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.

David Rollins should be an important part of the Lansing Lugnuts' rotation this season.

A 24th-round pick by the Blue Jays in last year’s draft and ranked No. 50 on our top 50 prospects list, Rollins signed quickly and put up good numbers in stints with rookie-level Bluefield and short season-A Vancouver in 2011. He was considered one of Toronto’s biggest steals in the 2011 draft, and after watching him pitch last night, it’s easy to see why.

After issuing a four-pitch walk to open the game, Rollins settled down and dominated the South Bend Silver Hawks for 4 and 1/3 innings. Throwing pitches similar in location to his first four, the 22-year-old induced a groundout and flyout in the first inning before getting a swinging strikeout on a high, low-90′s fastball.

Needing just eight pitches to retire the side in the top of the second inning, Rollins benefited from a double play ball that erased a leadoff single before striking out South Bend first baseman Bobby Stone on four pitches. After taking the first pitch for strike one, Stone, a left-handed batter, whiffed on a nasty changeup and took a high fastball for ball one before swinging right over the top of another changeup low and inside for strike three.

If he’s ever behind in the count, Rollins becomes more aggressive and goes right after the hitter, which is something I noticed after he missed high for ball one against Silver Hawks leadoff man Fidel Pena in the top of the third. After getting a swinging strike and three foul balls, not to mention firing a tough-to-lay-off slider low and inside for a ball, Rollins went back to his changeup for his third swinging strikeout of the night. After fouling off pitches to stay alive in a 1-2 count, South Bend shortstop Nick Gallego legged out an infield single in the next at-bat, which gave me the opportunity to pay closer attention to how Rollins pitches out of the stretch and how he works with a runner on base.

After throwing to first to check Gallego with the count 1-1, Rollins seemed to ignore him after that and focused solely on retiring Ender Inciarte at the plate. His delivery also seemed to imply that, as it was no different or quicker with a runner on than when the bases were empty — easy for baserunners to time. After Inciarte fouled off two pitches, Rollins used his changeup once again to register another swinging strikeout and strand the runner.

Rollins fell behind 3-0 to the next batter, Silver Hawks left fielder Tom Belza, and battled back to a full count with a pair of strikes low and inside, but Belza managed to rope a single to left field to put runners on first and second, prompting a mound visit from Lugnuts pitching coach Vince Horsman. Rollins escaped the inning unscathed, though, after fielding a comebacker to the mound and throwing to first for the final out.

Facing Helm once again in the top of the fourth, Rollins got ahead 1-2 on two swinging strikes, and after running the count full, he got Helm to ground out. Facing Canadian Marc Bourgeois next, Rollins threw strikes on the outside corner before getting him to chase a high fastball for the swinging strikeout. After retiring Bourgeois, a left-handed hitter, Rollins retired Roidany Aguila, a right-handed hitter, after that with yet another swinging strikeout.

Leading off the top of the fifth, Rollins worked himself into a full count on Bobby Stone before retiring him on a low and inside changeup for the second time. The next batter, Fidel Pena, also worked a full count, but managed to crank a single to center field. With a right-handed hitter on deck, Lugnuts manager John Tamargo headed to the mound, marking the end of Rollins’ night. Rollins finished with a line of 4.1 IP/4H/0R/1BB/7K.

In what was easily the most impressive start of his professional career, Rollins racked up a career-high seven strikeouts. Four were against left-handers and three against righties, and all seven came with the batter swinging. This was largely because he established his 92 mph fastball early and threw his changeup better than he ever has before. He worked inside and outside, high and low, regardless of a batter’s handedness, and mixed in a few sliders as well after not throwing a single one in his previous start.

What’s special and unique about Rollins, though, is the fast pace at which he operates on the mound. Keeping hitters guessing and on their toes, there were multiple times where I’d finish writing a quick note about one of his pitches and look up to see him already in his windup on the next. Consider him the anti-Josh Beckett.

I discussed Rollins’ fast pace with him after the game, where he also talked about his nasty changeup, researching the opposing lineup and pitching in a star-studded rotation. I’ve embedded the audio below:

-JM

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No. 39: Deivy Alexander Estrada

Starting pitcher / 19 years old / 5′11″ 175 lbs

Born: August 22, 1992 in Valencia, Carabobo, Venezuela

Bats: Right    Throws: Right

High School: N/A

College: N/A

Signed: As an international free agent by the Blue Jays in 2009

Pre-2011 Rank: 26

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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/2012/01/06/jays-journal-top-50-blue-jays-prospects-no-45-gustavo-pierre/ http://jaysjournal.com/2012/01/06/jays-journal-top-50-blue-jays-prospects-no-45-gustavo-pierre/#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:03:50 +0000 Jared Macdonald http://jaysjournal.com/?p=10417 Up next on the top 50 prospects list is another shortstop, but one that came via international free agency and is more familiar to Jays fans… No. 45: Gustavo Antonio Pierre Shortstop / 20 years old / 6’2″ 183 lbs Born: December 28, 1991 in La Romana, Dominican Republic Bats Right   Throws Right High School Team: [...]

Jays Journal Top 50 Blue Jays Prospects: No. 45 Gustavo Pierre - Jays Journal - Jays Journal - A Toronto Blue Jays Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

Up next on the top 50 prospects list is another shortstop, but one that came via international free agency and is more familiar to Jays fans…

No. 45: Gustavo Antonio Pierre

Image courtesy of TheGoodPoint.com

Shortstop / 20 years old / 6’2″ 183 lbs

Born: December 28, 1991 in La Romana, Dominican Republic

Bats Right   Throws Right

High School Team: N/A

College: N/A

Signed: As an international free agent for $700,000 in July 2008 by Miguel Bernard and Hilario Soriano

Jersey Number: 17 for the Bluefield Blue Jays

Pre-2011 Rank: 35

Quick Facts:

• Had Tommy John surgery after signing with the Jays in 2008
• (more…)

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Image courtesy of Jon Bolt of the Bluefield Daily Telegraph

No. 48: Tyler J. Ybarra

Starting Pitcher / 22 years old / 6′2″ 170 lbs

Born: December 11, 1989 in Wellington, Kansas

Bats: Left    Throws: Left

High School: Wellington H.S. (Crusaders)

College: N/A

Drafted By: The Toronto Blue Jays in the 43rd round (1299th overall) of the 2008 Amateur Draft

Jersey Number: 22 for the Bluefield Blue Jays

Pre-2011 Rank: N/A

(more…)

No. 50: David Dwane Rollins

Image courtesy of The Province

Starting Pitcher / 22 years old / 6′1″ 195 lbs

Born: December 21, 1989 in Carthage, Texas

Bats: Left    Throws: Left

High School: Carthage H.S.

College: San Jacinto College

Drafted By: The Toronto Blue Jays in the 24th round (739th overall) of the 2011 Amateur Draft

Jersey Number: 27 for the Bluefield Blue Jays

Pre-2011 Rank: N/A

Quick Facts:

• Went to the same high school as Chicago White Sox right-hander Phil Humber
• Went 8-3 with a 4.61 ERA and 69 strikeouts in his freshman year at San Jacinto
• (more…)

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.

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Highlights include Brett Lawrie returning to form in Vegas, Anthony Gose tying New Hampshire’s single-season stolen base record, Nestor Molina & Deck McGuire pitching like they want out of Dunedin, Vancouver pulling out some key wins over a division leader, and Noah Syndergaard & Chris Hawkins looking as advertised in Bluefield.

(more…)

Highlights include starts by rehabbing Jays right-handers Jesse Litsch and Dustin McGowan, Henderson Alvarez and Travis d’Arnaud dazzling in New Hampshire, Nestor Molina continuing to make his case for a promotion from Dunedin, two strong wins in Lansing, and Aaron Sanchez (among others) in Bluefield showing a glimpse of the dominant pitcher he could become.

(more…)