Jay Blue's best Bisons: Antonlin, Ceciliani, Dominguez, LeBlanc
Matt Dominguez earned Jay Blue Player of the Game award at triple-A Buffalo. Photo: Jay Blue.
Buffalo Bisons 2016 Report
Part 1: Blue Jays from Away Awards
By Jay Blue
Blue Jays from Away
As now with the Blue Jays battle over against the Texas Rangers and the Cleveland Indians, we come to the highest-level and, most accessible to those in Toronto, club in the Blue Jays’ organization, the Buffalo Bisons.
The Blue Jays had the QEW Express going between Toronto and Buffalo frequently this year and the Bisons lost steam in the second half, going 66-78, outperforming their Pythagorean record of 61-83. The Bisons had the worst offense in the league, generating 3.47 runs per game (almost a half a run less than the league average) while the pitching staff finished 10th (out of 14 teams) in the International League, allowing 4.07 runs per game, just above the league average of 3.96.
Blue Jays from Away Player of the Game Champion
For those of you who followed the minor league reports here, you’ll know that I “awarded” Player of the Game (PotG) accolades on a game-by-game basis. It should comfort you to know that I’ve been keeping track of these daily awards and my rationale for the system is as follows.
The Player of the Game Awards were determined by a number of factors that included who I thought had the most impact on the game and who might have gone “above and beyond.” Most nights, there was just one Player of the Game. If there was, he earned one point. If I thought that either a) no one stood out enough to merit a single PotG, or b) two or more players were outstanding and deserved mention, I split the point up into two, three or four shares. If two players earned PotG mention, they each received 0.5 points and if three players earned mentions, they each received 0.33 points, etc. There were occasions that I felt that no one merited the award and therefore, I did not give out any points.
Matt Dominguez 14.67
Jesus Montero 12.7
Darrell Ceciliani 10.83
Scott Diamond 9.5
Dalton Pompey 8.33
Wade LeBlanc 8
Drew Hutchison 7.5
Chris Leroux 6.33
Domonic Brown 5.7
Andy Burns, Junior Lake 4.33
Casey Lawrence, Scott Copeland 4
Chris Colabello 3.53
Casey Kotchman 3.37
A.J. Jimenez 3
David Adams 2.83
Jio Mier 2.5
Roberto Hernandez 2
Alexi Casilla 1.67
Melky Mesa, Ryan Goins 1.5
Humberto Quintero, Devon Travis, Erik Kratz, Mike Bolsinger 1
Bobby Korecky, Tony Sanchez 0.83
Danny Barnes 0.53
Pat McCoy, Jon Berti, Arnold Leon, John Anderson, Wilkin Castillo, Wilmer Font 0.5
Chad Jenkins, Dustin Antolin 0.33
Our Player of the Game Champion was none other than third baseman Matt Dominguez, who had a fairly consistent season with the bat. That said, in the early going, it was looking like Wade “Gandalf” LeBlanc would be a rare pitcher who was able to win the PotG Championship but his trade to Seattle opened the door for the hitters.
Blue Jays from Away Player of the Year
On a team that didn’t have a lot of offense going for it, the club’s batting leaders all have their share of warts when it comes to trying to decide on who the Player of the Year is. Jesus Montero didn’t hit for much power and a post-season suspension doesn’t help his cause and Matt Dominguez, while leading the club in home runs, only had a .315 OBP. I’m going to make an unorthodox selection and pick Darrell Ceciliani as the Bisons’ Player of the Year. Ceciliani finished the year with an OPS only 23 points lower than Montero while continuing to hit for significant power (after his year in Vegas last year). Ceciliani hit 17 doubles, three triples and a career-high 10 home runs in 334 plate appearances (almost 200 fewer than both Montero and Dominguez).
Honourable mention: Jesus Montero, Matt Dominguez
Blue Jays from Away Pitcher of the Year
The race for Pitcher of the Year is another tough one to decide. Do we want to select a pitcher who is no longer in the Blue Jays’ system? Or do we go with someone who didn’t throw a ton of innings. In this case, I’m going to give it to Wade LeBlanc. His mastery of the International League was particularly excellent as he had a 1.71 ERA, 1.17 WHP with 85 strikeouts and 21 walks in 89 2/3 innings.
Honourable mention: Drew Huchison, Scott Copeland, Casey Lawrence
Blue Jays from Away Reliever of the Year
I’m not going to give the Reliever of the Year award to the same player for two different clubs, although Danny Barnes would certainly merit consideration for the award for the Bisons. In that case, Dustin Antolin will be our Reliever of the Year for the Bisons, throwing 53 innings and posting a 2.04 ERA and 1.30 WHIP with 61 strikeouts.
Honourable mention: Danny Barnes, Ben Rowen, Ryan Tepera
Part 2: Starting Pitchers
Ok, the Buffalo Bisons’ starters were not the best this year. In fact, the two best pitchers for the club were traded away but let’s take a look at who was just over the border in Buffalo this year.
Scott Diamond led the Bisons in games and innings with 28 and 166 respectively while also pitching in one inning with the big club. The now-30-year-old Canadian lefty was able to eat innings but was only marginally effective with a 4.50 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 14.4% strikeout rate and 4.6% walk rate. Those numbers came from a BABIP that was right around average (.290). Diamond’s sole appearance in Toronto was nothing short of a disaster as he walked two, gave up two hits and three runs in just one inning of work. Diamond will likely be a free agent but I wouldn’t rule out the Jays re-signing him to give the Bisons a starter who take his turn in the rotation every fifth day.
Another Canadian, Chris Leroux, 32, came in second for the Bisons with 140 1/3 innings pitched. He also didn’t fare all that well, with a 4.87 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 15.3% strikeout rate and 7.6% walk rate. Leroux was released by the Jays at the end of August.
Drew Hutchison was banished to Triple-A with the re-signing of J.A. Happ and the emergence of Aaron Sanchez (and his own lack of results with the big league squad) and he turned himself into a solid trade chip, going to Pittsburgh on August 1 for Francisco Liriano, Reese McGuire and Harold Ramirez. Hutch acquitted himself nicely in Buffalo, throwing 102 innings and posting a 3.26 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, an excellent 26.4% strikeout rate and an 8.4% walk rate. He made three appearances for the Blue Jays, throwing 12 2/3 innings with a 4.97 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 22.6% strikeout rate and 7.6% walk rate while also logging another 11 1/3 innings for Pittsburgh, allowing seven runs on 15 hits and three walks in 11 1/3 innings with 10 strikeouts. Hutchison wasn’t as sharp pitching for Indianapolis, however, throwing 36 innings and walking 9.4% with a 17.5% strikeout rate.
Casey Lawrence, at the age of 28, finally spent most of a season in Triple-A. This year, after a couple of previous tastes of baseball’s penultimate level in North America, Lawrence finally stuck in Buffalo, throwing 87 innings as one of the club’s better starters. A righty who relies on his control, Lawrence started the season in Buffalo but things didn’t go well: he allowed 13 runs in 12 2/3 innings, uncharacteristically walking six. Sent back to New Hampshire, Lawrence threw 75 innings with the Fisher Cats over 13 starts, with a 4.56 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, a 15.7% strikeout rate and a very typical 4.1% walk rate. Despite a high BABIP and a lot of hits against, Lawrence came back to Buffalo in July and was far more effective, limiting opponents to a .617 OPS over 74 1/3 innings with 53 strikeouts and 18 walks. Overall for Buffalo, he had a 3.83 ERA, 1.28 WHIP with a 15.7% strikeout rate and 6.5% walk rate. Lawrence can become a free agent this year but I can see him re-signing with the Blue Jays.
Wade LeBlanc impressed before being dealt to the Seattle Mariners ....
Wade LeBlanc, 32, joined the Jays on a minor league contract and did nothing but dominate in Buffalo. LeBlanc tossed 89 2/3 innings over 14 starts and held the opposition to 1.71 earned runs per nine innings while having a 1.17 WHIP with a 23.0% strikeout rate and 5.7% walk rate. The 32-year-old veteran lefty returned to the majors after getting sent to Seattle and he pitched for the Mariners and Pirates, walking just 4.4% of batters and striking out 20.2% in 62 big league innings with a 3.77 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. We congratulate LeBlanc winning the Blue Jays from Away Pitcher of the Year award for the Bisons this year and also getting back to the majors and sticking.
Another big league retread in the Buffalo Bisons’ rotation this year was Roberto Hernandez (the former Fausto Carmona). Signed in December, released at the end of spring training and then re-signed in late April, Hernandez made 13 starts for Buffalo, throwing 71 1/3 innings with a 4.42 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 15.5% strikeout rate and 7.4% walk rate. He was released by the Blue Jays (possibly at Hernandez’s request) on July 3 and caught on with the Braves two weeks later, making three starts with Triple-A Gwinnett and two starts in the big leagues (getting hit for eight runs and four home runs over nine innings) before getting designated for assignment. Hernandez has elected free agency.
Scott Copeland gave things a go in Korea this year but returned after 63 1/3 innings in which he had a 5.54 ERA and 1.78 with 42 walks and 34 strikeouts. When he rejoined the Bisons, Copeland pitched much better, throwing 50 1/3 innings with a 3.04 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 15.9% strikeout rate and 8.2% walk rate. Copeland could be a free agent after the season.
Traded on Aug. 1 to the Blue Jays for Jesse Chavez, Mike Bolsinger, 28, made six starts for the Buffalo Bisons with unimpressive results. Bolsinger fared far better in Triple-A Oklahoma City, mostly working out of the bullpen with a 3.41 ERA and 1.45 WHIP over 29 innings, striking out 27.4% and walking 8.1% but he had a 6.83 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in 27 2/3 innings with the Dodgers, striking out 20.5% and walking 7.4%. In Buffalo, he struggled to a 6.04 ERA and 1.58 WHIP over 25 1/3 innings, striking out 23.7% and walking 9.7%. Bolsinger is on the Jays’ 40-man roster and likely will start the season in Buffalo next year but he could be moved to a relief role.
Arnold Leon made two appearances in Toronto, getting hammered early in the season and getting sent down to Buffalo where he made three appearances (two starts and one relief appearance). He wasn’t bad at all, allowing just three runs on 11 hits and two walks in 12 inning with a whopping 16 strikeouts before the Koreans came calling. He went to Korea and allowed 10 runs over eight innings before injuring his shoulder.
Part 3: Relief Pitchers
Almost ever reliever we’ll talk about in today’s report spent at least some time in the major leagues this season. While some were more effective than others, it can be seen as both a positive (that so many pitchers would pitch well enough in Buffalo to get a major league look) and a negative (that the Blue Jays still had so many bullpen issues going down the stretch).
Hawai’ian righty Dustin Antolin finally got a taste of The Show in 2016 in the midst of a stellar campaign for the Buffalo Bisons. Our Reliever of the Year, Antolin led the Bisons with 46 appearances and threw 53 innings with a 2.04 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 27.1% strikeout rate and 12.4% walk rate. Obviously, that walk rate was on the high side, keeping Antolin from really being dominant but the strikeout rate more than made up for it. Antolin did all this with a normal BABIP at .292 although he stranded 84.1% of runners, a rather high number, contributing to a more realistic 3.36 FIP. Antolin pitched two innings with the Blue Jays, getting shelled with three runs on four hits (including a home run) and a walk with a strikeout. Antolin was designated for assignment and sent to Buffalo outright. He could be a free agent at the end of the season and is playing in the Venezuelan Winter League this offseason.
My No. 2 2 choice for Reliever of the Year was Ben Rowen, 27, who logged 47 1/3 innings with the Bisons in 2016 with a 2.47 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 17.2% strikeout rate and 5.7% walk rate. Rowen, a submarining righty, was on the Blue Jays’ 40-man roster but was designated for assignment on August 1 to make room for one of the Jays’ post-deadline additions and he was claimed by the Milwaukee Brewers on waivers. He gave the Brewers’ Triple-A club 10.2 outstanding innings, allowing just two runs on 11 hits and three walks with 12 strikeouts before getting a September call up in which he allowed six runs (five earned) over three innings.
If anyone is familiar with bathroom stops on the QEW between Buffalo and Toronto, it’s Ryan Tepera. The 28-year-old Texan righty bounced between the two clubs, pitched well in both environments. He had a 2.58 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in Buffalo, striking out 26.5% of batters and walking 8.8% in 45 1/3 innings while throwing another 18 1/3 innings in Toronto with a 2.95 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 21.2% strikeout rate and 9.4% walk rate. Tepera spent September with the big league club and earned a spot on the playoff roster after some injuries and ineffectiveness among the relief corps.
Like the other pitchers we’ve discussed so far, Chad Girodo got himself some major league service time this year, making his big league debut on April 22. While Girodo took advantage of the injury to Aaron Loup, it’s actually a tossup whether his performance was better in Toronto or Buffalo. Girodo threw 25 2/3 innings in Buffalo, with a 3.79 ERA but a 1.63 WHIP (and a 4.74 FIP), striking out 15.5% and walking 8.4%. In Toronto, he threw 10 1/3 innings with an even-lower 11.4% strikeout rate but a 4.6% walk rate, gettnig the benefit of a low BABIP and posting a 1.26 WHIP and 4.35 ERA. The 25-year-old lefty is still on the 40-man roster and could get another shot to be the club’s LOOGY in 2016.
Bo Schultz returned to the Blue Jays from offseason hip surgery and bounced between the majors and the minors. Schultz began his rehab in late April with the Dunedin Blue Jays, making three appearances before moving to New Hampshire for two outings. He rejoined the Buffalo Bisons in mid-May, throwing 17 innings with a 4.24 ERA, but walked only three batters and struck out 14 before getting recalled to the Blue Jays. He was up and down with the big league club, making three appearances for Toronto before getting sent down for a game, then made six more appearances with the big club before returning to Buffalo for two , then Toronto for one. By the end of the season, Schultz had gone from minors to majors or majors to minors nine times and he wasn’t used by the Blue Jays after September 18 as the club headed down the stretch. In 33 2/3 innings with Buffalo, he had a 3.74 ERA with a 1.10 WHIP, 16.2% strikeout rate and 5.4% walk rate. His strikeout rate fell again in Toronto to 14.7% and he had a 4.4% walk rate with a 5.51 ERA but a 1.22 WHIP and 4.85 FIP and 3.90 xFIP. The concern with Schultz is the decline in his strikeout rate despite his velocity being fine (it was averaging 96.1 mph, up from 95.8 mph in 2015) although his lower walk rates are encouraging. We’ll have to see what happens with Schultz next year as he’ll probably be another relief pitcher walking that fine line between Triple-A and the majors.
The Blue Jays took a chance on switch pitching Pat Venditte and the 31 year old was at least worth a little bit of intrigue. he started the season in Buffalo and made two appearances before the Blue Jays recalled him. He was up and down until early August when the Blue Jays traded him to Seattle (ultimately for infielder Tim Lopes). Venditte had a 4.37 ERA and 1.49 WHIP with the Bisons, striking out 32.3% and walking 8.1% with a low 2.68 FIP in 35 innings. In 8 2/3 innings with the Blue Jays, he had a 5.91 ERA, 1.73 WHIP, 15.9% strikeout rate and 9.1% walk rate. After the trade, he struggled with Tacoma and Seattle but did get into seven games with the Mariners.
Chad Jenkins’s rough ride with the Blue Jays finally came to an end in 2016. The former first-round pick struggled in a relief role with the Buffalo Bisons and was released at the end of June. Jenkins through 29 2/3 innings with a 5.16 ERA, and 1.96 WHIP, striking out only 14.2% and walking 11.5%.
Aaron Loup pitched more in Buffalo than he did in Toronto and so we include him here. Loup had a 1.83 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 19 2/3 innings with the Bisons, striking out a whopping 32.1% and walking 3.7%. In the majors, he threw 14 1/3 innings, walking only 6.5% and striking out 24.2% but had a very high BABIP and allowed a 5.02 ERA (but 4.33 FIP) and 1.33 WHIP. Loup has made it onto the roster for the Division series and can be another bubble pitcher for the Jays in 2017.
Another pitcher who didn’t last the season in the Blue Jays’ organization was lefty Pat McCoy. McCoy made 17 appearances for the Bisons, throwing 21 1/3 innings with a 4.64 ERA and 2.03 WHIP, walking 15.0% of batters and striking out 17.8%. He was traded to the Rockies, pitching the rest of the year in Albuquerque with somewhat improved numbers.
The Blue Jays had hoped that veteran David Aardsma, 34, would be able to challenge for a big league spot this season. He didn’t, struggling with mechanics in Buffalo before opting out of his contract to try to figure things out on his own. The former big leaguer threw 13 2/3 innings with nine walks and 14 strikeouts, giving up eight runs.
Bobby Korecky, 37, spent much of the 2017 season on the DL, pitching sporadically (yet somewhat effectively) throughout the season. In 23 innings, Korecky had a 4.30 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, 20.0% strikeout rate and 8.6% walk rate. The frequency of his DL stints smell more like the “phantom DL” rather as if they were due to an actual injury, leading me to believe that Korecky may not have his contract renewed to make room for the younger, homegrown relievers that the Blue Jays have in spades.
Franklin Morales pitched very little in 2016, going on the DL due to “shoulder fatigue” after just two appearances for the Blue Jays. The lefty rehabbed in late June with Dunedin and then returned to Buffalo before getting another shot in the majors. The former top prospect was solid in Buffalo, giving up two runs on six hits and four walks over nine innings with six strikeouts but, when recalled to the major leagues, struggled and was released.
Part 4: Hitters
At long last, we come to our final part of our final report for the Blue Jays’ 2016 minor league season. The Buffalo Bisons’ hitters were made up of mostly minor league free agents and they performed about as one might expect.
Catchers
Catcher A.J. Jimenez had a rough season, spending more time on the DL and getting sent outright to Buffalo and off the 40-man roster at the beginning of the season. The 26-year-old Puerto Rican still put up some decent numbers in Buffalo, improving on his 2015 season with a .241/.290/.377 slash line, hitting 17 doubles, a triple and four home runs in 248 plate appearances. Jimenez hit for more power than he did last year but his walk rate dropped almost by half (from 9.2% in 2015 to 5.2% in 2016) while his strikeout rate by about one percent (from 12.2% in 2015 to 13.3% this year). Defensively, Jimenez was strong, throwing out 35% of potential base stealers and allowing just one passed ball while committing four errors. Jimenez may be able to elect free agency, with nine years of minor league service and is no longer on the 40-man roster.
Tony Sanchez was signed in the offseason to provide some major league depth behind Russell Martin. Throughout his minor league career, Sanchez’s defense had been his calling card, until the Yips set in and he had trouble throwing out base runners. Sanchez threw out 23% of runners and made four errors in 45 games behind the plate, so the defense wasn’t a huge problem but his bat was. Sanchez hit just .201/.292/.309 with seven doubles and three home runs in 168 plate appearances. Sanchez struck out in 18.5% of plate appearances and walked in 10.1%: both were solid numbers. The Jays released Sanchez at the end of July and he was signed a few days later by the San Francisco Giants. He hit only marginally better for the Giants and got a promotion to the big league club in September but didn’t get into any games.
After releasing Sanchez, the Blue Jays brought back a familiar face, Erik Kratz. After stints with Houston and Pittsburgh (as a well as a minor league stint with the Los Angeles Angels’ Triple-A club), Kratz landed in Buffalo, playing 19 games and hitting .155/.269/.172. Kratz, 36, will become a free agent after the World Series.
Humberto Quintero broke camp with the Buffalo Bisons and hit .267/.353/.467 in just 17 plate appearances before he was released in April 18. He signed with the Tigers and stuck around the Toledo Mudhens for 15 games, hitting .244/.277/.289 before he was released.
Infielders
The first baseman who saw the most time defensively for the Bisons was Casey Kotchman, the slick fielder who was also a solid contributor with the bat. Kotchman, a former Top-10 prospect and first-round pick, has 10 big league seasons under his belt but didn’t spend any of 2016 with the Blue Jays. Kotchman played well in Buffalo, hitting .256/.343/.383 with 18 doubles and eight home runs over 376 plate appearances. He walked more than he struck out (9.6% BB-rate and 8.5% K-rate) and will likely become a free agent after the World Series.
A 26-year-old former top prospect, Jesus Montero tried to resurrect his career in Buffalo after the Blue Jays claimed him on waivers from Seattle. As the season started, however, the Blue Jays got Montero through waivers again, sending him outright to the Bisons. Montero became of the club’s most consistent hitters, batting .317/.349/.438 with 24 doubles, a triple and 11 home runs but his once-fearsome power had gone the way of a singles and doubles hitter. Montero also walked in only 4.4% of plate apeparances and struck out in a career-low 15.1%. He was suspended for taking a banned stimulant and will likely not be back with the Jays in 2017.
Infielder Andy Burns made it to the show in 2016 despite a much weaker season with the bat in 2016 than he had in 2015. Last year, Burns was a revelation in Buffalo, hitting .293/.351/.372 while this year, Burns’s numbers dropped to .230/.285/.352 over 454 plate appearances. That said, Burns’s ISO actually went up 43 points (from .079 in 2015 to .122 in 2016) and that increase in power, which resulted in 25 doubles, a triple and eight home runs (more extra-base hits despite fewer plate appearances and fewer hits than in 2015), is probably the reason for his 5.0% rise in strikeout rate (from 13.1% to 18.1%) while his walk rate (7.3%) remained almost constant. With a constant walk rate and more power, we can trace Burns’s drop in numbers to a corresponding drop in BABIP. What was .335 in 2015 was just .267, likely due to a massive decrease in ground balls. Burns had 52.24% of his batted balls go for ground balls in 2015 with just 42.86% in 2016 and he had more fly outs (up six percent) and pop ups (up four percent), likely giving him extra outs in addition to more extra-base hits. Burns is currently on the 40-man roster and will likely return to Buffalo in 2017.
Another player with first rounder with big league experience joined the Blue Jays’ organization late last year when the Jays’ claimed Matt Dominguez off of waivers from Milwaukee. He was optioned to Buffalo to start the year and was one of the club’s most consistent hitters, leading the Bisons in home runs with a .269/.315/.421 slash line, hitting 18 doubles and 18 home runs. Dominguez’s 5.6% walk rate left something to be desired, but he didn’t strike out much either, fanning in 13.6% of his 514 plate appearances. Dominguez played five games for the Blue Jays over two call ups, one at the end of April and one at the beginning of June, and he didn’t get a hit in 12 plate appearances. Dominguez was designated for assignment and was optioned to Buffalo before being designated for assignment once again and getting sent outright to the minors at the beginning of September. Dominguez could become a free agent after this season.
The Blue Jays signed Jiovanni Mier to a minor league deal back in November and he played for the Buffalo Bisons all season. Another former top prospect, Mier has never really contributed a ton with his bat and slid downward offensively this year. Like Andy Burns, Mier suffered from a low BABIP, hitting .219/.287/.317 with 11 doubles, a triple and three home runs in 249 plate appearances. The Blue Jays likely have an option for Mier’s 2017 year and it will be interesting to see if the Blue Jays exercise it on the 26-year-old’s contract. A lot of that has to do with when the Blue Jays believe Richard Urena might make it to Buffalo.
David Adams, 29, came to the Jays on a minor league contract over the offseason and had a decent season with the bat as a versatile utility infielder. In 236 plate appearances, Adams hit .243/.339/.350 with 16 doubles and two home runs. Adams was helped by his excellent 12.3% walk rate and his 19.5% strikeout rate was reasonable, but a little high for a player with little power. Adams likely will be a free agent again when his contract expires.
With parts of nine season in the big leagues, Alexi Casilla, 32, was signed to be insurance on the infield. Unfortunately, Casilla didn’t do too much with the bat, hitting .241/.296/.319 with 10 doubles two triples and two home runs over 282 plate appearances. Casilla walked in 7.1% of his plate appearances and struck out in 14.2%, both solid numbers.
Chris Colabello came back to the Bisons after serving his suspension for a performance-enhancing drug, despite professing his innocence. The 32-year-old struggled with the bat, hitting .180/.248/.288 over 153 plate appearances in Buffalo, striking out 30.1% of the time while hitting just .069 in 32 plate appearances in Toronto. Colabello is still on the 40-man roster and with talk of re-signing Edwin Encarnacion, with Justin Smoak locked up to at least two years beyond this one, and with Rowdy Tellez charging hard, Colabello may be hard-pressed to find playing time.
Ryan Goins spent some time in Buffalo this year, although he played more in Toronto. Goins hit .265/.318/.388 with six doubles and two home runs in 110 plate appearances for the Bisons but hit only .186/.228/.306 in 196 plate appearances for the Jays. He has been left off the playoff rosters thus far in favour of Darwin Barney and the hobbled Devon Travis.
Outfielders
Domonic Brown led the Bisons in games played in left field, but the 29-year-old Georgian actually spent most of his time in right field. Brown, a former NL All-Star, had a decent enough season, hitting .239/.303/.336 with the Bisons, hitting 24 doubles and seven home runs in 509 plate appearances, striking out 19.4% of the time and walking 7.5%. Brown will likely be a free agent at the end of the season.
After a very strong 2015 in Buffalo, Dalton Pompey came back to earth a bit in 2016 but had some solid numbers in Triple-A. Pompey hit .270/.349/.353 with 14 doubles, a triple, four home runs and 18 stolen bases while posting a 10.5% walk rate and 18.8% strikeout rate. His BABIP was actually almost the exact same as it was in Triple-A last year and his ISO rose 12 points to .083. Pompey had just two plate appearances with the Blue Jays and didn’t register a hit but stole two bases. Interestingly, Pompey had a slow start with the bat but peaked in July, hitting .312/.365/.442 for the month but his hits dropped off in August. Pompey is still only 23 and the Canadian could be a post-season roster addition for his ability to score runs based on his legs alone. He will be back in Buffalo next year and if he continues to show improvement and a consistent approach day in and day out, could be in Toronto for more than a September call up next year.
Junior Lake played 82 games with the Bisons while also getting into 22 with Toronto. Lake, 26, hit .231/.314/.352 in 318 plate appearances with Buffalo, hitting 12 doubles, two triples and six home runs and hitting .200/.282/.371 with three doubles and a home run in Toronto. Lake strikes out a lot (24.2% in Buffalo and 28.2% in Toronto) but also walked in over 10% of his plate appearances. Lake was on and off the 40-man roster all season and was sent to Buffalo outright three times which likely gives him the opportunity to declare free agency this offseason.
Darrell Ceciliani played just over half the season with the Bisons, missing time due to a couple of stints in the majors and a month on the DL. Ceciliani was, aside from Dalton Pompey, the one Bisons outfielder who excelled with the bat. Ceciliani hit .266/.323/.441 with 17 doubles, three triples and 10 home runs in 82 games, striking out in 15.6% of his 334 plate appearances and walking in 7.8%. In limited opportunity with Toronto, Ceciliani hit just .111 with strikeouts in a whopping 48.3% of his 29 plate appearances. Still, Ceciliani’s success with Buffalo makes him viable at least as insurance in the minors. He’ll be back in Buffalo in 2016 and has a minor league option left.
Remember when Quintin Berry was a member of the Buffalo Bisons? Don’t worry, we don’t really remember it either. Berry was signed at the beginning of September and played only five games for the Bisons before being released. He hit an unmemorable .105/.227/.105 in 23 plate appearances.
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