Toronto Sports Today

Toronto Sports News Continuously Updated

Despite the recent call-ups, the Buffalo Bisons still have players who can impact the 2024 Blue Jays

by

There has been an influx of Buffalo Bisons players to make an impact for the 2024 Blue Jays.

After Davis Schneider’s early August call-up in 2023, as well as Ernie Clement making the Jays’ roster to start the 2024 season, the Blue Jays have relied heavily on Bisons’ players in the month of June.

For example, since being called up in early June, Spencer Horwitz is slashing .366/.480/.561 with an 18 BB% and a 10 K% in 50 plate appearances, along with two homers for a 197 wRC+. Addison Barger’s first tenure with the Jays was rough, but since his re-call in mid-June, he’s slashing .350/.381/.400 with a double and seven hits in 21 plate appearances.

Orelvis Martinez could’ve made an impact, but was suspended for 80 games on Sunday. Other Bison prospects of note have been Brandon Eisert, who pitched two scoreless innings, as well as Steward Berroa, who was called up to replace Martinez.

Yet still, there are quite a few Buffalo Bisons players who could end up making an impact for the 2024 Blue Jays, especially if (hopefully when) they decide to sell. Let’s take a look.

Riley Tirotta

If there’s been a breakout prospect this season, it’s been the 2021 12th-round pick, Riley Tirotta. The 25-year-old has played at three levels this season, Single-A, Double-A, and Triple-A, and has the organization’s highest wRC+ (min:50 plate appearances).

Tirotta wasn’t bad by any means in 2023, but he slashed .239/.351/.420 with 11 homers in 376 plate appearances between High-A and Double-A. Surprising is a better word to describe his 2024 season.

Between Single-A (rehab), Double-A, and Triple-A, Tirotta is slashing .306/.463/.583 with 10 homers in 188 plate appearances. He’s one home run shy of matching his career-high in half the plate appearances.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Moreover, Tirotta has played first base, second base, third base, and has a history of playing in the outfield, but has just 36 innings there this season. 

Non-top 30 prospects make big league clubs all the time, just look at Davis Schneider for example, who barely ranked on the list before becoming a meaningful player for the Jays.

Will Robertson

Will Robertson may be the streakiest player in the Blue Jays organization.

The 26-year-old pure outfielder had a breakout season in Double-A in 2023, slashing .245/.323/.488 with 19 home runs in 412 plate appearances for a 118 wRC+ and continued his good performance in the Arizona Fall League.

It looked as if Robertson was going to position himself for a call-up to the Jays, as he slashed .277/.414/.702 with five home runs in his first 58 plate appearances for a 177 wRC+. However, he cooled off drastically, slashing .187/.273/.271 with a 33.9 K% and two home runs in his next 121 plate appearances for a 44 wRC+.

Well, wouldn’t you know it, Robertson has heated up again. He was slashing .214/.318/.403 after the June 13th game, but has now risen his slash line to .239/.343/.467 since then thanks to four home runs.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Again, depending on what the Blue Jays do at the trade deadline, Robertson may earn his first call-up if he can stay consistent.

Leo Jimenez

If Daulton Varsho is to hit the Injured List, the player that replaces him should be Leo Jimenez.

This season with the Bisons, Jimenez is slashing .290/.436/.469 with seven homers and eight doubles in 204 plate appearances. Moreover, he has a high BB% (14.7%) while limiting the K% to 15.7%. His seven homers are just one shy of matching his career-high, which was reached in 333 plate appearances with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats last season.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

The 23-year-old is also a ball magnet, getting hit by a pitch 12 times this season. Funnily enough, he was hit by a pitch 25 times in 2021 in just 262 plate appearances, that was the same year he had a .523 on base-percentage.

Jimenez’s power has come around, but he also has good defence at shortstop with the ability to get on base. He could very well be the team’s shortstop of the future, as he’ll be out of option years next season.

Hagen Danner

The 25-year-old catcher turned pitcher is already on the Blue Jays’ 40-man roster and made his debut last season.

However, it’s worth taking a look at how Danner is doing in Triple-A this season. The long-balls were a significant problem for him in 2023, giving up eight homers in just 28.1 innings pitched for a HR/9 of 2.54. Still, he had good numbers, posting a 3.81 ERA and a 5.51 FIP (3.88 xFIP), with a  31.5 K% and a 6.3 BB%.

This season with the Bisons, Danner has a 3.18 ERA and a 4.89 FIP (4.58 xFIP) in 22.2 innings pitched. His K% has dropped quite a bit down to 24.5%, while his BB% increased from 6.3% to 9.2%. Still, if the bullpen continues to be plagued by injuries, Danner could earn a call-up, especially after the trade deadline.

It is worth mentioning that Danner recently headed to the minor league Injured List. Hopefully, this isn’t a long-term thing.

Mason Fluharty

It may have been a shock to some when Brandon Eisert was called up before Mason Fluharty, because the 22-year-old left-handed pitcher has had a fantastic season.

This season, Fluharty is rocking a 2.80 ERA and a 3.73 FIP in 35.1 innings pitched, along with a 23.8 K% and a 9.8 BB%. Fluharty’s strikeout rate hasn’t been as good as last season, as he had a 29.9 K% and a 9.2 BB%, but his ERA with Buffalo is better than last season’s (3.28), while his FIP is around the same.

It’s only a matter of time before Fluharty gets the call-up, as he could very well get a shot after the trade deadline as well.

As always, you can follow me on Twitter @Ryley_L_D.