Shapiro, who led Thursdays tour, initally valued the renovations at $80 million when he walked media through the plan for the project in December 2018. Even giving active players who are worn down or under-performing at a minor-league affiliate a one- or two-week breather from that competitive environment to regroup and focus on development before re-entering the minor-league grind with a clearer mind and refreshed approach. Neither pitcher performed overly well last season, with the fan base imploring management to acquire another legitimate major-league starter. You may have created an account with another Rogers Media There are also fuel bars and grab n go fridges for both major- and minor-leaguers. Enter your email address to get a new one. But under the old system, MLB front offices saw their resources being spread too thin. More advanced college draftees stand to benefit, as well. The building is a reflection of the teams values in so many ways, according to president and CEO Mark Shapiro. The Blue Jays have the next four-plus weeks to polish the edges around their big-league roster, determining which players will fly north with them ahead of Opening Day and which will be assigned to the minor leagues. Ten mounds are on the north side and 10 located on the south side. This is one of those things. That is, of course, assuming a rash of injuries doesnt arise. And its really a perfect time to be opening a state-of-the-art facility to nurture player development like that. That means hosting a series of specialized off-season development camps, as the Blue Jays did for nearly 100 players late last year. Its gratifying to be in here and Im really proud. Sitting ~95 with the heater. He hadnt played a game above high-A coming into the season but made such great developmental strides in Rochester that he earned his major-league debut in September. Adam Kloffenstein, a 20-year-old right-hander the Blue Jays selected in the third round of the 2018 draft, was among them, spending two weeks at the complex in November diving into the data on his two-seam fastball in the pitching lab, throwing on the covered turf infield and grinding out workouts in the sprawling weight room. Theyll have access to far greater resources and, in turn, a greater chance of making strong developmental strides. They used Rapsodo data to optimize his arm slot and demonstrate how his slider and cutter played best off his sinker. We were thoughtful in looking at all the best facilities around the world, Shapiro said. Were very fortunate to have a facility like this, the guys are blown away by it, to be honest with you, and it does help me and our staff put spring training together with some many options and places to work right now, especially under these Covid protocols, Walker said. We've sent an email with instructions to create a new password. Sorry we could not verify that email address. Rather than sending a recent amateur draftee to tiny Bluefield, where the rookie-ball Blue Jays were operating out of a charming yet antiquated facility, the club will transition those players to the professional ranks in Dunedin. A new [], Carter Brooks is a news writer and sports columnist situated in Winnipeg, MB. Clubs want more control, more collaboration and more fluid opportunities for young players to access and utilize modern resources. It is a symbol of the commitment from the ownership to the state of Florida, the city of Dunedin, and the county here, Shapiro said. Hed send athletes outside under the hot Florida sun to stretch and warm up on a small, downward-sloping patch of turf just outside the gym. The 2016 first-round pick started his 2020 pitching with puzzlingly diminished velocity and getting shelled by minor-leaguers during spring training. The Blue Jays high performance department. Sitting on a But it speaks to the underlying, regenerative strength of San Diegos player development process that, in spite of all those moves, the clubs minor-league system is still widely considered one of the 10 best in the game. Have questions about your upcoming Rogers Centre experience? The wide-scale $80 million renovation, which began in April 2019, sits on a 65-acre Don't miss out - sign up for our newsletters! Use another Expect plenty of extras built in, such as hydrotherapy space, training rooms, a movement studio for things such as yoga, three sports science labs, multiple dining areas, classrooms, a video room, player lounges and a two-chair barber shop. Please contact us. Also that month, the city issued $32.56 million in bonds to fund a portion of the cost of the additional improvements to Player Development Complex and the Blue Jays Stadium, city reports said. If the Blue Jays are out of shape in 2021 theyll have no valid excuses because the new weight room is something to behold. (approx 1 - 2 per week). Presenting our new Player Development Complex! The Blue Jays are set to open the 28-game spring training schedule on Sunday, February 28 against the New York Yankees at 12:05 PM central. You can change your selection at any time. Everything is bigger, better, modernized, more functional. All our fans should be (proud) of what this environment is like., Its meaningful to our fans because its part of the ingredients, Shapiro continued. What are the things that we can control that can contribute to a championship environment? Bichette's contract, which includes a $3.25-million signing bonus, has a base salary of $2.85 million this year, $11 million in 2024 and $16.5 million in 2025. Inside, there is more than 40,000 pounds of weighted accessories and barbells and 20 fully customized pieces of equipment created exclusively for the Blue Jays. An error has occurred while trying to update your details. Its taking space, bricks and mortar and saying it is possible for a building to help drive championship culture. Just being able to go out and throw in these simulated games and work on one or two specific things is really a valuable time.. Shoot us an email and we'll be able to answer any questions you may have about Rogers Centre. How much money do you need to make to afford a home Toronto? To order This is a BETA experience. You try to show what it takes to be a big-leaguer.. Its not how one ought to have been operating in 2011. Today we take a look at the [], Breaking down the Patrick Kane trade to the New York Rangers, Patrick Kanes legacy as a [], Jim is back once again joined by Vox Media NHL Analyst Bruce Zeman to discuss the Timo Meier trade [], In this Wednesday's edition of NHL Rumors, we will look at the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia [], Sometimes a trade can catch you completely by surprise. We've sent an email with instructions to create a new password. Carter can be reached at carterbrooks1994@gmail.com. Coming into spring training as the biggest spender, Toronto has added the likes of outfielder George Springer, infielder Marcus Semien and pitchers Kirby Yates and Robbie Ray. Everything will undoubtedly come down to Kikuchis four-seamer, though, particularly his command or lack thereof. We already know which players (Daulton Varsho, Kiermaier, Springer) will make up the Blue Jays starting outfield trio this season, although there is plenty of uncertainty surrounding the clubs fourth outfielder position, especially after Robbie Grossman a reported free-agent target of Torontos signed with the Texas Rangers last week. Some guys would accidentally slide or roll down the hill as theyre doing their foam rolling prep, Rassel said. The 3,750-square-foot Major League clubhouse has 72 custom, 8-foot-tall lockers. "I think arbitration is an incredibly flawed process and one that isn't very good for the game or players or owners or teams," Bichette said in his first public comments since the deal was announced. Developmentally, Toronto spent a generation being repeatedly lapped by its competitors, watching other MLB organizations find new and innovative ways to produce homegrown talent while Blue Jays prospects were training at their lockers and sliding down hills atop foam rollers. The complex features six fields, five of which are brand new, plus two half fields. Four Blue Jays regulars are set to play in the tournament. Customize your lineup with your favourite leagues and teams. Stack the Pucks gives a breakdown of every NHL Game on the card. By investing heavily in data-driven player development at a time when their competitors had yet to clue in, igniting the developmental arms race thats played out industry-wide since. Forgot your 1 draft pick, Giants 'cautiously optimistic' Barkley, Jones sign long-term contracts, Rangers to acquire Patrick Kane from Blackhawks, Ja Morant goes off for 28 points in third quarter of Grizzlies win, Dolphins haven't decided on fifth-year option for Tua Tagovailoa, Vanessa Bryant settles with L.A. County for tens of millions, Carroll addresses Wilson reportedly trying to get him fired. The complex now has six full fields, including one with artificial turf and measurements identical to the Rogers Centre, meant to mimic the environment players will encounter in Toronto. There are new bullpens and batting cages; a 168-foot, man-made sprint hill that climbs 20 feet of elevation at a 6.79-degree incline; and covered outdoor training areas, including a full-size turf infield, so work can continue in good weather and bad. General manager Ross Atkins deserves some credit for the buoyant mood, as he made some intriguing moves in the off-season to help improve run prevention, versatility and team depth. He and fellow franchise cornerstone Vladimir Guerrero Jr., are still scheduled to become unrestricted free agents after the 2025 season. February 26th, 2023. And to be in a position to build a sustainable championship organization.. He was also put on a focused strength and conditioning program designed to help him increase his arm strength and help improve his velocity. An error has occurred while trying to update your details. Some of the first Blue Jays to make use of the teams new facilities were actually minor-leaguers who passed through this winter as part of that series of specialized training camps intended to help make up for lost developmental time in 2020. At a total cost (including 2020s TD Ballpark renovation) of over $100-million USD jointly funded by the Blue Jays, the city of Dunedin, Pinellas County and the state of Florida the Blue Jays have upgraded from one of MLBs poorest facilities to one of its best. I felt that it was an opportunity and a huge driver to bring all of our players under one roof, to shift from a spring-only facility to really move and skip a generation. It fosters comradery and the team environment. There are two hot tubs, two cold tubs and a 15x40-foot custom depth pool. Even after a 2002 renovation, the facility fit only about 15-20 players at a time. The Toronto Blue Jays player development complex in Dunedin, Fla., has been coming together for the past two years and on Thursday the team unveiled images of the new facilities. When submitting content, please abide by our. The University of Michigan, Vanderbilt University, Wake Forest University,AT&T Stadium, U.S. Bank Stadium and AT&T Center were each explored and served as important roles within the facilitys blueprint. Sitting on a 65-acre site in Dunedin, FL, the complex combines innovative resources in a meticulously planned physical layout, to create a competitive advantage tool that will help the Blue Jays bring World Series Championships back to Canada. Following a productive off-season, much of the Toronto Blue Jays 26-man roster has been already set as team workouts begin at the franchises Player A state-of-the-art facility unlike any other. We never want space to be the limiting factor in what we can do from a competitive standpoint, he says. An inside look at the Blue Jays new player development complex in Dunedin Its meant to lead to wins, Mark Shapiro said of the $80 million renovation, which Shapiro says not only are players enjoying getting lost in the new space, but the project shows players the organizations commitment. Close to 3,000-square-feet of sports science labs, a kitchen nearly 10 times the size of Mattick Centers, separate dining facilities for major- and minor-leaguers, grab-and-go stations stocked with food, beverages and supplements even a two-chair barber shop. And those were all major accomplishments. 2000-2020 Rogers Media. You get the picture. Toronto Blue Jays Front Office | Toronto Blue Jays Front Office Directory As of February 7, 2023 Rogers Communications Edward Rogers: Chairman, Toronto Blue Jays This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 13, 2023. WebLocated in Dunedin, FL, and opened in 2021, the spring training home of the Blue Jays features office space to house all of their employees. DUNEDIN, Fla, (AP) Yusei Kikuchi threw a 40-pitch bullpen session Tuesday, one day after the left-hander joined what projects as formidable Toronto Blue Jays rotation that includes Hyun Jin Ryu and Alek Manoah. The combination of space and the resources within hopefully put it in a class of its own. You dont have to worry about putting your team in a bad spot because you got knocked around while you were trying to work on a certain pitch, Zeuch said. Its meant to lead to wins.. The casual interaction between a minor league coach and a major league coach we were a disconnected organization.. Evaluating small sample sizes for hitters can often be difficult, especially when theyre facing pitchers just looking to get their reps in and vice-versa. The Tiger-Cats and Blue Bombers battle for the championship. ft. building houses Major and Minor League Blue Jays for the first time. In the week since spring training began, Blue Jays players and coaches alike have raved about the organizations new player development complex. Kikuchis $36 million, three-year deal was finalized Monday. The focus for now turns to preparation and the steady buildup to the Feb. 25 Grapefruit League opener against Pittsburgh and eventually the March 30 regular-season opener in St. Louis. For the Blue Jays, that meant losing three affiliates (the Lansing Lugnuts, Bluefield Blue Jays and Gulf Coast League Blue Jays), dozens of athletes, and several coaches and coordinators from the organization. February 24, 2021 | 00:03:56. WebTD Ballpark (originally Dunedin Stadium at Grant Field) is a community ballpark located in Dunedin, Florida at 373 Douglas Avenue where spectators can enjoy the Toronto Blue And considering the advanced high school and college programs those athletes are emerging from, theyre expecting it themselves. Should Kansas City Chiefs Run It Back For 2023? It also features intriguing arms like Junior Fernndez, Julian Fernndez, Adrian Hernandez, Jay Jackson, Paul Fry, Brandon Eisert, Luke Bard and Jackson Rees. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. I like how it's intertwined with the minor-league side, Chatwood said. Why have the Los Angeles Dodgers been one of MLBs most perennially successful clubs for over a decade? And that's something that everybody in our player development group is committed to.. 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Theres no positive to be found in that unless youre an accountant for an MLB team. Local high schools had better facilities. We use cookies to improve your experience. From the start, Shapiro says they knew building just for now wasnt an option. The weight room spills outdoors onto a covered turf area. This article first appeared on Bluejaysnation and was syndicated with permission. In addition to the outdoor fields, theres a 155x150-foot covered turf field with a roof 30-37 feet in height. The weight room alone is over 22,000 square feet with four garage doors that open to another roughly 9,000 square feet of partially covered outdoor turf and a second-floor cardio loft. Those who stand out could ultimately be rewarded by pitching in meaningful situations at the major-league level during the heart of the schedule. Is it possible for a building to drive performance? And we can also optimize player improvement and preparation without as many games as we thought, Kim said. Itd be like taking a high schooler with an interest in programming and dropping them into a computer science college course while switching out their present-day laptop for a '90s era desktop. This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. Paul Pogba Returns To Help Juventus Win Serie A Derby Against Torino, Monica Puig Joins Athleta's Tennis Movement, Part Of Larger The Power Of She Collective, Atletico Madrid Reportedly Offer To Sign Ferran Torres From FC Barcelona, FC Barcelona Make Lionel Messi Genius $100 Million Final Offer To Return To Club This Summer - Reports, Atlanta Braves Post Record Revenue, But Profit Falls, FC Barcelona Still Keen On Signing New Pedri Alberto Moleiro From Las Palmas - Reports, Big Apple Aces Max Scherzer, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon Among MLBs Elite Slider Artists, NBA, Players Association Very Motivated To Reach New Labor Agreement By March 31 Opt-Out Deadline. All rights reserved.Privacy PolicyAd ChoicesTerms of Service. The Toronto Blue Jays today unveiled the new, state-of-the-art Player Development Complex. Thats about when English Premier League clubs such as Tottenham and Chelsea were opening state-of-the-art training grounds; when NCAA programs at Oregon, Alabama, and Texas A&M were overhauling their football complexes. Thats been supplanted by a two-floor, 22,539 square-foot basilica of iron measuring nearly six times the size and outfitted with more than 40,000 pounds of strength equipment. The sites 115,000 sq. All are aided by sizeable drainage and irrigation systems and use Latitude 36 Bermuda grass from Sarasota, Fla. One of the teams outdoor fields, Field 2, has full turf and identical measurements to the Rogers Centre where the team usually plays its home regular-season and playoff games. The barber shop inside the new Toronto Blue Jays Player Development Complex. You have anything you need anything you could possibly think of, said Tyler Chatwood, a Blue Jays reliever who signed this off-season. The tiny Mattick dressing rooms and their eight-foot ceilings have been abandoned in favour of eight expansive new locker rooms, including a massive, oval-shaped major-league clubhouse with 72 lockers measuring eight-feet tall themselves. According to Shapiro, news of this facility certainly helped sway those players decisions on joining the club. Oh wait, theres more. Pitchers and catchers kept busy in one area of the sprawling complex during the morning session. Would you like to create an account so you can see these Favourites on your other devices too? 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He will, however, be expected to build off his late-season success as a reliever, where he shined to a 28.9 per cent strikeout-to-walk rate difference despite allowing four home runs and nine walks over 18.1 innings. If things go off the rails, taking Kikuchi and White out of the equation, the Blue Jays would have to rely on depth starters like Zach Thompson, Drew Hutchison and Thomas Hatch as their temporary fifth starter a less-than-ideal outcome. And from a fan perspective, less professional baseball is unquestionably a bad thing particularly for those in the small towns across the continent that are no longer home to minor-league affiliates. For a baseball player, its like Disney World, Blue Jays President and CEO Mark Shapiro said on Thursday evening. password. Theres a total of 12 covered batting cages with a height of 16 feet. Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. Select additional sports and leagues youre interested in from the list below. If we dont give the best facility possible for our players to train, rehabilitate and develop, then thats on us. That earned him a late-season call-up and he finished his year in the majors pitching a 1.59 ERA over 11.1 innings, including back-to-back appearances against an imposing New York Yankees lineup. Always free! pic.twitter.com/ggKaqjeobv, Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) February 25, 2021. Its the culmination of more than five years of research, design, and construction a gigantic undertaking by more than 2,500 putting in an estimated 500,000 cumulative worker-hours. A priority for us was not only thinking about the generation and standards we are in and expect now but anticipating the next phase of our organizations progress and development.. I really believe that well have the single best training centre the day our facilitys done, Shapiro said at the time. Of the six fields, five come brand new and one has the same measurements as Torontos Rogers Centre. Presenting our new Player All He could also revisit this topic around this summers trade deadline. Pete Walker is reminding them of the pitch clock so this is one of the more interesting live BPs compared to previous years. "To avoid it is good but also just to be on the same page with the team is nice too.". Ultimately, we believe this complex does just that, he says, which we are seeing with how our staff and players use and interact in the space., Already the players have had many jaw-dropping moments when they first walk in. Its not a spring training facility meant purely for regular season preparation its a player development factory meant to be utilized year-round. We now have the opportunity for George Springer to model for Orelviz Martinez what it means to have the work ethic, what it means to work in the batting cage, and what it means to shag fly balls. To see your localized preferences, please enable geolocation services in your browser settings. We visited every other Spring Training facility, as well as dozens of others across professional sports, to get inspiration. Share. Web118K views, 2.1K likes, 309 loves, 413 comments, 1.1K shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Toronto Blue Jays: A state-of-the-art facility unlike any other. Theres also a renovated observation tower where coaches or trainers can observe whats happening from on high.