1. Daniel Norris – LHP
Earning organizational All-Star honors in 2014; Daniel Norris developed nicely in his third professional season. Going from high-A to the major leagues as a September call up was just the tip of the iceberg for this talented pitcher.
Featuring four pitches; Norris has a fastball that generally sits in the 95-97 miles per hour range. Mixing in three off-speed pitches; that includes a curveball, slider, and change-up. Norris has the ability to keep hitters off-balanced all season.
These four pitches put on a clinic all season; starting in the Florida State League. Named a Mid-Season All-Star, Norris was 6-0 with a 1.22 ERA and 76 strikeouts in his 66 1/3 innings of work. The great start of the year quickly earned Norris a promotion to AA in the second half of the season. The talent may have jumped a bit, but Norris remained a bulldog on the mound, maintaining a 12.3 K/9 ratio in the Eastern League, which really stands out, as the Eastern League is generally considered a hitters league. The lefty wouldn’t stay long, as he was promoted again to the Buffalo Bisons of the International League and absolutely dominated the opposition. Tough on hitters; Norris maintained a 0.971 WHIP and a 15.1 K/9 ratio in AAA.
Getting a taste of the major leagues in September; Norris appeared in 6 2/3 big league innings. Norris allowed four earned runs while playing for the Blue Jays. The 6’2 lefty struck out four batters and walked another five while working out of the bullpen. Expect Daniel Norris to begin his 2015 in AAA, as the Blue Jays are looking to work him into their rotation for the future.
Debuted in 2014
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