' 9-7 loss to Grand Canyon on Tuesday. Hawaiian Winter League OF Ryan Patterson -- Patterson went just 3-for-14 for the week, but cranked a two-run homer in Honolulu's 3-2 loss to West Oahu on Saturday. He's hitting .225 with one home run and four RBIs in 40 at-bats thus far. OF Eric Nielsen -- The 24-year-old outfielder collected three hits and drove in three runs in 14 at-bats. Nielsen is hitting .244 with nine RBIs in 41 plate appearances. Ryan McConnell is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. |
| QUOTE (Hunt @ Oct 27 2006, 01:50 PM) |
| He's getting there, hopefully. It's definitely a step forward. How many innings are the AFL games? |
| QUOTE (hankaaron44 @ Oct 27 2006, 04:49 PM) |
| That outing was okay, but I okay doesn't cut it. |
| QUOTE (hankaaron44 @ Oct 27 2006, 02:49 PM) |
| That outing was okay, but I okay doesn't cut it. |
| QUOTE (jaysdude09 @ Oct 27 2006, 06:00 PM) |
| please, do you really think he's gonna surprise us and pull a Liriano or Weaver? If anything this guy has got to take everything 1 step at a time. The pitching plays a very important role in McGowan's future. This time in his age, Butterfield has to really work with him to push him over the hump and into being a good pitcher. If he doesn't work hard, he'll be nothing. |
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| Cannon continues long-ball barrage First-base prospect flashing exceptional power in AFL By Ryan McConnell / Special to MLB.com After winning the Eastern League home run title, Chip Cannon has continued to display a potent bat in the Arizona Fall League. Cannon belted five home runs in six games this week, increasing his league-leading total to nine and bringing him five round-trippers short of Brandon Wood's AFL record-setting total of 14 from 2005. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Cannon belted 27 homers in 135 games for Double-A New Hampshire. After going 12-for-26 in six games, the AFL's Offensive Player of the Week is now hitting .381 with 19 RBIs, which is tied for second in the league as of Nov. 1. Here's how other Blue Jays prospects performed in the fall and winter leagues during the week of Oct. 25 to Nov. 1: Arizona Fall League RHP Dustin McGowan -- After a rocky start to his season, McGowan turned in his second consecutive strong performance, going five innings and allowing one run on two hits and one walk while striking out eight on Oct. 28. He's 1-3 with a 5.87 ERA in 15 1/3 innings. RHP Jordan De Jong -- De Jong appeared in three games, allowing two runs on one hit and one walk while striking out four in 2 2/3 frames. The 27-year-old is 3-0 with a 4.50 ERA in eight innings. RHP Tracy Thorpe -- Thorpe appeared in two games and surrendered two unearned runs in 2 2/3 innings, striking out two and walking one without yielding a hit. He's given up six earned runs in 7 2/3 innings this season. RHP Kyle Yates -- Yates continued his strong AFL season in his start on Oct. 30, giving up one run on three hits without issuing a walk and striking out three in four innings. He's 1-0 with a 1.98 ERA in 13 2/3 frames, fanning 16 batters and walking five. Venezuela Winter League LHP Wilfreddy Aguirre -- Aguirre appeared twice, recording his first two outs of the season and alllowing one hit. RHP Gabriel Alfaro -- Alfaro did not pitch this week. He has a 4.91 ERA in 7 1/3 innings. LHP Edgar Estanga -- Estanga retired the four batters he faced this week, striking out one. He's given up two runs in four innings thus far. RHP Ryan Houston -- Houston tossed 3 1/3 scoreless innings, yielding four hits and one walk while striking out two. He has yet to allow a run through 8 1/3 frames. Dominican Winter League C Robinzon Diaz -- Diaz did not play this week. He went 2-for-7 with two RBIs in his first two games. Hawaiian Fall League OF Eric Nielsen -- Nielsen went 1-for-7 in three games, dropping his batting average to .229 through 48 at-bats. OF Ryan Patterson -- Patterson went 2-for-12 in four games. He's hitting .212 with one home run and four RBIs in 52 at-bats. Mexican Pacific League RHP Lee Gronkiewicz -- Gronkiewicz collected a win and two saves in three appearances. He pitched three scoreless innings and gave up four hits without issuing a walk and striking out six. He's 2-0 with two saves and a 3.52 ERA in 7 2/3 innings. |
| QUOTE (Rockshu @ Nov 4 2006, 04:47 PM) |
| No comments on Cannon? This kid is showing some serious promise. If he can keep the mean stroke going, he might have a shot as our DH. |
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| Yates continues to impress in AFL Right-hander is 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA in 19 innings By Ryan McConnell / Special to MLB.com Right-hander Kyle Yates is leading the AFL with 21 strikeouts. (Joy R. Absalon/MLB.com) Related Links Perhaps Kyle Yates just needed the warm weather to bring out his best. The 23-year-old Texan continued his strong Arizona Fall League season this week, tossing 5 1/3 scoreless innings. He was named the Pitcher of the Week for Oct. 30-Nov. 5. After bouncing between Class A Dunedin and Double-A New Hampshire last season, Yates is 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA in 19 innings and leads the AFL with 21 strikeouts. Yates is one of several Blue Jays prospects in the AFL, Venezuela Winter League or Hawaiian Winter Baseball this offseason. Here's how the others fared during the week of Nov. 2-8: Arizona Fall League 1B Chip Cannon -- Cannon connected for two home runs this week, bringing him within three of Brandon Wood's AFL record of 14, set in 2005. After going 7-for-18 with six RBIs in five games, the 24-year-old is hitting .383 and is leading the league in slugging percentage, OPS (on-base plus slugging), total bases and RBIs. RHP Dustin McGowan -- McGowan turned in a solid outing in his lone start, going four innings and allowing two runs on four hits and one walk while fanning five. The right-hander is 1-3 with a 5.59 ERA in 19 1/3 innings. RHP Jordan De Jong -- De Jong tossed four scoreless innings in two outings, yielding two hits and one walk while striking out three. He is 3-0 with a 3.00 ERA in 12 innings and has held opposing batters to a .125 batting average. RHP Tracy Thorpe -- Thorpe was dominant in two appearances, allowing one hit and striking out five in 1 1/3 scoreless innings. The 25-year-old has a 5.40 ERA in 10 innings with 13 strikeouts, five walks and one save. C Curtis Thigpen -- Thigpen went 4-for-17 with five RBIs in four games. He's hitting .279 with two home runs and 16 RBIs in 68 at-bats. Venezuela Winter League LHP Wilfreddy Aguirre -- Aguirre appeared in one game, yielding a walk and a wild pitch without recording an out. He's 0-1 and has given up one run in 2/3 frames in five outings. LHP Edgar Estanga -- Estanga faced one batter and allowed a hit in his one appearance. He's allowed two runs in four innings with one walk and one strikeout thus far. RHP Ryan Houston -- Houston threw three innings without giving up a run, extended his VWL scoreless streak to 11 1/3 innings. He's fanned six, walked three and has held opposing batters to a .190 batting average. Hawaiian Winter Baseball OF Eric Nielsen -- Nielsen went 2-for-10 with one stolen base, two runs and two RBIs in three games. The 24-year-old is hitting .224 in 58 at-bats. OF Ryan Patterson -- Patterson went 1-for-12, but his lone hit was a two-run home run on Tuesday. He's hitting .188 in 64 at-bats. Mexican Pacific League RHP Lee Gronkiewicz -- Gronkiewicz was outstanding in his three appearances, tossing 3 1/3 perfect innings while fanning seven. He's 2-0 with three saves and a 2.45 ERA in 11 innings. |
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| Thorpe in control, reaching new heights Right-hander has 18 strikeouts with a 4.38 ERA this season By Ryan McConnell / Special to MLB.com Everybody knew Tracy Thorpe could throw hard. Whether he could harness his 95-mph heater was another matter altogether. Thorpe's wildness was apparent during his first five Arizona Fall League outings, as he gave up six runs on nine hits and four walks in five innings. But in the seven outings since his shaky start, Thorpe has been among the league's most dominant pitchers, allowing just one hit over 7 1/3 scoreless innings to lower his ERA to 4.38. More impressive is the fact that the 26-year-old right-hander has struck out 12 and walked only one over the span. If Thorpe can maintain his control on the mound, he's primed to continue his ascent through the Blue Jays organization. Here's how other Blue Jays prospects performed in the Arizona Fall League, Hawaii Winter Baseball, the Mexican Winter League and the Venezuelan Winter League from Nov. 9-15. Arizona Fall League 1B Chip Cannon -- MVP? Cannon, who leads the AFL in home runs (11), RBIs (29), total bases (75), slugging percentage (.743) and OPS (1.231), can make as good of a case as anyone to take home the top honors this season. While Cannon didn't add to his home-run total this week, the 24-year-old slugger went 6-for-20 with four RBIs. He does have an all-or-nothing style though, and he stands third in the AFL with 30 strikeouts in 101 at-bats. C Curtis Thigpen -- Thigpen went 5-for-17 with three RBIs for the week. He's among the league leaders in doubles (nine in 85 at-bats) and is hitting .282. RHP Jordan De Jong -- De Jong appeared in two games, allowing one run on two hits without a walk in three innings. He's 3-0 with a 3.00 ERA, 12 strikeouts and five walks in 15 innings. RHP Kyle Yates -- The 23-year-old right-hander continued his dominant AFL campaign in his Nov. 10 start vs. Mesa, tossing five scoreless innings and yielding four hits and one walk while fanning four. In 24 innings, Yates is 2-0 with a miniscule 1.13 ERA and 25 strikeouts, tops in the AFL. Hawaii Winter Baseball OF Eric Nielsen -- Nielsen went 4-for-16 with two doubles and two RBIs in four games, as he raised his batting average to .230. OF Ryan Patterson -- Patterson briefly poked his head above the Mendoza line after collecting four hits in his first 11 at-bats, but went hitless in his final six plate appearances to bring his batting average to .198. The 23-year-old has three home runs and 12 RBIs in 81 at-bats. Mexican Winter League SS Sergio Santos -- Santos went 5-for-19 with four walks, a home run and five RBIs in his first week of action. The 23-year-old shortstop hit .214 with five home runs and 38 RBIs in 481 at-bats at Triple-A Syracuse in 2006. RHP Lee Gronkiewicz -- The 28-year-old's 11 1/3-inning scoreless streak came to an end Nov. 11, when Gronkiewicz surrendered three runs on four hits in two-thirds of an inning. He bounced back the next game and tossed a scoreless frame to earn a save. He's 3-1 with a 3.77 ERA and four saves in 14 1/3 innings. Venezuelan Winter League LHP Edgar Estanga -- Estanga appeared in three games, not allowing a hit or a run over 1 1/3 frames, walking one. He's surrendered two runs in 5 2/3 innings. RHP Orlando Trias -- Trias turned in a fine outing Tuesday, yielding one run on four hits without a walk, while adding four strikeouts over five frames. He's 1-0 with a 7.04 ERA in 7 2/3 innings. RHP Ryan Houston -- Houston tossed two more shutout innings, allowing two hits without issuing a walk. The 27-year-old has yet to surrender an earned run in 13 1/3 frames, and has held opposing hitters to a .200 batting average. |
| QUOTE (Rockshu @ Nov 17 2006, 02:01 PM) |
| No news on McGowan... what's up with that? |