1. RHP Noah Syndergaard (LAN): 0-0, 5 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K

Jays' pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard can match heat with the best of them at training camp in Duendin. (STEPH ROGERS photo)

On August 31st, Noah Syndergaard pitched the second best game of any Blue Jays minor leaguer this season, with the best being Roberto Osuna’s late July 13-strikeout gem. Facing South Bend for the fourth time this season, the hitters failed to take advantage of their extended looks, as just one out was recorded outside of the infield grass. The other 14 came by way of strikeout or ground out, a masterful performance from beginning to end. In total, Syndergaard allowed just one base runner, a first inning single by Tom Belza. The game finished off a fabulous second half of the season, as since the Midwest League All Star break in late June, Syndergaard has a microscopic 1.65 ERA and 0.88 WHIP. Those who are thinking Aaron Sanchez is easily the top pitching prospect in the system may want to have a second look.

2. C Yan Gomes (LAS): 32 AB, .406/.444/.656 (1.100 OPS), 2 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 1 SB, 3/7 BB/K

When Yan Gomes was called up to Toronto the first time, he had a number of big hits and really helped the team when it needed it most. The other call-ups, however, didn’t go nearly as smoothly. In total, Gomes produced a .165/.225/.316 batting line in 33 games for the big club, and often times the swings were just as ugly as the box score suggested. The minor leagues were a different story, as this week capped off a breakout season for the Brazilian. He had at least one hit in each of his eight games, and showed his usual extra base power with two doubles and two home runs. Gomes has done enough over the last two seasons to show he can hit upper level minor league pitching, the next step is proving he’s not just another quad-A player.

3. LHP Sean Nolin (NH): 1-0, 6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K

Sean Nolin has not received the credit due to him for his monster 2012 season. He had yet another dominant outing on August 30th, allowing just one run on three base runners in six innings while striking out seven, earning the win. While pitcher win/loss records are useless in terms of analysis, the outing pushed Nolin’s mark to 10-0 on the season, which certainly looks nice on paper. What’s ever better, however, is his 2.04 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. Additionally, his peripheral values (9.59 K/9, 2.40 BB/9, 0.62 HR/9) suggest he’s been pitching to his talent and not just getting lucky, leading to a very strong fielding independent pitching number of 2.77. Backing up that value is his 3.16 FIP from the 2011 season, indicating we have a very real prospect on our hands.

4. CF Jake Marisnick (NH): 37 AB, .351/.359/.595 (.924 OPS), 2 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 1 SB, 1/3 BB/K

Without a doubt, Jake Marisnick had the most disappointing season of any Blue Jays prospect. I ranked him as the second best in the system over the winter, and was certainly expecting more than the .719 OPS he produced between the Florida State League and Eastern League. At least he finished the season on a positive note, as after failing to appear on the hot sheet for two months, his late August performance earned him a spot on the final list of the year. Marisnick played in eight games this week, and had two base hits in six of them. The walks were down – as they were for his entire stay with the Fisher Cats – but he finally displayed some of the power that allowed him to bust onto the scene for the Lugnuts last season. With New Hampshire long eliminated from post season action, Marisnick can take some time and prepare himself for the Arizona Fall League, where the environment and his hitting ability should combine to produce some gaudy numbers.

5. SS Ryan Goins (NH): 29 AB, 10 H, .345/.441/.552 (.993 OPS), 3 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 3 SB, 5/6 BB/K

At 24 years old Goins isn’t much of a prospect, but he’s done enough over the past two seasons to receive a mention when he has one of the best weeks of his career. He filled up the stat sheet, showing good plate discipline, solid power, and surprising speed – his three stolen bases this week alone bested his 2011 total of two. Goins’ slash lines over the past two seasons have been eerily similar, as in 2011 while playing for the D-Jays, he hit .284/.340/.404 (.745). This season, with New Hampshire, he concluded the year with a .289/.342/.403 (.745) line. He doesn’t have strong enough tools to play regularly in the major leagues, but with a strong 2013 season he might be able to carve out a niche as a Mike McCoy type player, either with Toronto or somewhere else.

6. 1B Mike McDade (LAS): 23 AB, .348/.464/.522 (.986 OPS), 1 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 0 SB, 5/6 BB/K

Back and healthy after a trip to the disabled list earlier this month, McDade had a very strong week in limited playing time. Unlike the other hitters on the list who saw action in seven or eight games, McDade played in just six, but did enough in those games to earn the final spot on the final hot sheet of the season. He proved a couple of things with his 2012 performance; first, that he’s probably better than a lot of us gave him credit for, and second, that even with an uptick in performance he still doesn’t hit enough to be a major league first baseman. It’s a shame, as McDade has solid power, an average bat, and is strong defensively, but the rule of first basemen is harsh and unforgiving – and rightly so. If you’re dreaming on a first base prospect who might have an OPS upwards of .800 in his prime years, you’re probably doing the baseball thing wrong.

1. RHP Anthony DeSclafani (LAN): 1-0, 17 IP, 15 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 14 K

Lansing right hander Anthony DeSclafani pitching for the University of Florida during the 2011 season (Rob Foldy, GaterCountry.com)

Since being separated from Noah Syndergaard, Anthony DeSclafani has flown under the prospect radar down in Lansing. Over the past two weeks, however, he’s been the most dominant arm on the staff. DeSclafani made three starts, and despite being fantastically dominant, the Lugnuts offense could only give him one win. He maintained his season long exceptional command, walking only two in his 17 innings, but displayed strikeout prowess we haven’t seen since he pitched in relief earlier this year. In July, DeSclafani struck out only 9 batters in 27 innings, a number he’s already bested in just three starts. He struck out seven on August 12th, which was the second highest total of his season (8, on May 17th). I still feel his ultimate future lies in the bullpen where his fastball/slider combination should allow him to flourish, but the fact the Blue Jays have kept him in the rotation to receive extra innings for development is a huge plus for the long term.

2. CF D.J. Davis (GCL): 25 AB, .240/.424/.440 (.864 OPS), 3 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 5 SB, 5/11 BB/K

Toronto’s top pick in the 2012 draft has started his career off very smoothly. Davis’ athleticism was without question, but there was plenty to debate about his offensive game. He’s quelled some of those concerns early on, as he’s managed 11 extra base hits in 39 games as well as an acceptable .248 batting average. The speed has been as advertised, as with 18 stolen bases, he’s leading the Gulf Coast League. Complex league statistics are basically meaningless and should be taken with a grain of salt, but it’s good to see Davis having some success.

3. LF Marcus Knecht (DUN): 30 AB, .300/.417/.467 (.883 OPS), 5 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 2 SB, 3/9 BB/K

Knecht was the one of the three 2011 Lansing outfielders to make the jump to Dunedin this year, and was the median player in terms of production. Now in August, he’s the only of the three still with the team. Marisnick received his promotion to Double-A last month, while Crouse was demoted back to Single-A. The season has been a continuum of mediocrity for Knecht, as outside of a dominant May, he’s struggled to keep his OPS in the .700’s. His secondary stats (9.8 BB% and 182 ISO) have remained strong, but contact has been a serious issue, with his strikeout rate soaring to 28.9%. Knecht’s August has started with a bang; we’ll have to see if he can maintain it through to the end of the year.

4. 3B Kellen Sweeney (VAN): 41 AB, .268/.362/.488 (.850 OPS), 4 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 1 SB, 5/4 BB/K

Sweeney has been one of the system’s biggest disappointments this year, as many – myself included – were looking for him to take a big step forward. The Blue Jays were clearly onboard as well, as they assigned him to full season Lansing with only 25 career games under his belt. He was awful for the Lugnuts, and after a demotion he was even worse through his first few weeks in Vancouver. Sweeney has begun to turn things around, as with an .850 OPS to start August his overall Vancouver line is up to .212/.320/.364 (.684 OPS). His power has been far better than expected, particularly given the large dimensions of the park the Canadians play in, and the walks, as expected, are plentiful. There’s still a long way to go, but it’s good to see him finishing the year on a positive note.

5. RHP Javier Avendano (VAN): 2-0, 16 IP, 10 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 19 K

I still don’t really know what to make of Javier Avendano. He had four strong years in the Cardinals organization, and despite being just 21, they allowed him to be taken in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft. With Toronto, Avendano opened the year in relief with Single-A Lansing, and performed very well. As a reward, the team decided to demote him to Vancouver, where he’s shifted to the rotation. The numbers improved, as evident by his dominance in August listed above, raising his season totals to a 1.53 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 10.60 K/9 through a career high 88.1 innings. His performance earned him the Northwest League pitcher of the week award. What the Blue Jays ultimately plan on doing with Avendano is a mystery, but he’s handled everything the team has thrown at him so far.

6. 2B Christian Lopes (BLU): 33 AB, .364/.364/.515 (.879 OPS), 5 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 1 SB, 0/3 BB/K

Lopes has been one of Bluefield most consistently productive hitters this season, which is significant given the insane prospect depth on the roster. His .813 OPS this year is better than that of Santiago Nessy (.730), Matt Dean (.657), Dickie Thon (.646), Dwight Smith Jr (.629), and Jacob Anderson (.603). A lot of that has been driven by his extra base power, as he’s first on the team in triples, and his doubles total (16) is twice the total of the team’s second highest player (Nessy, 8). Lopes was mostly overlooked when offseason prospect rankings were written, but should find himself in the top 30 this winter.

7. 1B Mike McDade (LAS): 45 AB, .356/.375/.511 (.886 OPS), 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 0 SB, 2/5 BB/K

After being the lone offensive prospect in New Hampshire for much of the year, McDade finally received a promotion to Las Vegas. The problem is, d’Arnaud is injured, Snider and Thames were traded, and Gose, Sierra, Hechavarria, Cooper, and Gomes are in Toronto. Long story short, he’s once again in a very thin lineup. Big Mac has gotten off to a very hot start with the 51s, with five multi-hit games already in August. Unfortunately, McDade was placed on the minor league disabled list this week, so both his season – and the Las Vegas offense – take yet another blow.

8. RF Michael Crouse (LAN): 28 AB, .250/.364/.571 (.935 OPS), 0 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 0 SB, 5/8 BB/K

To say Crouse’s 2012 season has been a disappointment would be a colossal understatement. After producing an .827 OPS in the Midwest League last year – arguably the hardest of the minor leagues in which to hit – Crouse joined Knecht and Jake Marisnick in Dunedin, where he did next to nothing. In parts of three months, he maintained a batting average around the .200 mark with an on-base percentage below .300. Both his power and speed, which were superb last season, vanished. Even a demotion back to Lansing wasn’t enough to rekindle the spark – at least until this week. Crouse smashed three home runs, which is the greatest total of anyone on the hot sheet.

Honorable mention:
Jorge Vega-Rosado (BLU), Jesus Gonzalez (GCL), Justin Nicolino (LAN)

1. 3B Kevin Ahrens (DUN): 17 AB, .471/.526/.882 (1.408 OPS), 1 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 0 SB, 2/5 BB/K

Kevin Ahrens is set to enter his fifth season with the Blue Jays. The native of Houston, Tx., was a first round draft pick in 2007 and is hoping to prove the skeptics wrong by earning a place at third base for the Jays this year. (Arun Srinivasan/Toronto Observer)

I had a small glimmer of optimism with Ahrens after he performed fairly well in the Arizona Fall League last year. It’s predominantly a Double-A to Triple-A talent level, so I imagined his performance would create a Double-A assignment in 2012, especially given the lack of depth at that position. Instead, Toronto assigned him to Dunedin, where he’s opened the year for an astonishing four straight years. Now 23 years old, the door has all but closed on Ahrens’ major league future, but career-best weeks from former first round picks deserve mention. He has three home runs this season, all of which have come in the last eight days. This is Ahrens’ first placement on the Blue Jays prospect hot sheet –- and very likely his last –- but as someone who still fondly and naively remembers the Chipper Jones comparisons on draft day, it was nice to relish in his success, even if only for a couple of minutes.

2. C Travis d’Arnaud (LAS): 24 AB, .417/.440/.583 (1.023 OPS), 1 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 0 SB, 1/7 BB/K

Travis d’Arnaud didn’t have a great week, which makes the 1000+ OPS that much more impressive. In six games, he totaled only two extra base hits and a single walk. Yet, thanks to 10 hits, his overall numbers look very good. The power numbers this season have, unsurprisingly, been otherworldly. His extra base hit percentage is up to 40% with an isolated power of 248. The only discernible problem with d’Arnaud’s year has been his plate discipline. While his 18.1% strikeout rate is the lowest it’s been since 2009, it’s still a little high for a 23-year-old elite prospect in Triple-A. His 7.4% walk rate is in a similar boat, as while it’s in the average range, elite prospects should be better than average.

3. LHP Sean Nolin (DUN): 1-0, 5.2 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K

Nolin has been one of the most pleasant surprises of the 2012 season. He had a solid professional debut with Lansing in 2011, but has taken his game to the next level this year. His latest impressive start on June 5th propelled his season record to 7-0, and Nolin has been a huge factor in Dunedin clinching the first half division title. With a 2.43 ERA and 1.15 WHIP through the first two-plus months of the season, one has to doubt he’s long for A-ball, as Nolin is quickly proving himself to be ready for the upper minors. With the Double-A Fisher Cats sitting dead last in the Eastern League, they could certainly use his talent.

4. 1B Mike McDade (NH): 22 AB, .273/.360/.545 (.905 OPS), 3 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 0 SB, 3/3 BB/K

Big Mac has been the lone bright spot on an otherwise thin New Hampshire offense. With the preseason promotions of d’Arnaud, Gose, Hechavarria, Sierra, and Gomes, and the season ending injury of A.J. Jimenez, there are really no other noteworthy prospects in the starting nine. Opposing pitchers appear to have taken note, as with 27 walks through only 59 games –- including three base on balls this week –- he’s on pace to shatter his previous career high of 33 back in 2008. Teams can simply work around McDade, as no one else in the lineup can do any significant kind of damage to them. I’d really like to see him get a chance at Las Vegas with a lineup of top prospects, but until Toronto can sort out the David Cooper/Adam Lind/Vladimir Guerrero mess, McDade appears stuck in New Hampshire.

5. RHP Javier Avendano (LAN): 1-0, 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 11 K

The Lansing long man snuck onto the second edition of the Blue Jays prospect hot sheet, and thanks to a thin group of performances from the system’s elite talent this week, he finds himself in the fifth spot again. Avendano appeared in three games and displayed some of his versatility, earning a win, a hold, and a save. He’s been a big strikeout guy this year, and his 11 strikeouts over six innings this week boosted his season total to 39 in 30.1 innings (11.57 K/9). With the Syndergaard/DeSclafani tandem often struggling to reach their seven or eight innings, Avendano has been a huge asset to the first place Lansing team this year.

Honorable mention: Marcus Knecht (DUN), Adeiny Hechavarria (LAS), Sean Ochinko (NH)

1. C Travis d’Arnaud (LAS): 28 AB, .429/.467/.964 (1.431 OPS), 3 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 0 SB, 2/7 BB/K

Travis d'Arnaud of the Las Vegas 51s (mylvsports.com)

For the second consecutive week, Toronto’s best prospect is also the hottest prospect. Travis d’Arnaud continued to punish Pacific Coast League pitching, smashing four home runs this week after crushing four last week – bringing his monthly total to an absurd nine. To put a bit of perspective into how well he played, he started the week 2-for-9 with no extra base hits and no walks in the first two games. He went off over the next four, with 10 hits, including the seven that went for extra bases. With his season line now sitting at an awe inspiring .318/.376/.585, it’s fair to say his slow start in April is firmly in the rear view mirror, and to paraphrase the great Dennis Green -– “He is who we thought he is!”

2. CF Anthony Gose (LAS): 29 AB, .517/.600/.621 (1.221 OPS), 3 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 6 SB, 6/3 BB/K

Much like d’Arnaud, Anthony Gose is experiencing a colossal resurgence in May, and is likely devastated by the fact the month has only four days remaining. For the third time in four weeks, Gose has qualified for the prospect hot sheet, due in large part to skills he doesn’t usually flash. With 15 hits and six walks, Gose reached base 21 times in seven games –- precisely what you want to see from a leadoff hitter. While the power was a bit lackluster, he was more than happy to display his wheels, stealing six bases to give him a PCL leading 20 (with an excellent 83% success rate). And no, there are no errors on his MiLB.com player page; Anthony Gose is actually hitting .291 on the year.

3. 1B Mike McDade (NH): 26 AB, .385/.429/.846 (1.275 OPS), 3 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 0 SB, 2/4 BB/K

While the fact he’s repeating the level is a legitimate disclaimer, Mike McDade is having himself a year down in Double-A New Hampshire. With three more home runs this week, McDade is up to 9 on the season, and is on pace to exceed his previous career high of 21 back in 2010. Like many Blue Jays fans, you can be sure Big Mac is keeping his eye on the first base situation in both Toronto and Las Vegas, as he appears ready for a promotion to Triple-A, where he’d be playing half of his games in his home town. All he needs now is an opportunity.

4. RHP Asher Wojciechowski (DUN): 1-0, 12 IP, 9 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 12 K

It took seven weeks, but Wojo has finally made his first prospect hot sheet of the season. I had pretty big expectations for him after Toronto made him a supplemental first round pick in 2010, but he’s failed to live up to the billing thus far. Velocity and movement on his fastball have been down, and he has yet to develop a viable third pitch. The bullpen is quickly becoming a very real possibility for Wojciechowski, though he has held the wolves back for at least a little while after his performance this week. He turned in arguably the best start of his career on the 26th, pitching six innings of one run baseball, while striking out eight batters. Wojciechowski’s season numbers are still pretty ugly, especially for a 23 year old in High-A ball, so hopefully this week will turn his year around. Just don’t be shocked if you begin seeing a few relief appearances on his player page in the near future.

5. LF Marcus Knecht (DUN): 25 AB, .360/.407/.760 (1.167 OPS), 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 0 SB, 2/9 BB/K

Knecht narrowly edged out his Lansing counterpart in left field, Chris Hawkins, for the final spot on the list. While Hawkins had the better slash line (1.241 OPS, powered by an absurd .550 average), he played in only five games, so the counting stats were seriously lacking. The Canadian Knecht didn’t have the same problem, crushing five extra base hits and earning a spot for the second time in three weeks. He had hits in six of seven games this week, including three multi hit efforts. This is yet another case of a Blue Jays prospect having a terrible April followed by a terrific May, as Knecht produced a .563 OPS in April before clubbing his way to a .935 OPS mark this month.

Brett Cecil Update: 2-0, 12.2 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 6 BB, 12 K

Cecil self destructed towards the end of spring training, falling from the fourth spot in the rotation all the way to Double-A. His minor league season got off to a rough start, as he went 0-2 with a 7.30 ERA in April before leaving his start on April 19th with a groin injury. He returned to action on May 9th and appears to be back on track. On May 21st, Cecil pitched 5.2 hitless innings while striking out eight. His bullpen backed him up, and the group combined for the third no-hitter in Fisher Cats history. Cecil is now 3-0 with a 1.66 ERA and 0.92 WHIP in the month of May, and with the recent nose dive in performance by the starting staff in Toronto, Brett could find himself back in the majors before too long.

Honorable mention: Chris Hawkins (LAS), Carlos Perez (LAN), Adeiny Hechavarria (LAS)

With nine days of spring training commitments followed by attempts to move while being sick when I returned home, it’s been difficult to update the top 50 these last two weeks without compromising thoroughness. Now, however, the list will definitely be continuing in the coming days to make up for the lost time.

No. 33: Michael McDade

March 2, 2012; Dunedin, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Michael McDade (66) poses for a portrait during photo day at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

First baseman / 22 years old / 6’1″ 255 lbs

Born: May 8, 1989 in Las Vegas, Nevada

Bats: Both  Throws: Right

High School Team: Silverado (Las Vegas, NV)

College: N/A

Acquired: Drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 6th round (205th overall) of the 2007 Amateur Draft

Jersey Number: 40 for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats

Pre-2011 Rank: 28

Quick Facts:

• Was drafted as a catcher before moving to first base
• Named Organizational Player of the Month in August 2009
• Led the Florida State League with 21 home runs in 2010
• Won the R. Howard Webster Award as Dunedin’s MVP in 2010
• Eastern League All-Star in 2011
• Outdueled teammate Moises Sierra this past season to win the Eastern League Home Run Derby

Career Stats:

New Hampshire Fisher Cats team stats ranking:

• 1st in doubles (37)
• 2nd in hits (136), RBIs (74), total bases (221), strikeouts (104) and OPS (.785)
• T-2nd in sacrifice flies (4)
• 3rd in games played (125), at-bats (484), batting average (.281) and slugging percentage (.457),
• T-3rd in home runs (16)
• 4th in runs (71) and errors (7)
• T-4th in HBP (8)
• 7th in walks (28)
• 9th in on-base percentage (.328)

Extra Information and previous experience:

After hitting a league-leading 21 home runs but striking out a team-high 141 times in 128 games for the Dunedin Blue Jays in 2010, Mike McDade knew he was going to have to make some adjustments with Double-A New Hampshire in 2011. He made his fair share of them.

As the Fisher Cats’ cleanup hitter, McDade set new career-highs with a 136 hits, 37 doubles and 74 RBIs after tinkering with his swing in spring training, working hard to command the strike zone and lay off breaking balls, and continuing to be aggressive early in counts.

It’s this aggressiveness, however, that leads to the main knock on the 22-year-old as well.

Having averaged more than one strikeout per game from 2008-10, McDade made it a priority to cut down on his swing-and-miss last season with New Hampshire. He was successful in doing so, bringing down his strikeout rate from a career-high 27.2% in 2010 to a career-low 19.8% last season with room to improve even more in 2012.

While he did manage to improve his strikeout rate, McDade’s walk rate last season was nearly identical to his 2010 campaign at 5.3%. With a career .314 on-base percentage in 512 minor league games, the biggest challenge that lies ahead for the Las Vegas native is seeing more pitches per at-bat and working deeper into counts — crucial for a first baseman and cleanup hitter.

It’s something that he’s well aware of and focuses on as much as he can.

“Every day I’m trying to work on that,” said McDade this spring of his strikeout and walk totals. “The biggest thing is just trying to get my pitch, and I felt like I did a better job last year, I feel like I progressed from the year before. I’m getting a little more mature, starting to know the little things. Right now it’s a work in progress but it’s going well.”

Consistency at the plate, especially in the second half of the season, will be key for McDade this season, since his power potential is evident.

On May 31, McDade was hitting .325 on the season with an .892 OPS that included an impressive .382 on-base percentage. Then, after hitting 18 doubles and six home runs in his first 50 games, he smacked seven doubles and six home runs in 26 June games. But in his final 58 games, he went 47-for-190 (.247) at the plate with a .660 OPS.

A switch-hitter, McDade has always been a better hitter against right-handed pitchers and his performance against southpaws brings down his numbers. That was the case last season with the Fisher Cats, when he hit .291 with a .823 OPS from the left side but just .246 with a .653 OPS from the right. His willingness to chase pitches varied as well, as he swung at only 18% of pitches outside the zone as a left-handed hitter, nearly half as much as the 32% he did right-handed.

Though offense has to be a huge part of his game, McDade has worked incredibly hard on his defense since becoming a first baseman after being drafted by the Blue Jays. Whether it’s turning slick double plays or stretching to scoop short throws, McDade fields his position well and with ease.

He’s quite agile for a 255-pounder and is proud of the improvements that he has made to his defensive game.

“I’m always looking to play defense and just try to help my teammates out any way possible,” he said. “A throw in the dirt, anything — that’s something I really take pride in.”

Added to the 40-man roster back in November, there are things about McDade that the Blue Jays obviously like. Assistant GM Tony LaCava confirmed to MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm that, along with David Cooper, McDade will open the 2012 season at Triple-A Las Vegas, splitting time at first base and DH to get the everyday at-bats that he’ll need at the level.

There, McDade will be reunited with 51s hitting coach Chad Mottola, who spent time in Jays camp this spring filling in for Dwayne Murphy. Mottola has drawn rave reviews for his work with players like Brett Lawrie, Adeiny Hechavarria and Cooper, and McDade is looking forward to working with a familiar face.

“I had the chance to work with him when he was our hitting rover a few years ago so we really know each other and have a really good relationship. It’ll be interesting to work with him this year.”

Expected 2012 Team: Triple-A Las Vegas

Ultimate ceiling IF he puts it all together: Near-everyday 1B with Gold Glove-caliber defense

- JM

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McGuire, 22, looked good in his first major league spring training, giving up only a pair of earned runs (including a home run) in seven innings spread across three outings. I was able to see his first spring outing in person back on March 7, and he looked great, keeping the ball down while throwing strikes. Out of New Hampshire’s starting rotation last season, McGuire could be the first of the group to receive a call-up to the big leagues.

Gil, 29, signed a minor league deal with the Jays back in November and has had a decent spring with the club this year, allowing three earned runs on four hits in 6 2/3 innings and six appearances. Here’s what I wrote after seeing him in his first outing of the spring against Pittsburgh, when he did not allow a hit in his inning of work: “His off-speed stuff looked great in warm-ups and even more so against the first batter he faced, getting two swinging strikes on breaking balls to get the punchout. He then switched to his heat against Robbie Grossman, who was always behind and couldn’t catch up to it.”

In his third big league spring with Jays, not much can be said of McDade’s two singles in 14 at-bats across 12 games. After making some changes with New Hampshire last year, the Las Vegas, Nevada native has used the spring to continue working with the Jays’ coaching staff on his approach at the plate. His strong defensive skills at first base are easy to spot, and he should improve his overall game even further when repeating Double-A this year. McDade was recently ranked No. 33 on our pre-2012 top 50 prospects list.

Coming in ranked almost unanimously as the Jays No. 1 prospect, d’Arnaud, 22, used this year’s edition of spring training to work even more with Jays pitchers and on his defense, something that Jays skipper John Farrell had mentioned recently. The reigning Eastern League MVP is headed to the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League this season and will likely be, at worst, a September call-up. After that, however, the Jays’ catching situation will get quite interesting.

Jimenez, one of my personal favorites and the best defensive catcher in the Jays’ minor league system, broke out offensively with High-A Dunedin last season and continued that trend this spring, going 4-for-9 with a double in an unbelievably small sample size. Like d’Arnaud, Jimenez got himself more acclimated with the Jays’ coaching staff and will move up a level this season, to Double-A New Hampshire, giving the Jays an impressive catcher at the three highest levels of their organization.

- JM

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