2025 Minor League/Prospects Discussion Thread

TORONTO — As a bigger kid pretty set in his ways, Cade Doughty could be a handful growing up, so much so that his mom, Jennifer, came up with a nickname for him — King Cade.

“I think I was a little bit of a brat, to be honest,” admits the Toronto Blue Jays infield prospect drafted in the second round, 78th overall, last month. “It was just me being a kid that knew what he wanted to do and didn't really have much care for anything else.”

The nickname stuck, even as childhood stubbornness evolved into the dogged determination that became one of the 21-year-old’s trademarks during three seasons at Louisiana State University, or LSU. It was there, after Jennifer mentioned it to the program’s media staff, the King Cade moniker really took off, especially as he built a reputation for delivering big hits the past three seasons, when he batted .301 with 30 homers, 31 doubles, 124 RBI and 104 runs in 133 games.

“I can't express enough how excited that makes her and just seeing King Cade brings back memories of when I was little,” he says. “She is full on board and she loves it.”

What Doughty loves right now is his introduction to pro ball, having just completed his first week of games with low-A Dunedin. He’s off to a nice start, going 7-for-18 with a homer, six RBIs and three walks on a team now stocked with several other players from his draft class, fellow second-round infielder Josh Kasevich, third-round outfielder Alan Roden, seventh-round first baseman Peyton Williams and ninth-round reliever Devereaux Harrison among them.

The group went through a two-week draft camp immediately after signing before being assigned to various stops — first-rounder Brandon Barriera, for example, is still building up at the club’s Player Development Complex in Dunedin, Fla. — giving them a chance to bond.

“That was an awesome experience,” Doughty says of the camp. “It was really cool to build a relationship with the players that I’m now playing with and meeting new guys on the team as well. We already feel connected on the field.”

Focuses during the introductory camp included learning the pro ball lifestyle and developing routines, two things Doughty believes he was well prepared for at LSU, a program he says, “I was pretty much born into.” All four of his grandparents went to the school as did both of his parents, with his dad Richard also catching for the Tigers. Older brother Braden also caught for the club, while great-grandfather Frank played basketball at the school.

Under head coach Jay Johnson, the Tigers used several drills similar to those Doughty has encountered with the Blue Jays and he had also started diving into advanced technologies to further his hitting. At the Baseball Performance Lab in Baton Rouge, for instance, he started using force-plate data to better understand how he was leveraging his 6-1, 195-pound frame.

“I found that I wasn't maximizing when my front foot lands, I wasn't having enough torque,” Doughty explains. “I was able to improve that tremendously. That was just one of the things that I've kind of learned so far.”

The Blue Jays’ hitting lab at the complex offers even more tools and, as a hitter looking to gain every edge possible, Doughty intends to lean in. “I'm very curious and open-minded to new things,” he says.

polo007 · Post #608 » by **polo007** » Tue Aug 16, 2022 2:41 am

Raider917 wrote:how is pearson doing now

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JTT · Post #609 » by **JTT** » Tue Aug 16, 2022 2:35 pm

Kiley McDaniel giving the Jays some mid season love in his updated top 50

6) Moreno
19) Martinez ???
41) Tiedemann

dagger · Post #610 » by **dagger** » Tue Aug 16, 2022 8:06 pm

Sem Robberse promoted to AA

polo007 · Post #611 » by **polo007** » Tue Aug 16, 2022 9:14 pm

dagger wrote:Sem Robberse promoted to AA

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dagger · Post #612 » by **dagger** » Tue Aug 16, 2022 9:31 pm

Irv Carter pitching tonight for Dunedin

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dagger · Post #613 » by **dagger** » Wed Aug 17, 2022 2:40 am

Well, we need our little tidbits of good news to offset all of this crap at the major league level.

1. Dunedin. Irv Carter had a nice first inning and then got knocked around. But Cade Doughty hit a grand slam FTW. He's still red hot.

2. New Hampshire. Two homers for Orelvis, but the story might be Adam Kloffenstein putting together his second straight decent start. Five scoreless, 2H, 3BB, 4K and most of the hits and walks were early. Obviously, if he is stabilizing, and Tiedemann adjusts to that level, both might be in contention for a rotation spot some time next season. Also, jimmy Burnette, a left handed reliever, has big swing and miss, described as having a mid 90s FB with a killer curve. He's become New Hampshire's closer.

3. Buffalo. Gabriel Moreno was 2-4 in a win, Otto Lopez continues to stroke the ball nicely, 1-3, and though he isn't a prospect anymore, Julian Merryweather threw two clean innings and by all accounts the velocity is right where it should be.

polo007 · Post #614 » by **polo007** » Wed Aug 17, 2022 5:44 pm

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polo007 · Post #615 » by **polo007** » Thu Aug 18, 2022 4:50 am

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polo007 · Post #616 » by **polo007** » Thu Aug 18, 2022 4:52 am

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dagger · Post #617 » by **dagger** » Thu Aug 18, 2022 3:49 pm

MLB Pipeline has revised its Blue Jays top 30 prospects

https://www.mlb.com/prospects/bluejays/

1. Gabriel Moreno
2. Ricky Tiedemann
3. Orelvis Martinez
4. Brandon Barriera
5. Tucker Toman
6. Yosver Zuelata
7. Sem Robberse
8. Hayden Juenger
9. Gabriel Martinez
10. Josh Kasevich
11. Cade Doughty
12. Dalian Santos
13. Spencer Horwitz
14. Addison Barger
15. Adrian Pinto
16. Alex de Jesus
17. Leo Jimenez
18. Otto Lopez
19. Tanner Morris
20. CJ Van Eye
21. Luis Meza
22. Manuel Beltre
23. Irv Carter
24. Adrian Hernandez
25. Trent Palmer
26. Estiven Machado
27. Damiano Palmegiani
28. Chad Dallas
29. Alan Roden
30. Dasan Brown

Adam Kloffenstein is removed entirely. Not sure about that. I still think he has a better chance at getting to the majors than some on the bottom half of the list. He's still only 21 (turns 22 next week).

Post #618 » by **Schad** » Thu Aug 18, 2022 10:13 pm

Kloffenstein's velo has fallen off a cliff, and his command is still quite poor. He may be able to make it as a reliever, as he still generates Ks, and his fastball should play up in short stints. I'd be surprised if he made it as a starter however, he just doesn't have anything to carry him at current.

SharoneWright · Post #619 » by **SharoneWright** » Fri Aug 19, 2022 4:07 pm

Schad wrote:Kloffenstein's velo has fallen off a cliff, and his command is still quite poor. He may be able to make it as a reliever, as he still generates Ks, and his fastball should play up in short stints. I'd be surprised if he made it as a starter however, he just doesn't have anything to carry him at current.

That draft was so interesting at the time, but ultimately has fallen flat. Getting Groshans to take a little less plus help convince his HS teammate to take the surplus in the 2nd round... They were going to both join the Jays as a dynamic duo..... only now Groshans is gone for Bass and Pop and Kloff has fallen out of the Top 30.

Post #620 » by **Schad** » Fri Aug 19, 2022 4:26 pm

SharoneWright wrote:
Schad wrote:Kloffenstein's velo has fallen off a cliff, and his command is still quite poor. He may be able to make it as a reliever, as he still generates Ks, and his fastball should play up in short stints. I'd be surprised if he made it as a starter however, he just doesn't have anything to carry him at current.

That draft was so interesting at the time, but ultimately has fallen flat. Getting Groshans to take a little less plus help convince his HS teammate to take the surplus in the 2nd round... They were going to both join the Jays as a dynamic duo..... only now Groshans is gone for Bass and Pop and Kloff has fallen out of the Top 30.

We have drafted well overall*, but that one isn't looking good (neither is 2017, the Warmoth/Pearson draft). Though our 6th rounder that year, Addison Barger, could make a real move up our prospect lists; he's another fringe SS/likely 3B who is demonstrating loud power, but his K rate (while on the high side) isn't anywhere near as big an impediment as it is for Orelvis. Has an OPS of .949, with his K rate falling from 32.8% last season to 25.5% this year.

Definitely not ready to declare him the next big thing, but the 2018 draft looks a lot better if he continues to hit.

*Seriously, even though we've only really gotten three major leaguers out of the 2016 - 2020 drafts in Bichette, Manoah and Biggio, two All-Stars and a fringy starter -- plus a bunch of prospect capital that we've used in trade -- constitutes good drafting.