The Daily Jumper -2029

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The Daily Jumper -2029

#1 Post by MikeB »

Four Players to Watch During Spring Training

LHP Toshinobu Nakayama: Largely overlooked since being drafted in the fifth round by Aurora in 2019, Nakayama is vying for a chance to make his big league debut at age 31. He is 77-34 in the minors since 2021, including 47-19 in AAA. Smart with a good work ethic, 0.7 HR/9 and 1.8 BB/9 in 676 innings of AAA ball, one would think he would have climbed the ladder quicker.

RHP Gerardo Juárez: A 14th round pick in 2023, Juarez has been an overachiever with 116 saves in the minors and is coming off his best season (34 saves, 1.95 at Santo Domingo). He has control problems but hasn’t had to pay for it, allowing just 17 home runs over 311 minor league innings. Both Manager Sergio Manetti and bench coach Pat Maxwell want to try Juárez in the closer role this spring although he is more realistically vying for a middle reliever spot if he makes the team.

1B César Herrera – A five-time minor league all-star and former NAFTA MVP, the Puerto Rican native is a local favorite. Now 27, his rise has mainly been thwarted by being slow to adjust to each level as he has climbed the ranks but he has eventually got there. He was the Platinum Stick winner at first base in the GBB last year.

SS Oscar Wetherby – He had an injury plagued campaign after being claimed off waivers last June which kept him from showing much at the AAA level so the 23-year old is essentially attempting to make the jump from AA. Already possessing a big league glove, Wetherby also crushed AA pitching last year (.351, .446, .511) in limited action.
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#2 Post by Leones »

An interesting group indeed. One could easily see a few or all of them making the squad. Herrera's defense at 1 could be a nice balance to the recently signed 1B Bonilla. ;-D
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#3 Post by DrewV »

Great stuff Mike!

You Rule 5 acquisition of Antonio Ayala was a great move. Totally missed my radar!

Great re-signing on Drew if he can produce that OPS+ again.

And of course, the Bonilla signing (enjoyed that article as well!).

Great to see the Daily Jumper back in action--I'm excited for San Juan and their new power blaster from Chile!
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#4 Post by MikeB »

Had a hole at backup catcher. Hopefully Ayala can fill it rather than my usual parade of can throw/can't hit guys.
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#5 Post by Vic »

Great to see a new edition of the Jumper!

I really liked your piece on Bonilla - if his home run swings can actually activate volcanoes ... look out! I was in on the bidding for Bonilla for quite awhile. Like you, I thought that power number was pretty enticing. Finally pulled back to concentrate on Barry, but I felt a twinge if envy when I saw you signed Bonilla. Hope he kicks some butt for you!
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#6 Post by MikeB »

Yes he continually informed me of your interest. I could have had him for far less!
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#7 Post by Sandgnats »

I like César Herrera. I hope he makes it!
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#8 Post by MikeB »

Dalton, Walker, Nakayama In; Macías, Juárez Out

Relievers Gary Walker, Jon Dalton and Toshinobu Nakayama will get a longer look in the PEBA after surviving a heated bullpen battle during spring training. The 28-year old Dalton impressed in a short September stint last year and has little left to prove in AAA after posting a 1.91 e.r.a. last year as a setup man. Nakayama, who will make his PEBA debut at age 31, had a mixed spring but in 47-19, 2.69 over six seasons in AAA. The Coqui are believed to be highest on 24-year old Walker, a former first round supplemental pick who had been stellar in AA and AAA.

Not making the cut were 27-year old Gerardo Juárez, who has 117 career minor league saves, and 26-year old Carlos Macías, neither of whom gave management confidence they can overcome control issues.

Other roster bubbles like Jackpot Jackson, Tag Parker, Oscar Wetherby and Kelsey Van Wingerden were likely dropped to Santo Domingo (AAA) to get some action at AAA before making the leap directly from AA to the majors.

Jackson, who reinvented himself as a reliever last year after initially struggling at the AA level, looked the most improved. He didn’t allow a base runner in his first three relief outings of the spring (4 2/3 innings). In his fourth and final outing, he struck out the side before being pulled after giving up a leadoff single the next inning. That run eventually scored.

Meanwhile, Van Wingerden, coming off a banner AA season, was impressive in spring training at .295, .392, .568. Parker, only 23 and a former first round supplemental pick, pitched three shutout innings his final appearance while Wetherby posted a .354 OBP.

César Herrera, 27, and Casper Gray, 24, made the squad mostly because they are out of option years although neither has played a game at the major league level. Gray hit just .191 in AAA last year but had a decent spring (.281, .379, .474) and the Coqui lacked a backup centerfield last year. The problem is the team platoons in left and right so the outfield is crowded already.
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#9 Post by MikeB »

Infield is Weakest Link Heading Into Season

While the top of the lineup is getting getting older and slower, the infield is clearly the weakest link for San Juan.

While the defense is stellar, highly touted second baseman Shigekazu Shimizu has settled in as merely an average offensive player while a gaping hole remains at both third and shortstop. Tony Meade, Rafael Vega and Bob Vollmer don’t exactly put fear into opposing pitchers. Owner Myron Beardsall has been clear about seeing an upgrade at shortstop but thus far the team has seen little to invest in during free agency.

In the minors, 23-year old Oscar Wetherby is the best hope. Wetherby, a three-star OSA prospect, has come out the gate at Santo Domingo (AAA) hitting .292. The team also is watching 24-year old Aurelio Espinoza at Santurce (AA) closely. Espinoza may prove to more of a glove man but has blazing speed and has shown a knack for drawing walks. Digging deeper is 2028 third round pick Simon Eykelbosch but he failed to show much offensively in A ball last year.

Ticket Sales Up
On a positive note, a drop in ticket prices helped, San Juan has sold 15,503 season tickets this year, a 7.5% leap from last year. That, plus having shaved $10 million off its players expenses, means the team may finally be out of financial trouble, a major step in any rebuild process. In the team’s only homestand this season, a three-game sweep of New Orleans, the average attendance was 40,797.
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#10 Post by DrewV »

Thrilled for San Juan and an excellent battle in the Trans Atlantic. Phenomenal pitching from the Coqui so far in 2029.
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#11 Post by MikeB »

Coqui Jump Out the Gate

A month into the 2029 season, the Coqui find themselves sitting at 18-13, just a half game out of first place despite being in the middle of the pack statistically in most batting and pitching categories. They are just a 13th inning loss on a sacrifice fly at the Scottish Castle last week from leading the Trans Atlantic Division.

“We probably couldn’t have asked for a better start,” said General Manager Mike Best. “We are still a team in transition but the guys are playing their hearts out.”

Among the early stars are closer José Gómez who has 13 saves without allowing a run yet (in fact, just six base runners in 17 innings); right-handed starter Fernando Castro who is 3-1, 2.23 in his sophomore season; and veteran left fielder Flint Butler, who is hitting .302 with a .417 OBP. But one of the biggest surprises has been third baseman Bob Vollmer, a perennial disappointment who has come out strong this year hitting .321 and slugging .481.

The team also is getting unexpected contributions from rookie Caspar Gray (.264, .365), who leads the team with 12 stolen bases in 12 attempts, and 27-year old pitcher Mito Nomura, who is 4-0 since moving into a starting role.

The team continues to play without two of its top two relievers: Domingo Rodriguez and Otis Pearson, both of whom are anticipated back this month at some point.

FROM THE MINORS: San Juan is going to need to make room in the outfield for Kelsey van Wingerden soon. The 26-year old is hitting .375 with seven home runs at Santo Domingo (AAA).
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#12 Post by MikeB »

San Juan Riding Waiver Wire Again

The Coqui have been playing the waiver wire yet again, last week claiming 24-year old hurler Domingo Vázquez and 23-year old centerfielder Pedro “Tiger”Álvarez.

The front office is thinking of Álvarez as the better catch. In 2027, he slugged .464 in AA and was a Division Series MVP. But last year he saw limited action in AAA. He is an elite defensive centerfielder and San Juan feels it can turn him into a base stealer. He might be a year away but he is out of option years so he will join a crowded seven-man outfield. San Juan is still focused on the future, hot start notwithstanding, and the belief is that he was too promising to not take for free.

To make room for him and continue to get an audition on rookie Caspar Gray, who the team is reluctant to waive, the Coqui have been shopping Francisco Torres despite re-signing him in the offseason. At 37, Torres has lost speed but manages to continue to be a crafty base stealer (6-for-6 this year). He has been one of the better free agent signings since the team moved to Puerto Rico and he seems to be coming out of the horrendous slump he had to begin the season.

Vázquez, meanwhile, is a former 2026 11th rounder who has developed four pitches to climb the minor league ranks as a starter. He is 27-12 as a pro and has never had an e.r.a. over 2.22 and that was in his first season. San Juan sent him down to AAA.

Last season, the Coqui pulled in reliever Marty Bernard off the waiver wire and it seems to be paying dividends. The 26-year old Bernard, a former 2024 first rounder, did just enough to stay in the big leagues last year (2-2, 1 save, 3.58 in 32 innings) and this season is 1-0, 1.69 in 10 innings.

Bernard, along with Gary Walker gives the team two lefties and two former first rounders in the back of the bullpen. The team has also concluded that Jon Dalton, after seven seasons in the minors, may be for real. Dalton looked good in a September call-up last year (2.70 e.r.a., 1 save) and has thrown eight scoreless innings this season.
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#13 Post by MikeB »

Slowing Vets Butler, Torres Holding Off Outfield Competition

The outfield is getting crowded in San Juan. While second year player Mike Rose (.278, .370, .426) and rookies Caspar Gray (.341 OBP, 18 stolen bases) and Tiger Álvarez (5-for-his-last-12 with a triple and a homer) are vying for more playing time, aging veterans Flint Butler and Francisco Torres aren’t giving up their at bats easily. While both have lost a bit more than a step, Butler is nonetheless second in the Imperial League in on base percentage at .414 and Torres is red hot, hitting .362 in May, slugging .534. While their slowing wheels have been noticeable in the field, on the base paths combined they still have 15 steals in 20 attempts.

Thirty-four year old Michael Drew also continues to be steady (.283, .340) although he will be out of action for a couple months with a hamstring issue. Dean Walden, the last Coqui player to have back-to-back .300 seasons is almost a forgotten man at this point.

***

Although there was nothing in the recent past that would indicate it, preseason prognosticators were calling for big things from Mito Nomura this season and they seemed to have been psychic. The 27-year old Nomura is 8-0, 2.62 and the Coqui have won all ten of his starts. The biggest difference has been his control, having walked just 11 batters in 68 innings, a massive improvement over his first three seasons when he walked an average of four per nine innings.

FROM THE MINORS: Twenty-one year old Eli McKnight, a second round pick last year, has a 17-inning scoreless streak going over his past three starts, raising his record to 5-1 with Santurce (AA). In fact he has 30 scoreless innings in his last 31 and has given up runs in just four of 48 innings he has pitched since moving into the starting rotation April 21.
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#14 Post by MikeB »

Coqui Score Twice Despite Few Picks on Day One

It was a quiet top of the draft for San Juan, which traded its 1st and 3rd rounders in the deal for Roberto Salazar and had sold its 2nd round pick for $5 million.

That left the Coqui with two picks in the 4th round on the first day of the draft. With the first, they took what appears a safe bet in a righty starter from Oxford,Tetsuzan Shimada. The 21-year old already has three pitches developed, a 97-mile per hour fastball to go with a nasty change-up and a knee-capping knuckle curve. He has very good stamina and went 17-5, 2.51 in his collegiate career, topping it off with a 2-0, 0.72 postseason to lead Oxford to the ICOL title. He wasn't as heralded coming out of college as last year's first rounder, Atasuke Inoue (24-4, 1.39), who the team also lost in the Salazar deal, but he might have better stuff and will take Inoue's place in the Kingston (A) rotation. The knock on Shimada is that he tends to rely too much on his natural talent, but there is no question that talent is there. He likely fell in the draft due to a forearm injury that cut his junior year short and coming back his senior year his e.r.a. slipped to 3.28.

"However, when you factor in his postseason performance, his senior year was pretty much on par with his first two college years," said Coqui General Manager Mike Best when asked about the matter.

With its second pick in the 4th round, San Juan went offense with first baseman Tracy Young, a two-time all-star and postseason series MVP winner with Seton Hall. Young hit .294 in college with 51 homers and 49 doubles in 863 at bats. He is a legitimate first baseman in the field as well.
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#15 Post by MikeB »

Power Hitters, Pitchers Highlight Second Day of Draft

Unperturbed by having drafted a first basemen in the fourth round, San Juan kicked off its second day with a 1B/DH in the fifth, Nick Adamczak from ICOL champ Oxford. He finished second in the ICOL Outstanding Hitter Award voting this season and was the Platinum Stick winner at first base. He also earned all-star honors as a sophomore (.356, .416, .569).

"Obviously he fell because he is a DH but this is a good spot to grab guys like this. It’s tough to turn down a guy who hit .358 and slugged .647 his senior year," said Coqui General Manager Mike Best.

In the sixth round, the team went for RHP Richard Becker, whose ceiling is high but whose development was slowed by elbow reconstruction that had him out the last 13 months. Although he has starting potential, he was used entirely in relief in college at UAB (USCBA) where posted a 1.78 e.r.a. with 116 strikeouts in 106 innings.

In the seventh, the team went for yet another college first baseman, Ippei Ishikawa, who hit 52 home runs in 662 at bats at Ciefuegos. Ishikawa won both the ICOL Platinum Stick and Outstanding Hitter Award in 2028, slugging .728 for the season.

"We got three guys at the same position who hit for power, which has been rare in our organization. Hopefully at least one of the three will make it," said Best.

In the eighth round, the team went need at catcher with Ángel Rodríguez. "There were a lot of intriguing catchers in this draft. Unfortunately we missed them but we lack prospects there so Rodríguez will get his shot," said Best.

Rumor is Best left the rest of the draft to assistants but he was pleased with the next two picks, high school southpaw Brian Sánchez, who posted a 1.63 e.r.a. in 41 starts at Bishop Moore (IF HS) and college righty Yuuki Ito, who emerged as a junior this year at Washington (USCBA) going 4-1, 2.21 in 11 starts.

"Sánchez has three pitches and great stamina but, while he likes his circle change the most, it is the one pitch hitters beat him on so he'll need to improve it and learn to keep it down," said Best. "Ito also has great stamina and potentially three big league pitches but has some development to do."

The remaining five picks the team went all pitching:

Ogai Tanaka, who faltered this season (4.38 e.r.a.) after two outstanding years as a closer at Atletico Castille Sociedad Deportiva (ICBA).

Carlos Gutierrez, who boasts four pitches but struggled until a senior at Michigan State (USCBA) when he went 4-2, 2.62.

Josh Schmidt, who improved steadily at Chiben High (IHS), posting 2.08, 1.98, 1.52 e.r.a.s as a starter.

Haywood Hall, who went 4-1, 0.41 as a senior at Brophy Prep (IF HS).

Jeremy Williams, who was drafted in the 12th round last year by Arlington but, despite having his best season (4-1, 2.89) as a senior at Arizona (USCBA), he fell three rounds in the draft.
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