Blue Jays Farm Report: Adam Macko discovering why sometimes less is more

TORONTO – Adam Macko is learning to trust process over results during his first season as a prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays farm system.

In years past, if the 22-year-old had a tough outing, or if his numbers were lagging, he’d look to make changes in his mechanics, perhaps, or maybe pitch grip, something, anything, to produce a better outcome as quickly as possible.

Outworking others is how the Slovakia-born, Alberta-raised lefty made it to pro ball in the first place and his determination was the point source for his confidence. As a result, “having faith when things are not going according to plan is just as hard for me as the next guy, I'd say even harder sometimes,” he conceded.

Still, since being acquired from the Seattle Mariners in the winter as part of the Teoscar Hernandez deal, Macko is starting to accept that there needs to be “a bit of a change in that mindset.”

“Just like me staying healthy is not always doing more, it's maybe doing less, the Blue Jays are really helping me figure out how not changing things can be a good thing for me, even if things are not going the right way, because not everything is going to go my way, even if I'm doing everything perfect,” he said in a recent interview. “They've been really opening my eyes about learning how to stay the same guy every time out there and how that's more valuable than changing things. It does show up every once in a while in an outing where I'm like, 'Yeah, this is the person I want to be.' And I didn't change anything. It's just how it works out.”

Reinforcing that point are Macko’s past two starts with the advanced-A Vancouver Canadians, when he threw five shutout innings against Everett and Hillsboro, allowing only a total of five hits with six walks and 11 strikeouts. While his overall stat line still includes a 5.23 ERA and 1.476 WHIP, those numbers belie other markers of progress, both overt and covert.

On the overt front are his 63.2 innings logged over 15 starts, both career highs and counting. And while his strikeouts per nine rate is down to 9.5 from the low teens, covertly “I'm actually metrically a better pitcher than I was last year, which is hard to believe,” he said, “but I do believe that and it is going to show up.”

The Blue Jays believe the gains will eventually show up for Macko and other pitchers in the farm system, too, something they’re counting on after sending double-A starters Sem Robberse and Adam Kloffenstein to the St. Louis Cardinals for Jordan Hicks ahead of the trade deadline.

Both Robberse and Kloffenstein were, in different ways, developmental success stories, the former a raw talent from the Netherlands in need of a power boost to leverage his clean mechanics, the latter a thunder-armed righty who, after years of wheel-spinning, found consistent command and a more effective way to deploy his arsenal.

Had they remained in the organization, they would have been at triple-A Buffalo next season, providing the type of upper-level starting depth that’s been a gaping hole in recent years.

Macko won’t necessarily get there next year, but with continued strides he could be knocking on the door sometime in 2025 as part of a wave behind up-and-down righty Bowden Francis, top prospect Ricky Tiedemann and lefty Jimmy Robbins, just promoted to Buffalo from New Hampshire.

Devereaux Harrison and Dahian Santos are two other names to watch in Vancouver, lefty Kendry Rojas is having a nice season at low-A Dunedin, while 2023 draftees Jauron Watts-Brown, Landen Maroudis and Conner O’Halloran all have tools for the pitching development staff to maximize.

“It was very difficult to part ways with both of them,” Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins said of Robberse and Kloffenstein, “but I feel like we're going to have more of those stories out of our international department, out of our player development, obviously, from the draft. That's what makes us feel comfortable making a deal with subtractions of players of those calibre.”

Macko’s potential is an often overlooked element of the Hernandez deal, although like any prospect, there’s risk there.

Last year, he battled elbow and knee injuries in the Mariners system that both stunted his development and left pitching wire-to-wire this year “one of my biggest goals,” he said.

To that end, managing his work more effectively was one key piece of the puzzle, as has been making sure his delivery is as clean as it can be to avoid undue strain in specific areas.

“My velocity has been harder than it has been for two years,” said Macko. “All the things mechanically are syncing up. I'm not getting sore after outings, knock on wood. I'm feeling really good playing catch, all that stuff.”

Focal points now include his sightlines to the plate and making mental adjustments in how he works through situations on the mound, as well as making gains with his command.

“Learning how to be able to throw strikes and still like put guys away outside the zone and being able to expand on purpose, not by accident, is something that I'm still getting to,” said Macko. “But I think that's going to work out.”

Elsewhere in the Blue Jays system:

Triple-A Buffalo Bisons

Davis Schneider’s ascension to the majors last week was a deserved reward for someone who pushed for a promotion all year long, and Addison Barger is another player turning up the heat. The 23-year-old hit two more homers with two doubles last week, and if the Blue Jays feel they need more offence during Bo Bichette’s absence, he’d certainly be a candidate to provide some. Intriguingly, he’s mostly been rotating through shortstop, third base and right field but on July 27, he played his first game at second base this year. He played there five times in the Arizona Fall League last year. … Orelvis Martinez, who at 21 is 5.4 years younger than the league average, continues feeling his way through triple-A, batting .230/.310/.393 through his first 16 games at the level, splitting time in field evenly between short and third. … Canadian righty Rowan Wick agreed to a minor-league deal with the Blue Jays last week and has made three appearances with the Bisons, striking out five while collecting a save in 3.1 shutout innings. The former Chicago Cubs reliever could also be a resource for Hagen Danner, another catcher-turned reliever in the Buffalo bullpen.

Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats

Top prospect Ricky Tiedemann is rejoining to the Fisher Cats this week after making three rehab starts, one in the GCL, two with low-A Dunedin. He struck out nine in three shutout innings last week. Tiedemann hasn’t pitched in New Hampshire since leaving a May 4 start with left biceps inflammation. … Right-handed reliever Connor Cooke is on to his third level of the season after getting promoted to Buffalo on Friday. The 23-year-old posted a 4.38 ERA in 20 appearances with the Fisher Cats but struck out 46 in a mere 24.2 innings. … Between the trade of Sem Robberse and Adam Kloffenstein to the Cardinals and the promotions of Jimmy Robbins and Paxton Schultz to Buffalo, the New Hampshire rotation has been nearly totally wiped out over the past month. While Chad Dallas remains and Tiedemann is returning, the Blue Jays signed righty Trevor Clifton from the Ottawa Titans of the independent Frontier League to help fill some gaps. The 28-year-old was last in affiliated ball in 2019, with triple-A Iowa in the Cubs system.

High-A Vancouver Canadians

Josh Kasevich is batting .328/.423/.492 in 17 games since returning from a three-week stint on the injured list. The shortstop has walked 10 times against seven strikeouts during that span and if his offensive tools keep catching up to his defensive skills, he’ll rise quickly through the Blue Jays system. … Infielder Michael Turconi has reached base in 33 consecutive games, batting .282/.430/.470 during that run. He hit for the cycle Aug. 2. … Reliever Matt Svanson, dealt to St. Louis in the Paul DeJong trade, had just been sent from Vancouver to New Hampshire when he was moved. … Pat Gallagher, an 11th-round pick last year, was moved up from low-A Dunedin amidst the organizational musical chairs caused by the deadline. He allowed one run in 3.1 innings during his first outing with Vancouver after logging 52 frames in 11 outings, eight starts, with 63 strikeouts.

Low-A Dunedin Blue Jays

Lefty Brandon Barriera is being shut down again after experiencing biceps soreness during a July 29 outing in the Florida Complex League. His velocity was also down during his two innings of work that day, when he allowed a run on two hits and two walks with two strikeouts. The 2022 first-rounder has thrown only 20 innings in seven starts because of injuries. … Right-hander Joey Murray, an eighth-round pick in 2018 who surged three levels in 2019 before arm injuries felled him, was released July 29. He appeared in nine games with Dunedin this season, logging 11.2 innings.