Jack Nedrow gave John Schneider's organization another quick-rising arm Thursday when Toronto promoted him to High-A Vancouver.
That move came after only 5 outings with Single-A Dunedin, which tells you the Blue Jays liked what they saw right away from the 23-year-old right-hander.
Nedrow was signed to a minor-league deal on May 11 after time in independent ball following his college career at the University of South Florida. He did not arrive with much draft buzz or a long pro résumé.
He still forced a move quickly. In 24 innings with Dunedin, Nedrow went 2-1 with a 1.50 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP, giving Toronto exactly the kind of early production that gets a pitcher noticed fast.
The strikeout total was not huge at 19, but the rest of the profile was clean. Opponents hit only .217 against him, and he issued just 6 walks over those 24 innings.
That matters in a system always looking for pitchers who can throw strikes, work deep enough into games, and keep traffic down. Nedrow checked every one of those boxes in Dunedin.
He also gave the Blue Jays length in more than one role. Even though only 2 of his 5 appearances were starts, he threw at least 3 innings every time out.
Nedrow forced Toronto to move him up
That is the real angle here. This was not a routine calendar promotion. The Blue Jays pushed Nedrow to Vancouver because he looked too advanced for where he was.
His 2 starts made that even clearer. Nedrow worked 6 innings in both of them and allowed only 4 hits in each outing, the kind of steady line that shows a pitcher is handling the level instead of just surviving it.
His final appearance with Dunedin may have sealed it. On June 5 against Daytona, he closed out a 9-0 win with 3 scoreless innings, allowing 1 hit, walking none, and striking out 3 for his first career save.
There was even a little more life on the fastball in that outing. BlueJaysNation reported Nedrow topped out at 93.9 mph, another sign that the arm strength is good enough to keep pushing him forward.
Now he joins a Vancouver staff that already includes Nolan Perry and Johnny King, giving the Canadians another arm who has already shown he can handle bulk work.
For Toronto, this is exactly the kind of minor-league story worth watching. Jack Nedrow was signed quietly, dominated quickly, and now has a real chance to turn a low-profile add into a real climb through the Blue Jays system.
Will Jack Nedrow keep climbing fast through the Blue Jays system?
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