Toronto's Greene Anxious To Wear Blue

DUNEDIN—Conner Greene logged 132 innings while pitching at three levels in the Blue Jays’ system last year, more than double his total in 2014, but he’s got his eyes on a bigger workload, and for that he needs some bulk.

“A huge goal is gaining weight for me right me now,” says the 20-year-old righthander. “I’m going to hopefully one day have a huge workload so I would like to be able to maintain strength throughout the season. I’m binge-eating, definitely a lot of burritos, a lot of protein shakes. It’s not working yet, but hopefully it will come around.”

Lots of things have already come around for the 6-foot-3, 165-pound Greene, the Blue Jays No. 2 prospect and the team’s top pitching prospect.

A seventh-round pick in 2013 out of Santa Monica High in California, Greene charged up the ladder from low Class A Lansing to high Class A Dunedin to Double-A New Hampshire in 2015. He posted a collective mark of 12-7, 3.54 and averagied 7.8 strikeouts per nine innings against 2.7 walks.

“Fastball command was the reason why I was moving up,” said Greene. “I was finally able to hit the inside corner, the outside corner, do what I want with my fastball to set up my secondary pitches.”

That progress earned him an invitation to his first big league camp, demonstrating how far along he’s come in a short while. There’s more room for him to keep growing, too.

“Good arm,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. “He’s one kid they’re talking about in the organization that’s got a chance (later in the season).”

To enhance those chances, Greene is locked in on refining his curveball to complement his overpowering 97 mph fastball and changeup. He’s seeking to add some deception by having it more closely resemble his heater.

JAYS CHATTER

• Ken Huckaby is the new manager at high Class A Dunedin after being promoted from low Class A Lansing. He’ll work with pitching coach Jim Czajkowski, up from short-season Vancouver, and hitting coach Corey Hart, who’s new to the organization.

• John Schneider takes over as manager at Lansing following a promotion from Vancouver. John Tamargo Jr., replaces him as Canadians manager, and will serve as hitting coordinator for the upper levels of the farm system. Kenny Graham will handle the lower levels.