Toronto Blue Jays 2018 Minor League Awards

NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 14: Lourdes Gurrriel Jr. #13 of the Toronto Blue Jays in action against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on September 14, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. New York Yankees defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 11-0. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 14: Lourdes Gurrriel Jr. #13 of the Toronto Blue Jays in action against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on September 14, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. New York Yankees defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 11-0. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
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Toronto Blue Jays
TORONTO, ON – SEPTEMBER 21: Sean Reid-Folley #54 of the Toronto Blue Jays delivers a pitch in the third inning during MLB game action against the Tampa Bay Rays at Rogers Centre on September 21, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)

Toronto Blue Jays Minor League Pitcher of the Year: Sean Reid-Foley

Level(s): AA New Hampshire, AAA Buffalo, MLB Blue Jays
Stats: Minors: 12-5, 24 GS, 129 2/3 IP, 3.26 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 50/150 BB/K; Majors: 2-4, 7 GS, 33 1/3 IP, 5.13 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 21/42 BB/K

The Blue Jays 2nd round pick in 2014, Reid-Foley has ebbed and flowed in his performance as he moved up the system. The 2018 season was definitely one of those high moments in the minor leagues before he was promoted to get 7 big league starts to close out the season.

Adjusting a bit in his delivery allowed his natural stuff to play up this season, and he carried forward that strikeout stuff to the big leagues, where he got hit hard but still got plenty of strikeouts.

Reid-Foley will be a prime candidate for one of the rotation spots in the 2019 Toronto Blue Jays rotation.

More from Call to the Pen

Runners-up

After struggling with health since being drafted in the 7th round in 2015 out of Kennesaw State, Travis Bergen finally was healthy for a full season in 2018, and he was incredibly dominant. Bergen made 43 appearances between high-A and AA, tossing 56 2/3 innings, allowing a 0.95 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and a 15/74 BB/K ratio.

In his first season in the Toronto Blue Jays system after being signed out of Cuba, Lazaro Estrada had a very solid season in the Dominican Summer League, making 14 starts, tossing 70 innings, with a 2.06 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, and a 12/87 BB/K.

Originally drafted out of high school in Arizona in 2013, Patrick Murphy suffered through Tommy John surgery and missed most of the 2014 season and all of 2015. He’s moved up step by step since, spending 2018 between high-A and AA, making 27 starts, tossing 152 2/3 innings, with a 2.65 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and a 53/141 BB/K ratio. He’ll hope to establish himself in the upper minors and remain healthy in 2019.

Coming from the University of Kentucky, Zach Logue has shown very well since the Toronto Blue Jays drafted him in the 9th round in 2017. He pitched across both A-ball levels in 2018, posting a 12-4 record over 154 1/3 innings, with a 3.15 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and a 34/129 BB/K.

This next year could see an influx of Toronto Blue Jays youth at the major league level. It will be a fun time for Jays fans to watch the youth to set the team forward.