July 18, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; Houston Astros relief pitcher Brandon Lyon (37) pitches against the San Diego Padres during the sixth inning at PETCO Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-US PRESSWIRE

On first glance, I have to admit that the Jays are sending a whole lot of talent over to the Astros in return for a pitching upgrade. It’s far more prudent, however, to look through the entire package before jumping to conclusions. For this year, I absolutely love this deal. It gives the Jays a #4 caliber pitcher who can chew up a lot of innings and support the current staff. The Jays also improve the pen a great deal by simply dealing Francisco Cordero, but get even better since they can replace him with Brandon Lyon. Finally, the Jays improve a great deal on the bench and in the OF with the replacement of Ben Francisco with Travis Snider. As I proposed yesterday, all of this makes the Jays younger, and much better for the remainder of 2012.

For this season, it’s no contest, the Jays flat out win this deal. But what about the ever after?

Before we touch on anything else, we need to know the age, cost, and controllability of each player.

To the Toronto Blue Jays: (more…)

Now, making his full season debut as a member of a dominant Lansing Lugnuts starting rotation, Syndergaard hasn’t allowed an earned run in three outings, with 14 strikeouts to three walks in nine innings of work. He has been working hard on developing his curveball, and I was able to catch up with the big Texan this week in Lansing to discuss the progress that he’s made on the pitch, prospect hype, velocity and much more.

The video below was taken from the third inning of Syndergaard’s start this past Monday, when he racked up his sixth strikeout of the night (fourth swinging) after retiring South Bend Silver Hawks designated hitter Gerson Montilla with a curveball. Even if Montilla hadn’t swung so far out in front of the pitch, it would have been a called third strike on the outside corner of the plate at his knees.

-JM

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No. 29: Griffin Robert Murphy

Starting pitcher / 21 years old / 6′3″ 200 lbs

Born: January 16, 1991 in Highland, California

Bats: Right Throws: Left

High School: Redlands East Valley (Redlands, CA)

College: N/A

Acquired: Drafted by the Blue Jays in the 2nd round (61st overall) of the 2010 Amateur Draft

Pre-2011 Rank: 19

Quick Facts:

• Was scouted by every AL East team except the Orioles
• Went 11-1 with a 1.35 ERA in 73 innings (15 games) as a high school senior, including 104 strikeouts and 20 walks for an uncanny 5:1 ratio
• Baseball America 2010 High School All-America 3rd Team selection
• In preparation for the rigors of a minor league baseball schedule, he was forced by his father to travel to baseball showcases and tournaments by himself and plan everything in advance

Career stats:

GCL Blue Jays team ranking (min. 25 IP):

• 1st in starts (11), hits allowed (48), runs (27) and home runs (6)
• 2nd in innings pitched (41.0)
• T-2nd in earned runs (20)
• 3rd in strikeouts (39)
• T-3rd in losses (2)
• T-4th in walks (16) and wild pitches (5)
• T-5th in wins (2) and HBP (3)

Video:

MLB.com draft video from 2010 can be found here

Extra Information and previous experience:

The Blue Jays selected the top-ranked high school lefty in the 2011 draft, but they also did so the year before when they took Southern California product Griffin Murphy, who significantly boosted his stock by upping his average fastball velocity by over three miles per hour and into the low 90s weeks before the draft.

Murphy has above-average command of his fastball, which is something that he was praised for prior to the draft given its rarity among high school pitchers. Against left and right-handed batters alike, Murphy can throw his primary offering inside, outside, high or low, consistently hitting spots with it when he needs to. He rounds out his standard starting pitcher’s repertoire with an improved mid-70s curveball and low-80s changeup that is still a work in progress.

Though he has room to improve both of his off-speed pitches, Murphy has shown that he’s been able to throw either of them for strikes on occasion, which bodes well against hitters in the lower levels of the minors, who typically sit on fastballs. Despite this, Murphy had some hiccups in his first taste of pro ball.

After working through the months of extended spring training in 2011, Murphy made his pro debut with the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Blue Jays in June. He overpowered opposing hitters in his first two starts, allowing three earned runs on six hits in nine innings with 14 strikeouts to only two walks, but ran into some trouble in five July starts when he struggled with his command. He issued seven walks, hit three batters and gave up five home runs in roughly 17 innings that month, before calming down in his final four starts of the year and allowing just one run in August.

Murphy finished the year overall with a 4.39 ERA/4.59 FIP in 11 starts, along with averaging over three walks and almost nine strikeouts per nine innings. He did, however, give up over 10 hits per nine as well — an underwhelming stat for an old-for-his-level pitcher facing inexperienced and much younger competition. Given the extreme uselessness of rookie ball numbers, though, it’s important to look at the reasons why Murphy didn’t have as dominant of a rookie-ball campaign as he would have liked.

As you can see in the MLB.com draft video via the link above, Murphy has a lot going on in his quirky delivery and, like the majority of young pitchers, repeating it has been an issue for him. Leaving balls up in the zone more often than not led to him getting hit hard in the middle of the season, and being able to throw downhill more consistently will be the biggest thing he’ll work on in 2012.

Having turned 21 in January without any experience above rookie ball, though, Murphy’s future is becoming cloudy. Failing to make a full season club this year and once again staying back in extended spring training means that he’ll have to impress at his first destination, likely short season-A Vancouver, to have any hopes of getting back on the radar, with a late-season promotion to Lansing almost a necessity at this point.

Expected 2012 team: Vancouver Canadians (Short-season A)

Ultimate ceiling if he puts it all together: No. 4 starter

People have seemed to give up on Murphy because of this, but after seeing him for the first time in spring training in March, I’m intrigued to watch how he fares this season. The pressure will be certainly on him, but as a hard worker with good pitchability, Murphy could make great strides this season, especially if his mechanical adjustments give his curveball–his out pitch–more bite.

-JM

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No. 31: Dickie Thon

Shortstop / 20 years old / 6′2″ 185 lbs

Born: November 16th, 1991 in Houston, Texas

Bats: Right    Throws: Right

High School: Academia Perpetio Socorro (San Juan, Puerto Rico)

College: Signed a letter of intent with Rice University

Acquired: Drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 5th round (156th overall) of the 2010 Amateur Draft, signed for a $1.5 million bonus ($1,338,900 above slot) on August 16, 2010

Pre-2011 Rank: 18

Quick Facts:

• Favorite baseball player is Mickey Mantle
• Son of former Houston Astros infielder Dickie Thon
• Grew up in the United States before moving to Puerto Rico for high school
• Roomed with Jays catching prospect A.J. Jimenez during 2010 instructs
• Former Blue Jay Jose Cruz Jr. is his agent

Career Stats:

Interviews:

• For much more background information on Thon, see my interview with him here
  

Video:

• MLB.com’s 2010 Draft coverage video:

Extra Information and previous experience:

In the spring of 2010, when the Blue Jays were scouting Adeiny Hechavarria, six members of their scouting department watched another shortstop a total of 12 times in his home country of Puerto Rico. His name was Dickie Thon, and a few months later, he was drafted in the fifth round before eventually being handed a $1.5 million signing bonus from the Jays. In addition to being the Jays’ second-highest bonus of the 2010 draft, the figure far surpassed MLB’s recommended slot amount of $161,100.

Due to a strong commitment to Rice University and some candid comments in the media from his father, Thon signed late and did not see any professional action in his draft year as a result. Though he did report to instructs down in Dunedin in the fall and play pro ball in Puerto Rico that winter, Thon had his eyes set on making his pro debut as a member of the Blue Jays organization in 2011.

While he did manage to make his debut last June with the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays, it wasn’t without a few complications. After reporting to spring training and undergoing a routine physical, Thon was initially diagnosed with a blood disorder and was forced to miss some time. But upon further review, it turned out that the Texas native actually had a rare type of kidney disease and was forced to stay on the disabled list for practically all of extended spring training.

After going 7-for-21 (.333) in his first seven games, Thon had a good July at the plate, hitting .269 in 20 contests with a double and three home runs. More impressively, though, were his 16 walks in only 71 plate appearances, which helped him finish the month with a .449 on-base percentage and .911 OPS. He managed only four singles in his final 43 at-bats of the year after that, but his showing in the Gulf Coast League was a beneficial first step to his career.

Thon has improved his pitch recognition considerably and possesses above-average plate discipline. He projects to have some pop in his bat, but he understands that the power will come naturally once he fills out his frame and consistently finds the right pitch to hit. He’s an above-average hitter with good bad speed and projects to be the kind of hitter managers want at the top of their lineup, as he can be both aggressive and extremely patient at the plate when needed.

A gifted overall athlete, Thon played basketball and volleyball in high school while playing baseball, and his natural athleticism shows in the defensive side of his game. He’s never flashy, but makes some of the harder plays look routine and he has the ability to be an above-average defender with an above-average arm. His good footwork and positioning complement his soft hands, and he has inherited incredible baseball instincts from his father that help him as well, especially when reading the ball off of the bat.

Expected 2012 Team: Bluefield Blue Jays (Rookie)

Ultimate ceiling if he puts it all together: Everyday MLB shortstop

Having played just 45 games and missed significant development time since being drafted in 2010, it’s likely that the Jays will keep Thon in extended spring training this year and have him report to another short season club, likely Bluefield or even Vancouver since the team already likes what they see in the 20-year-old. Thon is still considered quite raw, but a strong year from start to finish could work wonders for him in 2013.

“He is coming off a tough year, but he’s worked real hard to put himself in good position,” Thons’s father said in a recent interview with Examiner.com. “He’s going to keep trying to prove himself.”

- JM

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No. 32: Sean Patrick Nolin

Starting Pitcher / 22 years old / 6′5″ 235 lbs

Born: December 26, 1989 in Seaford, New York

Bats: Left    Throws: Left

High School: Seaford (Seaford, NY)

College: San Jacinto JC (Houston, TX)

Acquired: Drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 6th round (186th overall) of the 2010 Amateur Draft, signed on July 23, 2010.

Pre-2011 Rank: N/A

Quick Facts:

• Learned to throw a curveball as his first off-speed pitch
• Was always a pitcher, but dabbled with first base and the outfield in high school
• Grew up a Yankees fan, though his father was a Mets fan
• Played on the same college teams as 2011 Blue Jays draft pick David Rollins
• Majored in General Studies
• Was in his apartment at school in Houston when he discovered that he was drafted by the Blue Jays
• Helped new teammate Justin Nicolino get acclimated to Midwest League hitters

Career stats:

Lansing Lugnuts team ranking (min. 3 GS):

• 1st in strikeouts (113)
• T-1st in walks (31)
• T-2nd in starts (21) and home runs allowed (9)
• 3rd in innings pitched (108.1) and earned runs (42)
• 4th in ERA (3.49), hits (102) and WHIP (1.23)

Extra Information and previous experience:

Growing up in Seaford, New York and the Long Island area, Nolin attended a pre-draft showcase in 2008 when he was in high school and impressed an onlooker from Laar University so much that he was referred to San Jacinto College in Houston, Texas. That year, he was drafted by the Brewers in the 50th round but decided to, understandably, go to school at San Jacinto instead in an effort to boost his draft stock.

As a freshman in 2009, Nolin went 4-1 with a 2.72 ERA in 46 1/3 innings, striking out 56 and walking 25. He ended up getting drafted once again that year, this time by the Mariners in the 48th round, but again did not sign and returned for another college season.

It turned out to be a great move, as Nolin went 13-0 with 84 strikeouts and a tidy 1.98 ERA as a sophomore en route to being named to the NJCAA All-Region XIV team. In the 2010 draft, the Blue Jays felt that they had seen enough from the left-hander and selected him in the sixth round with the 186th-overall pick. Growing up a Yankees fan and following the AL East closely as a teenager, Nolin knew all about the Blue Jays.

After pitching over 100 innings that year, Nolin decided to use the signing period as an opportunity to take a break and let his body recover. When he made his professional debut with the Gulf Coast League Jays at the end of July, he fanned four hitters and allowed one hit in two scoreless frames. The outing was good enough to earn him a promotion to the Jays’ former short-season A affiliate, the Auburn Doubledays of the New York-Penn League.

There, Nolin made six starts with mixed results. While he did manage to rack up 22 strikeouts in 19 1/3 innings (10.2 K/9), he also gave up 25 hits (11.6 H/9) and nine walks while limping to a 6.05 ERA. His results were likely attributed to fatigue after a busy college season, but it was also noted that he was out of shape and could benefit from improving in that regard. At that time (August 2010), he had spotty command of a 84-88 mph fastball, a decent feel for a high-70′s changeup and a curveball that needed a lot of work.

Over one year later, a lot has changed.

After working extremely hard over the 2010-11 offseason to get in shape, a very slimmed-down Nolin reported to spring training almost as practically a new pitcher. Having been more than stretched out in his draft year, he reported to Lansing in April for full-season ball and, after making a couple of relief appearances that month, he eventually became a full-time member of the Lugnuts’ starting rotation. He reaped the positive effects of his improved physique, which made his pitches crisper overall and even added a few ticks to his fastball that topped out at 94 but was routinely in the 89-91 mph range.

Stats-wise, Nolin’s 2011 season was certainly a success. In 25 games (21 starts), he fashioned a 3.49 ERA/3.16 FIP to go along with a team-high 113 strikeouts in 108 1/3 innings. He cut down his walk rate, limited opposing hitters to a .681 OPS, kept runners in check with his impressive pickoff move and managed a 6.6 strikeout-to-walk ratio against left-handed hitters.

Like all pitchers at his level, though, Nolin has some things to work on as well. Although he has an intimidating look on the mound, he’s not a power pitcher at all–consistently hitting high 80′s/low-90′s on the radar gun–but doesn’t make up for it with his command, at least for now. His four-seam grip changeup is his best off-speed pitch, but it still has a ways to go to consistently be even a major-league average pitch. His curveball is still considered a work in progress and he added a slider this year while toying with a cut version of his fastball, but none of the offerings are considered average pitches yet.

Expected 2012 team: Dunedin Blue Jays (A-Advanced)

Ultimate ceiling if he puts it all together: No. 5 starter

Seeing Nolin in spring training this year, the first word that comes to mind is big. He towers over his teammates and it’s easy to see why he’s able to throw the ball on a great downhill plane. Command struggles with his off-speed repertoire and some bouts of inconsistency are what he’ll look to work on while with Dunedin this season but, as a southpaw, even if he’s able to be more consistent with his changeup and develop it into a more reliable weapon, he could have success with a great complement to his fastball.

After flying under the radar last year, Nolin certainly made a name for himself in 2011. He has some work to do in 2012, but given how much he work he did one offseason ago, there’s reason to think that he’ll continue to improve.

-JM

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No. 34: Mitchell Burton Taylor

Starting pitcher / 19 years old / 6′0″ 155 lbs

Born: May 11, 1992 in Spring, Texas

Bats: Left    Throws: Left

High School: Spring (Spring, TX)

College: N/A

Acquired: Drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 7th round (216th overall) of the 2010 Amateur Draft, signed for $367,500 ($217,500 above slot) on August 5, 2010.

Jersey Number: 3 for the Bluefield Blue Jays

Pre-2011 Rank: 38

Quick Facts:

• Had committed to Houston prior to signing with the Blue Jays
• Was a 1st team all-district and 2nd team all-Houston selection in his senior year of high school
• Went to the same high school as Red Sox ace Josh Beckett
• Credited with carrying his team to and throughout the Texas 5-A playoffs, which improved his draft stockn
• When he signed his deal, it was the most above-slot deal to date for any 2010 draftee

Career stats:

Bluefield Blue Jays team ranking (among starters):

• 1st in strikeouts (61)
• T-1st in wins (4) and hit batters (4)
• 2nd in innings pitched (55.1), hits (50) and earned runs (26)
• T-2nd in home runs (5)
• T-3rd in losses (2)
• 4th in starts (8) and K/9 (9.9)
• 5th in walks (14), WHIP (1.16)
• 6th in ERA (4.23)

Video:

Extra Information and previous experience:

Considered by some as a steal in the 7th round of the 2010 draft, Mitchell Taylor signed late while negotiating his contract, one that wound up being worth more than double Major League Baseball’s recommended slot amount.

As a result, his professional debut was postponed until last year, where he put together an interesting season with Bluefield Blue Jays, to say the least.

While it’s easy to notice Taylor’s smaller 6-foot, 170-pound frame–he weighed merely 150 pounds just over one year ago–it’s hard not to notice his pitching ability.

The anchor of his high school squad, one reason that Taylor has found success up until this point of his career because of his ability to locate his fastball, a four-seam offering that sits between 90 and 93 miles per hour. He can throw a two-seam variation of it as well that usually registers a tick lower than his four-seamer, usually 90-91 mph. While he needs to work on repeating his delivery, his fastball can consistently find the strike zone when he does not overthrow and everything is mechanically sound.

Speaking of Taylor’s mechanics, they’re quite unique. As you can see in the video from the link above, he has an unusually-high leg kick and fully extends his right leg instead of bending it at the knee, following that with a loose, smooth throwing action. He’s deceptive on the mound and conceals the ball well, which works wonders for his three off-speed pitches.

Though his can throw sliders and changeups, Taylor’s out pitch is his hard-breaking curveball, which is considered to have plus potential and be his best pitch. At times, the left-hander struggles to locate his slider, something that can also be said about his loopy curveball. His changeup can be a respectable offering one day and completely different the next, so he’ll definitely be looking to be more consistent with his entire off-speed repertoire in 2012.

After struggling in his first two appearances with Bluefield in June, Taylor was utterly dominant for nearly the next six weeks. He went 2-0 with a sparkling 1.35 ERA in 26 2/3 July innings, racking up 25 strikeouts while limiting opposing hitters to a .198 average. Then, after being named the Appalachian League’s Pitcher of the Week on August 1, he did not allow a hit or issue a walk in five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts.

While there was no denying Taylor’s ability before the season, it seemed his early season success went to his head.

“I threw two [no-hitters] in high school and just missed a third,” the 19-year-old told MiLB.com in an interview published on August 5, 2011. “I’ve hit my midseason stride. My mechanics are really sound, so I don’t have to do as much mentally.”

Ironically, some of what Taylor has to work on the most going forward is changing mentally.

He was electric in his first appearance following his five-inning no-hitter — two hits and nine strikeouts in four scoreless innings of relief. But after that, he surrendered 15 earned runs on 18 hits in 12 1/3 innings in his next three starts, including nine earned runs in two innings in his final outing of the season.

On paper, one could attribute Taylor’s ineffective final outings to fatigue, and be quick to point out that although he finished with a bloated 6.33 ERA in August, he struck out 27 batters while walking only two. There was, however, much more going on with him than the numbers indicated. He was able to get away with his inconsistency, which won’t be the case as he continues up the minor league ladder.

One night he’d attack hitters and get results early in the count, another he’d fall behind with two or three balls in counts because he couldn’t find the zone. Facing rookie ball hitters, though, he was able to make adjustments, escape jams and get away with his mistakes.

Naturally, Bluefield pitching coach Antonio Caceres wasn’t pleased with that kind of approach, and Taylor was reported as not being open to changing his mindset at all. Things must have escalated, because he was sent home due to disciplinary reasons after his final outing on August 25, according to the Bluefield Daily Telegraph.

After seeing Taylor in spring training last year, he quickly became one of my favorites. Despite his final moments of his first professional season, it could easily be considered a success, though he does have a lot to work on before the 2012 campaign. Fortunately for him, a large part of that is in his head and has nothing to do with baseball.

Expected 2012 team: Vancouver Canadians (Short-season A)

Ultimate ceiling if he puts it all together: No. 3-4 starter

Taylor has shown that he’s ready for full-season ball and could very well open this season with Lansing. Given the way his season ended, though, the Blue Jays might opt to keep him back in extended spring training to make a small statement and make sure everything is the they want. If that’s the case, look for Taylor to start the year in Vancouver and finish in Lansing, once guys like Justin Nicolino, Noah Syndergaard and Aaron Sanchez have departed.

Baseball America (among others) feels that Taylor will wind up in the bullpen down the road, though his mid-rotation ceiling says otherwise and the Jays will exhaust every opportunity to keep him a starter.

Taylor’s No. 34 ranking is still an improvement over when we ranked him 38th heading into the 2011 campaign. His increase on the list was somewhat tempered by his mental approach this past season and the possibility of winding up in the bullpen, but he has the ability to steadily move up in the years to come with the right adjustments.

-JM

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No. 37: Daniel J. Barnes

Almost doubling his innings total from 2010, Barnes fanned 99 batters in 66 frames for a 13.5 K/9 in 2011. (whitecapwendy via Flickr)

Relief pitcher / 22 years old / 6′1″ 195 lbs

Born: October 21, 1989 in Manhasset, New York

Bats: Left    Throws: Right

High School: Manhasset H.S.

College: Princeton University

Drafted By: The Toronto Blue Jays in the 35th round (1056th overall) of the 2010 Amateur Draft

Signed: June 15, 2010

Pre-2011 Rank: 41

Quick Facts:

• Posted an 8-1 record with a 0.80 ERA and 103 Ks in 58 innings as a senior in high school.
• Economics major at Princeton
• Works on his degree during the off-season, set to finish this winter
• Moved to the bullpen during his freshman year but soon returned to starting again despite enjoying success as a reliever.
• Only pitched in three games in 2009 due to injury, missing out on a full year of progression as a result.
• The injury led to a slow start in 2010 and a few bad outings.
• Favorite pitcher is Roger Clemens
• Played with Princeton teammate Jack Murphy this past season in Lansing

Career stats:

Lansing Lugnuts team ranking (min. 5 appearances):

• 1st in games finished (25), K/9 (13.5),
• T-1st in appearances (44)
• 2nd in saves (13), strikeouts (99), H/9 (6.0) and WHIP (0.97)
• 4th in ERA (2.32)
• T-6th in wins (5)
• T-8th in innings pitched (66.0)

Interviews:

Three interviews with Lugnuts radio broadcaster Jesse Goldberg-Strassler from summer 2010, April 2011 and September 2011.

Extra Information and previous experience:

Few relievers in the entire Blue Jays organization opened as many eyes as right-hander Danny Barnes did this past season.

After recording an uncanny 7.4 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 27 rookie ball innings in 2010, Barnes skipped a level and closed out the season with Class-A Lansing where he struggled, giving up seven earned runs on 17 hits in 10 2/3 innings along with eight walks.

Last year with the Lugnuts, however, things were quite different.

After storming out of the gate to fan 17 batters in nine April innings, Barnes never looked back and continued his dominance throughout the rest of the season. In a career-high 66 innings–almost double the 37 2/3 he pitched in 2010–the New York native finished the year with a 2.32 ERA/1.79 FIP and struck out 99 batters, good for a 13.5 K/9. To put that into perspective, Barnes’ 99 strikeouts ranked second on the entire Lugnuts roster behind only starter Sean Nolin, who pitched 42 more innings.

While he once again displayed his ability to dominate right-handers, what was most impressive about Barnes’ breakout 2011 season was how he shut down left-handed hitters. After struggling against them in a small sample size one year ago, he managed a 1.88 ERA in 28 2/3 innings against them in 2011 with 47 strikeouts, nine walks and a .150 average.

The key to Barnes’ success last season, though, was his ability to locate his fastball, something that he discovered while pitching in the Gulf Coast League in 2010. Unafraid to throw strikes, he kept his 92-94 mph four-seamer in the zone more often than not, and the result was a pitch that opposing hitters just couldn’t seem to hit.

Having relied primarily on his fastball until now, Barnes will need to really develop his off-speed pitches going forward. A starter with Princeton,  he featured a lackluster curveball and chanegup prior to signing with the Jays. Since then, he has worked hard on his low-80s changeup, turning it into a somewhat effective offering, especially against left-handed hitters. While it’s a pitch that he needs to be more consistent with overall, he feels comfortable throwing it in any count.

Though his high-70s curveball is still mediocre at best, Barnes’ slider could really be the difference-maker for him. Starting out as more of a slurve, he tinkered with it as the season wore on to get it to bite like a pure slider, and his development of the pitch will certainly be something to keep an eye on next season as he faces tougher competition. There has also been rumblings that he was working on a cutter with Lugnuts pitching coach Vince Horsman this past season as well.

Expected 2012 team: Dunedin Blue Jays (High-A)

Ultimate ceiling if he puts it all together: MLB closer

A 35th-round pick by the Jays in 2010, Barnes showed in 2011 that his late-season struggles with Lansing in 2010 were merely a result of fatigue, after having thrown over 70 combined innings in college and the Gulf Coast League.

Now, he enters the 2012 season with the potential to be the best relief pitching prospect in the Blue Jays organization, but he’ll need to stay healthy and further develop both his slider and changeup in order to make that happen. As someone who is acclaimed for his drive and strong work ethic, though, that shouldn’t be too much of a problem for Barnes.

-JM

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Up next on the top 50 list is a patient hitter with a great eye at the plate that grew up a Jays fan…

No. 41: Eric Arce

Left fielder / 20 years old / 5’10″ 193 lbs

Born: November 29, 1991 in Tampa, Florida

Bats Left   Throws Right

High School Team: Lakeland H.S. (Lakeland, FL)

College: Florida State University

Drafted By: The Toronto Blue Jays in the 25th round (769th overall) of the 2011 Amateur Draft

Jersey Number: 34 for the Bluefield Blue Jays

Pre-2011 Rank: N/A

(more…) ]]> http://jaysjournal.com/2012/01/26/jays-journal-top-50-blue-jays-prospects-no-41-eric-arce/feed/ 12 http://jaysjournal.com/2012/01/25/interview-with-1b-prospect-arthur-charles/ http://jaysjournal.com/2012/01/25/interview-with-1b-prospect-arthur-charles/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:19:51 +0000 http://jaysjournal.com/?p=10469 This week I spoke with Blue Jays prospect Arthur (Art) Charles. Art Charles is a 21-year-old first baseman who was drafted in the 20th round of the 2010 first year player draft. Last year with the Bluefield Blue Jays, Charles hit .240/.351/.468 (wOBA .362) 11 HR and 61 RBI in 68 games. Charles showed great [...]

Interview with 1B Prospect Arthur Charles - Jays Journal - Jays Journal - A Toronto Blue Jays Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More