A Look Back: 2006 Top Prospects

I wanted to look back on Baseball America's top 10 list for the Blue Jays and see just how accurate they have been with the Jays top prospects in recent memory.

I will starting with, you guessed it, 2006.

The top 10:

Dustin McGowan, RHP (Best FB, Best Slider)
D-Mac pitched 27.1 innings in the majors, with poor results. He also didn't pitch that well in AAA while he has down there. His stock was falling. In 2007, he dominated AAA briefly, and was solid in 169.2 IP in the majors. He was again decent in 2008 before suffering an injury, which has put his career in jeopardy. BA hit the nail on this one, as McGowan has all the talent to be a number 1 starter, but injury problems have prevented it so far.

Ricky Romero, LHP
Being a 1st round draft pick the year before, this was kind of the default place to put him in a weak farm system. He pitched very well in A+ before struggling a bit in AA. 2007 was a repeat of 2006, same levels, similar results. 2008 continued his lack of success in AA, but got a promotion to AAA anyway and showed that he deserved it by pitching very well. In 2009, he earned an opening day rotation spot and with the expection of 3 Boston Red Sox games, has been tremendous. He is a top candidate for Rookie of the Year, and should be a rotation member for years to come.

David Purcey, LHP
Another 1st round pick, Purcey is a talented, but erractic lefty. He put up sub-par numbers in AA/AAA in 2006, and followed it up by being pretty bad in AA in 2007. 2008, he dominated AAA and then put up some poor numbers in the majors, with expection of a few starts against the Tampa Rays. 2009 has been a nightmare for Purcey, pitching terribly in the majors and pretty badly in AAA. His future is looking dimmer with each passing start.

Adam Lind, OF/1B (Best Hitter For Average)
My curre favourite Blue Jay, Lind did everything he could to prove himself as the future in 2006, putting up incredible numbers in AA and AAA before earning a september call-up, where he showed a sweet swing and put up really good numbers. 2007 was a very disappointing season, as he performed poorly and was sent to AAA, where he hit incredibly well. 2008 was supposed to be his year, but when he struggled, he was demoted. He hit very well in AAA, earning a call-up with the hiring of Cito. Lind went on the fiish the season hitting very well, leading to his incredible 2009. I always compared him to Shawn Green, and it is starting to look like a good comparison.

Josh Banks, RHP (Best Control)
In AAA in 2006/2007, Banks pitched poorly, although he didn't walk too many guys. He got a call-up in 2007 and pitched poorly. In 2008, he again pitched bad in AAA and was acquired by San Diego, where he pitched bad in AAA. He did pitch decently in 85.1 Major League innings in 2008. 2009 has been a similar story for Banks, getting lit up in the majors. He has pitched very well in the minors this year though.

Casey Janssen, RHP
2006 was Janssen's first MLB season. He pitched pretty unimpressively in AAA, and was nothing special in the majors. 2007 was a fantastic season for Janssen, pitching in 70 games out of the bullpen. He suffered an injury though, and missed the entire 2008 season. His comeback in 2009 has been interesting. He struggled as a starter, and was sent to the minors to work things out. He pitched at 4 different levels in the minors, starting and relieving. He is back in the majors now, coming out of the bullpen. I think he belongs there, and hope he can somehow recapture the success he found in 2007.

Brandon League, RHP
Earning the nickname "Mensa" for his cluelessness and downright ridiculousness, Brandon League is one the most talented and frustrated relief pitchers in the Major Leagues. Armed with a mid-90's sinking fastball and a nasty splitter, League can be lights out when he is on. Which is about a third of the time. In 42.2 MLB innings and in his minor league time in 2006, he was stellar. 2007, he pitched well in the minors, but poorly in the bigs. 2008 was anoth "on" year in the majors, and also pitched well in the minors. So far in 2009, all spent in the majors, he has been very erriatic. He seems to be a one bad year, one good year kind of pitcher. His inconsistancy will prevent him from ever being a shut down guy at the back of a good Major League bullpen.

Fransisco Rosario, RHP
Rosario was always a guy with great pure stuff. He just never seemed able to harnass it for extended periods of time. He pitched well as a starter/reliever in AAA in 2006, leading to his MLB debut, where he was inconsistant and pretty awfull. He went to the Phillies system in 2007, pitching poorly in the MLB and A ball. 2008 was bad, as he pithed only 2.2 IP in A ball. He hasn't been in afiliated ball since.

Curtis Thigpen, C (Best Strike-Zone Disc.)
Earning his "best strike-zone discipline" label, he had an impressive OBP in 2006 in AA/AAA, leading to his being labeled "catcher of the future." After starting very well in AAA, 2007 was the year of his MLB call-up, where he was poor. 2008 was a bad year, as he was dreadfull in the majors and terrible in AAA. He was shipped to Oakland prior to 2009, but hasn't played this year in MLB/AAA.

Vince Perkins, LHP
A Canadian, Perkins has bounced around a lot for a guy on a top 10 list. I guess it shows how shallow the Jays farm has been, although Marcum should've been in the top 10. Perkins didn't pitch in 2006, and was sent to Milwaukee. He pitched badly in 2007, leading to his banishment from afiliated ball. He pitched some inconsistant ball in the independants in 2008, but apparently it was enough to get a minor league deal with the Cubs. in 2009, he has been very good in AA/AAA. Still just 27 years old, Perkins still has a shot as a lefty out the bullpen.


Honerable Mentions:

Best Power Hitter: Chip Cannon
Cannon showed why he labeled as such by belting 27 HR in 2006 in AA. He somehow didn't get promoted in 2007, andstruggled in a repeat of AA. 2008 was his AAA season and his power vanished, taking away all the value he possessed. He signed on with the Rays organization, where he is a AA back-up, hitting terribly.

Faster Baserunner, Best Defensive OF, Best OF Arm: Miguel Negron
"Alex" Negron has bounced around alot in his minor league career, and the Jays gave up on the talented 23 year old mid season, as he ended the season in the Cubs organization, hitting well. 2007, he moved to the Mets organization, where he shat the AAA bed, but made some recovery in AA. He signed on with the White Sox and spent 2008 hitting very well in AA, and is playing pretty decent ball in AAA in 2009. He seems to be a terrible base stealer, as he has been caught 79 times, while only stealing 138 bases over his minor league career.

Best Athlete: Yuber Rodriguez
It seems that this honor is bestowed upon a random player who doesn't put up good numbers, but has a bunch of "tools." Well, Yuber fits that as his minor league numbers, aside from 2004 (which was amazing), are dreadfull. He seems to be decent base stealer, but his OBP is so bad that he doesn't get many chances. He left the Jays system in 2008 for the Reds and played awfull. Since no 2009 data is present, I will assume he killed himself. Sad story.

Best Curveball: Kyle Yates
After pitching well as a 23 year old in AA in 2006, he was mediocre in his 2007 repeat of AA. 2008 was a bad year, as he pitched terribly, and was released. He pitched allright in Indy ball. 2009 has a blank slate, but he is still just 26. He my turn up in Indy ball yet.

Best Changeup: Shaun Marcum
2006 was a back and forth year for Marcum, who started and relieved in the MLB, to mediocre results. He also started and relieved in AAA to great results. 2007 was a good year as he established himself as a future member of the rotation with good numbers as a starter in the Majors. 2008 was validation of his success in 2007, as he was excellent before getting hurt. He recovered pretty quickly from Tommy John and has pitched 5 rehab starts and they have all been good. He is on track to be back in the MLB rotation for 2010.

Best Defensive Catcher: Erik Kratz
His defense may have been what got him noticed, but without some offense you never move up the ladder. Kratz never hit above .250 from 2006-2008 at any level for the Jays. In 2009, Kratz found AAA in the Pirates system to his liking and has put up some good numbers (I believe he was a AAA all-star as well). If his defense is still highly regarded, he could see a future as a MLB back-up.

Best Defensive IF, Best IF Arm: Manuel Mayorson
2006 and 2007 were spent in AA, where he was average, and showed flashes of speed, but poor base-running instincts. He moved the Marlins organization in 2008, where he tore up AA and played well in AAA. He started off 2009 poorly in AAA and has appeared to moved back the Jays organization. He is hitting poorly in a small AA sample size.


Well, that was interesting. It took a long time, and I doubt I will end up doing 2007's top prospects, as it mostly full of guys still working their way up with poor results. And that would be depressing as fuck.