2010 Jays Draft Picks Performance Reviews for 2011 Season

As we sit here and await word on whether some of the highest Jays picks of the 2011 draft sign, I thought it would be interesting to review who the Jays drafted in 2010 and how they have performed thus far. I’m also including updates on those who did not sign in order to provide an indication of whether they were worth the attempt to sign them at all. Once you’ve read through, I’ll also provide my thoughts on the draft class at the end. Although we can’t rate Alex Anthopoulos and his newly formed scouting crew yet and will need to wait another 2-3 years before doing so, there’s a lot of information that we can review based on 2010 performances.

Here is the entire 2010 Jays draft class!

Draft Class Thoughts:

First, the Jays could have really stole the show if they had been able to get both Kris Bryant and Aaron Westlake under contract. Both players are raking in College now and will likely get drafted in the first few rounds once eligible for the draft once again. Second, most of the other “non-drafteds” seem to be sound moves as most of them are struggling to do well in 2011. The biggest surprise to me, of the class, is Logan Ehlers and his refusal of an $800K bonus. I wish I had those kahunas.

In terms of those who did sign, the list of highly touted pitchers and their performances listed above proves one major point: nothing is ever guaranteed when it comes to pitching. As it is, the most statistically impressive performances for pitcher as listed above are Nicolino, Syndergaard, McGuire, and Taylor. Some somewhat disappointing performances from Sanchez, Wojciechowski, and Murphy. A few surprises exist in Nolin and Barnes. Overall, the pitching is a mixed bag with a half dozen guys who could make a big impact on the big club.

For the hitters, nobody has disappointed as much as Sweeney, but it’s obvious that his injury had something to do with that. After a rough start, Hawkins is turning it on and may be one of the best performers of 2010. However, Marcus Knecht and Dalton Pompey take the crown as the best hitting 2010 draftees this season. Eric Arce has blossomed in the GCL after finally signing as a 2011 draftee, while Dickie Thon, Shane Opitz, JoNathan Jones, and Art Charles have held their own at their respective levels.

As a Jays fan, you have to be happy that the organization spent a ton on this draft class and seemingly has a ton of players making headway towards The Show. There are only a few players that have truly performed above expectations (Nicolino, Knecht, Syndergaard and Pompey), but it’s still a class with tons of promise and a lot of projection remaining.

I’m not sure whether or not the Jays will successfully sign the players who have yet to sign from the 2011 class, but if they can’t recognize that this organization is the one they should be playing for because it’s building for a generation of playoff contention, it’s their loss. The Jays are on the right road, and the 2010 class above proves that. Mixed with the currently young roster and stars such as Jose Bautista, Adam Lind, and Yunel Escobar, these picks and those of 2011 should go a long way to making the Jays a true contender in the best division of all of baseball.

My very early and preliminary rating of this class is an A for pitching, and a B for hitting, only because the Jays were aggressive and could have earned an A- had they signed Bryant and Westlake. We’ll see how much that changes following next season!

- MG

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