Toronto Blue Jays

Braden Halladay, the son of the late Roy Halladay, was selected in the 32nd round of the MLB draft by the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday.

According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, Halladay will be playing for the Penn State Nittany Lions next season.

Even though Halladay is heading to play college ball, Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said the team was "glad to have drafted him," per broadcaster Hazel Mae.

In the 32nd round, the @BlueJays select RHP @BradenHalladay from Calvary Christian HS (FL), son of the late Roy Halladay. pic.twitter.com/Z4wBaPqmyi

— MLB (@MLB) June 5, 2019

There was no doubt some symbolism in the selection—Roy Halladay spent the first 12 seasons of his career with the Blue Jays, wearing No. 32 for the majority of his time with the team.

He was an eight-time All-Star and two-time Cy Young Award winner and was elected into the Hall of Fame this year. He died in 2017 after a plane crash off the coast of Florida.

His son Braden helped lead Calvary Christian to a Florida Class 4A state championship this past season, earning him praise from manager Greg Olsen, per Eric Horchy of TBNWeekly.com:

"What we've had with Christian [Cairo] and Josh [Emerson] and Braden [Halladay] and Nolan [Hudi], we had really, really high character seniors and talented kids. These guys are going to major universities to play college baseball. I wouldn't want to sell them short on the baseball end at all but as far as who they are as people and leaders for our team, they were huge."

According to MaxPreps, Halladay made 11 appearances (six starts) on the mound in the 2019 season, finishing 3-1 with a 4.06 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 31 innings. For his high school career, he was 14-2 with a 2.71 ERA and 102 strikeouts in 100.2 innings.

Cavan Biggio celebrated Father's Day a few weeks early.

The Toronto Blue Jays second baseman hit a solo home run—the first of his MLB career—in the bottom of the fourth inning Sunday against the San Diego Padres. His dad, Hall of Famer Craig Biggio, was on hand at Rogers Centre to see it happen.

Born for this. pic.twitter.com/NcAM1P2FQn

— MLB (@MLB) May 26, 2019

Frankly, we all deserve the level of support Vladito & Lourdes Gurriel Jr. give Cavan Biggio. pic.twitter.com/4aF2SMiwvl

— Cut4 (@Cut4) May 26, 2019

Biggio was a fifth-round pick of Toronto in 2016. The 24-year-old started the season in Triple-A and made his MLB debut in Friday's 6-3 defeat to the Padres. He had batted .307 with six home runs and 26 RBI through 42 games with the Buffalo Bisons.

Now, the younger Biggio only needs 290 homers to match his father's total.

The Toronto Blue Jays are calling up second baseman Cavan Biggio, the son of Hall of Famer Craig Biggio, to the Major Leagues on Friday night. 

Charlie Montoya #BlueJays Manager just told us that Cavan Biggio will start and play 2B tonight…..@mlbnetworkradio

— Jim Bowden⚾️ (@JimBowdenGM) May 24, 2019

With Vladimir Guerrero Jr. also on the big league club, the Blue Jays will be making history, per Elias Sports Bureau (h/t ESPN Stats & Info):

Cavan Biggio will be promoted by the Toronto Blue Jays ahead of Friday's game. His father, Craig, is in the Hall of Fame. Cavan will be teammates with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Per @EliasSports, this will be the first time ever that two sons of Hall-of-Famers are MLB teammates. pic.twitter.com/E4IOzsuiQk

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 24, 2019

Prospect Lourdes Gurriel Jr., who opened the season as the team's starting second baseman, has also been called back up to the Major Leagues.

Biggio, 24, is considered the No. 9 prospect in all of baseball by MLB.com, which noted that his "offensive game is built around his plus plate discipline and approach, as he's long showed a knack for drawing walks—his 100 walks [in 2018] ranked third in the minors—and getting on base at a high clip." 

Additionally, he's a "solid if unspectacular defender [at second base], making up for modest range with sure-handedness, sound footwork and good instincts."

I had Cavan Biggio as my No. 7 prospect on the top 10 prospects for 2019. Think he's got a chance to provide power, get on base and maybe even steal some bases for the Blue Jays. https://t.co/iN5jKhQ1oj

— Christopher Crawford (@Crawford_MILB) May 24, 2019

In 132 games for the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats last season, he hit .252 with 26 homers, 99 RBI, 80 runs, 20 stolen bases and a .388 on-base percentage. This season for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons he's hit .307 with six homers and 26 RBI in 42 contests.

Biggio can also slide to the outfield for the Blue Jays if needed, giving them both an offensive boost and some defensive versatility if needed.

"I always knew I could move out to other positions and help the team win," Biggio said last October, per Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. "It's more running around, which brings me back to my wide receiver days in football. It's all pretty positive, it's all pretty exciting."

It's pretty exciting for the Blue Jays as well, as Guerrero (.241 with five homer and 11 RBI in 22 games) and Biggio appear to be two of the building blocks for the organization moving forward. That the pair bring Hall of Fame lineage to the table only adds to the excitement.

Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. left no doubt his first career MLB home run would clear the fence once it left his bat. 

The 20-year-old phenom crushed a 438-foot moonshot to dead center field off San Francisco Giants right-hander Nick Vincent to give the Jays an early 1-0 lead Tuesday:

Vlad Jr's first homer was a BOMB. pic.twitter.com/UPIathDJjo

— MLB (@MLB) May 15, 2019

The first of many. #VladJr pic.twitter.com/87Lihstvkw

— MLB (@MLB) May 15, 2019

Guerrero, who was MLB Pipeline's No. 1 prospect in 2018 and 2019, received a perfect 80 hitting grade from the site.

That's hard to argue given the Montreal native's minor league stats: He tallied a 1.073 OPS last season and had three home runs and nine RBI in 12 games this year before Toronto promoted him.

The son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero has struggled to start his MLB campaign, with just nine hits in his first 47 at-bats heading into Tuesday. However, that slump figures to be ancient history soon, and the home run may signal a rookie-season breakthrough. 

As injuries continue to mount in their starting rotation, the Toronto Blue Jays have added Edwin Jackson to provide support. 

The Blue Jays announced Saturday they acquired Jackson from the Oakland Athletics for cash considerations. 

Jackson could set a Major League Baseball record if the Blue Jays add him to their 25-man roster. He is currently tied with former reliever Octavio Dotel for most teams played for (13)

Edwin Jackson has been traded by the A’s to the Blue Jays. Once he plays for Toronto, he breaks the record for most MLB teams played for by one player — 14. pic.twitter.com/6wEcsx2x2G

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) May 11, 2019

The Blue Jays currently have three healthy starters in their rotation. Matt Shoemaker and Clay Buchholz are on the 10-day injury list. Thomas Pannone is a swingman who can start, but his best role is out of the bullpen. 

Jackson's 2019 season got off to a delayed start when he re-signed with the A's on a minor league deal in April. The 35-year-old has a 6.75 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 14.2 innings over three starts between High-A and Triple-A. 

When Jackson was in the big leagues last year, he was a key piece of Oakland's run to the postseason. The right-hander posted a 3.33 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP in 92 innings. 

Toronto is immersed in a rebuild, so it just needs to find reliable pitchers who can take the ball every fifth day. Jackson can provide the team quality innings to make it through the season. 

After calling top prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. up to the majors, the Toronto Blue Jays might start a complete rebuild around the third baseman. 

Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network spoke about the team's potential strategy Tuesday, via Mike Johnston of Sportsnet:

"It's going to be really interesting to watch the Jays over the next few months because what I believe they're going to do—what I'm told they're going to do—is try to trade [Marcus] Stroman, [Aaron] Sanchez, [Justin] Smoak and others to get more young talent in Vladdy's age range and service class and then build up that way."

Toronto entered Tuesday 14-14 on the season, but the organization is apparently already looking toward the future.

Guerrero is just beginning his career and is 3-for-12 so far in three games, but hopes are high he can be a player around whom Toronto can build. He is currently the No. 1 prospect in baseball, according to MLB.com, and received a perfect 80 for his hit tool.

At 20 years old, he has a chance to be a key part of the Blue Jays future. However, you can't necessarily say the same for Justin Smoak, Marcus Stroman or Aaron Sanchez.

Smoak, 32, could be the easiest to part with as he heads into free agency after this season. The first baseman is off to a hot start with five home runs and an .868 OPS this season, and he belted 63 home runs over the past two years.

Anyone in need of some power could pay a minimal price for a rental.

A different mindset could exist when dealing Stroman, 27, or Sanchez, 26. Each is under team control through 2020. 

Both pitchers have been effective so far in 2019. Stroman looks like his old self with a league-leading 1.43 ERA and a team-high 36 strikeouts in six starts. Sanchez has a 3-1 record and a 2.32 ERA in his six appearances, and he looks to be back on track after two injury-filled seasons.

While the team could sign either to an extension and keep them on the roster, it appears Toronto wants to get younger with players who will be around for a long time. If the pitchers keep up their production, they could fetch nice returns.

One game into his MLB career, Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is already drawing lofty comparisons.

"It's like having Zion Williamson on your team; it's like a once-in-a-lifetime kind of talent," former Duke star and current Toronto pitcher Marcus Stroman said of Guerrero after the rookie's major league debut on Friday night, according to ESPN.com. "So just to have the opportunity to play with him, it's amazing to look out there and see him behind me at third base. I think he's gonna give us a huge little edge, and just, like I said, just carry this momentum from this win into every other start."

There are similarities between the baseball phenom and hoops star. Guerrero entered 2019 as the No. 1 prospect in baseball, while Williamson is widely projected to be the top pick in June's NBA draft. Just as Williamson made every Duke game must-see television this past season, the 20-year-old Guerrero has the attention of the baseball world this weekend.

Guerrero wasted little time in validating the hype surrounding him on Friday.

After nearly going yard in his second at-bat, he recorded his first career hit to lead off the bottom of the ninth:

The first one is always special! @VladdyJr27 | #LetsGoBlueJays pic.twitter.com/34w7sYxn2H

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) April 27, 2019

That would set the table for a two-run shot by Brandon Drury to help the Blue Jays walk off with a 4-2 victory.

After the game, Toronto players officially welcomed Guerrero to the big leagues:

Welcome to The Show(er), @vladdyjr27! #LetsGoBlueJays pic.twitter.com/R1CYIn5oYg

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) April 27, 2019

If Guerrero winds up being baseball's version of Zion, the Blue Jays are going to be quite the show this season...and for years to come.

The day Toronto Blue Jays fans have been anticipating for a long time arrived Friday when top prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. played a key role in a 4-2 walk-off win.

After the A's tied the score at two in the eighth inning, Guerrero's first career hit was a leadoff double off Yusmeiro Petit in the bottom of the ninth that set up Brandon Drury's game-winning homer with two outs.

The first one is always special! @VladdyJr27 | #LetsGoBlueJays pic.twitter.com/34w7sYxn2H

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) April 27, 2019

The 20-year-old did plenty to send the Rogers Centre crowd into a frenzy on multiple occasions before leading off the final frame with a double. He finished 1-for-4 and a double before being lifted for pinch runner Alen Hanson. 

Before putting on his Blue Jays jersey for the first time in a regular-season game, Guerrero honored his father with his choice of attire walking into the stadium:

https://twitter.com/MarlyRiveraESPN/status/1121811919881613312

Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo didn't have any problem putting his young superstar into the heart of the order right away:

At 20 years, 41 days old, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is the youngest player to start batting 5th in his MLB debut since Jimmy McMath for the Cubs on September 7, 1968, at 19 years, 28 days old.

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) April 26, 2019

The first bit of electricity came during batting practice when Guerrero's vulgar display of power nearly shattered a few windows just beneath the third deck in left field:

First BP with the Blue Jays? Off the window! 😳@vladdyjr27 | #LetsGoBlueJays pic.twitter.com/FHcIvQe2tJ

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) April 26, 2019

After the game started, Guerrero received an ovation fit for a king before his first at-bat:

It’s time. Watch @vladdyjr27’s first career at-bat live. #MLBTwitterHitter https://t.co/YXt9Var1ya

— MLB (@MLB) April 26, 2019

One easy takeaway from each of Guerrero's plate appearances Friday is how hard he hits the ball. It's not a new development, but he made two loud outs in his second and third at-bats that nearly left the yard:

Did Vlad Jr. just homer in his second #MLB at-bat!? pic.twitter.com/wOKohtYymn

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 27, 2019

Did Vlad Jr. just homer in his third #MLB at-bat!? pic.twitter.com/8meY7nFg6L

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 27, 2019

Even when Guerrero hits the ball on the ground, it doesn't take long for it to get where it is going:

In his first #MLB at-bat, #BlueJays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. grounds out to Kendrys Morales, who was Vladimir Guerrero's teammate with the #Angels from 2006-'09.

106.8 mph off the bat. @BlueJays hitters have hit 27 balls harder this year. 27. pic.twitter.com/d4C1Q6bYSn

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 26, 2019

MLB Pipeline even had fun with the Blue Jays' talking point that Guerrero needed to spend more time in the minors to work on his defense:

See ... Good thing he got that work in on his defence pic.twitter.com/rP4w7FXIrj

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 27, 2019

Going back to the crowd reaction, it was apparent how the Blue Jays fanbase rallied around a young man still in the early stages of his career and how important the Guerrero name is to baseball aficionados in Canada:

Tonight’s the night @vladdyjr27! Canadians across the country will be watching your first major league swings for the @BlueJays. Your dad inspired so many Canadians, and your passion, work ethic & love for the game make all of us proud. Good luck tonight! #LetsGoBlueJays https://t.co/3dTaoaH0gI

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) April 26, 2019

As one fan behind me (correctly) observed, “Wow. The entire store is Vladimir.” ⁦@MLBNetwork⁩ @MLB pic.twitter.com/H8YVRXKbeu

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) April 26, 2019

Vlad Sr.’s first game: Expos win on game-winning 9th-inning rally.

Vlad Jr.’s first game: Jays win on game-winning 9th-inning rally.#fathers #sons #baseball

— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) April 27, 2019

Vlad Sr. 1st career MLB PA: 2nd-inning groundout

Vlad Jr. 1st career MLB PA: 2nd-inning groundout

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) April 26, 2019

This was the first step in what everyone expects to be a long, prosperous journey for Guerrero in Toronto. Despite his youth and all of the pressure put on his shoulders to carry the franchise, he looked poised and confident throughout his debut to help the Blue Jays get a dramatic win. 

Major League Baseball released a message from Hall of Fame outfielder Vladimir Guerrero Sr. to his son, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., ahead of his MLB debut Friday.

In the video, Vlad Sr. expressed pride and said that he can't wait to watch his son play for the Toronto Blue Jays:

To Vladdy,
Love, Tu padre pic.twitter.com/mIjj2EkywQ

— MLB (@MLB) April 26, 2019

Guerrero, who will start for the Blue Jays against the Oakland Athletics in Toronto on Friday, is listed as the No. 1 prospect in baseball by MLB.com.

After hitting .381 with 20 home runs and 78 RBI in 95 games across four minor-league levels last season, Guerrero Jr. began this season on the shelf with an injury before reporting to High-A Dunedin. He then joined the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons and hit .367 with three homers and eight RBI in eight games before getting the call.

At 20 years of age, Vlad Jr. will be younger than his father was when he made his MLB debut with the Montreal Expos in 1996.

In 16 MLB seasons with the Expos, Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles, Guerrero Sr. was a nine-time All-Star and one-time American League MVP who had a career batting average of .318 with 449 home runs and 1,496 RBI.

Vlad Jr. has a long way to go before achieving the Hall of Fame status of his father, but his journey will begin Friday against the A's.

In MLB, as in all sports, there are hyped rookies, and then there are Hyped Rookies. Capital "H," capital "R."

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. falls squarely into the latter category.

He's the son of a Hall of Famer. He's raked at every minor league level while soaring through the Toronto Blue Jays system as though his cleats were laced with jet fuel.

He's now set to touch down in The Show on Friday.

"It's a big moment for us," Jays manager Charlie Montoyo told reporters. "Hopefully, he becomes what everybody thinks he's going to become."

The expectations are sky-high, but let's ratchet them into the stratosphere with the following question: Can Guerrero challenge Mike Trout's all-time-best rookie season?

First, the context. After a 40-game debut in 2011 that left his rookie status intact, Trout tore the American League apart in 2012. He hit .326 with 30 home runs and a .963 OPS and posted 10.1 WAR by FanGraphs' calculation, the highest total by any rookie in history. (Note, linked totals include pre-rookie-limit tabulations.)

He's blazing into the all-time WAR leaderboard and may eventualy top it.

Trout has since gone on to win a litany of awards, including a pair of MVPs. He's undeniably the best player in baseball right now. When he's done, he could be in the conversation for the greatest of all time. 

Guerrero is all pedigree, promise and minor league stats. But those stats sure do stoke the imagination.

In 288 games between the rookie leagues and Triple-A, Guerrero has slashed .331/.413/.531. After battling an oblique injury this spring that conveniently allowed the Jays to keep him down in the minors and delay his service-time clock, he went back to mashing at Triple-A Buffalo with a .367 average and 1.124 OPS in 33 plate appearances. 

Guerrero is set to make his MLB debut on April 26. In his rookie season, Trout debuted on April 28. Trout was 20. Guerrero is 20. The parallels are obvious.

Can we expect similar greatness from Guerrero? 

The power is there, raw and undeniable. Watch and tell us if this baseball ever landed:

But Guerrero is more than a big bopper. He posted a .413 on-base percentage during his MiLB career, which suggests a discerning eye. He also boasts the ability to spray the ball to all fields, as his Double-A New Hampshire manager John Schneider explained in May 2018, via Baseball America's Ben Badler:

"He never gets pull happy. If you watch his BP, it's very meticulous, starting [opposite field] and working his way back to the middle. He just hits it where it's pitched. He knows he can leave right field, center field, left field. So he doesn't try to get out of his approach. He doesn't try to change his swing to try to yank one. Not everyone has that luxury to just hit it where it's pitched."

OK, now for the wet blankets, at least when it comes to the (possibly unfair) Trout comparison.

First, Trout was and is a gifted defensive center fielder. Guerrero has a strong arm and is emerging defensively as a third baseman, but he doesn't measure up to Trout's prowess at a premium position.

In addition to his power and high average, Trout also stole an MLB-high 49 bases in his rookie season. Guerrero has stolen 27 in his 288 minor league games.

In other words: To match or surpass Trout's rookie-season WAR, Guerrero will have hit the cover off the ball from the word "go." 

He has it in him. The legacy is there. The capital "H" hype is there. The pure hitting skills are there.

Now it's time to pop our popcorn and watch what happens.

   

All statistics current entering play Friday and courtesy of FanGraphs and Baseball Reference.