Jays' prospect Noda reflects on season with Lugnuts

Ryan Noda. Photo Credit: Lansing Lugnuts/Twitter

By Cole Shelton

Canadian Baseball Network

When the Toronto Blue Jays drafted Ryan Noda in the 15th round in 2017, the expectations for the Illinois native were not too high.

However, after a successful first year in rookie-class Bluefield, Noda began turning some heads as he slashed .364/.507/.575 with seven home runs, 39 RBIs and 59 walks in just 66 games.

Entering year two — Noda’s first full year as a pro — the expectations began to grow as he was starting to see himself on Blue Jays' top prospects lists, but with a promotion to the low-A Lansing Lugnuts, the competition was going to be more challenging.

The 6-foot-3 first baseman had a slow start to the 2018 season but he began to get on-base more by taking a lot of walks. He eventually found his power stroke and started hitting home runs and doubles. Noda would finish the season with a .256/.421/.484 slash line with 20 home runs, 80 RBIs and an incredible 109 walks. How Noda was able to carry the success he had in Bluefield into Lansing was quite simple.

“Just trusting myself,” said Noda in a recent phone interview. “Believing in my process and knowing that I’m good enough at this level and succeed at a high rate at this level and I believe that. It has worked these past two years, but the beginning of this year I struggled a little bit but that's baseball and I look forward to keeping this success going and seeing where it takes me.”

This season he developed into arguably the best hitter on the Lugnuts' roster and maybe the most feared hitter in the Midwest League.

“I’m driving to drive the baseball into the gap,” explained Noda of his hitting approach. “I’m trying to hit the ball hard, I go up there and try to hit the ball hard. If you see something over the plate that you can drive, you drive it and that has been my approach ever since I was young and I kept that approach and it has evolved here and there as you get smarter and what pitches you can handle well and what you don’t. I’m still trying to figure all that out, I still have some kinks here and there but it working out pretty well.”

Noda has also exercised tremendous plate discipline, drawing 109 walks in 124 games this season.

“Selective aggressive is something I take pretty big pride in, in my approach and how I go up to the plate as a whole and just knowing the situation if guys are on if guys aren’t on and knowing what I am going to get and just not miss my pitch," said Noda of his hitting philosophy. "It has been working out pretty well.”

When he is swinging the bat, Noda proved he could hit the ball hard and far, leading the Lugnuts with 20 home runs this season.

“I just think the home runs come by consistently hitting your pitch and hitting it hard, more times than not," explained Noda. "Luckily some go over the fence and some go into the gap. You don’t try to hit home runs, well I don’t try to hit home runs. Like I said just try to hit the ball in the gap and hit doubles because eventually, those doubles will turn into home runs as I grow and get stronger and maintain my approach.”

Noda is working to be more consistent in the future. And now, after wrapping up his second successful pro season, the question is how will his power and the ability to draw walks hold up in the higher levels of the minor leagues and eventually the majors?

“I think the power will carry over pretty well,” said Noda. “I think the walks won’t dwindle a lot but start to go down and you will see more balls put into play as I develop and pitchers are throwing around the zone more.”

Noda played the entire season with the Lugnuts and he will likely be promoted in the Blue Jays organization prior to next season, as for where he lands, Noda doesn’t seem to care.

“Hoping to move up. Doesn’t matter, Dunedin, New Hampshire, either or works for me,” Noda explained. “I’m just hoping that I can start strong and keep it going and doing everything that I can to help whatever team I am on win and help the players on my team grow as they help me grow as well and become a family like here in Lansing are and just to keep going.”

Starting strong will be a recipe for success for Noda next season when he faces better competition and better pitching, but for now, the offseason awaits after another successful pro campaign.