Call to the pen
Fansided

MLB Debut: Toronto Blue Jays trio leads week’s debuts

By Benjamin Chase

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Sean Reid-Foley receives a visit to the mound from pitching coach Pete Walker in the fourth inning against the Kansas City Royals on Monday, Aug. 13, 2018, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. (John Sleezer/Kansas City Star/TNS via Getty Images)
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Sean Reid-Foley receives a visit to the mound from pitching coach Pete Walker in the fourth inning against the Kansas City Royals on Monday, Aug. 13, 2018, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. (John Sleezer/Kansas City Star/TNS via Getty Images) /
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Toronto Blue Jays
SAN DIEGO, CA – AUGUST 14: Taylor Ward #3 of the Los Angeles Angels hits an RBI double during the second inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres at PETCO Park on August 14, 2018 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images) /

Taylor Ward, 3B; Ty Buttrey, RHP; Osmer Morales, RHP

The Los Angeles Angels may be above .500, but with three teams above them fighting for the playoffs, they’ve decided to throw in the towel on the 2018 season and get a chance to see some of their younger players.

Taylor Ward is a guy who has had all kinds of paths in his journey to the big leagues. The Angels attempted to turn the Fresno State first-rounder into a catcher after drafting him 26th overall in 2015, and not only was he struggling to pick up the position, his bat was suffering as well.

A move to third base this season has opened up Ward considerably. He was raw, but obviously talented, when the season started, but he’s polished quite a bit already at the hot corner, where I’d be willing to put a present 55 on the 20-80 scouting scale on his glove work at third base. His bat has absolutely exploded with the move out from behind the plate as well, hitting .349/.446/.531 between AA/AAA with 14 home runs and 18 stolen bases, posting a 65/94 BB/K over 102 games.

He debuted Tuesday against the Padres in a big way, going 2-3 with a double and a walk. Over his first week, he’s kept hitting well, with a .286/.348/.476 line with a home run.

Osmer Morales was originally signed by the Mariners out of Venezuela. In his second season in the Angels farm system, he’s struggled to a 6.22 ERA over 92 2/3 innings, but his raw stuff made sense in the bullpen, and the Angels debuted him there on Thursday, tossing 1/3 of an inning, allowing one hit.

After Williams Jerez debuted last week, the Angels debuted the second half of their Ian Kinsler trade return on Thursday against the Rangers, and he tossed a scoreless inning, allowing one hit. He tossed another scoreless inning on Sunday, with a hit and walk allowed.

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