Yardbarker
x
Blue Jays Arizona Fall League wrap up
Kim Klement-Imagn Images

Blue Jays Arizona Fall League wrap up

Originally posted on Bluejaysnation  |  By Ryley Delaney  |  Last updated Nov 21, 2024 9:07 AM ET

The 2024 Arizona Fall League came and went, with the Scottsdale Scorpions falling in the semi-finals.

On that team were eight Toronto Blue Jay prospects: Peyton Williams, Eddinson Paulino, Adrian Pinto, Lazaro Estrada, Kendry Rojas, Johnathan Lavallee, Ryan Jennings, and T.J. Brock. 

With the AFL season wrapping up, it seems fitting to look at how each of the eight players did over the course of the month and a half of baseball. We’ll start with the pitchers first.

The top Blue Jays prospect who attended the league was Kendry Rojas. Unfortunately for the left-handed pitcher, it was an AFL to forget, as he finished the season with a 5.74 ERA in 15.2 innings pitched. Moreover, Rojas had an 18.3 K% and an 11.3 BB%. The 21-year-old will be tested in the upper minors, but he’s still one of the Blue Jays’ best pitching prospects.

While Rojas struggled, the other four pitchers didn’t. Starting with Lazaro Estrada, the 25-year-old finished the season with a 3.86 ERA in 11.2 innings pitched with a 41.3 K% and an 8.7 BB%. Estrada’s 14.7 K/9 was the fourth-highest on the team.

The fifth-highest K/9 on the Scorpions belonged to reliever T.J. Brock, who didn’t give up a run in seven innings pitched with a 42.3 K% and an 11.5 BB%. This was a great sign for Brock, as he missed the majority of the 2024 season due to injury.

Ryan Jennings was just as good, as he didn’t give up a run in 10 innings pitched. He also had a high K/9 of 12.6, or a 36.8 K%, with a 10.5 BB%. Sometimes, a good performance in the Arizona Fall League will raise a prospect’s stock, which is the case with Jennings.

Lastly, Johnathan Lavallee also had a good season, finishing the season with a 1.74 ERA in 10.1 innings pitched with a 21.4 K% and a 0 BB%. Of the 100 pitchers who pitched in the AFL, Lavallee was the only one who didn’t walk a batter.

Moving to the position players, another player who raised his stock was first baseman Peyton Williams. The 24-year-old slashed .286/.344/.464 with three home runs in 93 plate appearances, with a 24.7 K% and an 8.6 BB%. Williams also participated in the Home Run Derby, as well as the Fall Stars game.

Another Blue Jays prospect who participated in the All-Star game was Adrian Pinto, hitting a three-run home run early in that game. For the season, he slashed .274/.392/.357 with a home run in 102 plate appearances. Pinto also hit a home run in the final game of the season to send the Scorpions to the semifinal.

The last prospect who participated in the Arizona Fall League for the Jays was Eddinson Paulino. Before the trade deadline, the Jays acquired him, Cutter Coffey, and Gilberto Batista for Danny Jansen. Paulino only had 58 plate appearances, where he slashed .226/.293/.302 with a home run, as well as four walks and 11 strikeouts.

me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social.

This article first appeared on Bluejaysnation and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.