Joe Sclafani Part 2

 Last week, I posted the first of three instalments of my conversation with Blue Jays Director of Player Development Joe Sclafani. We spoke in general terms about the progress the system made, how Joe adapted to his promotion to Director, Nate Pearson in winter ball, and the incredible season Ricky Tiedemann had. In this next section, we talked about many other top Blue Jays prospects.

DF: Gabriel Moreno made it to the big club this summer, but the power - maybe lingering effects from that thumb injury - meant that we didn’t see the pop we thought we might have until later in the season:

JS: I think the part people don’t fully acknowledge is that he got a super late start (due to Visa issues), and he didn’t really get a full spring training. We tried to put him in the best spot possible - we included him in the conversation, he indicated when he was ready (to start the season). He didn’t push it, he didn’t get that extra month that others did, so it was a bit of a slow start, but he didn’t struggle. It just shows how talented he is that at the top level of the minor leagues he went in there against really good pitching and guys that have plans and can execute, and he just gives himself a chance just because he’s so talented, so competitive in the box, but then as he started to get more comfortable you began to start to see more pop. Then he was injured for a bit, but he came back in that last month, and you saw it. We’re not concerned about the juice. He’s a strong kid, he’s wiry athletic, and he can square up a ball. I was super pumped for him on the last day of the year, it was pretty cool to see him go to right centre (for his first big league HR). That’s not an easy place to hit one.

DF: Speaking of athleticism, we’ve read reports that had him working out at multiple positions with the big club. Is that a role that you envision for him down on the road - part-time catcher, part-time wherever else you need him on the field?

JS: That’s a larger conversation for our group…..he is just so athletic, and he does have that infield background. He’s such a special player offensively that it was no surprise that they wanted to throw him out there in a low leverage situation and just see what he could do. But we’re supremely confident - he’s got good instincts to figure it out. And moving forward, I don’t necessarily know what’s going to happen this offseason but having a third guy who can bounce around like that is pretty valuable, especially when he catches so well. So it was no surprise that they tried it, and he didn’t look out of place.

DF: I think I’ve told you how the first time I had eyes on Moreno was spring training of 2019, and he just stood out playing for the (then) High A Dunedin guys…..not just for his athleticism, but for the way he took charge. He was maybe 18 or 19, but there he was running things on the field with guys a couple of years older, and there was no doubt that he was in charge.

JS: Yes - he just has that presence about him. And that’s why we’re pretty excited about this year. You know - the game planning aspect, and other finishing touches. It’s challenging. Those older pitchers (at AAA), they know themselves and what they want to throw….he bought into it. Even from talking to Buffalo pitchers, from early to later in the year it was like there was a transformation there, and he’s starting to embrace that, and understand that he can impact a game in so many different ways, and he just kept on working on the receiving end, and just continued to get better.

DF: Let’s talk about Orelvis. It definitely was a learning year for him. He saw lots of in or spin from AA pitchers, and he did pick up when he had Addison Barger hitting in front of him, but this year was a challenge.

JS: It certainly was. We knew that coming out of spring training, and that was one we debated quite a bit. He had another good spring training, and honestly - like we’ve talked in the past, the professionalism and the jumps in maturity gave us the confidence that we can send him there (to AA), and it’s not going to tank him if he comes out of the chute and struggles. And keep in mind - that’s been his pattern throughout his career, struggling at first at Dunedin last year then figuring things out, and then struggled at Vancouver before figuring things out, then he got hurt. Unfortunately, he didn’t hit that next gear this year at New Hampshire, but he’s 20 - everyone forgets this, because he’s moved so fast. It’s just one of those things that’s not unexpected, and the only thing you hope for is that he learns, and is able to reflect on it and comes back next year and shows what he’s made of, and shows that he made strides because of what he learned there. And so, at times this year, he was not always consistently on time and in sync with his swing - when he was, you saw the plate discipline was better, he was swinging at better pitches. He tends to get a little eager to hit homers, so he tended to be a bit pull happy, but it’s all a learning experience. When I was up there at the end of the season, he talked about how playing winter ball is a huge honour in your home country, but he was tired. He said, “my body was tired at the end of the year, that’s the first time I’ve played so many games.” Defensively, we feel like he continues to make strides, so there’s a lot to like. I know on paper, it’s not ideal, and it’s not necessarily what he would have wanted, but overall we still feel like it was a positive year.

DF: I had talked earlier this season with (Blue Jays associate hitting coach Hunter Mense, who also served as minor league hitting coordinator), and he pointed out that Orelvis’ chase rates were down from last year. And I saw a lot of his ABs this year, and maybe it was baby steps, but I feel like I saw improved pitch recognition from him as the calendar turned to September.

JS: You did see the walk rate increasing. He was starting to figure it out, and kudos to him for battling though it, this was the first time he’s really struggled for such a prolonged stretch. But he came to the park every day ready to work, and he bonded really well with (New Hampshire hitting coach) Matt Hague, and the maturity just continued to improve, and towards the end of the year, he stopped chasing pitches he was earlier in the year. And I think it’s just going to keep getting better. You can’t teach his kind of ability to impact the baseball.

DF: Speaking of Barger, what was the secret for him this year? We knew the talent was there, but what’s allowed him to bust out this year?

JS: I think it’s just overall maturity. He’s always had the tools, and they’ve always been pretty loud. Last year was his first year of consistent playing time, so I think he learned a ton there. Then he and his wife had a baby, so I think it must have been being a dad and the natural maturity pieces that come with that, but you saw a different guy this year that has bought it. Maybe not a different guy, but a better version of it in terms of commitment to his routine - not that he was bad there, but his routines got much better. His preparation got better. His thinking about the game improved. His game planning got a little better. And he figured out what pitchers were trying to do to him, and he just played to his strengths. And you saw him just take off. He got better as he moved up, which was super exciting for us. He can play all over the field - he’s probably got the best infield arm in our system. The power was on display this year, but his ability to consistently make loud contact - you see the extra-base hit ability is there - was exciting to see, and I think he’s going to go out there and show others what he can do because he plays with a bit of a chip on his shoulder, and it’s just going to make things better.

DF: When he makes contact, it tends to be loud.

JS: It is loud, and you wouldn’t think it because he’s not the biggest guy, but he’s physically strong and he likes to show off that power.

DF: He’s another guy - does the organization see him as a guy who can play all over the infield, or more on the left side because of that arm?

JS: He’s an athletic kid with good actions, good hands, and good feet. I think the left side is always going to be there, because of that arm, but 2nd is an option, he played a bit of 1st at Dunedin, and he might even play a bit of outfield in Arizona….you know how we operate and the benefits of guys that can move around, especially with the left hand bat with that kind of juice.

DF: We all knew that Yosver Zulueta was going to make a quick rise in the system this year, but it’s hard to have envisioned him moving this rapidly. Long term, do you see him as a bullpen guy or a starter - we know there was talk before he got injured of the possibility of him going up to the big club as a reliever.

JS: We still see think he has a chance to start. People forget that he hadn’t pitched in three years. He had Tommy John in 2019, we had the COVID year in 2020, then he misses all of ‘21 because of injury. So he was somewhat like a rookie in that he didn’t have much of a foundation of workload to work off of. He did get a little dinged up when he got to New Hampshire. When he came back, we did want to see if he was a potential bullpen guy down the line, but we also wanted to take a bit of pressure off the body and make sure he finished through September, which he was able to do. The arm is special, and when he’s on, he’s unbelievable. It really is just a matter of getting that consistency and getting in the zone, and over time when he gets a few more reps, we think he’ll improve even more, but he just hasn’t had that opportunity for so long. We’re excited about him and see him with the upside of a starter.

DF: One more player I wanted to talk about was Leo Jimenez. I know you guys were excited coming out of Instructs last year with his exit velo, and he just seem primed for takeoff - when he was healthy this year, wow (Jimenez appeared in only 69 games for Vancouver, but the plus defender teased with the promise of a .967 OPS in July)… it was easy to see why you guys put him on the 40 last fall, but it seems like the challenge is just keeping him on the field.

JS: It was a frustrating season for Leo at times. He wants to be out there - he’s a great kid with plus makeup, and he just wants to help his team win. Unfortunately, he’s had some rough luck with that. As you said, when you get an opportunity to see him go on a run, he’s a special player. He just needs to get healthy and put that body in a place where it holds up for a longer time so he can show what he can do, because he can play a damn good shortstop.

DF: He could play big league short right now.

JS: Yeah, he probably could have a couple of years ago. He’s a competitor in the box. I know people question the power but he’s physically strong….he’s going to have pop. And he’s got the ability to control the zone and make good contact. There are a lot of elements that tick the boxes we like, it’s just a matter of getting there, and he acknowledges that. He has an apartment in Clearwater, and this offseason he’s going to stay here and train with our staff, which is pretty impressive for such a young kid. He’s not going home to Panama (where he was the lead off hitter for the national team at the age of 15). He pulled me aside in Vancouver in July and asked if he could train here in Dunedin in the off season, and we said absolutely. So he’s another guy we’re excited about, and we’re looking forward to seeing what he can do in 2023.

In the final instalment, Joe will tell me about some of the guys who caught his eye this season.

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