MWL notes: Jays' Reid-Foley 'not afraid'

Lansing starter Sean Reid-Foley studies opposing hitters in the Midwest League, but he also keeps close tabs on the numbers for one other pitcher.

Reid-Foley's older brother, David, is a reliever for Great Lakes who was converted by the Dodgers after opening his career as a catcher. Sean Reid-Foley has helped his brother emerge as a prospect -- David is 2-1 this season with a 1.83 ERA.

"I push him really hard to be what he is," Reid-Foley said of working with his brother. "He's doing really well. We worked very hard this offseason, with him pitching, because he's never really done it. It was fun this offseason, watching him grow as a pitcher, and now, to see what he's doing is pretty cool."

What Sean Reid-Foley is doing this season is also "pretty cool" -- the 6-foot-3, 220-pounder is is 3-3 with a 3.48 ERA and has struck out 79 in 15 games for the Lugnuts.

Reid-Foley was drafted in the second round last season by the Blue Jays, going No. 49 overall. He had committed to pitch for Florida State, but instead signed for $1.128 million. Toronto then challenged him by sending him to Class A Lansing, and the 19-year-old has responded.

"I'm just glad they gave me the opportunity to come up here and experience it," he said. "It's been a fun year. We have a good team here. We love to win. That helps."

Reid-Foley has made his mark as a flamethrower, hitting 97 mph with his pitches this season.

"I guess I'm a fastball pitcher," he said. "That's what my coach Jeff [Ware] says. We're messing around with my changeup right now, [but] that's coming into play a lot more now. I have to throw it, obviously, to get used to it. Right now, I'm just trying to limit the walks. That's what's killing me. I'm trying to throw more strikes."

The native of Guam has walked 40 and allowed 48 hits in 54 1/3 innings, giving him a 1.62 WHIP. Ware said Reid-Foley has been overpowering at times this season.

"Sean has a heavy fastball, and it seems to have some extra life at the end," Ware said. "Hitters tend not to pick it up well. His slider has gotten a lot better. It's more short, and late, and his changeup is getting better as well.

"We love the way he competes. He's not afraid of anybody," Ware said. "He's going to come after you. He's going to attack you. It's our objective to keep him under control. He throws hard, but we have to make sure it works at the big league level, not just at the A-ball level. For him to do that, he's got to improve his command and location of all three of his pitches."

In brief

2015 firepower: Quad Cities added Houston's 2015 first-round pick, shortstop Alex Bregman (second overall), to its roster. Bregman is the third player from the 2015 Draft to join the River Bandits -- pitchers Riley Ferrell of TCU (third round) and Michael Freeman of Oklahoma State (seventh round) are also wearing River Bandits uniforms.

Diamond delivery: Peoria suffered a doubleheader sweep at the hands of Kane County on Saturday, but Chiefs right fielder Nick Thompson was a winner before the game, proposing to Katherine Ault on the pitcher's mound. Ault threw out the first pitch to Thompson, and after the throw, he went out to the mound, dropped to one knee and proposed. Thompson was an eighth-round selection by the Cardinals in 2014 from William & Mary.

Hot streak: Fort Wayne outfielder Nick Torres is 22-for-54 (.407) during a 14-game hitting streak, and seven of his hits have been doubles. Torres leads the Midwest League with 25 doubles and is tied for the lead with 29 extra-base hits. The hot streak has pushed him into second in the league in batting, lifting his average to .332 for the season.