2020 Envisioning: The Lugnuts' Next Outfield
Part I - click here to read it - was a look at which of the Blue Jays' current Top 30 prospects could play in Lansing in 2020, the 25th season of Lugnuts baseball.Part II featured a closer look at the Lugnuts' potential catchers and infielders.Today, we move to the outfield.*
Part I - click here to read it - was a look at which of the Blue Jays' current Top 30 prospects could play in Lansing in 2020, the 25th season of Lugnuts baseball.
Part II featured a closer look at the Lugnuts' potential catchers and infielders.
Today, we move to the outfield.
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The 2019 Lugnuts outfield had Reggie Pruitt, Griffin Conine and Otto Lopez, each of whom is highly likely (as close to 100% as you could get, barring injury, trade, etc.) to start next year in A-Adv. Dunedin; DJ Neal and Hunter Steinmetz, who are candidates to return; and Dominic Abbadessa and Mc Gregory Contreras, who are interesting: Neither one hit in Lansing (Abbadessa hit .189 with a .571 OPS, Contreras hit .211 with a .593 OPS), and then after they were both transferred to Vancouver, neither one hit for the Canadians (Abbadessa - .184 with a .468 OPS, Contreras - .211 with a .579 OPS).
So Neal could be back, Steinmetz could be back, Abbadessa could be back and Contreras could be back. Four outfielders is pretty much the max - three starters, and one getting a breather before entering the lineup tomorrow.
But there are some other names you should know:
- RF Will Robertson came up in the prospect preview as the Jays' No. 19 prospect. He was taken in the fourth round in June from Creighton, learning that he had been drafted at 32,000 feet above the ground, which meant that he went from the Bluejays to the Blue Jays. Fangraphs rated him the 61st best player in the draft, but Toronto got him at pick 117. He spent his pro debut in Vancouver putting up adequate stats overall thanks to a hot finish (.268, 11 2B, 6 HR, .769 OPS), which you would hope bodes well for next year.
- CF Cameron Eden was drafted in the sixth round in June from California, where he had played shortstop as a freshman and sophomore before switching to center field as a junior. He had a strong offensive season for the Bears, too, slashing .370/.442/.560 with 20 steals and eight home runs, but it didn't translate in Vancouver: he batted .220 with one homer, eight steals and a .576 OPS. Looking from the outside in, Eden might just break through under the radar as his pro career goes along, the same way he improved each year in college.
Vancouver's other outfielders were Abbadessa, Contreras and Adrian Ramos (.104 avg., 12-for-115, nine steals).
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Down in Adv. Rookie Bluefield...
- Justin Ammons played left field (seven games) center field (11 games) and right field (five games) and he hit. He was signed as an undrafted free agent on July 16th from the University of Tennessee, where he had been the Volunteers' leadoff hitter and starting right fielder. With the Vols, he hit .254 with 54 hits in 54 games. With the Bluefield Blue Jays, he hit .382/.442/.490 with 39 hits (including 11 doubles) in 25 games. That's the kind of year that gets a guy jumped up the ladder to Lansing.
- Spencer Horwitz came up in the infield preview, so not much more is needed here. He hit .330 in 51 games for Bluefield before he was sent up to Vancouver, and he played significant time at first base and left field. He's very likely to be a Lugnut, and placed wherever he can fit in defensively to get his bat into the lineup.
- Eric Rivera was Bluefield's 2019 leadoff hitter and might just become Lansing's 2020 leadoff hitter. He played in 33 games in center field and 20 games in left field for the Blue Jays after being taken in the 14th round this past June from Florida Atlantic (where he was helped significantly by a Tampa Bay Rays second-rounder). Rivera is another hit guy, just like Ammons and Horwitz: he hit .284 with a .378 on-base percentage in the Appy League, walked (30) more than he struck out (28), and went 7-for-7 in steals.
- It's probably not yet Steward Berroa's or D.J. Daniels's time to make Lansing out of spring training, but we might see at least one as the season proceeds. The switch-hitting Berroa has played in the Crosstown Showdown against Michigan State each of the last two years, batting leadoff in the Lugnuts' order in the exhibition. In his first season in Bluefield, he hit .236 with a .349 OBP and stole 14 bases; he's likely heading to Vancouver in 2020. The power-hitting Daniels spent 2016 and 2017 in the Gulf Coast League and each of the last two years in the Appy League, so he too is likely ticketed for Vancouver. A sixth-rounder in 2016, he set career highs in every category in 2019, including nine doubles and seven home runs.
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There are two outfielders who are worth remembering even if they're not likely to be Lugnuts in 2020.
- Jhon Solarte, pictured above this article, is a switch-hitting center fielder who's 18 years old, was signed as an international free agent from hit .275 with four doubles, two triples, three homers, and a .373 OBP in the Gulf Coast League, stole 27 bags in 2018 and 11 in 2019, and asked for us to have the public address announcer introduce him as "Jhon 'The Panther' Solarte." Then he quickly corrected himself: "Jhon 'The Black Panther' Solarte." The soundtrack to "Black Panther" was his walk-up music. Charisma for days! Fangraphs rates Solarte as the Blue Jays' No. 36 prospect.
- Dasan Brown, drafted in the third round in June and considered the Jays' No. 18 prospect by MLB Pipeline and No. 20 prospect by Fangraphs. He didn't play too much in his pro debut - 14 games in the Gulf Coast League. I recommend you read Laura Armstrong's profile of Brown.
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A hypothetical 2020 Lugnuts offense:
C Philip Clarke
1B Spencer Horwitz
2B Miguel Hiraldo
SS Jordan Groshans
3B Trevor Schwecke
LF Justin Ammons
CF Cameron Eden
RF Will Robertson
DH Mc Gregory Contreras
A completely different hypothetical 2020 Lugnuts offense:
C Ryan Sloniger (or Hagen Danner)
1B PK Morris
2B Tanner Morris
SS Leonardo Jimenez
3B Ronny Brito
LF Dominic Abbadessa
CF Eric Rivera
RF DJ Neal
DH Angel Camacho
We have a basic understanding as to who will be Nuts next year, yet we don't really have a clear picture -- which makes the work the players put in this offseason matter all that much more to their initial assignments and how successful they will be in the coming year. (A constant guarantee: Hard work pays off.)
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Part IV, the final part:The 2020 Pitchers!
The Lugnuts are home! June 24-29 vs. Dayton
LANSING, Mich. – The Lansing Lugnuts (1-2, 37-32), High-A affiliate of the Athletics, open a six-game series with the Dayton Dragons (1-2, 22-46), High-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, from Tuesday, June 24, through Sunday, June 29, at Jackson® Field™. Gates open to the public one hour before first pitch
Locos hit three homers, lose slugfest to Dayton
LANSING, Mich. – CJ Rodriguez, Casey Yamauchi and Tommy White homered – an inside-the-park home run for Yamauchi – but it was not enough to overcome a 17-hit barrage from the Dayton Dragons (2-2, 23-46), who defeated the Lansing Locos (1-3, 37-33), 13-8, on Tuesday evening at Jackson® Field™. Coming
Nuts welcome prospect tandem Lin and Sha
The Lansing Lugnuts (1-2, 37-32) announced the following roster changes, in conjunction with the Athletics: - Pitcher Nathan Dettmer is transferred to Stockton (Single-A – California League), - Pitchers Wei-En Lin and Tzu-Chen Sha received from Stockton. The updated Lansing roster now has 28 active players. A native of Kueishan,
Nuts romp behind Quad Cities' quintet of errors
DAVENPORT, IA – Jake Garland went seven innings, Davis Diaz slugged his first professional home run, and the Lansing Lugnuts (1-2, 37-32) took advantage of five errors to roll the Quad Cities River Bandits (2-1, 41-28), 10-3, on Sunday afternoon at Modern Woodmen Park. The Lugnuts piled up 16 base
Avant excels, but Bandits best Lugs in 10
DAVENPORT, IA – Corey Avant set a professional high with seven strong innings, but the Quad Cities River Bandits (2-0, 41-27) scored three runs in the bottom of the 10th inning to rally past the Lansing Lugnuts (0-2, 36-32), 4-3, on Saturday night at Modern Woodmen Park. Avant, drafted in
Green homers, Lugs drop 2nd half opener
DAVENPORT, IA – Rodney Green, Jr. ended a homerless drought with a towering roundtripper toward the Mississippi River, but the Quad Cities River Bandits (1-0, 40-27) quieted the Lansing Lugnuts (0-1, 36-31) otherwise, 8-2, on Friday night at Modern Woodmen Park. The game marked the official start to the 66-game
Nuts close out first half, beat Bandits in 10
DAVENPORT, IA – Native Iowan Grant Judkins turned in a quality start before his Lansing Lugnuts (36-30) turned in a quality finish, outlasting the Quad Cities River Bandits (39-27), 5-4, in 10 innings to close out the first half of the Midwest League season on Thursday night at Modern Woodmen
Bandidos use doubles to double up Lugs
DAVENPORT, IA – Playing as their Copa identity, los Bandidos del Río de las Ciudades Cuádruples, the Quad Cities River Bandits (39-26) used a pair of late two-run doubles to top the Lansing Lugnuts (35-30), 8-4, on Wednesday night at Modern Woodmen Park. The win kept Quad Cities alive for
Dickey, Garland play spoiler in 3-0 win
DAVENPORT, IA – Jared Dickey drove in a pair of crucial runs against his former team, Jake Garland tossed 6 2/3 scoreless innings in a combined four-hit shutout, and the Lansing Lugnuts (35-29) silenced the Quad Cities River Bandits (38-26), 3-0, on Tuesday night at Modern Woodmen Park. The result
MDARD Teams Up with Lansing Lugnuts, VFW National Home to Plant Native Garden at Jackson® Field™
LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), Lansing Lugnuts, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Home (VFWNH), in collaboration with the Eaton Conservation District, proudly celebrates the successful installation of a native garden at Jackson® Field™. Veterans participating in the Veteran Regenerative Agriculture Demonstration,
Whitecaps blast Lugnuts, 13-1
LANSING, Mich. – Luke Gold smashed a grand slam to cap an eight-run ninth inning, and the West Michigan Whitecaps (43-20) completed a dominant six-day stretch with a 13-1 victory over the Lansing Lugnuts (34-29) in front of a Father’s Day crowd of 7,379 on Sunday afternoon at Jackson® Field™.
Imperial Whitecaps march past Lugnuts, 3-2
LANSING, Mich. – In front of 7,896 on Star Wars Night, the West Michigan Whitecaps (42-20) quelled the Lansing Lugnuts (34-28), 3-2, on Saturday evening at Jackson® Field™. The Whitecaps clinched a series victory, winning their fourth of five games played in the six-game set. Lansing starter Nathan Dettmer scattered
'Caps score 13 in 3rd on Friday the 13th, clinch division title
LANSING, Mich. – In three hours and 13 minutes, the West Michigan Whitecaps (41-20) used a 13-run third inning to rout the Lansing Lugnuts (34-27), 20-6, on Friday the 13th at Jackson® Field™. The Whitecaps clinched the first half East Division title with the win. All nine Whitecaps collected at
McGonigle, 'Caps top Nuts, 7-1
LANSING, Mich. – Ben Malgeri homered for the second straight day, Kevin McGonigle went 4-for-4 with two doubles and a homer, and the West Michigan Whitecaps (40-20) coasted past the Lansing Lugnuts (34-26), 7-1, on Thursday night at Jackson® Field™. The Whitecaps’ magic number to clinch the East Division shrank
Lugs wallow in 4-3 wild walk-off over Whitecaps
LANSING, Mich. – CJ Rodriguez rushed home on a Jared Dickey RBI fielder’s choice in the bottom of the ninth inning, and the Lansing Lugnuts (34-25) walked off the West Michigan Whitecaps (39-20), 4-3, on Wednesday night at Jackson® Field™. The Lugnuts pulled within five games of the Whitecaps for
West Michigan tops Lansing, 6-2, closes in on playoffs
LANSING, Mich. – In a Copa de la Diversión game, las Calaveras de West Michigan (39-19) scored four runs in the seventh inning and defeated the Lansing Locos (33-25), 6-2, on Tuesday night at Jackson® Field™. With the win, West Michigan opened its East Division lead to six games with
Lugs demolish Dragons as Whitecaps series looms
DAYTON, OH – Supported by a season-high 19-hit barrage, Nathan Dettmer fired six innings of one-hit ball, and the Lansing Lugnuts (33-24) steamrolled the Dayton Dragons (18-39), 12-6, on Sunday afternoon at Day Air Ballpark. The Nuts won five of six games in the series, including the last three games.
Judkins, Schofield-Sam serve up series win
DAYTON, OH – Grant Judkins delivered seven commanding innings, T.J. Schofield-Sam cracked three extra-base hits, and the Lansing Lugnuts (32-24) clinched a road series victory with a 3-1 win over the Dayton Dragons (18-38) on Saturday night at Day Air Ballpark. The Lugnuts have won four of five games in
Echavarria sooths Dragons, 5-1
DAYTON, OH – Steven Echavarria added the latest chapter in a breakthrough season, hurling five scoreless innings to drive the Lansing Lugnuts (31-24) past the Dayton Dragons (18-37), 5-1, on a rainy Friday night at Day Air Ballpark. The Lugnuts have won three of the first four games of the
Dragons walk off Nuts in 10, 3-2
DAYTON, OH – On a rainy Thursday night, the Dayton Dragons (18-36) snapped a 10-game home losing streak, walking off the Lansing Lugnuts (30-24) 3-2 in 10 innings at Day Air Ballpark. The Lugnuts had tied the game in the eighth on a two-out bases-loaded walk drawn by center fielder
Nuts' five-run 9th stuns Dayton, 6-3
DAYTON, OH – With two outs in the ninth inning, the Lansing Lugnuts (30-23) rallied for five runs to shock the Dayton Dragons (17-36), 6-3, on Wednesday night at Day Air Ballpark. The Lugnuts have won four straight games, including two straight in Dayton thanks to comebacks against the Dragons’
Green rallies Lugs in Dayton opener
DAYTON, OH – Rodney Green, Jr. lashed a three-run go-ahead double in the seventh inning, and the Lansing Lugnuts (29-23) edged the Dayton Dragons (17-35), 5-4, on Tuesday evening at Day Air Ballpark. The Lugnuts have won three consecutive games, allowing only seven combined runs over that span. A two-run
Catching Transaction: Conn promoted, Diaz arrives
The Lansing Lugnuts (28-23) announced the following roster changes, in conjunction with the Athletics: - Catcher Cole Conn is promoted to Midland (Double-A – Texas League) - Infielder/catcher Davis Diaz is received from Stockton (Single-A – California League) The updated Lansing roster now has 28 active players and three players
Lugs handle error-prone Carp, 4-1
LANSING, Mich. – Grant Judkins pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings, and the Lansing Lugnuts (28-23) earned a series split with a 4-1 victory over the Beloit Sky Carp (27-24) on Sunday afternoon at Jackson® Field™. The Nuts had lost three straight games against Beloit from Wednesday through Friday, but won
Schofield-Sam slams Sky Carp, 8-2
LANSING, Mich. – The Lansing Lugnuts loaded the bases in the first inning, fourth inning, fifth inning and sixth inning, yet were unable to push a run across. In the seventh inning? A different story. The Midwest League’s leading hitter, T.J. Schofield-Sam, swatted a g0-ahead grand slam off the right