Brad Lincoln should fit in nicely with the Blue Jays. (Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE)

Mat already did a great job breaking down the trade this morning, touching on Lincoln and summarizing Snider’s struggles with the Blue Jays, but there’s much more to the 27-year-old reliever.

After opening the 2012 season as a starter for Triple-A Indianapolis, Lincoln was called up to the Pirates in mid-April to pitch as a reliever, a role he briefly held in August last season.

This year, however, something is different about Lincoln. He managed a sparkling 1.04 ERA in his first 26 innings (including one spot start), and not only was he limiting opposing hitters to a .174 clip, but he was averaging one strikeout per inning, thanks in part to a spike in fastball velocity.

He shifted back to the Pirates’ rotation in June, where he was shelled in three of his four spot starts before being relegated back to the bullpen. Since then, he has a 0.57 ERA in 10 appearances (15 2/3 innings) to go along with an impressive 17:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Kristy Robinson, Pirates beat reporter for PiratesProspects.com, had recently caught up with Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle to talk about Lincoln’s flip-flopping between roles this season, and she was generous enough to pass along the quotes that were to be used in her feature story.

“Brad has showed us a skill set that’s very unique this season,” Hurdle told Robinson. “We’ve challenged him, and he’s had to work through some challenges.

“Guys that have been hurt and have spent time in the minor leagues and finally get back to the big leagues, they embrace it. There’s the other side of it. I’ve had some guys that, ‘well, this isn’t really what I want to do.’ Brad’s been open minded. He wants to be in the big leagues, and he wants to do what’s best for this team right now. That makes it easy.”

In addition to talking with Hurdle, Robinson chatted with Lincoln himself about his versatility and new found confidence — the latter being a key reason for his success this season.

“It’s always good to have that in your back pocket, to be versatile and be that guy that they can call upon to pretty much be put in any situation,” the 27-year-old told Pirates Prospects. “I felt that I’ve done a pretty decent job at it. I’ve had a few rough starts. But just to be able to go out there and give them a little relief and let some guys arms rest or whatever, I feel that I can be that guy whenever they need it.”

Even though he’s pitched in the big leagues as both a starter and reliever, it’s clear that Lincoln has found his niche coming out of the bullpen. According to FanGraphs, his average fastball velocity has increased to from 91.8 mph to over 93 this season, and the pitch can regularly touch 96. Add that to his out pitch, a sharp, low-80s curveball, and Lincoln’s main two-offering mix plays well in a relief role.

“It’s one of those things where you give it all you got for a couple innings,” Lincoln said of relieving. “I feel like I’ve come to be in a comfort zone out there and that I can do that. I have a go-to pitch if I need a strikeout or get early contact, get quick outs, quick innings. I try and make it where you don’t have to use anybody out of the ‘pen. You try to get through those two, three innings, eat them up and then get the ball to Joel [Hanrahan] for the ninth.”

Speaking of the ninth inning, Lincoln also talked with Robinson about the role a closer plays and the mentality that comes with it. Though Casey Janssen has done a great job closing games for the Blue Jays this season and won’t be going anywhere any time soon, having a bulldog on the mound like Lincoln in late innings is something that should not be overlooked.

“Just to be able to close out games is something the fans get into,” the right-hander said. “When you get down to that last out and you get into it, you feel the energy and stuff like that. It gives you that extra adrenaline flow that you need to get to get you through the game. It’s fun. I can see myself being put in those situations.”

After being traded for a fan favorite in Snider, it appears that Lincoln will have his work cut out for him popularity-wise.

But if he continues to pitch like he has for the Pirates this season, he’ll become a popular option to help close out wins for his new team, and that’s all that matters.

Many thanks to Kristy for supplying the quotes and extra information on one of the newer Blue Jays, and to keep up with Snider and the rest of the Pirates, make sure to follow her on Twitter: @Kristy_Robinson.

Jul 25, 2012; Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Blue Jays left fielder

If Alex Anthopoulos was trying to get the attention of Toronto’s fan base, he definitely succeeded yesterday when he dealt fan favourite Travis Snider to Pittsburgh in return for RHP Brad Lincoln, and then followed that up by dealing Eric Thames to Seattle in return for RHP Steve Delabar. To say that both deals took fans by surprise is a major understatement, and the majority really do seem angry about the returns, so far.

I can remember the fans, myself included, pondering which of Snider or Thames would grab hold of the LF job in Toronto. There was speculation on either side of the fence, and in reality, Snider did everything he had to do to get the win. Thames has struggled a little more to get going this year after he won the first shot at the job this season. I’d like to caution all Jays fans of the following: did you ever really think either player would block Jake Marisnick from getting a shot in Toronto? I don’t think so, because unlike Thames and Snider, Marisnick has 5 tools and a higher ceiling as a result. Therefore, it only made sense for the Jays to go out there and try to get what they felt was fair value for each left-fielder.

Before I go on, I’d like to caution everyone that there’s still a possibility of the Jays using their new acquisitions to get another trade done. For example, the Jays could use both newly acquired pitchers to get a trade for Justin Upton done. After all, the Diamondbacks have said that they want pieces that can help them win this year and what could be better than improving their pitching? The Jays can now afford to deal impending free agents like Brandon Lyon and Jason Frasor, as well as Darren Oliver, three veterans who could help a competing club make a run. It’s just one example that I could come up with, but for the purposes of this article, we’ll assume that this is it and will assess it as is in 2 different articles. First up….

Travis Snider vs. Brad Lincoln (more…)

Jul 26, 2012; Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion (10) is congratulated by third baseman Brett Lawrie (13) left fielder Travis Snider (45) and right fielder Rajai Davis (11) after hitting a 3-run home run in the 4th inning against the Oakland Athletics at the Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-US PRESSWIRE

With just over 39,000 fans piling into Rogers Centre, the Jays did not disappoint. They managed to score double digits in the last game of the series after being shut down for the majority of the first 2 games. Overall, the A’s series drew just over 87,000 fans, or an average of approximately 29,000 per game. Not bad for a mid-week series in July with the Jays hovering around .500.

The first spark for the Jays came from the bat of Edwin Encarnacion who blasted a 3-run shot to get the scoring going. Once that big knock rattled the A’s, the Jays seemed to be much more confident at the plate and managed to get 12 hits , 10 of which came from 5 players (2 a piece).

Travis Snider, hitting behind Edwin Encarnacion today, worked 2 hits (including a double) after striking out in his first 2 ABs. He is now hitting .304 with 6 RBIs through 6 games (23 ABs). Sure, he’s still striking out too often, but you can’t knock the production so far. It’ll be interesting to see what the Jays do with Snider in the lineup once Jose Bautista returns from injury. With J.P. Arencibia being hurt, it’s possible that he’ll remain behind Encarnacion in the lineup. (more…)

July 20, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Colby Rasmus (28) congratulates left fielder Travis Snider (45) after scoring a run during the ninth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-US PRESSWIRE

If you’re opinion is anywhere close to mine, you’re pulling with all of your mind for Travis Snider to break out and prove once and for all that he can slide into the lineup, hit 25 HRs or more a season and give you above average stats across the board. That’s where I believe most Jays fans stand, and as they – and fellow Jays players – watched him make his return to the lineup against the Red Sox, cheers, welcoming Tweets, and high-fives became the norm throughout the game as everyone seems to be pulling for the kid they used to call “The Franchise”.

I’d like to take you all back to 2007, when Travis Snider was beginning the high ride towards the majors. Baseball America’s Matt Eddy ranked him as the 2nd best Jays prospect that year, behind only Adam Lind and just ahead of Ricky Romero. Snider was coming off a .325/.412/.567 year at the rookie level where he hit 24 extra base hits (11 HRs) in only 194 ABs. Within that article, Eddy proclaimed correctly that:

He has the tools and desire to become an impact corner outfielder in the majors, and his bat should allow him to move more quickly than most high schoolers. (more…)

Las Vegas 51s (more…)

July 18, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; Houston Astros relief pitcher Brandon Lyon (37) pitches against the San Diego Padres during the sixth inning at PETCO Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-US PRESSWIRE

On first glance, I have to admit that the Jays are sending a whole lot of talent over to the Astros in return for a pitching upgrade. It’s far more prudent, however, to look through the entire package before jumping to conclusions. For this year, I absolutely love this deal. It gives the Jays a #4 caliber pitcher who can chew up a lot of innings and support the current staff. The Jays also improve the pen a great deal by simply dealing Francisco Cordero, but get even better since they can replace him with Brandon Lyon. Finally, the Jays improve a great deal on the bench and in the OF with the replacement of Ben Francisco with Travis Snider. As I proposed yesterday, all of this makes the Jays younger, and much better for the remainder of 2012.

For this season, it’s no contest, the Jays flat out win this deal. But what about the ever after?

Before we touch on anything else, we need to know the age, cost, and controllability of each player.

To the Toronto Blue Jays: (more…)

The broadcast team related the injury to an earlier scoring play, when Bautista was forced to reach for the plate and seemed to put a lot of pressure on his wrist in the process. However, there seemed to be more damage done on the follow through of his extreme torque swing, as he finished it and bent the wrist in an awkward position. His left wrist will definitely need at the very minimum a few games to heal, but it’s more likely that he’ll need to more time off than just a few games. Wrist injuries tend to be finicky, and if not addressed correctly the first time they show themselves, they can linger for a very long time.  (more…)

In the interests of full disclosure, I’ve been among those voices before. I’m a huge Travis Snider fan, and have been pulling for his success since he came up and started hitting moon shots off unsuspecting pitchers. The Blue Jays front office doesn’t have the luxury of cheering, however; they need to have a more nuanced approach, and make sure they’re doing right by all the players on the team, and what’s best for their success going forward.

I didn’t initially agree with the decision to keep Thames (how much of that was influenced by my Snider fandom is uncertain, but we’ll ignore that for the purpose of this write-up). However, after some consideration, we can notice how this is not only the best solution for the Blue Jays right now, but going forward, regardless of how Alex Anthopoulos feels about the individual players.

April 10, 2012; Toronto, ON, CANADA; Toronto Blue Jays left fielder Eric Thames (14) hits a single against the Boston Red Sox during the eight inning at the Rogers Centre. Toronto defeated Boston 7-3. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-US PRESSWIRE

I think the most important point is that the Blue Jays believe Thames deserves a real chance at starting every day in left field, without having to look over his shoulder. If they had kept both on the team coming out of spring training, it would have been even more of a topic than it is right now. Everyone would have been looking at John Farrell’s lineup card, and second guessing whether or not he made the right call, or if they’re playing enough. And how would it have affected the players? Would they have had to field questions, day after day about whether they wanted to start/play more/liked the other guy? It would have been a big, blinking, red “DISTRACTION” sign that loomed over the locker room.

There are several reasons the Blue Jays believe this. Snider might have been the highly touted first round pick, but not everyone knows that Thames had his own stripes as a prospect, before injuries set in. After being drafted in the 39th round by the New York Yankees in 2007, he returned to Pepperdine for another year. In 53 games (mostly as the designated hitter) he batted .320, with nine doubles, five triples, and 44 RBI. He was considered to be a “borderline first round talent” before tearing a quad muscle, and the Jays snapped him up in the seventh round. He didn’t play at all in 2008, which set back his development, and kept people from noticing just how good he might have been.

Thames’ rise through the minor league system was rapid, and he improved his OPS at each stop, managing .789 and .864 with GCL and Dunedin in 2009, .895 with New Hampshire in 2010, and an eye-popping 1.033 with Las Vegas in 2011 prior to his call-up. Regardless of how you feel about Las Vegas, if the Blue Jays believe Eric Thames is a first-round talent who got hurt, then they need to see what he can do on the major league level. From his tenure with the Blue Jays, we can notice that GM Alex Anthopoulos wants as much information as he can about the players at his disposal, and will give good talent a chance to succeed. We don’t have enough information about Thames at the major league level, and whether he can be successful. We’re close to one seasons’ worth of at bats- would anyone give up on a prospect after that long?

What if you think that Snider will be the better player? If we believe that, does going with Thames make sense? It does, and the reasoning is based on how the organization has erred with Snider previously.

March 16, 2012; Dunedin, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays left fielder Travis Snider (45) against the Tampa Bay Rays during a spring training game at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

Thames was the everyday left fielder through the second half of last year, and played well at times. Not well enough to guarantee his spot, but well enough that, coming into spring training, he should have been the favourite for the job (and was). If the team had kept Snider and sent down Thames, and the positions were reversed from what they are now (with Snider struggling, and Thames tearing the cover off the ball in Triple-A), we’d be having the same argument we are now, except flipped. And the organization is placed in the difficult spot of again shuffling Snider between Triple-A and Toronto. Would either player be confident in such an arrangement? What would that do for their development, knowing they’d be shunted back and forth depending on who was playing better at a particular time?

The team going with Snider out of spring training would be a clear endorsement of him as the better player, and put a tremendous amount of pressure on him to succeed right away with the former incumbent  Thames breathing down his neck. Given them team’s history with Snider- shuffling him up and down, playing and not playing- it’s more than understandable that they would want to be absolutely sure that he’s ready before giving him his spot on the team, and do it without any second guessing or reservations.

The argument is easier if you think that Thames will be the better player. The team endorsed him as the favorite for the left fielder’s job out of spring training, emphasized that he’s the starter from his performance last year, with Snider having to earn his way onto the roster. If Snider ends up playing his way onto the team, great. Injuries, ineffectiveness, or trades may open up a roster spot, or maybe the Blue Jays flip the former first rounder for something of value, from a team with an open outfield position. Maybe they trade Adam Lind, and Jose Bautista ends up moving back to the infield. Maybe Colby Rasmus gets injured in a horrific hunting accident. Who knows? The Blue Jays on opening day this year are much different from the team that broke camp last season- a lot changes over the course of a year.

When we step back from our fandom, and look at it rationally, we can see the direction that the Blue Jays took in picking Eric Thames as the Blue Jays starting left fielder out of spring training, and continuing with him now amidst a growing chorus for Snider. Though Thames has struggled some in the early going, the team needs to let he and Snider play it out for a while, and get past the hot/cold starts they’re having to evaluate who ends up being the better fit long term.  The Blue Jays have committed to letting this play out, and let Thames play himself into (or out of) a regular spot. As for Snider, if and when he comes back, the team wants to make sure it’s for good, and not the uncertainty that they’ve subjected him to previously. As we mentioned in the prior paragraph, things change over the course of a year– there’s still a lot of the season left to play out.

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1. C/1B/3B Yan Gomes (LAS): 27 AB, .407/.407/.556 (.963 OPS), 4 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 0 SB, 0/0 BB/K

Mar 3, 2012; Dunedin, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays catcher Yan Gomes (68) throws to second base during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Florida Auto Exchange Park. The Blue Jays defeated the Pirates 7-1. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE

To say Yan Gomes is on a hot streak would be a bit of an understatement. After setting a career high in 2011 with 13 home runs – in only 290 at-bats, mind you – Gomes was assigned to the Arizona Fall League where he continued to rake, hitting .302/.380/.413 in 19 games. That performance resulted in an invitation to the major league camp at this year’s spring training, where he turned heads hitting .333/.333/.590 in 20 games. Many fans were clamoring for him to steal the backup catching job from Jeff Mathis, but that was more than a bit ridiculous in every sense of the word. Now back in Triple-A, Gomes has found playing time all over the diamond, with starts at catcher, first base and third base  just in the past week. The lack of a defined defensive role hasn’t slowed his bat, however, as he has displayed his usual extra base power and aggressive plate approach. He’s currently riding a six-game hit streak, including five multi-hit efforts.

2. RHP/LHP Jaron Nanchez (LAN): 1-0, 6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K

While the three inning, piggyback appearances are good for controlling innings, they’re awful for gauging performance. For this week, Justin Nicolino and Aaron Sanchez have combined to create the super pitcher whose awful nickname rivals only Mike Wilner’s strange creations: Jaron Nanchez. The two pitchers worked the first six innings of Lansing’s April 19th game against Burlington, and were instrumental in the victory. Their outstanding start paved the way for a 2-0 victory, and the Lugnuts are now a perfect 3-0 in games in which this duo has appeared. Things will get very exciting in the summer, as the organization loosens the reins and allows Lansing to unleash these two on the opposition in back-to-back games.

3. RF Moises Sierra (LAS): 26 AB, .385/.407/.500 (.907 OPS), 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 0 SB, 1/6 BB/K

Sierra’s three home runs last week made him one of the last cuts, but his all-around solid offensive performance – coupled with the struggles of most other top prospects – earned him the number three spot on the list this week. When healthy, Sierra has always shown legitimate power potential, and in my top prospect rankings at Hypocritical Sports Fan, I glibly suggested Sierra could hit .320 with 5 home runs in April and get people talking. In hindsight, I might have undersold him. The Pacific Coast League – especially Las Vegas – is a hitter’s paradise, so this could be the first of many appearances for Sierra on the Blue Jays prospect hot sheet this season.

4. LHP David Rollins (LAN): 0-0, 9.1 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 11 K

While Rollins lacks the star potential of many of his rotation mates in Lansing, the 2011 draft pick has gotten off to a hot start while providing his team with valuable innings. With good command of a well-rounded three pitch arsenal, he has been able to generate impressive strikeout-to-walk numbers throughout his career. Rollins made two starts this week, but failed to factor into the decision in either of them. It was no fault of his, however, as evidenced by his 0 runs allowed across the two games. Jays Journal editor Jared Macdonald was able to watch his career-best start on April 17 (4.1 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K) in person, and had a glowing review of the young left hander.

5. RHP Javier Avendano (LAN): 0-1, 3.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K

Few Blue Jays fans are familiar with Javier Avendano, as the right hander was selected in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft last winter. He was drafted out of the St. Louis Cardinals organization, and has been acting as the Carlos Villanueva-like long-man for the Class-A Lansing club, working more than one inning in each of his four games this season. Avendano made two relief appearances this week, and while the 1.80 WHIP is less than attractive, he incredibly recorded 9 of his 10 outs by way of the strikeout – good for an insane 24.30 K/9. Hopefully the system’s prospects will perform well enough in the weeks ahead that a relief pitcher doesn’t take one of the top five spots, but Avendano’s performance certainly deserved recognition.

Travis Snider Watch: 30 AB, .433/.514/.733 (1.247 OPS), 6 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 1 SB, 5/3 BB/K

Another week of domination at Triple-A, and another week of me wondering why I am forced to watch Eric Thames do his best Juan Pierre impression up in Toronto. Not only has Thames struggled at the plate – the one thing he should be good at – but he’s been a butcher in left field; the easiest defensive position in baseball. His awful base running error last week only further emphasized the mistake Toronto made when they chose to bring Thames north and leave Travis Snider behind.

Thames is more than capable of having a decent major league career, but for an organization who has high aspirations – and more importantly, a better all-around player waiting in the wings – there is absolutely no reason for him to be the starting left fielder. Snider’s monster week boosted his season line to .431/.500/.769 (1.269), which is far too loud for the “Vegas effect” to be a viable disclaimer. Fact: Snider’s current slugging percentage (.769) is higher than Thames’ career OPS in the majors (.753).

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1. RHP Joel Carreno (LAS): 1-0, 5 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K

Apr 8, 2012; Cleveland, OH, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Joel Carreno (34) delivers in the second inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-US PRESSWIRE

It’s very difficult for any pitcher to place first on a hot sheet with only one start, and even more so early in the year when pitches and innings are heavily restricted. Despite this, Carreno takes the crown as the hottest Blue Jays prospect in the first 10 days of the season. Beyond simply the statistics – which are mighty impressive for anyone – Carreno earns the No. 1 spot thanks to the environment and circumstances in which he pitched this week. As everyone is well aware, Carreno made the start for the Blue Jays third game of the year against Cleveland, and for all intents and purposes, performed admirably. After the game, he was demoted to Triple-A Las Vegas. While this was apparently “the plan all along”, no one made Carreno aware of it, and for obvious reasons he was heartbroken upon hearing the news. Carreno didn’t sulk, however, instead turning in perhaps the best start of his entire minor league career. What is most impressive about the start is that he made it for Las Vegas. Through the first 11 games, the staff has a 6.33 team ERA, ranking 15th out of the 16 Pacific Coast League teams. In that environment, five shutout innings suddenly becomes that much more impressive.

2. RF Justin Jackson (NH): 30 AB, .400/.455/.567 (1.021 OPS), 3 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 4 SB, 3/5 BB/K

It’s been an up and down career for the 2007 first round pick. Once heralded as the shortstop of the future thanks to an excellent glove and a promising bat, Jackson has since been moved down the defensive spectrum while seeing his offensive potential continue to go unfulfilled. While the sample size is extremely small at only 9 games, Jackson has gotten off to a tremendous start in 2012. His game has been very well rounded, as evidenced by his four extra base hits, four stolen bases, and three walks to only five strikeouts. In total, he has reached base in seven of the nine games he has played in. Now 23 years old, he’ll need to sustain this hot start if he wants to have a future as a major league utility man, as he’s not far from being overtaken by younger and more talented prospects.

3. LHP Sean Nolin (DUN): 2-0, 11.2 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 13 K

Nolin has made two starts already this season, but the second start alone would have earned him a spot on the first Blue Jays hot sheet of the year. Nolin opened the year with six shutout innings, allowing four hits and striking out two. For an encore, he took his dominance to another level. Nolin pitched five and two-thirds innings on April 12th, allowing only three base runners (all hits) and striking out an astounding eleven batters. Just for good measure, he induced six groundouts against only one fly out. Between the two starts, Nolin is up to nearly 12 innings of shutout ball. If his goal was to draw some attention to himself in a rotation that includes top prospects Asher Wojciechowski and John Stilson, it’s certainly working.

4. SS Adeiny Hechavarria (LAS): 42 AB, .381/.409/.500 (.909 OPS), 3 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 1 SB, 2/11 BB/K

After struggling for nearly two full years between High-A Dunedin and Double-A New Hampshire, Hechavarria received a late-season promotion to Las Vegas in 2011. He hit the cover off the ball, to the tune of a .968 OPS and 10 extra base hits in only 108 at-bats. Many people, myself included, were quick to point to both small sample size and the Vegas effect. To the surprise of most, Hechavarria has picked up where he left off, and it might be time to seriously consider the possibility that he’s finally taken a step forward offensively. Hechavarria is the only middle infield prospect in Toronto’s upper minors, so the fact he’s finally showing a pulse at the plate is a very good sign for the club.

5. C Carlos Perez (LAN): 33 AB, .303/.378/.455 (.833 OPS), 3 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 6 RBI, 1 SB, 4/7 BB/K

The final spot on the hot sheet came down to Perez and his Lansing teammate, outfielder Chris Hawkins. While Hawkins had the better offensive week, I chose to give the nod to Perez due to the adversity he faced entering the season. After playing like a man possessed in his three years of short season ball, Perez failed to live up to expectations in his full season debut in 2011. His performance declined significantly, and his playing time in the second half followed suit. Now, in his second year with the Lugnuts, Perez has to prove last season was the fluke, not the three years prior. His first week-plus of the 2012 season was very reminiscent of his previous success, and for many players, a hot start is all you need to regain lost confidence and go on a lengthy tear.

Travis Snider Watch: 38 AB, .421/.476/.763 (1.239 OPS), 4 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 16 RBI, 0 SB, 4/6 BB/K

As long as he’s a member of the Toronto Blue Jays organization, you will find me steadfast in the corner of Travis Snider. A fact that some fans may too easily forget is that, while the system is in much better shape now than it has been in a decade, Travis Snider is still the best single prospect we’ve had since Roy Halladay was a minor leaguer. He was rushed to the major leagues as a 20 year old in September 2008, and has become a frequent flyer between Toronto and Las Vegas since. In the three years since his debut, he has accumulated 726 major league at-bats and 522 minor league at-bats – not exactly a recipe for success for an elite prospect.

I won’t argue he’s been extremely streaky when with Toronto, but that’s to be expected with young players – he’s still only 24 – particularly when their managers appear to derive pleasure from jerking them in and out of the lineup. What can be said with certainty, however, is that Snider will never be able to make the necessary adaptations to big league calibre pitchers while marooned in Triple-A. He has nothing left to prove in the minor leagues, as evident by his insane start to the 2012 season. Snider should have been the Opening Day starter in left field, but another week of dominance combined with continued lackluster play by Eric Thames could result in a swap of roles far sooner than most expected.

Honorable mentions: Sam Dyson (DUN), John Stilson (DUN), Justin Nicolino (LAN), Drew Hutchison (NH), Chris Hawkins (LAN)

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