Comments on: Top 50 Jays Prospects, Jays Journal Edition: #11 Travis d’Arnaud

By: Top 50 Jays Prospects, Jays Journal Edition, Reviewed « Jays Journal | A Toronto Blue Jays Blog

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 13:24:00 +0000

[...] #11 – C Travis d’Arnaud- HiA Dunedin – 22 yo – JJ Analysis here. [...]

By: Mat Germain

Mat Germain — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 10:01:48 +0000

It can’t be ALL scouts that think d’Arnaud is better when the MLB.com ranking has Arencibia 48th and d’Arnaud outside the top 60.

I really do hope people can make a valid argument for putting d’Arnaud over the reigning PCL MVP and the guy the Jays are bringing up as their #1 catcher this season. Scouts can tell you all they want about d’Arnaud, but Arencibia’s the one that has already earned an MLB spot.

Rod Barajas….man, I certainly hope not. JPA has twice the power at a minimum. He can hit 30 in the majors….how many catchers can do that today? If you look at 2010, none did it, so JPA may be in a league of his own. If he’s as good defensively as his stats tell us, there’s no reason to think he can’t be an all-star many times over his career. I truly can’t say the same about d’Arnaud, and that makes a big difference.

Like I said, we love them both and would love to hear from d’Arnaud supporters as a result, because he’s just as important to the Jays future as JPA is and like Mylegacy said above, he’s a tremendous person as well!

By: Steve

Steve — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 01:55:49 +0000

I am assuming you will get a few messages disagreeing with the D’Arnaud over Arencibia assessment.

My view: Comparing these two is like apples and oranges.. Until we see what D’Arnuad can do at AA it’s very difficult to give him more value than JPA… D’Arnaud is still such a long way from being major league ready that A LOT can still go wrong..

All the scouts are telling us the D’Arnuad has a higher ceiling than JPA.. But the difference is that JPA has has gotten much closer to his ceiling with his performance in the PCL.. Thus, JPA has a much higher floor.. I view JPA as worst case scenario: Rod Barajas…

I tend to believe that if D’Arnaud went to the PCL and had a year like JPA did, he would get a world more credit..

By: Mylegacy

Mylegacy — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 01:00:59 +0000

We have so many talented, quite wonderful catchers that a guy like d’Arnaud (or is it D’arnaud or D’Arnaud?)who we would be proclaiming to the stars – is only seen as a “12th best” prospect.

I have a tendency to list a guy – peg a guy – and forget somewhat that he’s not a “position on a list” but a real – breathing – striving – unique person with wonderful skills and work ethic. To me Travis is a guy who I think has a ton of character and it’ll be a pleasure to watch him attempt to rise to top in a system filled with so much other delicious cream at the catching position.

ps: This freakin miserable %$&&*#@@ “Captcha Code” drives me NUTS – I keep forgetting to do it and it YELLS at me to do it or else – too much like my first wife!