Tim Mayza's current manager describes him as a rare commodity. His pitching coach called the left-hander a near-finished product.

            Vince Horsman, the pitching coach with the Double A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, says he can envision Mayza pitching in

Toronto in September.  "Tim has Major League stuff," Horsman said. "The dude can pitch."

            According to the pitching coach, Mayza will determine when and how far he progresses through the Blue Jays' minor league system.

            Horsman said Mayza compares favorably to Jake McGee, a late inning reliever the Colorado Rockies in his eighth major league season, must learn how to better sequence his pitches and move beyond past difficult performances. Developing more consistency with his slider would help Mayza significantly, according to New Hampshire manager Gary Allenson.

            "When Tim gets on top of his slider, he's pretty good," Allenson said. "There are not many left handers who throw as hard as him."

            On Sunday afternoon at Reading's First Energy Stadium, Mayza earned his third save of the season in an 8-7 victory over the Fightin' Phillies.

            The 2010 Upper Perkiomen High School graduate notched his second two-inning save of the season despite allowing a leadoff home run in the ninth inning. He induced a game-ending pop-up with the potential game-winning run on base.

            Though Mayza, 25, has emerged as his team's primary closer, save opportunities have been rare for the Fisher Cats, who have just 14 victories in the Eastern League.

            In 16 appearances, Mayza has posted a 1-1 record with a 6.16 ERA. In 19 innings, he has registered 23 strikeouts. According to Horsman, the pitcher has thrown the ball better than his numbers portray.

            "I don't believe I am struggling," Mayza said Saturday night outside New Hampshire's clubhouse following his team's 9-1 victory. "I'm doing a good job getting hitters where I want them. I need to figure out how to put guys away."

            According to Horsman, opposing hitters appear to capitalize on every mistake Mayza makes. The pitching coach said everyone on the struggling team appears to be pressing.

            The day before the Fisher Cats arrived in Reading, Mayza allowed an opposite-field home run on a 1-2 slider, according to Horsman.  "Tim did everything right," said Horsman, who pitched in the big leagues for Toronto, Oakland and Minnesota in the early 1990s. "He threw a slider that he got around which backed up right over the plate."

            The pitching coach said Mayza, who has blown three save opportunities this season, needs to learn how to put negative experiences behind him.

            "Tim takes those mistakes hard," Horsman said Friday afternoon before the first game of the series. "He feels like his is letting the team down."

            Mayza, who admitted to putting a lot of pressure on himself to succeed, said he's still adapting to the new role, which requires multiple high-stress pitches.  "I'm learning to handle the situation," said Mayza, drafted by the Blue Jays in the 12th round of the 2013 First Year Players Draft out of Millersville University.

            Horsman, who coached Mayza last year in Class-A Dunedin and in the Arizona Fall League, said Mayza has made significant progress on the mound this season. According to the coach, the pitcher is throwing more strikes.  "Now it's a matter of throwing more quality strikes," Horsman said.

            Mayza caught the attention of scouts and team officials during the final stretch of the fall league, a showcase for the game's top prospects, according to Horsman.

            According to Allenson, Mayza forced his way onto the radar of Toronto team executives during Spring Training. The pitcher spent the entire preseason in major league camp with the Blue Jays, posting a 0-1 record with a 3.86 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP.

            An appearance before 50,000 spectators in Montreal's Olympic Stadium capped his spring. Mayza called it a career-changing event. He said it showed him the organization trusts his ability.

            "Tim had a hell of a spring," said Allenson, a former catcher who spent six seasons with Boston and Toronto Blue Jays. "He threw the ball really well."