Top 20 Prospects As Of Spring Training
1.) Travis d’Arnaud
Was there really ever any doubt? The 2011 Eastern League MVP showed off his multi-faceted game, by hitting well over .300 with 20 HRs and leading a staff throughout the playoffs to a Championship. He’s the best catching prospect in the game, and might just be a top 10 prospect. He will start the year in Las Vegas.
2.) Jake Marisnick
Marisnick had a stellar year as well in 2011. After being taken in the 3rd round in 2009, Marisnick broke out in Lansing. He showed off his 5-tool abilities, hitting .320 with 14 HRs and 37 stolen bases, to go along with plus defence. Marisnick has the potential to be a Matt Kemp-like star. He will start the year at Single A, but he won’t be there for long.
3.) Noah Syndergaard
Syndergaard is a fireballer. He’s big, projectable, and has immense talent. He put up ridiculous numbers at Bluefield before putting up great numbers at Vancouver. He has #2 starter upside. He will start the year in Single A.
4.) Anthony Gose
Runs like Hayes, so it’s a shame that he can’t hit like Mays.
Anthony Gose has a ridiculous amount of speed, stealing 70 bases and getting caught just 15 times. However, he hit just .253 in AA. He showed some pop, with 16 homers, but that isn’t exactly useful in a leadoff man. If he can hit for contact, he could be a star. He’ll start the year at AAA.
5.) Daniel Norris
Daniel Norris is something special. Very rarely does an arm that hasn’t played in the pros yet make ESPN’s top 100 prospects list. So it’s all the more impressive that Daniel Norris, a high school lefty, did just that. There isn’t much info on Norris, as he’s coming out of high school. He was ranked the best pitcher in the draft by some, and would’ve been a top 5 pick, had there not been signablilty concerns. He was rumoured to be asking for 5M, but only signed for 2M. The Jays just might have gotten the steal of the draft with this pick. He’ll start the year at A.
6.) Aaron Sanchez
Aaron Sanchez has great raw stuff. It’d be even better if he could actually control it. Sanchez wasn’t very good in the Appy League or in Vancouver last year, so that he’ll be promoted to Lansing is incredibly debatable. As just stated, he will start the year off in Lansing A ball.
7.) Justin Nicolino
Justin Nicolino is more or less the exact opposite of Aaron Sanchez. While he doesn’t exactly through the hardest, he knows how to pitch. He’s got great control, and a great feel for pitching. Nicolino was absolutely ridiculous in Vancouver last year, putting up a stupid good 1.03 ERA in 12 games, 9 of them started. He gave up just 28 hits and 11 walks in 52.1 innings pitched, with 64 strikeouts and a .156 BAA. The only reason Sanchez is higher ranked than him is because Sanchez was drafted higher. Based on how they perform, though, watch Sanchez and Nicolino to battling to move up the depth charts. He’ll start in Lansing A Ball.
8.) Adeiny Hechavarria
Hechavarria will probably be the first of these prospects to be promoted. He could win multiple gold gloves throughout his career, but whether he’ll be able to hit enough to stay in the lineup remains to be seen. The prized Cuban shortshop, the 16M dollar prospect, only hit .235 at AA last year. Hitting coach Chad Mottola worked wonders with him after he was promoted, however, and during his 25 games in Las Vegas, he hit a ridiculous .389. Las Vegas does inflate some numbers, but that’s off the charts. If he can keep that up, he’ll be promoted in no time. He’ll start the year in AAA Las Vegas.
9.) Kevin Comer
Comer slipped during the 2011 draft because of signability concerns, however, they might have had a steal (I’m sensing a pattern here). Comer only signed for $1,650,000 out of high school, were he struck out 16 batters in one game once. He’s big, projectable, and exactly what the Blue Jays like. He’ll start the year in single A.
10.) Jacob Anderson
Jacob Anderson was yet another slipper during the 2011 draft. I’m really seeing a pattern here. He’s sort of like Jacob Marisnick, only more highly touted. The number 35 pick in the draft, he’s a five tool guy. I see him having a breakout year like Marisnick had. He doesn’t do one thing great, but he does everything good, as the old saying goes. I expect him to be competing for a roster spot on the MLB team. He’ll start the year in Single A.
11.) Adonys Cardona
For an introduction to the pro game, Cardona struck out 10.1 Gulf Coast League batters per nine innings in 2011. There’s more to him than just getting hitters to swing and miss. To go along with his fastball that should be plus, he looks like he should have both a good curve and changeup as he develops. He needs to refine everything, but given that he’ll pitch all of 2012 at age 18, there’s time for him to reach his very large potential.
12.) Deck McGuire
While McGuire may not have the ceiling of some of the young guns in the Blue Jays’ system, he does have a four-pitch mix, an idea of what to do with them and excellent mound presence. The Georgia Tech standout’s pitches - fastball, curve, slider and changeup - can be average or better as he develops. Drafted as a pitcher who could move quickly, and he made it to Double-A in his first full season. If he continues to command the ball and mix his pitches well, he’ll continue to move quickly. He profiles as a No. 3-type starter, a reliable and durable workhorse who could be big league ready soon.
13.) A.J. Jimenez
It’s tough to be a catching prospect in this system, what with J.P. Arencibia in the big leagues and Travis d’Arnaud at the upper levels, but Jimenez is one to watch. He’s thrown out 42 percent of would-be basestealers in his career and has shown a knack for making consistent contact, hitting better than .300 in each of the past two seasons. He’ll keep moving up, giving the Blue Jays a good problem to have.
14.) Marcus Knecht
Home town hero, here! A Canadian, straight from Toronto, Knecht profiles to be a good fourth outfielder, if not a starter some day. He can do everything well, and the fact that he’s Canadian guarantees that we’ll, at the least, give him a shot. He’ll start the year in Single A.
15.) Danny Barnes
Barnes is a 22 year old closer with a below average arm that somehow manages to get guys out. Closers are generally fireballers, but he isn’t, so he’d better have some very good control. He’ll start in Single A, but he might not be there for long.
16.) Dwight Smith Jr.
Ranked as the best pure hitter in the draft of 2011, Smith Jr has MLB bloodlines, with a father who played outfield for the Cubs. He’ll battle to be moved up the depth charts. He’ll also start in single A.
17.) Sam Dyson
Dyson isn’t a fireballer, he doesn’t get many strikeouts, but he does one important thing very well; He gets a LOT of ground balls. We’d have seen more of him, but he was injured all of last year. If he performs, he could be a surprise call up. He’ll start in single A.
18.) Matt Dean
Dean is a power hitting 3B that was one of the best bats in the 2011 MLB Draft. With Lawrie at 3rd, he’ll probably be converted to either a corner outfield position, or, more likely, second base.
19.) Roberto Osuna
Roberto Osuna is one that excites the organization, even if he’s a bit far away from Toronto. His uncle is Antonio Osuna, the long-time big league reliever and the teenager has some Major League caliber stuff himself. Just a teenager making his U.S. debut, he already features a fastball in the 89-94 mph range. He has the makings of both a good breaking ball and a feel for a changeup. Jays fans might have to be patient, but the payoff might be substantial.
20.) Chris Hawkins
Hawkins had a very solid Appalachian League campaign in 2011, hitting for average and stealing some bases while getting accustomed to playing left field. He showed some extra-base pop from the left side of the plate and that should develop into a bit more home run power. He’s a decent runner with good instincts on the basepaths, and he should be a good corner outfield option down the line.
Honorable Mentions; Chad Jenkins, Michael Crouse, Kellen Sweeney, Dickie Thon, Sean Nolin.