Daniel Norris Poised to Become Key Contributor for Toronto Blue Jays

Toronto Blue Jays top pitching prospect Daniel Norris didn’t get a lot of attention this offseason (unless you count the attention he’s received for his nomadic lifestyle). With most of the questions focused on right-hander Aaron Sanchez’s future role with the team, Norris spent the offseason in relative anonymity from a baseball standpoint.

But with spring training quickly approaching, the truth of the matter is that Norris has a very real chance to break camp with the Blue Jays and become a key contributor for the team during the 2015 season.

The 21-year-old Norris is coming off a breakout 2014 campaign during which he moved up three different levels in the minor leagues, posting a combined record of 12-2 with a 2.53 ERA and 163 strikeouts in 124.2 innings pitched along the way.

Norris’ best pitch is his plus fastball, which he can throw in the mid-90s. He complements that pitch with a sharp slider and a slow, sweeping curveball. Scouts also believe that his changeup has the potential to be an above-average offering in the future.

The key to success for Norris is focusing on his control and limiting the number of bases on balls against him. The young prospect struggled with control early on in his professional career. But he did show improvement on that front last season, issuing only 43 walks.

While Norris’ 2014 season ended with a call-up to the Blue Jays in September, he never really got to showcase his true talent during his brief tenure in Toronto. Fatigue and a minor injury had sapped the movement and velocity from his pitches.

According to Tom Dakers of Bluebird Banter, Norris was topping out at 95 mph with his fastball in the minor leagues. But during his stint in the majors, Norris averaged just 91.1 mph on his fastball, according to FanGraphs’ PITCHf/x.

During the offseason, the Blue Jays announced that Norris had undergone a minor procedure to remove bone spurs and loose bodies in his elbow, per Brendan Kennedy of the Toronto Star.

Coming into spring training fully healthy, Norris will battle Sanchez and the newly acquired Marco Estrada for the fifth spot in Toronto’s rotation.

If Norris wins the fifth spot, that will allow the Blue Jays to shift Sanchez—who posted a 1.09 ERA as a reliever last season—back to the bullpen in a closing or set-up role. Estrada—who was much better as a reliever than he was as a starter last season—could also be used as a reliever.

If one of Sanchez or Estrada wins the fifth spot in the rotation, there’s also a chance that Norris could head to the bullpen and wait for his chance to start.

In the worst-case scenario for Norris, the Blue Jays could opt to send him down to Triple-A Buffalo at the end of spring training for more seasoning. Even if that does happen, though, look for Norris to be promoted to the big leagues sometime during the 2015 season and make an impact with the team.

All stats are from Fangraphs.com.