The Jays Top Prospects: By Position

I have decided that while I am trying to determine the Jays top prospects for the 2010 season, I will jot down some thoughts on how I am feeling. I tend to lean more towards guys who are in double or triple A over younger guys with "higher upside." I will list my top 5 at each position, and my top 10-15 pitchers.



Catcher


JP Arencibia - 23 years old
Drafted 21st overall in 2007, we all know that JP has serious strike zone issues. The guy walks less than Stephen Hawkins. After a big 2008 with 27 homers, his power is still there, and his walks have actually improved. He has almost as many walks this year (16) as all of last year (18) in 240 less plate appearances. As a major leaguer, I see him as a Rod Barajas type, with a little more power and more speed.


Brian Jeroloman - 24 years old
Drafted in the 6th round in 2006, Jeroloman is the opposite of Arencibia. Meaning, he is a walk machine, whose OBP should be routinely .100 above his batting average. He will need to increase his power to become a top prospect, but is still a pretty solid one. Will most likely end up a good back-up in the future, a Brian Schnieder type.


Jon Jaspe - 24 years old
Very under-rated, in my humble opinion, is Jaspe. The guy has done nothing but hit since 2005, advancing very slowly through the lower minors. Has a career average of .288 in the minors. He needs to increase his walks and power, which is probably holding him back. He is a switch hitter, which is usually pretty nice.


Kyle Phillips - 25 years old
Drafted by the Twins in 2002, Phillips quietly joined the Jays in 2007 and has hit very well for the Jays. He has been pretty incredible the last 3 years after being kind of crappy in the Twins organization. He has become a pretty legitimate option should another catcher go down. He is the younger brother of former Jay and clown-shoe Jason Phillips (who, in my opinion, populorized the ridiculous glasses fashion craze).


Jon Talley - 20 years old
A 13th pick in 2007, Talley is showing to be a pretty good hitter. His defense is questionable, allowing most people to wonder whether his future is at 1B. He had a big 2008, but is having a pretty bad 2009 so far.




Second Base


Brad Emaus - 23 years old
Drafted in the 11th round in 2007, Emaus had a big 2008 and put himself on a lot of "to watch" lists. He has advanced very quickly so far and could reach the majors next season. His bat has been pretty quiet this season after a hot start, but still has decent potential to become a decent starting 2B. He could make a very attractive trade piece in the offseason.


John Tolisano - 20 years old
Drafted as part of the magical 2007 draft, Tolisano has shown enough power this year to have me excited about his future as a 2B/LF/RF/1B/3B utility player. Sure, he hasn't played many of those positions (or any, as he has only played 2B, pretty poorly), but with his lack of on base skills of batting average is his ultimate destination.


Raul Barron - 23 years old
With not much power, Barron has still put up impressive numbers most of his minor league career. His ultimate role be utility infielder, as he is pretty much a utility player allready, but he can be a pretty decent one.


Justin McClanahan - 23 years old
He played a lot of 1B last year, and has played 3B and LF. He has some pretty solid power and it will play very well at 2B, although his defense leaves a lot to be desired.


Luis Fernandez - 21 years old
A player who seems very similar to Barron, but with better defense. Fernandez plays a mean 2B and a good SS.




Third Baseman


Scott Campbell - 24 years old
Campbell is proven to be a pretty good hitter and could make a good back-up, but I don't see the power to be a starter at a power position. He has shown a pretty good eye at the plate as well, which would make him a good number 2 hitter.


Kevin Ahrens - 20 years old
Ahrens has disapointed offensively, but still has the upside to be a pretty good player. He seems to play a pretty bad 3B and will have to improve drasitically if he doesn't want to end up in the OF.


Manuel Falcon - 19 years old
Last year and this year, Falcon has hit like a beast, but without power. He has yet to hit a HR in 503 plate appearances, but doesn't have the speed you would hope for with the lack of power. He has played a lot of 2B as well.


Rob Sobolewski - 22 years old
Has not hit very well since being drafted, but still is a guy who CAN hit. Being a college drafted guy, he doesn't have the time a high school drafted guy has.


Randy Schwartz - 23 years old
Schawrtz has mashed in rookie ball in his debut 2009 10 games. He is Canadian, so is should continue until he passes Larry Walker for most homers by a Canadian. All kidding aside, I actually hold out hope for any power prospect this team has, so am excited very prematurely.




Short Stop (which gets a top 3 due to lack of anything resembling a prospect)


Justin Jackson - 20 years old
Is still a speed guy without the power I thought would come. He needs to bulk up and could be a 20 homer - 30 steal guy with growth. His defense has been error prone, but with pretty good reviews.


Angel Sanchez - 25 years old
He has previous MLB experiance (with the Royals), but is still young and could still be something usefull.


Tyler Pastronicky - 19 years old
Pastronicky is the SS I actually want to be the "SS of the future" (because he is white). That is not actually true, but it is because the guy runs like the wind and steals bases like Jackson steals...well, I'm sure he steals something.




First Base (another pathetic crop of prospects, leading to another top 3)


Brian Dopirak - 25 years old
Dopirak was a top prospect with the Cubs, then disappeared, and now has re-emerged as a viable prospect for the Jays. He SHOULD be in AAA, but is held back by Randy Ruiz. He has a ton of power and actually seems like a pretty good hitter too.


David Cooper - 22 years old
He hit amazing his 1st season in 2008 while climbing quickly up 3 levels. He has stalled somewhat in AA and he is still waiting for his power to come along.


Mike McDade - 20 years old
If he shown anything it is that his power is starting to come around. His average and on-base percentage are still pretty lame, but he is the 3rd best propect in the system.




Outfield

Moises Sierra - 20 years old
Sierra is either having a breakout season or a fluke season. Either way, Sierra is probably the top outfield prospect in the system. His power still hasn't developed yet, but is just 20. I see him becoming an Alex Rios type, but hopefully isn't fucking disappointing.

Eric Thames - 22 years old
Thames didn't play last year, but has come out banging this year. His power should come around, and I really look forward to seeing what he can do next year.

Yohermyn Chavez - 20 years old
Chavez had a huge year in 2007 in 203 plate appearances. He had a really disappointing season last year, but has come back with a solid year so far this season. His power is developing and he is crushing his career high allready. I was thinking he was going to be a Rios type as well, but he could develop more power.

Brain Van Kirk - 23 years old
Van Kirk is a real sleeper, in my opinion. He is a .290 hitter with a .388 OBP in a full season's worth of at-bats. His SLG% is good too. He could become a very good player. I am really excited about him.

Darin Mastroianni - 23 years old
He is having a monster year so far, but it isn't the first time he has put up really big numbers. His 2007 debut season was great, and he has almost repeated the numbers. His power is down from his 2007 season, but that is not his game anyways. He runs like the fucking wind and will steal tons of bases if given the chance. If he can become a .280/.370 guy with 40-50 steals, which I think is possible, he will be a very usefull player and the type of guy the Jays have not had in a long time.

Kenny Wilson - 19 years old
Wilson is another speedster who has not hit well, but steals bases like a coloured. There was a little talk of him becoming a switch-hitter, but it seems to have sizzled. He will need to hit about .300 with a .360 obp to be a usefull player. He has plenty of time.

Marcus Brisker - 18 years old
This guy is an incredible athlete and could hit for power some day, but so far has not a single pro home run. He has stolen a decent number of bases, and could get better at that as well. Brisker is an elite athlete, but that doesn't always translate well. He is not having a good season (it has actually been pretty terrible).

Eric Eiland - 20 years old
It seems as though the Jays are growing these really athletic, toolsy outfielders. If his average can raise to about .270-.280, then his OBP will increase to a reasonable level as well. His speed will play regardless.

Adam Loewen - 25 years old
This is Loewen's first season as a hitter, full-time. I still think he will be a good player and is a good prospect, although he is not a rookie (technically). His power will probably be the last thing to come back, so he should have a better year next season.

Adam Calderone - 25 years old
He seems like a solid player who may profile as a 4th outfielder or a really good AAA player. He has some power and is ... I don't know. He doesn't seem special, but could be solid as a back-up.


Pitching

Right Handed Starter

Ray Gonzalez - 23 years old
He has been stellar pretty much since becoming a Blue Jay farm-hand. He is having another great season and is one guy I am excited to have in the system.

Kenny Rodriguez - 24 years old
He seems to have dominated high A, but got lit the fuck up in AA. He seems to strike out a lot of guys, and could be a solid back-end guy.

Kyle Ginley - 22 years old
Ginley is relieving this year, but long-term the best option is always the rotation if the player can hack it. He was very good last year and is pitching well in 3 games this season. I am looking forward to him moving back into the rotation.


Left Handed Starters

Marc Rzepczynski - 23 years old
This guy I am very excited about. He is going to be a really good pitcher, and he could arrive next season for good.

Fabio Castro - 24 years old
Castro has MLB experiance, but not enough to lose prospect status. He raped AA and is pitching well in AAA so far. I hope to see him up for a few starts in Tornoto this year, which might lose his eligibility.

Brad Mills - 24 years old
I think Castro is a better prospect than Mills due to Mills' shit-ballness. He pitched like dick in his starts in the majors, and despite his impressive minor league numbers, loses credibility. I still haven't given up on him and hope he can be a good back-end guy.

Luis Perez - 24 years old
He has good numbers and is on the 40-man roster. At some point the Jays may bring him up to take a look at him too if he continues pitching well.

James Paxton
Paxton is recent draft pick with electric stuff. If he signs, he has the potential to be an ace. I truly believe that.


Right Handed Relievers

Dan Farquhar - 22 years old
This kid seems to have some impressive stuff. He could be a big time reliever for the Jays and could arrive quickly.

Zach Dials - 23 years old
Another impressive young relief prospect that could come quickly to Toronto.

Trystan Magnuson - 24 years old
Magnuson is a monster at 6'8'' tall. His strike-outs need to come up and his walks down to be successfull as he raises levels. He could be good though.


Left Handed Reliever

Tim Collins - 19 years old
"Tiny Tim" burst onto the scene last year with massive K numbers. He is striking out a ton again this year and I hope they aggressively promote him through future levels.

Edgar Estranga - 23 years old
In AA now, Estranga has done nothing but put up impressive numbers. He could be a usefull reliever as early as mid-2010.

Frank Gailey / Matt Moody - 23 years old
These 2 are a package deal, as their numbers are pretty similar. Moody has a 1.76 ERA in 61.1 minor league innings, while Gailey has a 2.03 ERA, but with an extra year under his belt. Both could be good relievers, but they still need a lot of time and a trip through AA, which is the biggest test for prospects.


Well, that is it. My monster post on the Jays prospects is complete.