Live From The Backfields: Blue Jays and Tigers Complex Breakdown

The nightcap last night saw some rain and a delayed game, but we still got a game between the Tigers and Blue Jays. No where near the firepower of the day game between the Pirates and Twins, and the Tiger I was most looking forward to seeing, Franyerber Montilla, did not play.

Still there are several players to discuss, so let’s get to them!

Complex Thoughts from the Blue Jays and Tigers

Enmanuel Bonilla, OF, TOR, 18, FCL

Bonilla is the biggest name of the players in this game, landing a bonus of $4.1 million in 2023. While Bonilla was hitless and struck out three times, in the game, he did mash a ball that nearly left the yard to the deepest part of the park, ending as a fly out to the warning track. With the wind blowing in, it was hit rather hard.

The positives are that Bonilla has transformed his body significantly since signing with the Blue Jays last year. He is a highly athletic frame now that stands around 6’2”. The bat speed is there and he can mash when he makes contact.

The negatives I saw are probably clear at this point: the hit tool and the expansion of the zone. Bonilla has struck out 36 percent of the time this year and is slashing a smooth .186/.260/.303. Not good.

He expanded the zone a ton and showed no feel for spin. After the deep fly out in his first at-bat, he got nothing but breakers down and away and chased everything out of the zone.

Bonilla is still a young 18 year old, but there is a long way to go here with his hit tool before I feel good about him as a viable hitter.

Nomar Fana, OF, DET, 21, FCL

Fana is way too old for the level at this point, but he was the Tigers best hitter that I saw and maybe on the team in general. A stocky 5’10” switch hitter, Fana collected two hits, including a home run to raise his slash to .296/.438/.520 with ten home runs and 14 stolen bases.

Having a closed stance, Fana gets explosive through the zone with his lower half. When I dug into the profile, I noticed that something has changed. After two mediocre DSL stints and a sub-par 2023 FCL season, Fana is a different player this year. Why he is still in the FCL is to be determined. A bump to Single-A needs to happen to determine whether this hitter is legit.

Fana has dropped his ground ball rate by 14 percentage points from last season, and naturally, it has all gone to fly balls. His home run per fly ball rate has also jumped nine percentage points as he is hitting the ball harder.

He is also being more selective, swinging less, which has caused him to get deeper into counts. The 19.6 percent walk rate is high, but Fana has always had high walk rates throughout his career, but he is pairing it with a 25 percent strikeout rate this year.

When Fana gets to Single-A, we will have a better idea of who he is as a hitter. For now, he is a watchlist type who has been really good as an older hitter at the complex.

Adrian Pinto, 2B, TOR, 21, FCL

Pinto was once a buzzy name but has missed so much time due to injury it has set him back a ton. After playing a full season in the DSL with the Rockies in 2021, in which he slashed .360/.486/.543 with three home runs and 41 stolen bases, he was traded to Toronto in the Randal Grichuk trade.

Since that trade, Pinto has played just 86 games across three seasons. He was slated to begin the 2024 season in High-A, but a rib injury kept him out until this week. Having a smaller frame, Pinto is a contact-oriented profile who can pepper the gaps to all fields.

Pinto collected two hits, including a double in Monday’s action, and showed nice speed on a hustle double. He likely won’t be in the Complex long, so he is someone to keep a close eye on who has a good feel to hit with big-time speed.

Sam Shaw, OF, TOR, 19, FCL

A 2023 ninth-round pick out of Canada, Shaw has spent the entire season at the complex. The results through 203 plate appearances are not so great. Shaw currently has a .669 OPS and just a .080 ISO.

I caught Shaw on a good day and still like the profile overall for deeper leagues. He collected a hit, drove in one of the Blue Jays two runs, and took two walks. I thought he showed a good feel for pitch recognition and the strike zone. He makes a ton of contact, which is shown in the numbers. Currently, Shaw has a 17.2 percent walk rate to just a 9.6 percent strikeout rate.

Shaw has good bat speed and quick hands through the zone, but does have a smaller frame. Maybe it does not pan out, but the hit tool is solid and not really reflected in his numbers this year.

As you can see, there are not a lot of players to discuss. But I guess that is what you get when the best hitter in the Blue Jays lineup for the full season has a sub-.700 OPS. The Yankees and Phillies complex report will have quite a bit of meat, though; stay tuned.