1B/DH Spencer Horwitz has had quite a week.
The Blue Jays 24th round 2019 draftee was named to the contingent of Toronto prospects headed to the southwest for play in the Arizona Fall League next week, where many top prospects are gathering for further reps and competition against elite opponents.
Today, he was named the top High A West prospect by MiLB.com.
Horwitz had a torrid second half, hitting in 28 straight games to set a High A record dating back to its previous incarnation as the Northwest League. Horwitz slashed .290/.401/.445, for Vancouver, showing more pop in the second half. He followed that up with a 1.250 OPS and a pair of homers in four games for New Hampshire to close out the season. The guy always seems to have had a knack for getting on base, but obviously his approach and pitch recognition really kicked into high gear over the last six weeks of the season.
This top prospect mention is a bit of a surprise. Horwitz received no mention in Baseball America’s Top 10 High A West rankings, but in fairness, he did face some heavy competition in the prospect-laden league. We have some conversations with C’s and Blue Jays officials lined up in the weeks to come, and Horwitz’ name will be among the first to come up. BA does tend to favour upside, which could explain why Horwitz was on the outside looking in as far as their list is concerned, but you can’t ignore the production.
Horwitz was named a High A All Star at DH, and was joined by Vancouver teammate Tanner Morris at 2B. Horwitz undoubtedly will start at AA next year, which means we’ll be able to get more consistent looks at him.
