1. LHP Sean Nolin (DUN): 0-0, 5 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K

Sean Nolin (RIGHT) poses with his Dunedin teammate, infielder Kevin Nolan, in June (Eddie Michels, Toronto Sun)

This week’s hottest prospect earned himself a promotion to Double-A New Hampshire thanks to a season long hot streak that culminated in his dominant performance on the 14th of August against Brevard County. The 6-foot-5 left hander struck out 10 batters in five innings, allowing four hits and zero walks. A pair of runs crossed the plate, but both were unearned due to some shoddy High-A defense behind him. An early June injury sidelined Nolin for the better part of two months, but his overall season numbers of a 2.19 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 9.38 K/9 across 86.1 innings is highly impressive. When combined with his breakout numbers in the Midwest League back in 2011, we have a very real prospect on our hands. Nolin doesn’t have the stuff to be a top, or even middle of the rotation starter in the major leagues, but he’s establishing himself as a durable pitcher with a solid #4/5 starter ceiling.

2. 3B Gustavo Pierre (LAN): 20 AB, .450/.500/.700 (1.200 OPS), 2 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 0 SB, 2/6 BB/K

Pierre opened the season in extended spring training, but after Kellen Sweeney struggled mightily for the Lugnuts over the first two months, Pierre received the bump to Lansing and has progressively improved as the year wore on. In the months he’s received significant playing time, his OPS has increased from .544 in June, to .769 in July, to finally .952 here in August. The 20 year olds overall season line has risen to .260/.317/.414, a vast improvement over the .187/.244/.262 he produced for Lansing in the first half of 2011. Originally a shortstop, historically bad defensive numbers forced a move to third base, where, while still extremely raw, he appears to have settled in. The offensive tools have always been prevalent; harnessing them has always been the problem. After two consecutive years of poor showings, he’s finally displaying the ability that made him a top IFA in 2008.

3. LHP Griffin Murphy (BLU): 0-0, 6.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 11 K

There is no hotter pitcher in minor league baseball over the past month. Dating back to July 11th, Murphy has pitched 25 innings, and has allowed a total of zero earned runs. Over his last 10 appearances, his ERA is 0.00. In those innings he’s allowed just nine hits and eight walks, while striking out 30. The dominance was exemplified last night, as in his first start for Bluefield – taking the place of recently departed Kevin Comer – he pitched 4.1 innings, allowed zero runs on one hit, and struck out seven. The biggest detractor against Murphy is his age, as the left hander is 21 years old and will turn 22 before next season begins. When I named him the 27th best prospect in the system over the winter, I hoped for a Vancouver or Lansing assignment to accelerate his development and put him on a more ideal timeline. That didn’t happen, and given his numbers, rookie-class Bluefield obviously wasn’t challenging enough. The season is running out of games, but a promotion to Lansing for the playoff run could do wonders for his future with the club.

4. C Santiago Nessy (BLU): 20 AB, .350/.435/.650 (1.085 OPS), 0 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 0 SB, 3/6 BB/K

With Carlos Perez now a member of the Houston Astros, a void has been created in the low minors for a top catching prospect. Nessy appears to have filled that spot, as after I named him a sleeper prospect entering the year, he’s gone on to produce a .252/.318/.458 slash line for Bluefield. For a catcher, that’s exceptional production. Power has been the calling card for the young Venezuelan, which isn’t particularly surprising given his 6-foot-2, 230 lbs frame. As a highlight of that tool, Nessy hit a home run in four consecutive games between August 11th and August 16th. His eight home runs are first on the team, while his eight doubles are tied for second. The catcher won’t turn 20 until December, and is looking at a Single-A Lansing assignment next year if everything goes to plan. Losing Perez hurts, but Nessy has established himself as a solid replacement in the system.

5. 1B Art Charles (VAN): 21 AB, .333/.440/.714 (1.154 OPS), 2 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 0 SB, 4/5 BB/K

Power continues to be the defining tool of Art Charles, as even a promotion to the wider dimensions of the Northwest League parks have been unable to contain him. His ISO with the Canadians sits at 245, which is exceptional even for a first baseman. The biggest drop in performance since his promotion has been his walk rate, as entering this week he had just four base-on-balls in 16 games after walking 33 times in 31 games for Bluefield. Charles resolved that problem this week, as in addition to his usual power (two doubles, two home runs), he walked four times while striking out just five times. With the graduation of David Cooper and the low ceiling of Mike McDade, one could argue that Art Charles is now the top first base prospect in the system; though that’s more an indictment of the positional depth than it is a complement to Charles.

6. LHP Justin Nicolino (LAN): 1-0, 5 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K

Aaron Sanchez has cooled off and been injured. Noah Syndergaard has struggled to find innings as he approaches his season limit. Meanwhile, Justin Nicolino keeps on rolling. His start this week was his eighth consecutive outing of five-or-more innings. His 109.1 innings this year are tied with Anthony DeSclafani for first on the team, while his WHIP is tied for first among starters. His six strikeouts against Fort Wayne on the 17th gave him 107 total punchouts on the year, which moved him into the team lead. I have mentioned before that Nicolino’s ceiling is obviously below that of Sanchez and Syndergaard, but his performance this season has proven that his floor is easily the highest, as he’s become the most durable and reliable of the trio.

7. RHP Danny Barnes (DUN): 0-0, 3 SV, 4.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K

I stretched the list to seven this week solely so I could include Danny Barnes. The Princeton grad (yes, the same Princeton that Carlton Banks attended on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air) has been a dominant reliever since the Blue Jays made him a 35th round pick in the 2010 draft. He transitioned into the closer role for Dunedin this year, and has excelled to the tune of a 1.47 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 11.02 K/9 in his 49 innings. Barnes made four appearances this week, in which he didn’t allow a run and earned three saves. His 32 saves on the year are first in the Florida State League by a mile, as the second place reliever, Chris Rearick of the Tampa organization, has just 20. As a four year college senior he’s always been a bit old for the level he’s pitched at, but Barnes absolutely has a middle relief or setup-type ceiling.

Honorable mention: Javier Avendano (VAN), OF Kevin Pillar (DUN)

1. 1B Art Charles (BLU): 19 AB, .421/.607/1.000 (1.607 OPS), 1 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 1 SB, 9/4 BB/K

This week

Art Charles had himself a week, though, to be fair, he’s really having himself a season. After closing out the week on Sunday with another home run, Charles has seen his OBP and SLG rise to .459 and .576 respectively, both jaw dropping numbers. What’s even more impressive (or foreboding, if you’re a pessimist) is that he’s produced those numbers despite only a .235 average. I suggested earlier this month that a hot start would earn him a promotion, and the promotion has been received. Charles is on his way to Vancouver, where he’ll likely finish the 2012 season. It could actually boost his contact numbers, as the Northwest League traditionally has large parks with tons of room for fielders to cover. The expanded dimensions shouldn’t hurt his power numbers too much, as at 6-foot-6 and 220 lbs, Charles isn’t really a paint-scraper kind of guy.

2. LF Eric Arce (BLU): 15 AB, .333/.474/1.000 (1.474 OPS), 1 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 0 SB, 4/9 BB/K

Arce had a crazy professional debut last season, as in just 55 games he set a GCL Blue Jays record with 14 home runs. His 2012 season didn’t get off to nearly as hot of a start, with a .179/.385/.214 line in June. Arce picked things up this week, as on Monday and Tuesday he went a combined 4-for-7 with a double and three home runs. Those big games resulted in, yes, the second 1.000 slugging percentage week on the hot sheet, as Arce joined Art Charles in leading the Bluefield offense. Of his 10 outs recorded, 9 were strikeouts, resulting in a comically high .833 BABIP this week. Arce didn’t receive a ton of attention as a 25th round pick in the 2011 draft, but he is quickly making a name for himself as a power hitter despite his diminutive stature (5-foot-9).

3. 1B David Cooper (LAS): 33 AB, .455/.500/.758 (1.258 OPS), 7 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 0 SB, 3/5 BB/K

When putting together the hot sheet, Cooper was one of the first names I came across, and I thought for sure he was going to be the week’s number one. Seven doubles in seven games is a pretty ridiculous number, especially when you consider Cooper’s usual outstanding contact rate. Unfortunately for him, the two Bluefield sluggers went ham this week. Dating back to last week Cooper is riding a nine game hit streak, but he did most of his damage in the past seven games. In those seven, he had two hits three times, three hits once, and a four hit game to close out the week. Even his two 1-for-5 games were solid, as he notched an extra base hit in each. Adam Lind has performed surprisingly well since his recall, leaving the future of David Cooper in serious doubt.

4. RHP Marcus Stroman (VAN): 1-0, 4 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K

Upon agreeing to terms with the Blue Jays, the 2012 first round pick was assigned to Vancouver where he was expected to get his feet wet for a couple of weeks before eventually moving to Double-A to face competition more suitable for his talent level. The first week didn’t go so well with four earned runs in just 1.1 innings, but Stroman turned things around dramatically last week. He made a pair of two inning appearances, on the 18th and 22nd, and allowed only one base runner between the two outings. He didn’t walk anyone, and 50% of his outs came by way of the strikeout. He’s likely not long for the Northwest League, and another dominant outing or two this week could push him to New Hampshire before the end of the month.

5. LHP Justin Nicolino (LAN): 2-0, 11.1 IP, 13 H, 6 ER, 0 BB, 15 K

His ERA isn’t the most attractive thing to look at, but his complete dominance over the strikezone was worthy of some recognition. If you go back as far as July 5th, Nicolino has 27 strikeouts against only one walk. Despite this, he’s allowed 26 hits and 13 earned runs in just 21.1 innings over that time frame. It’s a very unusual trend, as when a pitcher starts showing improved strikeout and walk rates, you usually expect the hits and earned runs allowed to dry up a bit. It’s been the reverse for Nicolino, as he actually found more success earlier in the year when he was striking out fewer batters. While the reasoning behind this is difficult to surmise, it likely has to do with the increased exposure to lineups. As opposed to going three or four innings and facing hitters once or twice, he’s now pitching five or six innings and facing the same hitters two or three times. They’re learning he’s around the strikezone, so they’re swinging with more frequency and aggression. As crazy as it sounds, Nicolino might need to start throwing fewer strikes.

6. RF Moises Sierra (LAS): 24 AB, .333/.385/.583 (.968 OPS), 0 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 1 SB, 2/6 BB/K

Sierra appears to be the forgotten man in Las Vegas despite producing a solid all around season. Snider was the obvious choice for a promotion, but if the team needed two outfielders, Moises Sierra really should have been the second. His numbers aren’t spectacular in the context of the Pacific Coast League, but it’s hard to knock an .847 OPS with near equal performances against left handed and right handed pitching. Additionally, as a near-24 year old with seven years of minor league experience, it is/was time for the organization to see what they have in the Dominican outfielder. His two home runs week brought his season total up to 16, which is tied for 7th in the PCL. I really hope he receives a promotion by September at the latest, as Sierra has definitely earned it.

Honorable mention: Noah Syndergaard (LAS), Jake Marisnick (NH), Chase DeJong (GCL), Roberto Osuna (BLU), Chad Jenkins (NH)

Addendum: Dunedin right handed pitcher Jesse Hernandez nearly threw a no-hitter on Friday night, getting to two strikes on his final batter before finally giving up his first hit of the game. Due to his soaring pitch count, Hernandez wasn’t even able to finish the game. It wasn’t a junky, high walk / low strikeout game either, as Hernandez was dominant from the start with 12 strikesouts against only 1 walk. He’ll be turning 24 years old in a month, and with no dominant pitch he’s less a prospect and more an organizational guy. Even so, such an excellent game is worthy of some recognition, and a hat tip to Charlie Caskey (@CharlieCaskey) for the reminder.

1. RF Moises Sierra (LAS): 30 AB, .433/.500/.833 (1.333 OPS), 3 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 0 SB, 4/4 BB/K

Mar 4, 2012; Bradenton, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Moises Sierra (74) catches a fly ball hit by Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Jake Fox (not pictured) during the sixth inning at McKechnie Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE

While there have been many eyes on the 51s outfield this year, the focus has been on Anthony Gose, Travis Snider, and Eric Thames. Rightfully so, as Gose is one of the team’s top prospects, while Snider and Thames have been in a year-long battle for Toronto’s left field job that Rajai Davis is suddenly winning. Over in right field, however, Moises Sierra is quietly having a very solid year. His latest outburst this week pushed his season batting average back over .300, and with an ISO nearing 200 and walk rate over 9%, the average is anything but empty. It’s becoming very difficult to see any kind of future for Sierra in this organization, however, as despite a solid .860 OPS and .376 wOBA on the season, Snider has him bested in both categories at .977 and .405 respectively. With the trade deadline looming and the team apparently interested in being buyers, Sierra could be someone the Blue Jays include as an accessory piece in a deal.

2. 1B Art Charles (BLU): 21 AB, .286/.464/.857 (1.321 OPS), 1 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 1 SB, 7/6 BB/K

Despite a start studded roster, the Bluefield Blue Jays are off to a very slow start at 6-8. A lot of that blame can be placed at the feet of the offense, as the team is only 6th in runs (in a 10 team league) with a .219/.336/.371 slash line. The lone offensive bright spot is Charles, whose powerful week boosted his season line to .275/.492/.700. Much like the 2011 season, which Charles also spent with Bluefield, power and patience has been his calling card. He has 11 hits on the year, and 8 of them have gone for extra base hits. He’s played in 14 games, and he’s walked 15 times. After producing an .819 OPS in 68 games last year, I didn’t understand why Charles was sent back to the Appalachian League. With his opening month performance, hopefully his stay will be short, and he can head to Lansing to give the team a much needed offensive spark.

3. RHP Aaron Sanchez (LAN): 1-0, 10 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K

After spending nearly three months piggybacking with Justin Nicolino, Sanchez finally received his own spot in the rotation, and has not wasted the opportunity. As he’s done all season, Sanchez continued to rack up strikeouts while keeping hits and runs to a minimum. He took it a step further this week, however, as he displayed control that we’d yet to see this season. In each of his two five inning starts, he walked only one batter, which was a drastic improvement upon his 5.36 BB/9 entering games this week. If Sanchez has discovered his command, then my heart goes out to the rest of the Midwest League. He’s already throwing two devastating pitches in his fastball and curveball, and if he could actually start placing them where he wants? Watch out.

4. RHP Asher Wojciechowski (DUN): 1-0, 12 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 10 K

When a player repeats a level in the minor leagues, you expect to see significant improvements upon the previous year. For a while, that wasn’t looking like the case with Wojciechowski. He really turned things on in June however, going 3-1 across five starts with an impressive 2.20 ERA and 1.12 WHIP. The performance was highlighted by his games this week, as Asher pitched back to back six inning shutouts to close out the month. While both his strikeout rate and walk rate have improved, the biggest difference between this year and last is home runs allowed. Wojciechowski allowed 15 in 130.1 innings last season (1.04 HR/9), but has trimmed that number to nearly a third, with just 3 in 75.1 innings (0.36 HR/9) so far.

5. C Yan Gomes (LAS): 26 AB, .385/448/.615 (1.063 OPS), 3 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 0 SB, 3/9 BB/K

Yan Gomes has sort of become this year’s Mike McCoy, as anytime an injury occurs or the team needs an extra bat on the bench, Gomes is the man. Despite the constant shifting of location and role, he continues to find success anytime he’s sent back down to Triple-A. The latest trip has been highlighted by Gomes’ 1.063 OPS across his seven games this week. He is obviously more than capable of handling Triple-A pitching, and much like this week’s number one prospect Moises Sierra, Gomes could be an attractive piece to other teams as the deadline approaches. With the injury to Travis d’Arnaud, Gomes has shifted back to his natural position of catcher, only further enhancing his value.

6. RHP Kevin Comer (BLU): 1-0, 8 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K

Bluefield has an extremely deep pitching staff, and sitting near the top of the depth chart is Kevin Comer. He has a solid but unspectacular season debut, but has been near unhittable since. Relying primarily on his fastball / curveball combination, Comer has simply overmatched the Appalachian League hitters. Like many pitchers coming out of the northeast (in this case, New Jersey), Comer didn’t have a whole lot of experience under his belt, so the Bluefield assignment was far riskier for him than for Daniel Norris or Joe Musgrove, who both threw a lot of innings for their respective high school teams. The sample size is still extremely small, but the fact Comer is handling himself is a very good sign that he may not take five or six years to develop after all.

Both teams will be divided into two articles; one for position players and the other for pitchers. It will be explained how each player became a member of the Blue Jays organization, as well as how they performed last year, whether with Toronto or otherwise. A lot of people are familiar with the Triple-A and Double-A rosters, but less so with the low level, short season teams. The goal behind the preview is to give Blue Jays fans a better idea of who is on the rosters, and who they should be keeping their eyes on. The Bluefield and Gulf Coast rosters are even more loaded than usual, as with the draft signing deadline being moved ahead over a month, a number of top draft picks will be playing when in previous years they’d still be sitting at home negotiating.

I will be examining the hitters for both clubs, while Jared will be writing about the pitching side of things. To get things started, here are the position players for the Rookie Class Bluefield Blue Jays.

Catchers

Santiago Nessy (19 years old)

How he was acquired: Signed out of Venezuela as an international free agent in July 2009 for $750,000

How he fared in 2011: After spending the 2010 season in the Dominican Summer League, Nessy made his stateside debut in 2011 with the Gulf Coast Blue Jays. He hit extremely well, with a .306 batting average and .773 OPS in 35 games. He showed good pop (7 doubles, 3 home runs) and impressive plate discipline (8 walks, 29 strikeouts), something it often takes young latin players a few years to develop. Bluefield should be an interesting challenge for Nessy, as while the bat hasn’t been questioned, his defense has. He’ll be working with a predominantly English speaking pitching staff as well, which could provide additional challenges to the young Venezuelan.

2011 (GCL): 134 AB, .306/.347/.425 (.773 OPS), 7 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 19 RBI, 0 SB, 8/29 BB/K

Hector Alvarez (21 years old)

How he was acquired: Selected by the Blue Jays (from the New York Mets) in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft in December 2011

How he fared in 2011: Like Nessy, the 2011 season was Alvarez’ first stateside, as he played with the Gulf Coast Mets after spending three years in the Venezuelan and Dominican summer leagues. Offense isn’t the calling card for Alvarez, as evident by his .229 average and .615 OPS in 2011 (his career highs in both categories came in 2010, at .249 and .692 respectively). With such a low ceiling as a prospect – with that term used loosely – it’s doubtful Alvarez will be stealing much playing time from Santiago Nessy, who the Blue Jays are hoping to develop into something special.

2011 (GCL): 83 AB, .229/.326/.289 (.615 OPS), 5 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 6 RBI, 0 SB, 12/13 BB/K

Infielders

Art Charles (21 years old)

How he was acquired: Selected in the 20th round of the 2010 draft

How he fared in 2011: Charles spent the entire 2011 season with Bluefield, and performed well, which makes the lack of promotion at least a little surprising. In 250 at-bats (over 68 games), Charles produced an .819 OPS, fuelled by his extra base power – 18 doubles, 3 triples, 11 home runs. Additionally, his 61 RBI led the entire Appalachian League. The strikeout rate was a little concerning, and could be the reason why the Blue Jays chose to hold Charles back. If he gets off to a hot start though, he could find himself in Vancouver or Lansing very quickly.

2011 (BLU): 250 AB, .240/.351/.468 (.819 OPS), 18 2B, 3 3B, 11 HR, 61 RBI, 1 SB, 39/89 BB/K

Christian Lopes (19 years old)

How he was acquired: Selected in the 7th round of the 2011 draft, signed for $800,000

How he fared in 2011: Because of the old CBA, many above slot signing bonuses were held back by the Commissioner’s office until the signing deadline in mid-August. Lopes fell into that category, as the $800,000 he received was much higher than slot for a 7th round pick. As such, he didn’t get into any game action. Despite being drafted as a shortstop, Lopes is a second baseman in the long run, as he has neither the range nor the arm for the left side of the infield. What made Lopes as high draft pick is his bat, as he has an advanced approach and solid power for a middle infielder.

Dickie Thon (20 years old)

How he was acquired: Selected in the 5th round of the 2010 draft, signed for $1,500,000

How he fared in 2011: Thon fell into similar circumstances to Lopes, though a year earlier. His huge signing bonus eliminated the possibility of playing ball in his draft year, so he didn’t make his debut until 2011. The results were mixed, as while he showed plenty of athleticism and an excellent walk rate, he struggled to make contact or generate much power. It was later revealed he suffered a blood disorder in Spring Training as the result of a rare kidney disease that left him weak throughout the year, so the fact he managed to even play is pretty remarkable. Regardless, as a 20 year old still in rookie ball, Thon will need to stay healthy and hit well if he wants to advance and retain that top prospect shine.

2011 (GCL): 121 AB, .223/.369/.322 (.691 OPS), 3 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 15 RBI, 6 SB, 23/44 BB/K

Matt Dean (19 years old)

How he was acquired: Selected in the 13th round of the 2011 draft, signed for $737,500

How he fared in 2011: The Blue Jays made the 2011 draft count, as they went for a ton of expensive high upside high school players. The down side, of course, is that the players are unable to join an affiliate until the following year. Like Christian Lopes, Matt Dean will be making his professional debut, and will round out a top prospect laden Bluefield infield. He has plenty of offensive upside, and when I ranked him as my 13th best prospect in the system over the winter, I predicted a .290/.350/.480 slash line with 15 doubles and 10 home runs. We’ll have to see if he lives up to my lofty expectations.

Christian Frias (22 years old)

How he was acquired: Signed out of Puerto Rico as an international free agent in July 2010

How he fared in 2011: Considering his age, Frias had an extremely disappointing 2011 season in the Gulf Coast League. In 70 at-bats across 33 games, Frias hit only .143 with a .472 OPS. His 1 extra base hit was especially disappointing. While the 15 walks against 13 strikeouts is nice on first glance, one must remember he was facing pitchers primarily three to five years younger than him. Frias will serve as a backup infielder and utility man, as it would be hard to pull Lopes, Thon, or Dean from the lineup at his expense.

2011 (GCL): 70 AB, .143/.315/.157 (.472 OPS), 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 1 SB, 15/13 BB/K

Chris Peters (23 years old)

How he was acquired: Signed as an undrafted free agent in June 2011

How he fared in 2011: An undrafted college senior from the University of Cincinnati, Peters was assigned to the Gulf Coast League after signing and performed quite well. His traits from college baseball carried over, as he showed a good plate approach and speed while lacking in the home run department. At 23 years old, Peters is nothing more than organizational depth, though the Blue Jays could be hoping his age and life experiences can give some perspective to this young roster.

2011 (GCL): 118 AB, .246/.321/.364 (.685 OPS), 5 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 3 SB, 14/26 BB/K

Jason Leblebijan (21 years old)

How he was acquired: Selected in the 25th round of the 2012 draft

How he fared in 2011: Jason Leblebijan was drafted out of Bradley University in Missouri, where he was a three year starter at shortstop. His batting average dipped to a career worst .235 in 2012, but he showed some power, leading his team in doubles (16) and total extra base hits (24). He’s very athletic, as Leblebijan also played on the Bradley basketball team. Had he not signed with the Blue Jays, he would have join the Cape Cod League in an effort to boost his draft stock in 2013. With Bluefield, however, he’s expected to serve as a backup infielder.

Outfielders

Jacob Anderson (19 years old)

How he was acquired: Selected in the Supplemental 1st round of the 2011 draft, signed for $990,000

How he fared in 2011: As he agreed to a near-slot signing bonus, Anderson was able to get a couple weeks worth of games in with the Gulf Coast Blue Jays before the end of the season. In what little time he had, he played extremely well, with a 1.098 OPS. Anderson has a true five-tool profile, as he is capable of hitting for both power and average while playing a strong right field. Despite his height (6-foot-4), Anderson also has above average speed, and should prove to be an exceptional base stealer.

2011 (GCL): 37 AB, .405/.476/.622 (1.098 OPS), 2 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 2 SB, 4/8 BB/K

Dwight Smith Jr (19 years old)

How he was acquired: Selected in the Supplemental 1st round of the 2011 draft, signed for $800,000

How he fared in 2011: Smith didn’t get into game action in 2011, but his advanced bat should allow him to make the jump from high school baseball to the Appalachian League without too many difficulties. Smith has ideal bloodlines, as his father (Dwight Smith Sr) played major league baseball for eight years, highlighted by a 2nd place finish in the 1989 Rookie of the Year voting and a 1995 World Series title with Atlanta. Growing up around baseball has given Smith excellent instincts and a good knowledge of the game, allowing his tools to play up.

Eric Arce (20 years old)

How he was acquired: Selected in the 27th round of the 2010 draft, signed for $100,000

How he fared in 2011: Arce has exceptional power given his 5-foot-9 build. Playing for the Gulf Coast Blue Jays in 2011, Arce led the league in home runs (14), walks (38), and OPS (1.058), while also placing in the top 10 in RBI, slugging percentage, on base percentage, runs, and total bases. He could play some left field for Bluefield, but it’s more likely he finds most of his playing time at designated hitter where he can focus on what he is – a power hitter. Arce received a number of awards for his breakout performance, including being named a Rookie Class All Star by Baseball America.

2011 (GCL and BLU): 172 AB, .267/.427/.587 (1.015 OPS), 7 2B, 3 3B, 14 HR, 41 RBI, 1 SB, 40/52 BB/K

Nico Taylor (22 years old)

How he was acquired: Selected in the 38th round of the 2011 draft

How he fared in 2011: As a junior out of Northwood University, Taylor signed early and was able to get his career underway. It paid off, as the 6-foot-4 outfielder got off to an excellent start and opened a lot of eyes. Playing in 30 games for the Gulf Coast Blue Jays, Taylor showed an impressive all around game, with contact, power, speed, and a mature plate approach. If previous numbers carry weight, Taylor should be one of the favorites for playing time in left field.

2011 (GCL): 91 AB, .319/.421/.505 (.926 OPS), 8 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 2 SB, 15/24 BB/K

Carlos Ramirez (21 years old)

How he was acquired: Signed as undrafted free agent in March 2009

How he fared in 2011: Ramirez returns to Bluefield after spending the entire 2011 season with the club. Despite playing in a career low 40 games, he set career highs in a number of categories including average (.232), slugging percentage (.384), and OPS (.685). With the center and right field positions locked down by Smith Jr and Anderson, Ramirez will fight for stuck fighting for playing time in left field and at designated hitter.

2011 (BLU): 112 AB, .232/.301/.384 (.685 OPS), 7 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 2 SB, 10/39 BB/K

Alex Azor (22 years old)

How he was acquired: Selected in the 10th round of the 2012 draft, signed for $1,000

How he fared in 2011: As a college senior with Navy, Azor hit a more than respectable.322/.419/.408. He was quoted as saying he would have signed for a hot dog, and unsurprisingly received the minimum bonus for a draft pick at $1,000. Azor is in a unique situation, as a Navy graduate he’s expected to serve in the military for five years, during which he will be unable to play for the organization – though it’s been said he’s seeking a 24 month program who student athletes instead. Even if his baseball career is short lived, Azor has “10th round pick by the Toronto Blue Jays” on his resume, which is something no one can ever take away from him.

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 power last season (.228 ISO)  and the ability to draw walks (13 BB%). Here is the Q & A from the interview.

(more…) ]]> http://jaysjournal.com/2012/01/25/interview-with-1b-prospect-arthur-charles/feed/ 4 http://jaysjournal.com/2011/11/15/season-in-review-bluefield-blue-jays-position-players/ http://jaysjournal.com/2011/11/15/season-in-review-bluefield-blue-jays-position-players/#comments Tue, 15 Nov 2011 19:42:11 +0000 Jared Macdonald http://jaysjournal.com/?p=10028 Previously part of the Baltimore Orioles organization, the Bluefield Blue Jays were very successful in their first season as one of Toronto’s minor league affiliates. They finished atop the Appalachian League’s East division with a 40-28 record, and won their first playoff series against the Elizabethton Twins before falling to the Johnson City Cardinals in [...]

Season in Review: Bluefield Blue Jays Position Players - Jays Journal - Jays Journal - A Toronto Blue Jays Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

Previously part of the Baltimore Orioles organization, the Bluefield Blue Jays were very successful in their first season as one of Toronto’s minor league affiliates. They finished atop the Appalachian League’s East division with a 40-28 record, and won their first playoff series against the Elizabethton Twins before falling to the Johnson City Cardinals in the finals.

Playing at 3,000-seat Bowen Field, Bluefield hitters enjoyed playing at the park and found that the ball flew off of their bats. Bluefield finished fifth out of the league’s ten teams with a .262 team batting average, fourth with a .339 team on-base percentage, and fourth with a .411 slugging percentage. They also finished first in triples (26), RBI (362), and walks (252).

Here’s a look at how each one of Bluefield’s position players fared in 2011, with quotes and details of how the players became part of the Jays organization. Players are listed by position and in order of the most games played there. For players who played multiple positions, they will be slotted under whichever position they played the most games at.

(more…)

]]>

If Ricky Romero was looking to get the bottom of the order fired up in order to get more run support, he got his wish as the bottom of the order was on fire last night.  From Edwin Encarnacion in the 6th spot all of the way to Rajai Davis in the 9th spot, the Jays bottom dwellers were a total of 11 for 19 (.579) with 2 doubles, a HR, and 2 stolen bases. Talk about great support! This is the kind of run production many of us were expecting when looking at the names in the lineup at the beginning of the season. Hopefully it translates to many more wins post All-Star break.

Travis Snider Tees Off (more…)

• Art Charles, who was drafted in the 20th rd by the Jays as a LHP and signed July 6th, has been converted into a 1B for the GCL Blue Jays;
• Noah Syndergaard made his debut for the Jays in the GCL, throwing 2 shutout innings where he did not allow a walk or a hit. So far so good! If looking for more information about Noah, look up the interview I conducted with him after he signed with the Jays.
• J.P. Arencibia is a man on fire in AAA and may be spelling the end of John Buck in Toronto with his performance. Not only is John’s value about as high as it can be in trades right now, but JP is tearing up the ball in AAA at a pace that can’t be ignored much longer. He’s hitting .390 with 7 HRs over his last 10 games, with a .444 OPB and ridiculous 1.396 OPS. He should be in Toronto by the end of July, once Alex starts dealing.
• Zach Stewart is beginning to heat up in AA, holding a 5-1 record and 3.19 ERA over his last 10 games. He still doesn’t have stellar numbers, 59 hits and 26 walks to 49 Ks in those 62 IP, but he is learning to come through when needed and get the job done with guys on base. A promotion to AAA may be in order by August.
• Adeiny Hechavarria is beginning to warm up in AA, but is still showing cracks to his offensive skills. While his average is much better at .279 over his last 10 games (43 ABs), he still only had 4 extra base hits in that span and was caught stealing twice (no stolen bases). That amounts to few big knocks and no speed….not exactly stellar for a SS. He can still break out soon, but hasn’t wowed anyone yet. (more…)