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MLB debut: Toronto Blue Jays Rowdy Tellez leads week’s debuts

By Benjamin Chase

TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 6: Rowdy Tellez #68 of the Toronto Blue Jays hits a double in the eighth inning during MLB game action against the Cleveland Indians at Rogers Centre on September 6, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 6: Rowdy Tellez #68 of the Toronto Blue Jays hits a double in the eighth inning during MLB game action against the Cleveland Indians at Rogers Centre on September 6, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /
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Toronto Blue Jays
TORONTO, ON – SEPTEMBER 5: A message for his late mother scribbled in the dirt in front of home plate by Rowdy Tellez #68 of the Toronto Blue Jays after making his MLB debut following their victory during MLB game action against the Tampa Bay Rays at Rogers Centre on September 5, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /

Rowdy Tellez pounded out a host of extra-base hits for the Toronto Blue Jays to lead the MLB debut list this week

With plenty of players to make their MLB debut each week from now until the end of the season, we at Call To The Pen will start a weekly piece to review those players who debuted in the past week. This week is led by Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Rowdy Tellez.

The big lefty hitter has been followed his entire minor league career by minor league writers and prospect writers due to his size, name, and background as a 30th round draft pick out of California high school in 2013.

With a full name of Ryan John, “Rowdy” immediately showed good balance in his plate approach in his draft season with the Gulf Coast League. His first year after draft, Tellez played with Bluefield in the Appy League to open the season, and he hit so well that he was promoted to Lansing in the Midwest League to finish the year, hitting .305/.375/.438 with plenty of doubles and 6 home runs, with many seeing Tellez’s 6’4″, 220+ pound frame and imagining more power to come.

In 2015, the plate discipline continued to shine as Tellez played between two A-ball levels, hitting .289/.347/.454 with 14 home runs. He then hit .297/.387/.530 in AA in 2016 at age 21 with 23 home runs, with many thinking he would be up to the majors next year.

Then came 2017, when Buffalo seemed to be an overwhelming obstacle for Rowdy. He hit .222/.295/.333 and he came the closest he ever came to striking out 100 times. The gap power was still there, with 29 doubles, but he managed just 6 home runs.

This season, he hit .270/.340/.425 with 13 home runs, and he got his plate discipline back in check, with just 74 strikeouts in 444 plate appearances. Then he got his call to Toronto.

Wednesday, September 5th, Rowdy made his debut for the Toronto Blue Jays, pinch-hitting, and he collected a double on his first major league at-bat. That would become a theme, as Rowdy had 3 doubles the next day and another 2 doubles the day after.

In all, Tellez’s week consisted of 5 games with 19 plate appearances, hitting .444/.474/.944 with 6 doubles and a home run.

Let’s take a look at the non-Rowdy players to make their MLB debut this week…

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