Daniel Norris is the top prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays system and rated as the 17th best prospect in all of baseball heading into the 2015 season.
A former second-round pick, the left-handed starter netted a $2 million signing bonus, has a plus fastball and the potential to break camp with the big club if things fall in his favour in the spring.
He also lives in a beat up 1978 Volkswagon Westfalia van he calls “Shaggy” that he drives to Spring Training every year from his hometown of Johnson City, Tennesee.
Norris got a passing mention when we previewed the Blue Jays starting rotation last week, but nothing more because he’s a 21-year-old with five games of Major League experience under his belt and will likely end up starting the year in Buffalo, ironically the hometown of John Gorman, the man who point who brought this video to my attention.
The video, which is embedded in the tremendous profile of Norris Eli Saslow wrote for ESPN that goes in-depth with the prospect, has made the Blue Jays hopeful one of the players to watch as Spring Training progresses and after his first appearance, Norris doesn’t seem to be buckling under the increased attention.
He made his spring debut on Thursday night against Baltimore in a game the Jays ultimately lost 5-0, working 1.2 innings, giving up a walk and a hit while striking out two.
Norris will stretch it out over his next few appearances, although his youth could keep him from heading North with the Blue Jays to begin the season, in part because the team won’t need a fifth starter right out of the chute, but also because the Toronto brain trust might be more inclined to go with a veteran like Marco Estrada, who can shuffle between the bullpen and the rotation to begin the year.
Make no mistake about it though: “The Van Man” is someone you’ll be hearing from this season and not just because of his unique place of residence during Spring Training.
