I won’t be trying to rank these prospects in any particular order.  Am sure we’ll see numerous efforts at prospect rankings over the winter.  These pieces will simply be a quick breakdown of where the player played, how they did, where they may land in 2013, etc.

The Jays had a very clear, defined strategy this past draft.  They drafted some very tough signs in the first three rounds.  To ensure they had ample bonus pool money to pay these upper round talents over slot, the Jays drafted nothing but college seniors in rounds four through ten.  With zero leverage as seniors, the five picks below signed for a grand total of 21 thousand between them, saving the Blue Jays 705 thousand based on the allocated slot values.  As an aside, and I didn’t listen to the draft so this is hearsay, but apparently listening to the pundits covering the draft was quite humourous as Anthopoulos, Andrew Tinnish, and co. implemented their strategy.  For the first couple of picks, they scrambled to come up with scouting reports on the picks, explaining that maybe Toronto’s scouting department had seen something they missed.  It wasn’t until the 7th round or so before they started to clue in, leaving them somewhat red-faced.

Alex Azor – 10th Round – 325 Overall – Signed June 7th – Owner of the famous ‘I would have signed for a hotdog’ quote, Azor ended up signing for a thousand bucks, which will buy him a few hot dogs at least.  A captain of the Naval Academy baseball team, Alex was a two time member of the All-Patriot League first team.  That will probably be the highlight of his baseball career as after getting into fourteen games for Bluefield, Azor will return to the Navy to complete his service.  He could apply for a release in 2015 but at 26 it may not be worth his while in baseball terms.  This pick was simply to save some money and therefore was used on a high character kid who dreamed of playing pro ball.  When he got there, his plate discipline was ok, with a BB/K ratio of 0.60, but not much else went well.  Especially the power numbers which were virtually non-existent.  It’s a nice story and hopefully Azor has a safe naval career.

Jordan Leyland – 9th Round – 295 Overall – Signed June 11th – After transferring from UC Irvine to Azusa Pacific University, Leyland saw his power numbers spike.  I read a blog somewhere (am going cross-eyed trying to find it again) saying that the transfer was with this in mind as Azusa provides a better hitting environment.  Unfortunately this didn’t translate to pro ball as Leyland hit two home runs over two levels in 2012.  Starting the short season in Vancouver where a better than average 13.7% walk rate made for some reasonable peripherals, Jordan was demoted to Bluefield in July to make room for Art Charles.   Things didn’t go well from there, as the plate discipline fell off a cliff, dropping the BB rate to 1.9% with a K rate of 22.6%.  Everything else being equal, it made for some pretty ugly numbers.  At twenty three another season in rookie ball isn’t ideal but I can’t see another alternative based on the 2012 stats.  Vancouver should be his first destination.

Tucker Frawley- 8th Round – 265 Overall – Signed June 11th – I’m a positive person, but it’s getting hard to find positive stuff

June 4, 2011; Clemson, SC, USA; Coastal Carolina Chanticleers catcher Tucker Frawley (8) awaits the throw as Connecticut Huskies center fielder George Springer (4) comes to the plate during the NCAA Division 1 Regional at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

about the pro debuts of these five picks (understandable, given the nature of how they were picked).  Frawley’s college career was highlighted by strong defensive play, throwing out over 50% of his previous 71 base runners.  This translated fairly well to the pro ranks as Frawley gunned down 32% of potential thiefs.  Offensively, things didn’t go quite as well.  In 94 regular season plate appearances the catcher had ZERO extra base hits.  Let’s leave it at that.  He did, however, take over the starting catcher role during Vancouver’s Northwest League finals series, hitting .500 with a home run!  I’m guessing Tucker will be back with the Canadians in 2013 as they look for a third straight Northwest League title.

Ian Parmley – 7th Round – 235 Overall – Signed June 11th – Another member of the champion Vancouver Canadians, Parmley took over the starting center field role when Dalton Pompey went down with a long term injury.  I actually saw quite a bit of Parmley at the Nat.  He has a very patient approach at the plate which translated into an excellent 1.18 BB/K ratio.  In the field, he is quick, taking good routes to the ball.  Unfortunately for Ian, Lansing’s outfield will be quite crowded in 2013, leaving him back in Vancouver.

Eric Phillips – 6th Round – 205 Overall – Signed June 6th – Primarily a third basemen in college but with the ability to play all around the infield, Phillips knocked out 93 hits, including 24 doubles in his senior year at Georgia Southern University.  But, and this has become somewhat of a theme here, video game numbers in high-school/college don’t really translate to pro ball.  In eight games for the Vancouver Canadians Eric posted a .182/.280/.182 slash line.  As his season ended on the third of July, I am going to assume he went down with an injury, although please don’t hate me for assuming, it’s just that getting information on minor league injuries is like cracking the enigma code.  Too small of a sample size to make any more judgements, but let’s just say Phillips is the fourth member of this edition to play for Vancouver in 2012 and return to the Canadians in 2013.

I won’t be trying to rank these prospects in any particular order.  Am sure we’ll see numerous efforts at prospect rankings over the winter.  These pieces will simply be a quick breakdown of where the player played, how they did, where they may land in 2013, etc.

This is the first piece where all five of the draftees signed and made their pro debuts.  All were young as well, with four of the five under twenty, therefore beginning their pro careers with the high school aged Gulf Coast League.  As has been the pattern thus far, the hitters struggled in Florida.  There were positives though, as both the left handed pitchers on the list made strong first impressions, and an under-sized shortstop was an integral part of the Northwest League champion Vancouver Canadians.  Without further ado, your five future Jays.

Dennis Jones – 20th Round – 625 Overall – Signed June 11th – After putting up video game numbers in his senior year at Jefferson Davis High School, Jones was drafted in the 22nd round of the 2011 draft by the Brewers.  Opting to attend junior college instead, the numbers went downhill, both at the plate and on the mound.  Nevertheless, the Jays saw something, taking DJ in the 20th round and signing him to the max slot value of 100k (without it counting against your pool).  Like most players we have covered in this series, that are twenty and under, Jones struggled with the Gulf Coast Jays, putting up a .192/.314/.233 slash line in twenty-four games.  Despite that line, Jones was promoted to Bluefield in July where he manage to put up the exact same batting average, which must be quite difficult really.  Unfortunately, his OBP dropped and slugging remained about the same.  To be honest, I have struggled to find any sort of scouting reports on DJ save for a quick comment from Jays Director of Scouting Andrew Tinnish saying he was a plus runner.  In that respect, Jones stole five bases versus six failures in the GCL whereas in the Appy, he stole seven versus zero caught stealing.  Small victories.  Jones was drafted as a center fielder, spending the bulk of his time during his first season there.  With DJ Davis moving through the ranks so quickly and the status of Anthony Alford unclear there is a good chance Jones begins the season in Bluefield before a possible move to Vancouver later in the season.

Jorge Flores- 19th Round – 595 Overall – Signed June 11th – Drafted out of Central Arizona College, the Single Digit Assassin was

Jorge Flores – photo courtesy of James Venes, lastoftheninth.com

assigned to Vancouver, spent the entire season with the C’s, became a fan favourite winning the Canadians fans choice for player of the year, and added a Northwest League title to boot.  Not a bad first season in pro ball for a 5’5″ 160 pound shortstop who has always had to answer questions about his size.  Having seen quite a few Canadians games this year, Flores’ popularity is certainly warranted.  He plays the game hard.  At the plate he sees a lot of pitches, and has surprising pop (especially to the pull side), generated by above average bat speed.  On the basepaths, Flores is constantly in motion, always looking to take an extra base where available.  Unfortunately, that agressiveness, didn’t serve him well as far as stolen base percentage, only being successful in eleven out of twenty attempts.  In the field, Flores has decent footwork and soft hands.  His arm strength may be an issue, possibly precipitating a move to second in the future.  With a logjam of middle infielders in the Jays system, Flores may find himself back in Vancouver next year, however, if given the chance with Lansing, I don’t see full-season ball overwhelming him.

Alonzo Gonzales – 18th Round – 565 Overall – Signed July 9th – After having to search long and hard for positives for those that were drafted and played in the GCL in 2012, Alonzo Gonzales was a ray of sunshine.  Drafted out of Glendale Community College, Gonzalez’ pro debut was solid.  A 6’5″ 200 pound lefty, he mixes a high 80s fastball with a nice feel for his changeup, as per this write up.  The most impressive part of Alonzo’s debut is that he got stronger as the season wore on, culminating in two straight six inning shutout starts after his promotion to Bluefield in August.  His strike out ratios suggest that he doesn’t miss enough bats, but with his frame, his fastball should add a few miles per hour, and if he develops a second breaking ball (a curve ball from the reports I’ve read) then we may have a legit middle of the rotation southpaw on our hands.  As he’ll be 21 when spring training opens, I think Gonzales will begin 2013 in Vancouver, where he’ll look to throw 70 innings or so, readying him for full season ball in 2014.

Shane Dawson – 17th Round – 535 Overall – Signed June 6th – The third Canadian on our list, and second straight lefty pitcher, Dawson put up some decent numbers in limited innings on his pro debut.  Predominantly coming out of the bullpen in a piggy-backing situation, Shane threw just over thirty innings, striking out over ten batters per nine.  He did start three games last year, and am guessing the plan will be to start in 2013.  Unfortunately his size, currently 6’1″ 180 pounds may mean his long term future is back in the ‘pen.  I can’t find much news on where his fastball sits but there should be room for improvement.  I have read that he is very athletic with a smooth, easy delivery.  Having only turned 19 in September, Dawson has plenty of time to build up his arm strength.  I’d like to say he’ll begin 2013 as a starter in Bluefield, but there is a chance he repeats the GCL for a spell before moving up.

Will Dupont – 16th Round – 505 Overall – Signed June 11th – One of the assigned ‘high-upside’ high schoolers taken as insurance in case any of the upper round picks didn’t sign, the Jays did quite well in getting a few of these names signed, despite fact they signed (and spent most of their alloted bonus pool) all their picks through round three.  The MLB website has Dupont’s signing bonus at 105k which puts him five thousand over slot and therefore taxed at 75%.  Not a huge number, but the Jays were obviously keen to get him in the organization.  Another prospect that put up ridiculous high school numbers.  However, like those we have covered already, Dupont struggled in his first season of pro ball.  Having played both short and third in high school, WD transitioned to second for the GCL Jays, putting up a .195/.353/.268 slash line.  Again, mining for positives, Dupont managed eight walks in fourty-one at bats for a 15.7% BB rate.  Getting on base will be paramount for Dupont going forward.  Most scouting reports I read highlight his plus plus speed, having run a 6.47 60 in high school.  Dupont is young, just turning 19, and having only played fifteen games for the GCL Jays, limits his sample size.  Next year will be much more important in his development, more than likely back in the Gulf Coast League.

The 2012 MLB Draft Order was revealed yesterday.

No. 17 – Original first round pick

No. 22 – Compensation for failing to sign 2011 first round pick Tyler Beede

No. 50 – Compensation for Frank Francisco signing with the Mets

No. 58 – Compensation for Jon Rauch also signing with the Mets

No. 60 – Compensation for Jose Molina signing with the Rays

Thanks to some slick work from Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos, the club joins the Cardinals, Red Sox and Brewers — teams that, unlike the Jays, all lost a Type-A free agent — as one of the four teams that have two first round picks. The Jays also tie St. Louis for the most picks in the first 60 selections. As a result, the Jays have one of the largest pools of money to use in the 2012 Draft — a feature in the new collective bargaining agreement that will hopefully entice teams to draft more realistically and try to sign their picks to recommended slot-bonuses.

Also as a result of the new CBA, the draft will now only have 40 rounds, compared to 50 in years past. Scroll down below for the complete order. The 2012 Draft takes place June 4-6, with MLB.com providing live coverage of the first round and first supplemental round on Monday, June 4.

The 2012 MLB Draft page on our main title bar has also been updated.

First Round

1. Houston Astros

2. Minnesota Twins

3. Seattle Mariners

4. Baltimore Orioles

5. Kansas City Royals

6. Chicago Cubs

7. San Diego Padres

8. Pittsburgh Pirates

9. Miami Marlins

10. Colorado Rockies

11. Oakland Athletics

12. New York Mets

13. Chicago White Sox

14. Cincinnati Reds

15. Cleveland Indians

16. Washington Nationals

17. Toronto Blue Jays

18. Los Angeles Dodgers

19. St. Louis Cardinals (A. Pujols – LAA)

20. San Francisco Giants

21. Atlanta Braves

22. Toronto Blue Jays (T. Beede – unsigned)

23. St. Louis Cardinals

24. Boston Red Sox

25. Tampa Bay Rays

26. Arizona Diamondbacks

27. Milwaukee Brewers (P. Fielder – DET)

28. Milwaukee Brewers

29. Texas Rangers

30. New York Yankees

31. Boston Red Sox (J. Papelbon – PHI)

Supplemental First Round (Comp Round A)

32. Minnesota Twins (M. Cuddyer – COL)

33. San Diego Padres (H. Bell – MIA)

34. Oakland Athletics (J. Willingham – MIN)

35. New York Mets (J. Reyes – MIA)

36. St. Louis Cardinals (A. Pujols – LAA)

37. Boston Red Sox (J. Papelbon – PHI)

38. Milwaukee Brewers (P. Fielder – MIL)

39. Texas Rangers (C.J. Wilson – LAA)

40. Philadelphia Phillies (R. Madson – CIN)

41. Houston Astros (C. Barmes – PIT)

42. Minnesota Twins (J. Kubel – ARI)

43. Chicago Cubs (A. Ramirez – MIL)

44. San Diego Padres (A. Harang – LAD)

45. Pittsburgh Pirates (R. Doumit – MIN)

46. Colorado Rockies (M. Ellis – LAD)

47. Oakland Athletics (D. De Jesus – CHC)

48. Chicago White Sox (M. Buehrle – MIA)

49. Cincinnati Reds (R. Hernandez – COL)

50. Toronto Blue Jays (F. Francisco – NYM)

51. Los Angeles Dodgers (R. Barajas – PIT)

52. Texas Rangers (D. Oliver – TOR)

53. St. Louis Cardinals (O. Dotel – DET)

54. Philadelphia Phillies (R. Ibanez – NYY)

55. San Diego Padres (B. Austin – unsigned)

56. Chicago Cubs (C. Pena – TB)

57. Cincinnati Reds (F. Cordero – TOR)

58. Toronto Blue Jays (J. Rauch – NYM)

59. St. Louis Cardinals (E. Jackson – WAS)

60. Toronto Blue Jays (J. Molina – TB)

Second Round

61. Houston Astros

62. Oakland Athletics (J. Willingham – MIN)

63. Minnesota Twins

64. Seattle Mariners

65. Baltimore Orioles

66. Kansas City Royals

67. Chicago Cubs

68. San Diego Padres

69. Pittsburgh Pirates

70. San Diego Padres (H. Bell – MIA)

71. New York Mets (J. Reyes – MIA)

72. Minnesota Twins (M. Cuddyer – COL)

73. Colorado Rockies

74. Oakland Athletics

75. New York Mets

76. Chicago White Sox

77. Philadelphia Phillies (R. Madson – CIN)

78. Cincinnati Reds

79. Cleveland Indians

80. Washington Nationals

81. Toronto Blue Jays

82. Los Angeles Dodgers

83. Texas Rangers (C.J. Wilson – LAA)

84. San Francisco Giants

85. Atlanta Braves

86. St. Louis Cardinals

87. Boston Red Sox

88. Tampa Bay Rays

89. New York Yankees (S. Stafford – unsigned)

90. Arizona Diamondbacks

91. Detroit Tigers

92. Milwaukee Brewers

93. Texas Rangers

94. New York Yankees

95. Philadelphia Phillies

Third Round

96. Houston Astros

97. Minnesota Twins

98. Seattle Mariners

99. Baltimore Orioles

100. Kansas City Royals

101. Chicago Cubs

102. San Diego Padres

103. Pittsburgh Pirates

104. Miami Marlins

105. Colorado Rockies

106. Oakland Athletics

107. New York Mets

108. Chicago White Sox

109. Cincinnati Reds

110. Cleveland Indians

111. Washington Nationals

112. Toronto Blue Jays

113. Los Angeles Dodgers

114. Los Angeles Angels

115. San Francisco Giants

116. Atlanta Braves

117. St. Louis Cardinals

118. Boston Red Sox

119. Tampa Bay Rays

120. Arizona Diamondbacks

121. Detroit Tigers

122. Milwaukee Brewers

123. Texas Rangers

124. New York Yankees

125. Philadelphia Phillies

Supplemental Third Round (Comp Round B)

126. Mariners (for unsigned 2011 third rounder Kevin Cron)

127. Marlins (for unsigned 2011 third rounder Connor Barron)

128. Rockies (for unsigned 2011 third rounder Peter O’Brien)

Rounds 4-40

129. Houston Astros

130. Minnesota Twins

131. Seattle Mariners

132. Baltimore Orioles

133. Kansas City Royals

134. Chicago Cubs

135. San Diego Padres

136. Pittsburgh Pirates

137. Miami Marlins

138. Colorado Rockies

139. Oakland Athletics

140. New York Mets

141. Chicago White Sox

142. Cincinnati Reds

143. Cleveland Indians

144. Washington Nationals

145. Toronto Blue Jays

146. Los Angeles Dodgers

147. Los Angeles Angels

148. San Francisco Giants

149. Atlanta Braves

150. St. Louis Cardinals

151. Boston Red Sox

152. Tampa Bay Rays

153. Arizona Diamondbacks

154. Detroit Tigers

155. Milwaukee Brewers

156. Texas Rangers

157. New York Yankees

158. Philadelphia Phillies

-JM

Like what you read and want to stay informed on all updates here at Jays Journal? Follow us on Twitter (@JaysJournal ), “Like” our Facebook page, or grab our RSS feed!