In a veritable showcase of sons of former big leaguers, Bo Bichette put his All-Star pedigree on display.MLB.com's No. 13 overall prospect homered, drove in four runs and scored twice, going 3-for-5 with a stolen base to lead a split squad of Blue Jays to an 11-3 win over the Canadian National
In a veritable showcase of sons of former big leaguers, Bo Bichette put his All-Star pedigree on display.
MLB.com's No. 13 overall prospect homered, drove in four runs and scored twice, going 3-for-5 with a stolen base to lead a split squad of Blue Jays to an 11-3 win over the Canadian National Junior Team in an exhibition game on Saturday in Dunedin, Florida.
Bichette, who turned 20 earlier this month, went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs and a run scored in his lone Grapefruit League game on March 8. The reigning Minor League batting champion is eager to build on 2017 and figures to start the season with Double-A New Hampshire.
With an 0-2 count in the first inning, Bichette drilled a two-run homer to left field. He pulled an RBI single the same way in the next frame, plated another run with a sacrifice fly to right in the fifth and led off the seenth with a single up the middle.
Top Blue Jays prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. roped two hits, walked, scored twice and wowed with an impressive pick and throw on a ball blooped toward the infield grass at third base.
"I feel like these guys are like legends that you've never seen," Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman told MLB.com, referring to Bichette and Guerrero. "I'm around, I've seen them in cages, I've seen some of their games on the Minor League side. Those guys are special. You don't get too many players like that [who] come across an organization. I'm not going to sit here and say they should wait in the Minors. I see what they're capable of, I see the at-bats that they take, I see the potential they have and, like I said, I would love to be playing with those guys behind me."
Cavan Biggio (son of Craig) and Kacy Clemens (son of Roger) also stood out for the Jays, combining for three hits, two walks, three RBIs and three runs scored.
Team Canada got a 1-2-3 inning out of 17-year-old righty Braden Halladay, son of Roy Halladay, who won one of his two Cy Young Awards with Toronto in 2003.
In other spring action:
Phillies 10, Braves (ss) 6 (Box)
No. 2 overall prospect Ronald Acuña Jr. belted his fourth Grapefruit League homer, a two-run jack to left on a full count against Phillies right-hander Zach Eflin in the first. An inning later, he took Eflin to the warning track in center field on a 1-for-3 afternoon.
Mets 9, Nationals 7 (Box)
Tomás Nido, New York's 1th-ranked prospect, singled in a run and scored, while No. 10 Luis Guillorme (No. 10) squeezed in a run and walked twice. Mets No. 18 prospect Gavin Cecchini singled and scored.
Cardinals 3, Braves (ss) 0 (Box)
Eleventh-ranked Cardinals prospect Randy Arozarena went 1-for-2 with a pair of stolen bases, an RBI and a run scored.
Blue Jays (ss) 5, Orioles 2 (Box)
Baltimore prospects Chance Sisco (No. 3), Cedric Mullins (No. 7) and Anthony Santander (No. 8) each had a hit, with Santander doubling and Mullins scoring a run.
Pirates 13, Twins 5 (Box)
Jordan Luplow, the Pirates' No. 23 prospect, homered, doubled and drove in three runs. No. 80 overall prosepct Nick Gordon was 1-for-3 with a triple and a run scored, while Twins No. 19 prospect Mitch Garver contributed a single.
Tigers 9, Yankees 3 (Box)
Miguel Andújar, MLB.com's No. 65 overall prospect, put New York on the board with an RBI single in the first inning and Yankees No. 17 prospect Cody Carroll worked around two walks and a hit to turn in 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Tigers Minor Leaguer Chad Sedio slugged a two-run homer.
Red Sox 4, Rays 3 (Box)
Fifth-ranked Red Sox prospect Sam Travis cracked a three-run homer, his fourth of the spring.
Astros 6, Marlins 6 (Box)
No. 16 overall prospect Kyle Tucker went 1-for-2 with a pair of RBIs and a run scored, while Astros No. 17 prospect Drew Ferguson singled and scored a run. Garrett Stubbs, ranked 24th among Houston prospects, was 1-for-2.
Royals (ss) 7, Rangers (ss) 6 (Box)
Emmanuel Rivera, Kansas City's 11th-ranked prospect, doubled and drove in two runs. Royals No. 8 prospect Erik Skoglund allowed three runs on four hits and racked up six strikeouts over four innings to secure his first Cactus League win.
Brewers 4, Rockies 3 (Box)
Second-ranked Colorado prospect Ryan McMahon went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.
Reds 5, Giants (ss) 4 (Box)
Fourth-ranked Cincinnati prospect Jesse Winker went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Giants No. 5 prospect Austin Slater had two hits, including a solo homer, and scored twice.
Mariners 7 (ss), Angels 0 (Box)
Mariners No. 11 prospect Daniel Vogelbach continued his torrid spring with his fourth Cactus League homer. The 25-year-old is 16-for-41 (.405) with 10 extra-base hits in his sixth big league Spring Training.
Mariners 4 (ss), Athletics 1 (Box)
Mariners No. 16 prospect Mike Ford singled twice and scored a run in three at-bats. Seventeeth-ranked Ian Miller got a base knock and struck out twice in five at-bats, while No. 20 Anthony Misiewicz logged a walk and a strikeout and was tagged for an unearned run in two innings. Eighth-ranked Seattle prospect Art Warren pitched a scoreless inning to record his second Cactus League save.
Athletics (ss) 8, Giants 3 (Box)
A's third-ranked prospect Franklin Barreto went 2-for-4 with a run scored while No. 11 Sheldon Neuse collected two hits, including his fourth spring homer, and a pair of RBIs. Giants No. 3 prospect Steven Duggar singled and scored a run.
Cubs 11, Indians 4 (Box)
Cubs No. 14 prospect Mark Zagunis was 2-for-4 with a homer, three RBIs and three runs scored, while 15th-ranked David Bote went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and an RBI.
Royals (ss) 5, Rangers (ss) 5 (Box)
Royals No. 18 prospect Ryan O'Hearn went deep for the third straight game. He led off the eighth inning with his fifth Cactus League long ball, raising his average to .414 through 15 games. Second-ranked Nick Pratto also homered, ripping a two-run shot in the seventh. No. 15 prospect Trevor Oaks allowed two hits and struck out two over three scoreless innings for Kansas City. Sixth-ranked prospect Yohander Méndez started for the Rangers and yieled a run on three hits and a walk with four strikeouts in three innings.
