Stewart Focused on Return to Majors

TRENTON, NJ- It was a quick cup of coffee with the Toronto Blue Jays for Zach Stewart, but after being reassigned to the Double A New Hampshire Fisher Cats on Tuesday, he's had a taste of the good stuff and wants more.

Originally selected in the 3rd round of the 2008 draft by Cincinnati, Stewart was acquired in a trade that sent Scott Rolen to the Reds in 2009. Since then, as one of Toronto's top pitching prospects, the Texas native has posted a 12-6 record and a 3.86 ERA in 49 games in the Blue Jays developmental system.

In his Major League debut on June 16th, Stewart held the Baltimore Orioles to 7 hits and 2 earned runs in 7 innings pitched, while striking out 4 and walking 1 batter.

The length of Stewart's stay with the Blue Jays was clearly brief, but his time spent in the home city of the Blue Jays was blink-and-you-missed-it short. The 24-year-old's arrival to Toronto, his first Major League start and the team's departure for a road trip all occurred within about a 24 hour period, so Stewart didn't get to particularly become familiar with the city he hopes to call home for a long time.

"I had never been there before. It was my first trip there. I got (to the Rogers Centre) at 6:30 for a 7 o'clock game, then went to the hotel to sleep and get ready for my start the next day. And as soon as (my) game was over, we left and went (on the road), so I really didn't get to see much of Toronto," Stewart explained in an exclusive interview.

However, the Toronto fans left Stewart feeling quite welcome and he describes the day as a dream come true.

"It was definitely good to throw at home and have that atmosphere (for my Major League debut)," Stewart said. "It was awesome. It was a great experience and everything I hoped it would have been."

Five days later, against the Braves, the 6-foot-2-inch 205-pounder struggled, allowing 5 earned runs and 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings. Knowing that the games at the MLB level carry more weight, Stewart asserts that his mental approach, to try to bounce back following the poor start, was the same he has used in the minors. He stuck to what has worked for him throughout his professional career and wiped his slate clean to come back out for his third start.

"At that level it's more magnified, but I didn't take (my outing against the Braves) to heart, or anything. There's bound to be bad starts, or bad breaks, so I just tried to let it go, keep my mental focus and forget about it.

"I'm not going to change my approach. I feel like I have a good manner of preparation that I take into every game. So, I'm not going to change it just because I went to the big leagues," Stewart said.

The righty hurler came back strong this past Monday at Detroit. In 6 innings against the Tigers, Stewart allowed 9 hits and let up just 2 earned runs, while striking out 4 and walking 1.

Unquestionably, Stewart enjoyed his time at the highest level of baseball. He credits the entire Blue Jays club with immediately making him feel like part of the team, which is great for a youngster that is asked to jump up two levels in order to help a team that has had shaky pitching this year.

"Everybody, from the manager to the players to the trainers and everyone, treated me well," Stewart stated. "No one made me feel like I was out of my element or uncomfortable. It was was a great experience all around. I was happy with my time there."

But while Stewart is able to reflect on his brief stint in the Majors with some pleasure, the move back to the Fisher Cats roster has left him dissatisfied, with a full focus on getting back in a Toronto uniform.

In a sense, (having been there) does make me more hungry, so now that I did have a taste of it, I want to get back."
_____________________________________________

Follow 1BlueJaysWay on Twitter for updates, stats, insight and more, by clicking HERE.

Got Zach Stewart? We Do!

Hey, there Blue Jays fan! Perhaps you know about the Major League debut of 24-year-old right-hander Zach Stewart. And maybe you are aware that 1BlueJaysWay.com is a solid source for Zach Stewart content. Well, if no one has congratulated you and/or told you that you are wonderful and gorgeous today, allow me to...

Thanks for stopping by the site and checking out 1BlueJaysWay.com's excellent Zach Stewart content, you fine little ray of sunshine that lights up our day.

Firstly, check out our interview with Zach from last season by clicking HERE....then, listen to our interview with Zach from a couple weekends back by clicking HERE....then, be sure to check out the media player below to enjoy some new bullpen footage of Zach that was shot by us along with an exclusive quote where Zach answers a question about whether or not he pondered being promoted to the big leagues during his most recent starts with the Double A New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

Enjoy. We hope you like us as much as we like you.

NH Pitching Coach Pete Walker Speaks on Alvarez & Stewart

The Double A level New Hampshire Fisher Cats have a pair of pitching prospects that plenty of folks around the Blue Jays organization should be excited about.

Righty hurler Henderson Alvarez, a Venezuelan product, has been turning heads through just four starts with the Fisher Cats. Despite taking his first loss at the Double A level on Sunday, against division rival Trenton, Alvarez made a big impression with his fastball, regularly reaching 96-98 MPH and hitting 101 MPH on the gun at least one time.

Through 4 starts with New Hampshire, the 21-year-old Alvarez has posted a 2-1 record with a 3.22 ERA with a .256 batting average against.

Another right-hander impressing people is Zach Stewart, who was acquired by Toronto from Cincinnati in the 2009 Scott Rolen trade. In 11 starts the season for the Fisher Cats, Stewart has posted a 3-3 record with a 4.66 ERA.

Remove Stewart's worst start (an outing at Portland on May 23, when he allowed 7 earned runs in 4 innings pitched) and his output this season is a much improved 3-2 record with a 3.92 ERA.

Stewart, a 24-year-old that many feel could be in the Majors next season, regularly throws his fastball in the low-to-mid 90's.

Recently, I spoke with New Hampshire Fisher Cats pitching coach and former Blue Jays pitcher Pete Walker about both of these pitching prospects. Check out the media player below to hear the full interview.


_______________________________________

Be sure to follow 1BJW on Twitter by clicking HERE.

Zach Stewart Interview, June 2011

In his most recent outing, Zach Stewart showed flashes of the talent that has earned him high praise throughout his minor league career. Fresh off his best start of the season, in which he allowed just 3 hits to the New Britain Rock Cats while striking out 6 and walking only 1 over 8 shut out innings, Stewart had a tough time with the Yankees affiliate Trenton Thunder on Friday night in New Jersey's capital city.

Stewart, originally a 3rd round pick by the Reds in 2008, looked solid, striking out 4 batters, through the opening two frames against division rival Trenton. In the 3rd inning, however, Stewart hit a rough patch and surrendered 5 singles and 3 runs to the Thunder offense.

After working through a 5th inning bases loaded, no out jam, allowing just a sacrifice fly, Stewart's night was complete. The final line for the Texas Tech product was quite different from his previous outing...5 innings, 11 hits, 4 runs- all earned, 1 walk and 6 strike outs.

The end result on the night was a 7-6 loss for the Double A Fisher Cats and a no decision for Stewart, who left the game with a 5-4 lead.

After the contest, I spoke with the 6-foot-2-inch tall 205-pound Stewart, who was acquired from Cincinnati as part of the 2009 Scott Rolen trade, about his ups and downs, his potential to change roles as he advances toward higher levels, his pitches and plenty more. Check out the media player below to listen to the full interview.



_______________________________________________________

Be sure to follow 1BJW on Twitter by clicking HERE!

Projecting the 2011 Fisher Cats Opening Day Roster

Don't think 1BJW has disappeared. If you thought that, you're wrong! But I've decided to take the time to project the Double A Fisher Cats' Opening Day roster that I unfortunatley will not be seeing on April 7th, but will definitely listen on the radio. Here we go...

C Travis D'Arnaud
1B Michael McDade
2B Jonathan Diaz
3B Ryan Schimpf
SS Adeiny Hechavaria
LF Michael Crouse
CF Anthony Gose
RF Adam Loewen
DH David Cooper

C Ryan Budde
SS Luis Sanchez
OF Adam Calderona
1B Roan Salas
IF Callix Crabbe

SP Zach Stewart
SP Joel Carreno
SP Chad Jenkins
SP Reider Gonzalez
SP Randy Boone

RP Matt Daly
RP Ronald Uviedo
RP Evan Crawford
RP Vince Bongiovanni
RP Boomer Potts
RP Alan Farina

Keep in mind, this is just Opening Day as we will most likely see Deck McGuire among many others throughout the season.

Interview With Henderson Alvarez

Henderson Javier Alvarez was signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2006 at 16 years old out of Venezuela. This year he participated in the MLB XM Futures Game during the All Star weekend at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, for the World Team. He was also named to the Florida State League 1st half All-Star team, and was ranked as the #5 prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays organization for the 2010 season by Baseball America.

File this tidbit under the good news catergory, according to Bobby Elliott:

Jays tell RHP Zach Stewart, one of top arms in system along with Henderson Alvarez: "Be prepared to start or pitch in relief next spring."

Bob then clarified:

@dustinparkes They told Stewart be ready for either or, not Alvarez

And mentioned:

@PdashOW Stewart was told be ready for either or. Mentioned Alvarez as one of the top starters, along with Stewart

Our boy Jesse caught up with Henderson in 2009. They talk about the honor of being an opening day starter, his favorite pitch - the change up - and his story about signing a contract with your Toronto Blue Jays.

  

Zach Stewart Interview:

Photo courtesy of King Jordan 

This is an exclusive interview with your Toronto Blue Jays top 5 prospect RHP Zach Stewart.  A one on one with our boy Jay Ballz.  Enjoy!  

Can I get your thoughts on your most recent outing (1 baserunner allowed in 5 innings against Trenton on Tuesday night) and early success thus far in 2010?

I mean as far as (Tuesday), it was one of those nights where everything felt good and things were going my way and I had good defense behind me.
 

What is your pitch repertoire like?

I mean, I'm pretty much a fastball guy.  Fastball, slider, and I've been working on my change up the past few years and that's coming along.  A lot of sinkers, I guess, are pretty much what I throw mostly.

What are you working on improving this season and what are your goals this year?

Right now, just working on the change up, like I said.  That's a big deal that I've been working on.  And just getting ahead of guys and getting more outs and going longer in the game.  My ultimate goal is to get to the big leagues.

Speaking with New Hampshire pitching coach Tom Signore, he mentions your name when asked about guys on the pitching staff who could surely see some success at higher levels.  How does that sort of support make you feel?

That's awesome.  You want that kind of gratitude and everything, from your superiors.  I guess you can't move up if nobody likes you up there, so it's a good thing to know that the (powers that be) like you.

What has your experience been like playing in New Hampshire so far this season?

The few games we've played there so far, it's been really cold.  We didn't have a ton of fans show up yet, but I guess it's been better than you could expect because we had 2 or 3 games in a row when it was in the 30's and 40's and it was sleeting and stuff.  We didn't even want to be there, so I am sure the fans didn't want to be there.  But, we had a lot of people show up, so it was pretty cool.

You've been ranked as a top 10 prospect in the Toronto system by Baseball America.  How do rankings and recognition like that effect your approach to the game?

It doesn't really play into to it too much, 'cause it doesn't matter what you're ranked...if you don't play well, you're not gonna move (up), so it doesn't really matter to me.  It might matter to some guys, but not me.  It's definitely an honor, but it doesn't really matter as long as you're playing well.

Who in the Blue Jays system has helped you improve the most since you were acquired last year in the Scott Rolen trade?

I've had a lot of help from Dane Johnson, the pitching coordinator and of course Tom Signore has helped a lot here in double A, but I haven't been with him very long.  Though, what little I've been with them, those guys have helped me a lot.

Which batter would you most like to face some day?

Probably A-Rod, because he's considered one of the best hitters in the big leagues.  It would be cool to face him.

Which ballpark would you most like to pitch in some day?

The Ballpark in Arlington, because I grew up a Rangers fan.  I'm from two hours down the road, so that would be pretty exciting.

Who was your favorite player growing up?

Nolan Ryan, for sure.  Being from Texas and everything, he was pretty much a big deal back then.

What is your favorite baseball movie?

I'd say Major League...just 'cause it's funny.  It's a good baseball movie.

News from New Hampshire

The FisherCats.

I will refrain from poking fun at the name or logo because I work for a team named the Lugnuts.

Let's move on.

New Hampshire's 8-5, and I have no idea how.

Outfielder Darin Mastroianni had a breakthrough year in 2009, but he's batting only .219 this year. On the bright side, he's drawn 10 walks in 12 games and is 6-for-6 in stolen bases.

Callix Crabbe's batting .159 (7-for-44). Adam Loewen's batting .222 (8-for-36). David Cooper's at .250 with only three extra-base hits, all doubles. Figured he'd be better by now, didn't you?

The starting pitchers include Bobby Bell (9.90 ERA), Zach Stewart (7.71), Marty McLeary (6.75), and Kyle Drabek (5.17). Fine on paper, should be better as the season goes on... but how in the world is this team 8-5?

Luis Perez (2-0, 0.53) is doing his part, allowing only two hits and one run (on a homer) in 17 sterling innings.

In the bullpen, Tim Collins (10 strikeouts in 5 2/3 scoreless innings) and Danny Farquhar (4-for-4 converting saves, 5.0 scoreless innings) are doing their part, too. Both men have been consistently brilliant throughout their careers.

We'll keep our eye on the big prospects -- Stewart and Drabek foremost among them -- as the year goes on. If they crank it into gear, the FisherCats become a powerhouse.

One and Done?

Gustavo burst out onto the major league scene as a 24 year old, relative unknown in 2005.  His 34 starts were tied for the third most in the AL and he went 13 - 9 in 203 innings.  He finished 5th in Rookie Of The Year voting, receiving 10% of the total vote and 2% of the first place vote.  Prior to that magical season, in 2004, he had pitched 167.1 innings at 3 separate levels.  And prior to that, in 2003, he pitched only 69.1 innings total.    

Year	Team	League	GP	GS	W	L	SV	CG	Sho	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA

2004	Toronto	AL	2	2	1	1	0	0	0	14.0	8	4	4	0	3	6	2.57
2004	Syracuse	AAA	2	2	2	0	0	0	0	11.2	16	4	3	0	3	14	2.31
2004	New Hampshire	AA	25	25	16	2	0	0	0	141.2	113	53	46	15	49	109	2.92
2003	New Haven	AA	46	2	3	4	2	0	0	69.1	78	39	32	1	29	55	4.15

He hurt his wing early in the 2006 campaign and has not returned to form since.

Courtesy of TSN:

Transactions / Injuries / Suspensions

09-May-08	Designated for assignment by the Toronto Blue Jays.
12-Mar-08	Optioned to Syracuse (AAA).
17-Jan-08	Re-signed by the Toronto Blue Jays to a one-year contract.
01-Oct-07	Missed the last 136 games of the regular season (left elbow injury).
04-Sep-07	Transferred from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL (left elbow injury).
30-Jul-07	Voided the option to Syracuse (AAA).
27-Jul-07	Missed 78 games and optioned to Syracuse (AAA).
30-Apr-07	Left elbow injury, 15-day DL.
04-Mar-07	Re-signed by the Toronto Blue Jays to a one-year contract.
23-Aug-06	Missed 66 games (elbow injury).
10-Jun-06	Elbow injury, 15-day DL.
30-May-06	Missed 17 games (elbow injury).
16-May-06	Elbow injury, 15-day DL (retroactive May 11th).
18-Feb-05	Re-signed by the Toronto Blue Jays to a one-year contract.
19-Sep-04	Contract purchased from New Hampshire (AA).

If you need a refresher, here are his minor league stats from 2006 to 2009 here they are courtesy of Minor League Stats dot com:
 

Yr	Age	Team	Lg	Org/Lev		IP	FIP		BF	H	2B	HR	W	IW	K		AVG	BABIP	WHIP		GB%	LD%	FB%	IF/F	HR/F
2006	25	Total				15.3	3.56		82	28	8	1	7	0	16		0.373	0.466	2.28		61.0%	6.8%	32.2%	26.1%	5.3%
2006	25	Dunedin	FSL	TOR/A+		4.7	3.94		24	6	3	0	4	0	5		0.300	0.400	2.14		66.7%	0.0%	33.3%	20.0%	0.0%
2006	25	Syracuse	IL	TOR/AAA		10.7	3.34		58	22	5	1	3	0	11		0.400	0.488	2.34		59.1%	9.1%	31.8%	27.8%	7.1%
2007	26	Syracuse	IL	TOR/AAA		10.7	4.46		43	13	2	1	3	0	5		0.333	0.364	1.50		45.7%	28.6%	25.7%	10.5%	11.1%
2008	27	Dunedin	FSL	TOR/A+		47.3	5.81		209	72	16	9	12	0	22		0.369	0.384	1.77		31.5%	24.2%	43.3%	10.8%	11.7%
2009	28	Total				108.7	4.47		438	100	22	9	41	0	62		0.254	0.282	1.30		38.2%	20.1%	39.4%	11.6%	6.6%
2009	28	Reading	EL	PHI/AA		5.0	2.87		20	4	0	0	1	0	3		0.211	0.250	1.00		50.0%	6.3%	43.8%	12.5%	0.0%
2009	28	Lehigh Valley	IL	PHI/AAA		103.7	4.49		418	96	22	9	40	0	59		0.256	0.283	1.31		37.7%	20.8%	39.2%	11.6%	6.9%
Career						182.0	4.73		772	213	48	20	63	0	105		0.303	0.334	1.52		38.9%	20.5%	39.0%	12.2%	8.3%

For those that don't know what some of the stat lines mean click here for THT Glossary.  You may want to bookmark that one ;)

His projections for 2010 courtesy of CHONE:

Player	Age	G	GS	Won	Lost	IP	Hits	BB	SO	HR	HB	Runs	ER	ERA

Gustavo Chacin

29

15

15

3

6

78

89

31

42

13

3

50

46

5.31

He will be reunited with former pitching coach Brad Arnsberg in Houston.  Please note: Arnsberg was in his first year as pitching coach for us in the 2005 season.  

Verducci Effect:

Named for Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated, this is a negative forward indicator for pitcher workload. Verducci, found that pitchers under the age of 25 who have 30-inning increases year over year tend to underperform. Will Carroll independently found that pitchers who break the "Rule of 30" tend to get injured. Carroll renamed this 'rule' the Verducci Effect in honor of the man who initially found the evidence.

Our boy "Smells like Victory" was named in the article as a victim of the effect.  For all you fantasy pool players out there, click here for this years candidates.

Initially this theory met some resistance.  THT refuted Verducci's findings the next day and concluded: Pitchers who see a large increase in workload are more likely to continue to be successful than those who don’t.  To see their article in it's entirety, click here.

I am bringing this to your attention because our pitching staff is exceptionally young.  Most of the guys are in the clear but four names do jump out at me as possible candidates for the Verducci Effect in the future if their innings pitched are not monitored closely this season.  Their names and dates of birth are as follows:

• Marc Rzepczynski, Aug. 29, 1985
• Brett Cecil, July 2, 1986
• Kyle Drabek, Dec. 8, 1987
• Zach Stewart, Sept. 28, 1986

Let's take a look at their innings pitched in the last two years:

Rzep: 124.3 in 2008, 154.3 in 2009
Cecil: 125.3 in 2008, 155 in 2009
Drabek:  34 in 2008, 163 in 2009
Stewart: 34 in 2008, 108 in 2009

Righthander Kyle Drabek had Tommy John surgery in 2007 and I'm not sure what effect, if any, that will have on his innings cap.  I think he will top out at about 190 innings this season and be ready to go in 2011 with no innings restrictions, that is if he does not suffer from the Verducci Effect this season.....

I think it is fair to say that the two young lefties, Rzepczynski and Cecil, will have their innings capped at right about 185 this year or roughly 28 starts.  I also think it is fair to say that their innings can be manipulated easier at the minor league level.  I see both of these guys, barring injury,  pitching in our major league rotation in 2011 restriction free.  They are right on schedule.

Righthander Zach Stewart was drafted as a reliever and is the prime candidate to suffer from the Verducci Effect out of this group moving forward.  It is imperative that we do not allow him to exceed 140 innings pitched this season.  Even that may be too many.  He will then need another year in the minors to build his stamina up to around 170 innings in 2011.  I think of him as a guy that will be in a position to enter the rotation sometime in 2012.  

In Conclusion:

These four guys are the future of our Major League starting rotation.  We must be patient with them and resist the urge to rush them to the majors for the upcoming 2010 season "just to see what they got".  New pitching coach Bruce Walton has brought with him a new philosophy.  He seems to believe the innings cap can be manipulated if his pitchers tweak their off day routines.  To read all about it, click here.

This upcoming baseball season will not be a pretty one to watch in Toronto.  But hang in there guys, these four pitchers are the future and we must keep in mind that they are still a year away at best.....and we must also never forget what happened to young Gustavo Chacin.