Dalton Pompey running fielding drills during minor league spring training, 2012 (Image via MLBProspectPortal.com)

Name: Dalton Pompey

Position: Centerfield

Date of Birth: 12/11/1992 (20)

Acquired: Selected in the 16th round of the 2010 draft ($150,000 USD)

High School: Fraser Secondary (Mississauga, ON)

College: Had commitment to NAIA St. Francis

Height/Weight: 6’1”/170 lbs

Bats/Throws: S/R

Awards and Accomplishments:

• Unranked on 2012 top 30 prospects list

2012 Statistics and Analysis

70 AB, .286/.375/.429 (.804 OPS), 4 2B, 3 3B, 0 HR, 8 RBI, 5 SB, 10/14 BB/K

Pompey’s season got off to a brilliant start with Vancouver, as through his first 10 games he amassed a .292/.442/.441 slash line. Unfortunately, in his eleventh game of the year, he went down with a broken hand. Pompey was placed on the minor league disabled list and it was expected the injury would be season ending, but he fought through rehab and made his way back to play in another nine games between Bluefield and Lansing. Pompey still has a lot of filling out to do, and Vancouver is a hard place to hit for power, so the zero home runs aren’t particularly alarming. He did put his highly regarded speed on display, as he went 5-for-6 on stolen base attempts, raising his career numbers to 32-for 35. The biggest improvement we saw from Pompey in 2012 was his plate discipline, as after striking out 68 times in 71 games between 2010 and 2011, he whiffed just 14 times in 20 games last season.

Scouting Report

Video (via MLBProspectPortal.com)

Swing Mechanics

Despite an average height of 6-foot-1, Pompey stands tall in the box, expanding his length while facing the pitcher with an open stance. His upper half, particularly his hands, can get very busy as he awaits the pitch. It’s something that is usually ignored if the player is performing, but if he finds himself in an extended slump it’s likely one of the first things a hitting coach will want to clean up. Pompey has good weight transfer and solid bat speed, but he does wrap the bat prior to his swing. It’s something that should be fixed, as his game isn’t based around power and his contact ability would benefit from a shorter swing path.

Tools Breakdown

Pompey’s best tools are his bat and speed, which makes him an intriguing option in centerfield. The 20 year old is a switch hitter, and while it’s still very early in his career, he’s proven to be better at facing right handed pitching than the lefties. He has a sound plate approach, as in addition to his improvements in avoiding the strikeout, he works the count and takes walks at an above average rate. Pompey uses the opposite field well, but his limited power is currently on the pull side. Because of his lean frame, his ultimate power ceiling may only be fringe-average (10-15 home runs), but that’s more than acceptable for his position, especially when considering how much of a weapon his legs are. Pompey is a plus runner who reads pitchers extremely well, allowing him to be a highly proficient base stealer. The overall offensive package is very intriguing.

Admittedly, the value provided by the offense takes a legitimate hit if Pompey is forced to move to an outfield corner. He doesn’t have the physicality expected of a left fielder, and his merely average arm wouldn’t suit right field at all. That’s not a problem Toronto has to face quite yet, as they’re giving him every opportunity to prove he can stick in center. Of his 19 starts in the outfield in 2012, 17 of them came out in centerfield. Pompey has excellent range thanks to his aforementioned plus speed, but his technique is still on the raw side. He doesn’t always make the correct first step or take the proper routes to balls, but those issues are commonplace in short season ball. If he can smooth out the edges on defense, his speed gives him an above average projection in center.

Projection

The perfect world projection for Dalton Pompey would be an everyday centerfielder who hits second in the lineup; second division starter.

2013 Outlook, Risk, and ETA

The broken hand was a devastating injury for both Pompey and the Blue Jays, as he was easily on pace to see Lansing for an extended look in August. The five games he saw late in the year shouldn’t be considered much more than a rehab assignment, as he was coming off a long layoff and it’s doubtful he was near 100%. While the development timeline was a little sidetracked, Pompey has a chance to recover with a strong full season debut in 2013. He’s not a high maintenance or upside prospect, so his performance should dictate the flow of his year. Should he follow in Kevin Pillar’s footsteps and demolish the Midwest League in the first half, a stint with Dunedin isn’t out of the question. His future is highly dependent upon his bat which isn’t fully developed, and considering he’s coming off a lost season, the long term risk with Pompey is very high. A realistic ETA if things break right would be September 2015 or the first half of 2016.

In terms of page views and feedback (both positive and negative, but thankfully mostly the former), the series was one of the most popular things I’ve done in my two-ish years of writing about the Blue Jays. As such, I’ve decided to break down the system once again, and hopefully another year of experience and knowledge will make the list that much more thorough and interesting to the readers.

The fourth part of the series will look at the centerfield position. Centerfielders are my absolute favorite prospects to discuss, because more than any other position, they’re required to be proficient both at the plate and in the field. To prevent a move to an outfield corner, the centerfielder is required to be an exceptional defender. As such, Baseball America ranks fielding as the highest tool priority for the position. Speed is important as well, ranking third, as while having great reads and lines on balls is crucial, a certain level of athleticism is also required to give the player the necessary range. Arm strength is the least important tool, because as long as the player can run down fly balls heading towards the gap, teams can live with a lack of outfield assists. Hitting ability and power rank second and fourth respectively, which agrees with the suggestion that offense is just as important as defense when discussing a centerfield prospect. More so than any other position, when a centerfielder puts all the tools together, you can have a generational talent in the mold of a Ken Griffey Jr. or Mike Trout.

• Top centerfield prospect to reach MLB (last 5 years): Anthony Gose
• Centerfielders in 2012 Top 30: 3
• Centerfield WAR leaders in MLB (last 5 years): Vernon Wells (5.2), Colby Rasmus (0.9)

The King in the North

Jake Marisnick – 2012 team(s): High-A Dunedin, Double-A New Hampshire
489 AB, .249/.321/.399 (.720 OPS), 29 2B, 10 3B, 8 HR, 50 RBI, 24 SB, 37/100 BB/K

Jake Marisnick, pictured during Spring Training, has received the promotion to Double-A New Hampshire (John Lott / National Post)

Entering the 2012 season, Jake Marisnick was easily the best center field prospect in the Blue Jays system. Anthony Gose had a great season for Double-A New Hampshire, but Marisnick’s combination of tools and in-game production gave him a decisive edge. A year later, it’s a vastly different story. At least it was, until I realized Gose had surpassed the maximum at-bat threshold to retain his prospect eligibility. That made the decision a clear one once again, but for all of the wrong reasons. Jake Marisnick did not have a great season, and while he kept his head above water in the Florida State League, the elite pitching prospects of the Eastern League forced him under. His enormous success with Lansing during the 2011 season may have raised expectations unrealistically high a bit too soon, because in reality, we’re still seeing the transition from athlete to baseball player. Marisnick was 21 years old for the duration of the season, and many players his age are either in college or A-ball. Some struggles in the upper minors not only should be accepted, they should have been expected. Unfortunately, once the hype train gets going, it’s near impossible to stop.

If you look at his abilities on a baseball field, the reasoning behind the hype becomes readily apparent. When someone in sports describes a catalyst, they’re talking about a player like Jake Marisnick. He stands an imposing 6-foot-4, and with 200 pounds of lean muscle across his frame, he’s athleticism embodied. He has broad shoulders, and his legs are so long he looks like a gazelle once he gets underway. Marisnick takes excellent reads in the outfield, and uses his plus speed to cover a vast amount of outfield grass. His arm strength is yet another plus tool, totaling 10 outfield assists in 118 games last season – an excellent number for a centerfielder. In addition to having outstanding pure speed, Marisnick is an exceptional base runner as well. In 307 career minor league games, he’s been successful on 81% of his stolen base attempts (84/104), and frequently takes the extra base whether it be going first to third, or stretching a double into a triple.

What makes Marisnick a true five tool prospect is the potential in his offensive game. His rough summer in New Hampshire rubbed the shine off a little bit, but Marisnick still has the potential to be a dynamic, fear-inducing threat in the meat of the order of a playoff caliber lineup. He faces the pitcher with a slightly open stance and a very wide base, and readies himself quickly. Once he’s in the set position, Marisnick calms down, looking almost statuesque. He holds his hands just above the shoulders, and as the pitch is delivered, he strides forward, drops his hands, and quickly pulls them through the zone generating plus bat speed. His swing is line drive oriented, as he has enough raw power in his frame to avoid needing to cheat with an uppercut. Marisnick will take bad pitches and even borderline fastballs, but in his short time in New Hampshire he was overwhelmed by the quality of the breaking balls. It’s not a glaring concern, as it is all part of the transition from athlete to baseball player. Above average breaking balls are few and far between in the low minors, but in Double-A and above, they’re a requirement for survival.

After the conclusion of the Arizona Fall League where he’s currently playing, Marisnick will have the offseason to look over the tape of what happened in Double-A, and begin to make adjustments for the upcoming season. The last time he struggled with a late season promotion, he came back the next year to produce an .888 OPS and be named to four separate All-Star teams. Hopefully that maturity and focus will return to him, as big things will be expected when he returns to New Hampshire next spring.

Question Mark

Dwight Smith Jr – 2012 team(s): Rookie-Bluefield, Low-A Vancouver
222 AB, .212/.279/.315 (.594 OPS), 9 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 29 RBI, 1 SB, 17/33 BB/K

Dwight Smith Jr. heading to the batting cage during minor league spring training, 2012 (Image via MLBProspectPortal.com)

When a team selects a high school hitter in the first round, they accept there’s going to be some risk involved. So when the Blue Jays selected Dwight Smith Jr. in the supplemental first round of the 2011 draft, they knew there were absolutely no guarantees. Working in their favor, however, was that Dwight’s father was a career .275/.333/.422 hitter across parts of eight Major League seasons. Having “baseball genes” is a huge bonus, as not only does the player have inherent physical abilities, but they grew up around the sport, making the transition from the amateur ranks into the professional game an easier adjustment. Thus far, that hasn’t been the case with Smith Jr. His contract with the team wasn’t finalized until deadline day, which when combined with a hamstring issue during his senior high school year, made it logical for him to sit out the remainder of 2011. Smith’s debut came with Bluefield (and later Vancouver) during the 2012 season where he struggled mightily, producing a sub-.600 OPS across 59 games. He’ll only be 20 years old on Opening Day 2013, but with such a strong outfield depth chart in the low minors, Smith needs to come back strong to avoid getting lost in the numbers.

The results were particularly disappointing when considering that an advanced bat was supposed to be his strongest trait. The plate approach showed up at least, as despite poor batting numbers, he maintained strong strikeout and walk rates, showing excellent zone control with two strikes. You can see how he focuses on that aspect of his game, as at the plate, he chokes up on the bat to ensure his swing is clean and quick to the ball. Even in a fresh count, you can see an inch or two of handle between his bottom hand and the knob of the bat. Additionally, Smith faces the mound with an open stance, further augmenting his ability to pick up and react to pitches. He’s a bit too active in the box for my liking, as he both wiggles his bat and sways back and forth from a crouched position. His timing mechanism is a huge front step, something he learned from his father and has used for years. After the stride, Smith Jr. follows through with average bat speed from a slightly uppercut swing plane. Despite a bit of a stocky frame he’s not a big power guy, with the tool grading out as average.

Smith isn’t fast, but he’s a good base runner thanks to a natural talent of reading pitchers. It’s much of the same in centerfield, as while he doesn’t have as much range as the other centerfielders on this primer, he has an excellent first step and takes highly efficient routes to the ball. His arm strength is fringe-average, but he makes up for it with plus level accuracy and a great release on his throws. The scouting report on Smith Jr. is usually based around the phrase “excellent instincts that play up average tools”, but he’s going to need to rely less on the former and more on the latter if he hopes to get his career moving in the right direction. Other than “short season ball” it’s hard to surmise where exactly he’ll open next year, as each of the next three centerfielders on this list will also be looking for playing time. It may come down to who looks the best during extended spring training,

On the Rise

D.J. Davis – 2012 team(s): Gulf Coast Blue Jays, Rookie-Bluefield, Low-A Vancouver
228 AB, .250/.355/.386 (.741 OPS), 10 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 18 RBI, 25 SB, 27/70 BB/K

D.J. Davis was Toronto’s number one pick in the 2012 draft (Image courtesy PerfectGame.org)

When the Toronto Blue Jays selected D.J. Davis with the 17th overall pick in the 2012 draft, a kid named Corey Seager was still on the board (the Dodgers took him immediately afterwards with the 18th overall pick). For that, I may never forgive them, but in just under a half season worth of games this summer, Davis did enough to sooth some of the pain. There was a lot of criticism towards the new Collective Bargaining Agreement and its impact on amateur talent acquisition – and rightfully so – but one thing it did correctly was moving the draft signing deadline forward a month. From a macroscopic view, the Davis pick wasn’t particularly surprising, as under General Manager Alex Anthopoulos, the organization has made a clear shift in philosophy towards high tool athletes. The risk is certainly greater when you draft a player with a “developing” hit tool, but because of their athleticism there’s no doubt that the upside is significantly higher should they put the total package together.

Davis’ lack of polish is exemplified when looking at his swing mechanics, which appear to change between at-bats. Finding some consistency will be key moving forward, as it’s impossible to improve something if what you’re trying to improve upon is always in a state of flux. The raw talent is there, however, as regardless of his swing path it’s coming from, the bat speed is quite impressive. He starts from a narrow base, but takes a big stride forward as he transfers his weight. Davis has good hip rotation, but he’ll need to get his swing under control, as he’s prone to spinning on his heels. His hands are low and his bat is quick to the ball, as Davis understands his best weapon is his speed, not his power. His chances of success are much greater with a groundball or line drive than with a fly ball, especially when considering he’s a left handed hitter. He’s not without power, but Davis’ ceiling in that regard is limited by his slim 6-foot-1 frame.

Baseball America has compared his raw speed to that of Billy Hamilton – yes, the guy who stole a record 155 bases last season – but that seems a bit absurd to me. Davis has 80 caliber speed, sure, but when discussing Hamilton’s speed, many people rank him as a 90, which is literally off the scale. Regardless, Davis has the potential to be a 70+ stolen base guy, so long as he can maintain a healthy on-base percentage. Like the offensive aspect of his game, Davis’ defense is more raw than polish at this point. His speed allows him to make up for many mistakes, but he often has poor reads or takes an inefficient path to the ball – reminiscent of current Blue Jays outfielder Rajai Davis. Thankfully, D.J. just turned 18 in July, and has more than enough time to smooth things out and remain in centerfield. His arm strength is below average, but as I mentioned above, it’s the least important tool for a centerfielder.

It will be interesting to see how the centerfield depth chart in the low minor leagues unfolds, as four centerfielders will be fighting for three spots between Lansing, Vancouver, and Bluefield. The Blue Jays are likely to play it cautious with Davis, as while he has heaps of upside, he struck out 70 times in 60 games in short season ball last season. A second go-around with Vancouver should be in store, with the possibility of a late season promotion to Lansing if he proves himself capable.

Dream on Me

Anthony Alford – 2012 team: Gulf Coast Blue Jays
18 AB, .167/.250/.333 (.583 OPS), 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 4 SB, 2/4 BB/K

Anthony Alford playing for his high school baseball team (Image courtesy PerfectGame.org)

According to Baseball America, Alford was rated as the 36th best player in the 2012 draft, but many teams didn’t even bother ranking him on their board. At the time, Alford had a strong commitment to play football at Southern Mississippi, and even went as far as to tell teams he wasn’t interested in playing baseball. We may never know if the front office had an inside scoop, but the Blue Jays chose to call his bluff, selecting him in the third round. When combining the football angle and the sheer number of high upside players Toronto chose in the first three rounds, few gave the Blue Jays much of a shot at landing the two-sport athlete. Come deadline day, however, the Blue Jays inked Alford to a professional contract worth 750 thousand dollars, with the kicker that they would allow him to play football for Nebraska in the fall. The contract received mixed reviews, as while some applauded the team for doing the near impossible, others felt it was a waste of money, as players who don’t focus solely on baseball often fall too far behind the development curve. We likely won’t know which side is correct for years, but there’s certainly no questioning the boldness of Anthopoulos and his draft team.

Alford’s athleticism is off the charts, and while his speed is a notch below that of D.J. Davis, his power upside is the highest of any of Toronto’s centerfield prospects. In terms of raw power it’s some of the best in the system, though players like Travis d’Arnaud have vastly superior in-game power thanks to years of baseball development. Standing 6-foot-1 and weighing in at 210 pounds, Alford has a muscular and highly toned build, a lasting benefit of his football career where he plays quarterback in an option style offense. At the plate, he has an open stance with his hands up by the ear hole of his helmet. When he swings, he taps his lead foot, keeps his front shoulder closed, then explodes through the ball with a short stroke and electric bat speed. Alford transfers his weight through the swing very well and has some uppercut, which helps create the plus power projection. It’s a shame he felt the need to play football, as with only a couple of years focusing on baseball he could be an offensive beast.

For a quarterback, Alford’s arm strength is surprisingly mediocre. I really expected more, but given that his football team utilizes him more for his legs than his arm (he’s thrown 89 times compared to 76 runs thus far this season), it’s understandable. His outstanding speed allows him to cover tons of ground, but like most high school outfielders he relies too heavily on his athleticism to make up for misreads. It’s something that Alford will need to work on, but unless he can improve it significantly, a move to left field may eventually be in store. Outfielders who take bad routes and have a weak arm simply can’t survive as centerfielders for long.

Given his poor personal numbers and Southern Mississippi’s 0-7 record thus far, one has to wonder if Alford is beginning to regret his decision. The Blue Jays would welcome him with open arms if he chose to play baseball fulltime, and it would certainly be a boon to his development. As it stands it’s certainly a unique situation, as while the organization wants him to get reps, preparation for the college football season begins in August. Another short season assignment might limit him to just a month’s worth of games, but is Alford ready for a full season league where he would play baseball for five months? I don’t have an answer, as I can’t recall the last time a baseball prospect was also playing college football. Needless to say it’ll be a situation to watch, as Alford has the physical tools that baseball scouts love to dream on.

Remember the Name

Dalton Pompey – 2012 team(s): Low-A Vancouver, Rookie-Bluefield, Single-A Lansing
70 AB, .286/.375/.429 (.804 OPS), 4 2B, 3 3B, 0 HR, 8 RBI, 5 SB, 10/14 BB/K

Dalton Pompey running fielding drills during minor league spring training, 2012 (Image via MLBProspectPortal.com)

The fifth and final name on the centerfield primer is Dalton Pompey, a native of Mississauga, Ontario. Pompey was drafted in the 16th round of the 2010 draft, and with a signing bonus of just 150 thousand dollars, he’s easily the lowest profile prospect on the list. He was extremely young at the time of his selection – just 17 years, 6 months old, which has allowed him to play in short season ball for parts of three years before he turns 20 later this winter. Pompey made his season debut with Vancouver – one of the few noteworthy prospects to begin the year there, but after a hot start that saw him hit .294/.442/.441 in 11 games, he went down with a broken hand. It was originally thought to be a season ending injury, but Pompey showed a lot of resolve to fight his way back and play in another nine games between Bluefield and Lansing to close out the season.

Coming out of the draft, many scouts labeled Pompey as a “tweener”, which is to say, he’s not fast enough for centerfield, and not strong enough to play an outfield corner. It’s hard to argue the latter, as at just 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds, Pompey’s build is more lean than muscular. He’s quickly dispelled the former, however, as in just 91 career games he has five triples and 32 stolen bases (at an incredible 91% success rate). The Blue Jays have tried him out in left field and right field in the past, but last season he moved to centerfield almost exclusively, making 17 of his 19 starts there. His speed allows him to cover a lot of ground, but he’s still a little rough around the edges when it comes to taking proper routes. He’ll need to continue to improve upon that, as his average arm couldn’t handle right field well, and it’s hard to establish yourself as left field prospect without monster offensive upside.

Pompey’s game isn’t solely based around speed, however, as the switch hitter is a legitimate threat at the plate. He’s not a tall player, but he uses his length well, standing high in the box with an open stance. His lower half is quiet, but his hands can get busy while he waits for the pitch. When the ball is delivered, he strides forward, pulls his hands back, and swings through with solid bat speed. One concern is that Pompey has some bat wrap, which can be a huge problem if not corrected. Bat wrapping leads to a longer swing, and while it can boost power, it drastically reduces swing timing and can be crippling against a smart pitcher who mixes speeds. One of his better traits is his plate approach, as Pompey is a mature pitcher who will wait for the pitch he wants. Unless he bulks up substantially – which might be unwise – his power is never going to be a plus tool. Pompey’s ultimate ceiling in that regard may be 10-15 home runs, but ample doubles and triples should help maintain a solid to above average isolated power.

The hamate injury really messed with Pompey’s development timeline, as he was on track for an August promotion to Lansing where he would have closed out the year in preparation for his full season debut in 2013. Even with the hiccup, he’s the most qualified of the four centerfield candidates listed on this primer to make the leap. The game action has been more limited than everyone would like, but he’s taken part in three years of fall instructional action (the end-of-summer equivalent of extended spring training), which is important for development and something none of the three prospects above him can boast. On an always talented Lansing squad, Pompey will definitely be one of the names to watch.

1. CF Dalton Pompey (VAN): 20 AB, .350/.500/.550 (1.050 OPS), 2 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 2 SB, 6/4 BB/K

From the Vancouver Sun: Canadians centre-fielder Dalton Pompey fondly recalls watching Blue Jays such as Carlos Delgado play at the Rogers Centre. Photograph by: Les Bazso, PNG

When the short season rosters were announced earlier this month, it quickly became clear that Vancouver drew the short straw in terms of quality of prospects. While Bluefield and the Gulf Coast Blue Jays each have a dozen or more legitimate talents, you can count the number of Vancouver’s high ceiling prospects on one hand. A 2010 draft pick out of a Mississauga high school, Dalton Pompey may be the Canadians’ best. Pompey has been hitting out of the two-hole, and has acted as the team catalyst and table setter. He reached base 13 times in seven games, one of which was a pinch running appearance. Of those 13 times on base, Pompey scored seven runs, and while a lot of that must be attributed to his teammates, that’s exceptional efficiency.

2. RHP Joe Musgrove (BLU): 0-0, 8 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 K

Bluefield has quickly become Lansing south, as they boast yet another pitching staff capable of making scouts drool. Musgrove may not have the depth of arsenal or pure ceiling of Daniel Norris or Kevin Comer, but it can’t be argued he’s the most polished and physically mature (6’5”, 230 lbs). Musgrove features a heavy sinking fastball, and he used it to perfection this week. Of his 24 outs recorded across two games, 19 came by way of the strikeout or groundout. That’s precisely the type of production you want to see from a pitching prospect. Similar to the Lansing group, the Bluefield starters have been pitching in tandem, with Musgrove’s partner being the team’s top pitching prospect, Daniel Norris.

3. CF Anthony Gose (LAS): 21 AB, .333/.461/.571 (1.032 OPS), 3 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 3 SB, 5/7 BB/K

Gose finished the week with an 0-for-5 with four strikeouts on Saturday and a day off on Sunday, which isn’t exactly ideal for placement on the prospect hot sheet. Regardless, he did enough in his previous four games to earn a spot. After nearly two weeks without a stolen base attempt – whether the team dictated it or he was sore I couldn’t tell you – Gose finally got back on track this week, going a perfect 3-for-3. His performance at the plate was very well rounded, as in addition to the impressive .333 average, he went for extra bases on four of his seven hits, and drew five walks against seven strikeouts. Unfortunately for Gose, Colby Rasmus has center field in Toronto completely locked down.

4. CF Jake Marisnick (DUN): 22 AB, .318/.444/.545 (.989 OPS), 2 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 2 SB, 5/4 BB/K

It’s been a disappointing season for Marisnick, who I ranked as the second best prospect in the system entering the year. Matters were compounded when he was forced to the disabled list with a minor injury, forcing him to miss roughly two weeks worth of games in May. Coming out of the FSL All Star break, he’s turned things around, including three straight multi hit efforts from Wednesday through Friday. Both his ISO and walk rate have remained nearly constant from his breakout 2011 season, so despite a deflated batting average, his year as a whole hasn’t been too bad.

5. 2B Christian Lopes (BLU): 17 AB, .294/.369/.882 (1.251 OPS), 0 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 0 SB, 2/5 BB/K

As a member of the Bluefield Blue Jays, Lopes finally made his long awaited professional debut this week, and he did not disappoint. He was only a 7th round pick in the 2011 draft, but his well above slot $800,000 signing bonus is much more indicative of his talent level. As a shortstop turned second baseman, he wasn’t drafted for his glove, he was selected because he can be an offensive force up the middle of the diamond, which he gave fans a taste of this week. In four starts and one pinch hit appearance, Lopes totaled only five hits, but four of them went for extra bases – two triples, two home runs. The result was a very slugging-heavy line, but it’s hard to deny a 1.251 OPS a spot among the system’s hottest prospects. He narrowly edged out teammate Art Charles, who had a similar offensive line, with defensive position giving Lopes the edge.

6. RHP Noah Syndergaard (LAN): 0-0, 5 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K

I wrote an article detailing how Syndergaard had been masterful in the rotation and awful in the bullpen, so it should come as a surprise to no one that in his first five inning start of the year, he had his best performance. 12 of his 15 recorded outs came by way of the strikeout or groundout, which as I mentioned with Musgrove, is an outstanding ratio to see from an elite pitching prospect. There are still rumblings that he’s overly reliant on his fastball due to an inconsistent curveball that only flashes, but if he’s finding this success working almost exclusively off one pitch, in my mind, that makes the performance even more impressive. If/when he can get his curveball to consistently solid-average, he could be a monster.

Honorable mention: Art Charles (BLU), Travis d’Arnaud (LAS), David Rollins (LAN), Chad Jenkins (NH), Asher Wojciechowski (DUN)

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…)

First, here’s an updated list of MLB, Minors, and Just Drafted Canadian Talent in Baseball. I’ll also touch on the best future talent available in the 2011 draft. 

Canadians in MLB or on the brink of being in MLB (more…)