Wuilmer Becerra will look to get his career back on track after a devastating, season-ending injury in 2012. (liderendeportes.com)

Name: Wuilmer Becerra

Position: Corner Outfield

Date of birth: 10/01/1994 (18)

Acquired: Signed as International Free Agent out of Venezuela in July 2011 ($1.3 million USD)

High School: N/A

College: N/A

Height/Weight: 6’4”/190 lbs

Bats/Throws: R/R

Awards and Accomplishments:

• Unranked on 2012 Top 30 prospects list
• Ranked by Baseball America as 5th best International Free Agent (July 2011)

2012 Statistics and Analysis

32 AB, .250/.359/.375 (.734 OPS), 4 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 0 SB, 4/7 BB/K

Wuilmer Becerra was one of the hottest names around the Blue Jays minor league complex last spring, and both Toronto and industry folk were expecting a breakout by the 17 year old. He got off to a pretty good start in his professional debut, as through his first 10 games he had eight hits (including four doubles) and four walks. The speed he’s become well known for didn’t show up in the box score, but all in all it was a solid first two weeks. Unfortunately, in his 11th game, disaster struck. In his first plate appearance, Yankees pitching prospect Graham Stoneburner hit Becerra in the face with a pitch, breaking his jaw and ending his season in what by all accounts was a very scare scene.

Scouting Report

Video (from MLBProspectPortal.com)

Swing Mechanics

Standing 6-foot-4, Becerra has a lot of length and uses that to create a tremendous amount of leverage in his swing. He swings with a noticeable uppercut, and accentuates the power potential further by wrapping his bat while in the load position. Bat wrapping can diminish your ability to react and adjust to offspeed pitches, which weakens the overall contact game. Becerra’s plate coverage is good, not great, but the holes become drastically exposed when he lengthens his swing path and sells out for power.

Tool Breakdown

Becerra has two outstanding tools in his speed and power. The speed leads the way with plus-plus potential, as the Venezuelan has been timed between 6.5 and 6.6 seconds in the 60 yard dash. In shorter distances, however, such as between first and second base, Becerra can’t get up to full speed so that natural athleticism doesn’t make him an elite base stealer. The power is generated by the aforementioned length and leverage, and aided by the strength in his lower half. The raw power has plus potential, but how much of it Becerra can translate into game action is up for debate.

Defensively, Becerra’s position is still up in the air. He played some shortstop in his early teenage years, but there were a couple of problems with that alignment. First, Becerra’s size eliminated the viability of him remaining there long term, and second, Becerra’s hands and footwork were below average. His exceptional speed gives him more than enough range to play centerfield, but because of his unusual build, there are questions about how much speed he can maintain as he matures. His arm is below average, so if a permanent move to a corner is required, left field will be the destination. He split time between left and right in 2012, as the supremely talented Anthony Alford patrolled centerfield for the GCL Blue Jays prior to Becerra’s injury.

The hit tool is the biggest question mark, as evident by his swing mechanics. Some days Becerra looks like a patient, potentially above average hitter, and on other days, he completely sells out for power and looks like a lumberjack at the plate. The present bat speed is very good, but one has to wonder if he’ll see a decline if he lowers his hands and shortens up the swing. His future and offensive potential are dependent upon the development of the bat, but we just don’t have enough information at this point to accurately judge the tool.

Projection

The perfect world projection for Wuilmer Becerra would be an everyday left fielder capable of hitting 20 home runs and stealing 20 bases annually.

2013 Outlook, Risk, and ETA

The Blue Jays appear to have a relatively universal development path with young Latin America signees. In their first year, they get accustomed to the North American culture and lifestyle in the Gulf Coast League – where the Hispanic community is strong, and in their second year, they make the move to the advanced rookie level. Despite playing in just 11 games last year I expect they’ll employ a similar plan with Becerra, so he should open the 2013 season with Bluefield in the Appalachian League. His long term outlook should be classified as extremely high risk, as in addition to the lack of professional reps, there are the questions regarding his hit tool that I touched on above. The most optimistic ETA might be late 2016, but the more realistic expectation might be in the second half of the 2017 season.

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 fifth part of the series will look at the corner outfield positions, of which the blueprint is very simple: generate offense. According to Baseball America, for both left and right field, the two highest priority tools are power and hitting ability. The only difference between the two positions is the defensive demands, as with all other things being equal, you want the stronger arm in right field. Elite defenders play centerfield, average or worse defenders with a strong arm play right field, average or worse defenders with an average or worse arm play left field; it’s a very clear cut path down the defensive spectrum in the outfield. Speed is the least important tool, as while it’s a valuable asset to have, it’s not a necessity.

• Top corner outfield prospect to reach MLB (last 5 years): Travis Snider
• Corner outfielders in 2012 Top 30: 4
• Corner outfield WAR leaders in MLB (last 5 years): Jose Bautista (21.3), Alex Rios (7.2)

King in the North

Jacob Anderson – 2012 team: Rookie-Bluefield
191 AB, .194/.271/.304 (.575 OPS), 10 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 3 SB, 11/72 BB/K

Jacob Anderson during the Perfect Game event at Tropicana Field (Image courtesy PerfectGame.org)

The King in the North classification is a more than generous label for Jacob Anderson after the stinker of a 2012 season he produced while playing in Bluefield. Unfortunately, the competition for the top spot was severely lacking, allowing a prospect with a strikeout rate of 33.5% to take the fictional crown. My expectations were extremely high entering the season, as not only did he receive a few Jake Marisnick comps, he has the imposing physical projection that scouts love, and he took the Gulf Coast League to task during his brief two week debut in August of 2011 (.405/.476/.622 in 9 games). I ranked the California native and former supplemental first round pick as the 10th best prospect in the system last winter, and at least part of me thought I was being too conservative even then.

To understand the enthusiasm that I and many others felt, you need only watch Jacob Anderson step into the box for batting practice. He doesn’t look like the traditional baseball player: he has the body of wide receiver. He has broad shoulders and thick, muscular legs that just scream power projection. Anderson sets a wide base with a slightly open stance, and readies himself with a tightly closed front shoulder and high hands. He uses his height (6-foot-4) to create leverage in his swing, and once the pitch is delivered he toe taps, spins his hips, and pulls his hands through the zone with authority. One clear similarity he carries to Marisnick is that both choose to keep a level swing path, using their physical gifts to generate powerful line drives as opposed to targeting fly balls with an uppercut. Prior to joining the Blue Jays, he had a reputation for getting overly aggressive and chasing breaking balls, which proved to be a very legitimate problem. As his struggles compounded last season, both his confidence and swing mechanics completely fell apart, leaving him even more vulnerable than before.

The Blue Jays have utilized Anderson almost exclusively in right field since he signed, which is a peculiar decision to me. Of his 66 career games, 54 have come in right field, with 11 at designated hitter and just one in left field. Anderson’s natural athleticism and above average speed gives him plenty of range in either of the outfield corners, but his arm is far better suited to left. His throwing mechanics aren’t pretty, he doesn’t set himself up well, and his raw arm strength is average at best. As a top prospect, Anderson will often be given the benefit of the doubt over non-prospects with perhaps better defensive abilities, but as he ascends through the minor league levels I imagine he’ll eventually get moved over to the more logical position.

I’d love to be a fly on the wall in Alex Anthopoulos’ office when he’s discussing what to do with Jacob Anderson. Expectations were high, yet the final result was worse than what even the most pessimistic of prospectors could have foreseen. The organization is all but forced to make him repeat the rookie level, which is exactly what an organization doesn’t want to do with one of their supposedly elite hitting prospects. The best case scenario for all parties would be for Anderson to get off to a hot start next season, rebuilding his confidence, and allowing the Blue Jays to justifiably move him up to Vancouver where they probably wanted him to be in the first place. The hit tool is obviously a step behind where originally thought, so while that will make the road a bit bumpier, there’s still plenty of potential to dream on moving forward.

The Question Mark

Chris Hawkins – 2012 team: Single-A Lansing
491 AB, .269/.331/.332 (.663 OPS), 17 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 43 RBI, 11 SB, 46/78 BB/K

Chris Hawkins at a Perfect Game showcase event (Image courtesy PerfectGame.org)

Chris Hawkins became a popular name late during the 2011 season after he put on a hitting display with the Blue Jays rookie level affiliate in Bluefield. The production didn’t come out of nowhere, as Hawkins was highly regarded as a third round pick in the 2010 draft. He received a well-deserved promotion to full season ball with Lansing this past spring, but after a good start to the year, his performance fell off dramatically. The disappointment culminated with a .217/.284/.255 slash line between August and September. When a player has an on-base percentage nearly equal to his slugging percentage it means one of two things; first, that he’s an absolute machine at getting on base, or second, that he’s swinging a pool noodle at the plate. Unfortunately, Hawkins’ line fell into the latter category. His 23 extra base hits in 123 games translated into a 63 ISO, which is bad for a middle infielder, let alone a corner outfielder. Comparatively, he had 26 extra base hits in 70 games in 2011, for a 171 ISO. Where did the power go?

His power had always been more projection than realized, but no one could have expected him to move backwards in that regard. Hawkins generates good bat speed, so that’s not likely to be the culprit. He doesn’t look like a lumberjack trying to chop down a tree, but he’s also not just gingerly slapping at the ball. Mechanically, his swing is very clean and simple, and he uses all fields. Diminished bat skills aren’t the problem either, as while the .269 season average isn’t the most attractive number, he hovered between .280 and .320 from the beginning of the season until August when his year really took a nose dive. Hawkins remained disciplined as well, actually improving upon both his walk (8.5%) and strikeout (14.4%) rates from his breakout 2011 season.

The power may have vanished, but Hawkins has continued to improve defensively. Originally drafted as a shortstop, he has since moved to third base, then left field, and now right field. It’s not that he’s a poor defender, he simply doesn’t have the smoothness and grace required of an infielder. In the outfield, however, he can fully utilize his athleticism and serve as an above average defender. Hawkins’ arm has really impressed, as he recorded 14 outfield assists for Lansing last season. The arm strength isn’t elite, but he sets up well for his throws and makes accurate strikes to the infield. He’s proven to be a strong base runner as well, taking 11 bases last season without being caught, upping his career totals to 33/40 (83%) in 239 career games.

While his performance was certainly disappointing, particularly in the second half, there’s no chance the Blue Jays will consider holding Hawkins back for a second season in the Midwest League. Instead, he’ll be ticketed for High-A, where he’ll have to rediscover his power stroke in the heavy air of Dunedin and the Florida State League. As Jake Marisnick, Marcus Knecht, and Michael Crouse would surely attest, the adjustment isn’t an easy one. Hawkins still has some time to figure things out as he has youth on his side, but corner outfielders who can’t hit for power don’t remain prospects for long. The next year or two are going to be huge for Hawkins, so hopefully he can provide some definitive answers to the questions that are beginning to creep up.

On the Rise

Kevin Pillar – 2012 team(s): Single-A Lansing, High-A Dunedin
499 AB, .323/.374/.439 (.813 OPS), 28 2B, 6 3B, 6 HR, 91 RBI, 51 SB, 40/70 BB/K

Pillar batting for the Dunedin Blue Jays (Image courtesy battersbox.ca)

Through the first four prospect primers, the On the Rise classification was usually reserved for young players who had a breakout season in the low minors. That’s not quite the case with Kevin Pillar. The outfielder is already 23 years old – he’ll be 24 on Opening Day – and just finished his first year of full season ball. As a four year senior at a low tier college, Pillar wasn’t a highly sought after commodity, falling to the Blue Jays in the 32nd round of the 2011 draft. He signed quickly and made his debut with Bluefield, turning heads with a .347/.377/.543 batting line in 60 games. The organization jump-started him with a Lansing assignment in 2012, where he crushed it for 86 games, earning a promotion to High-A Dunedin. Despite limited time there, he was still named as the Midwest League MVP. Some may attribute his success simply to his age, but it appears the Blue Jays found their needle in the haystack.

Pillar has taken the organization by storm with his surprisingly advanced bat skills. He’s calm and confident, always ready to swing without overexposing himself. Pillar’s stance is simple, with a wide base and his weight on his back foot. He makes a smooth weight transfer from the load position to his follow through, and while his home run potential is limited by his lack of physical projection, he still makes solid contact with a line drive oriented swing. He’s disciplined at the plate, as he’ll wait out his pitch, and won’t cheat himself with a half hearted swing when it arrives. With that being said, it would be foolish to claim his age isn’t a factor while playing in A-ball, as he has a vault of experience from which to draw upon that his competition simply don’t have.

The 51 stolen bases look mighty impressive on paper, but Pillar’s speed is closer to average than elite. Instead, he uses his baseball instincts, getting good reads on pitchers when they fall into predictable patterns. Much like Dalton Pompey on the centerfield primer, Pillar doesn’t really have a clear defensive home. He’s an average defender on the corners, and his arm is decent enough to handle right field. Unfortunately, the offensive demands on corner outfielders are extremely high, and it remains to be seen if Pillar can live up to them as he begins to face opposition his age. His best defensive position may end up being “fourth outfielder”, which shouldn’t be taken as an insult. Every major league roster needs a player who can handle all three defensive positions for short stretches, and Pillar can do that with some offense and base running skills added in as well. I read a Reed Johnson comp for Pillar, and I actually think it fits really well. For a 32nd round pick, that’s amazing value.

With his continued success serving as a “taxi squad” player in the Arizona Fall League – the classification allows him to only play a couple of games per week, barring a roster injury – I wouldn’t at all be surprised if the Blue Jays gave Pillar a Double-A assignment next spring. Some of his peripherals, namely his walk rate, took a dive after his promotion to Dunedin, but he maintained a .323 average despite a career low .342 BABIP. Batting average obviously isn’t the most reliable statistic, but there’s something to be said for a hitter who, level after level, makes strong, consistent contact. As previously mentioned, he’ll be 24 years old when camp breaks, so there’s not going to be a slow developmental path from here on out. Sink or swim, the Blue Jays should learn precisely what they have in Kevin Pillar next season.

Remember the Name

Wuilmer Becerra – 2012 team: Gulf Coast Blue Jays
32 AB, .250/.359/.375 (.734 OPS), 4 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 0 SB, 4/7 BB/K

Wuilmer Becerra got the Cardona treatment and jumped right to the United States. (liderendeportes.com)

Between the centerfield and corner outfield primers, we’ve looked at nine outfield prospects. Wuilmer Becerra is the first and only to hail from Latin America, as the region is better known for its dynamic shortstops and electric pitchers. The Blue Jays acquired Becerra during the bountiful 2011 International Free Agency period, handing the Venezuelan a hefty 1.3 million dollar signing bonus. That bonus was tied with Dawel Lugo for the second largest given out by the organization that summer, behind only Roberto Osuna and his 1.5 million. The recently-turned 18 year old made his professional debut in the Gulf Coast League this past summer, but saw his season cut short after he was hit in the face by a pitch and suffered a broken jaw. It was an unfortunate turn of events, as Becerra had looked very strong in extended spring training and may have been poised for a breakout season.

The key to Becerra’s game is his potentially dominant combination of speed and power. Standing a lean 6-foot-4, he takes full advantage of his length when running. Scouts have timed his 60 yard dash at 6.6 seconds, which is 70-grade speed. While that athleticism gives him monstrous range in the outfield, it doesn’t translate quite as well onto the base paths. It takes him a few strides to get up to full speed, leading to merely above average times from home to first, and first to second on a stolen base. Like many Latin American prospects – and all baseball players, really – Becerra’s career began at shortstop, but that was never viewed as viable in the long term. Beyond the obvious problem with his ever increasing size, he just didn’t have the hands or footwork required to play an infield position. Furthermore, his arm is a below average tool, so while he may splash in some right field or even centerfield here and there while in the low minor leagues, his future appears to be as a rangy left fielder.

Becerra’s power should allow him to remain a viable prospect regardless of the defensive position he settles at, as the leverage and bat speed in his swing creates very impressive raw power. He accentuates the tool by utilizing an uppercut, but can sometimes take it too far when he starts wrapping the bat while in the load position. Becerra is a batting practice monster; the debate is whether or not he’ll be able to translate that showcase power into game action. At times his plate coverage looks good, but the holes in his swing really open up when he lengthens and sells out for power, making scouts unsure where he’ll end up on a wide spectrum of offensive possibilities. This type of situation isn’t unique; however, as very rarely is there a consensus ceiling on a 16 or 17 year old prospect.

Despite the lost time due to injury, the Blue Jays are likely interested in getting Becerra past the complex league next season. Bluefield is the most logical destination, as the organization has used that affiliate as a launching pad for second year prospects who either missed their first year entirely (often due to signing late), or missed extended time due to injury. From there, his developmental path with be based entirely upon how he looks and performs. The organization has shown no reluctance in promoting players up to Vancouver during the year, and late season leaps all the way to Lansing, while not common, have become a possibility for those who earn it. Wherever he ends up, with his combination of power and speed, Wuilmer Becerra will be a name to remember when short season ball rolls around next summer.

Both teams will be divided into two articles; one for position players and the other for pitchers. It will be explained how each player became a member of the Blue Jays organization, as well as how they performed last year, whether with Toronto or otherwise. A lot of people are familiar with the Triple-A and Double-A rosters, but less so with the low level, short season teams. The goal behind the preview is to give Blue Jays fans a better idea of who is on the rosters, and who they should be keeping their eyes on. The Bluefield and Gulf Coast rosters are even more loaded than usual, as with the draft signing deadline being moved ahead over a month, a number of top draft picks will be playing when in previous years they’d still be sitting at home negotiating.

I will be examining the hitters for both clubs, while Jared will be writing about the pitching side of things. To get things started, here are the position players for the Rookie Class Gulf Coast League Blue Jays.

Catchers

Seth Conner (20 years old)

How he was acquired: Selected in the 41st round of the 2010 draft, signed for $100,000

How he fared in 2011: Conner had a successful professional debut with the Gulf Coast Blue Jays, and finds himself back with the club in 2012. The difference, however, is that after playing third base for the club last year, Conner now finds himself behind the plate. It should be an interesting transition to monitor, as while he has smooth defensive actions and a near ideal catcher build at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, his arm very fringe average, and teams could take advantage of him in the running game. Offensively, he had one of the best lines of any player on the roster, showing solid all-around skills, including 30 walks in 50 games.

2011 (GCL): 174 AB, .276/.395/.420 (.815 OPS), 9 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 23 RBI, 4 SB, 30/37 BB/K

George Carroll (24 years old)

How he was acquired: Signed as undrafted free agent in June 2011

How he fared in 2011: Carroll was signed by the Blue Jays just prior to the opening of the short season leagues and served as nothing more than a backup, compiling only 41 at-bats for the club. He didn’t do much with his playing time either, as his .324 OPS with the lowest by anyone on the team with 20 or more at-bats. Carroll is already 24 years old, and with no major league future, he’s likely hoping to parlay his minor league experience into an eventual coaching position.

2011 (GCL): 41 AB, .098/.178/.146 (.324 OPS), 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 0 SB, 3/15 BB/K

John Silviano (17 years old)

How he was acquired: Selected in the 13th round of the 2012 draft

How he fared in 2011: Silviano was just drafted out of a Florida high school, and as such has no professional data. With his high school team – Summit Christian – Silviano played both catcher and outfield, so his athleticism should provide some versatility to the Gulf Coast team. He also threw a few innings of relief, with a fastball that resides in the mid to high 80’s, which is plenty of arm strength for a position player. Silviano is only 17 years old and has some potential, so I hope he is able to steal some playing time away from the older backup catchers.

Jorge Saez (21 years old)

How he was acquired: Selected in the 32nd round of the 2012 draft

How he fared in 2011: Saez is a Miami native, and after spending some time at Miami Dade College – the same college that produced Nationals 2011 first round pick Brian Goodwin – he transferred to Lee University in Tennessee. The transfer wasn’t due to poor performance, as Saez hit a respectable .277/.372/.380 with the team. It was an interesting choice, as Lee University has produced a total of 1 major league player in its long history, and that player, Lance Zawadzki, has just 20 games to his name.

Infielders

Mitchell Nay (18 years old)

How he was acquired: Selected in the Supplemental 1st round of the 2012 draft, signed for $1,000,000

How he fared in 2011: Nay had an up and down 2011-2012 high school season, before picking things up in the spring and vaulting himself into day one pick status. He fits the third base profile well, with a number of similarities to 2011 draft pick and Bluefield third baseman, Matt Dean. Nay has a strong arm with plenty of power in his swing, and could be among the team leaders in many offensive categories.

Dawel Lugo (17 years old)

How he was acquired: Signed out of the Dominican Republic as an international free agent in July 2011 for $1,300,000

How he fared in 2011: Lugo received the Blue Jays second highest bonus during the 2011 international free agent signing period, with his 1.3 million being bested only by Roberto Osuna’s 1.5 million. Lugo is a shortstop now, but will have to put a lot of effort into his defensive work to prevent a move to the hot corner. He has excellent contact skills which can get him in trouble at times, as he’ll swing at pitches well outside of the strikezone because he knows he can put them in play. That approach will need to be reeled back by coaches, as smart pitchers will take advantage of him. Lugo has the potential for power, but that will likely develop later once he matures and builds upon his 6-foot-1, 175 pound frame. As a potential big bodied offensive shortstop, he’s drawn comparisons to Detroit’s Jhonny Peralta.

Gabriel Cenas (18 years old)

How he was acquired: Signed out of Venezuela as an international free agent in July 2010 for $700,000

How he fared in 2011: Cenas was a part of the Blue Jays impressive haul of international free agents in the summer of 2010, alongside elite pitching prospect Adonys Cardona. He made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last year, with mixed results. His plate discipline was very impressive, but he struggled to make consistent and strong contact. It’s possible he was being physically overmatched, as despite standing 6-foot-1, Cenas is a very lean 155 pounds.

2011 (DSL): 53 AB, .208/.368/.226 (.594 OPS), 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 1 SB, 9/11 BB/K

Emilio Guerrero (19 years old)

How he was acquired: Signed out of Dominican Republic as an international free agent

How he fared in 2011: Guerrero played in the Dominican Summer League last season and got an extended look, playing in 53 games. The results were mediocre, but for an 18 year old making his professional debut, there were plenty of positives. The power manifested itself in doubles instead of home runs, but as Guerrero fills out his 6-foot-4, 170 pound frame, he should start clearing fences. Despite the 47 strikeouts, the 11 walks were a pleasant surprise as well. Hopefully he will continue to make strides as me makes his stateside debut in the Gulf Coast.

2011 (DSL): 180 AB, .239/.297/.311 (.608 OPS), 11 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 22 RBI, 4 SB, 11/47 BB/K

Justin Atkinson (18 years old)

How he was acquired: Selected in the 26th round of the 2011 draft, signed for $100,000

How he fared in 2011: The Canadian infielder got into only limited action with the Gulf Coast Blue Jays last season, and finds himself back there despite his wishes to open the year in his native Vancouver. Atkinson had a solid average at .279, but with only 4 extra base hits and 2 walks, his OPS wasn’t particularly eye catching. His defensive position is a bit of a mystery at this point, as he lacks the speed and agility for shortstop – his usual position – and lacks the power ceiling for third base.

2011 (GCL): 43 AB, .279/.298/.395 (.693 OPS), 3 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 6 RBI, 0 SB, 2/3 BB/K

Shaun Valeriote (22 years old)

How he was acquired: Selected in the 39th round of the 2012 draft

How he fared in 2011: By being selected by the Blue Jays, Valeriote became the first player from the Canadian collegiate ranks to ever be drafted into professional baseball. In 2010, he broke Andrew Tinnish’s – yes, the same Andrew Tinnish who was just named Assistant GM – school record for batting, with a .519 average. He followed that up last season by winning the OUA Triple Crown, hitting .460 with five home runs and 20 RBI. The OUA seasons are very short – less than two months – so despite his age, Valeriote is as raw as many US high school players.

Cody Bartlett (23 years old)

How he was acquired: Selected in the 41st round of the 2011 draft

How he fared in 2011: Barlett began drawing draft attention in 2011, when he hit .323 with seven home runs and 34 RBI, earning second-team All-Pac-10 honors. That success didn’t carry through to his professional debut, as he struggled mightily with Bluefield. Contact was the biggest issue, as both his walk rate and ISO were acceptable for a middle infielder. He’ll look to make improvements in that department in 2012, after being demoted to the Gulf Coast where he’ll likely serve primarily in a backup infielder role.

2011 (BLU): 91 AB, .198/.284/.308 (.592 OPS), 7 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 2 SB, 11/22 BB/K

Outfielders

D.J. Davis (17 years old)

How he was acquired: Selected in the 1st round of the 2012 draft, signed for $1,750,000

How he fared in 2011: Davis was Toronto’s top pick in the 2012 draft, and his rise up the pre draft rankings was due in large part to a 2011-2012 season in which he finally made strides with the bat. In 26 games during his senior year, Davis hit .373/.558/.836 with 7 home runs. On the base paths, he was a near perfect 24-for-25 in steal attempts. The speed has been compared to Reds star prospect Billy Hamilton, the question with Davis – not unlike Hamilton – is whether or not he can hit. He joins a crowded center field depth chart, behind Colby Rasmus, Anthony Gose, Jake Marisnick, and Dwight Smith, so he has plenty of time to figure out professional pitching.

Anthony Alford (18 years old)

How he was acquired: Selected in the 3rd round of the 2012 draft, signed for $750,000

How he fared in 2011: Alford is a rare two sport talent, as in addition to being drafted and signed by the Blue Jays, he was also heavily recruited by Southern Miss., and will play football there this fall. His baseball skills are unquestionable, as his .483/.569/.793 slash line in his senior year can attest. Alford fills up stat sheets, as in only 30 games, he accumulated 11 doubles, 2 triples, 4 home runs, 31 RBI, 39 runs scored, and went 14-for-14 in stolen bases. If he eventually settles on baseball, he could be an elite talent in the outfield.

Wuilmer Becerra (17 years old)

How he was acquired: Signed out of Venezuela as an international free agent in July 2011 for $1,300,000

How he fared in 2011: Becerra was one of Toronto’s big international signings last summer, but didn’t play any games as a 16 year old. He played shortstop in his early baseball days, but now standing 6-foot-4 at age 17, it’s obvious why that experiment wasn’t going to last. Becerra has a nice combination of speed and power, with his legs currently being his best tool. It takes him a few strides to get to full speed, which gives him great range in the outfield but “only” plus times from home to first. His arm might limit him to left field, but his bat should be more than play at that position.

Jesus Gonzalez (17 years old)

How he was acquired: Signed out of Venezuela as an international free agent in July 2011 for $700,000

How he fared in 2011: Like Becerra, Gonzalez was also signed out of Venezuela, but has a much different toolset than. He has a strong frame at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, and has above average power potential. Like almost every young Latin American prospect, reviews are mixed on his hit tool. His bat speed is unquestionable, but some fear his swing can get too long and creating consistent contact could be a problem. Other scouts, however, thought his swing path was just fine.He doesn’t have the speed to play center field, but his plus arm makes him a good fit for right field.

Derrick Loveless (19 years old)

How he was acquired: Selected in the 27th round of the 2011 draft, signed for $125,000

How he fared in 2011: Loveless has a history of offensive success, as in his draft year, he hit .554 with 14 doubles, 6 triples, 11 home runs, and 28 stolen bases. That didn’t translate into playing time with the Gulf Coast Blue Jays in 2011, as he appeared in only five games with poor results, though his late signing surely didn’t help matters. He could struggled to find playing time again, as the team is loaded with high ceiling outfielders.

2011 (GCL): 17 AB, .059/.200/.059 (.259 OPS), 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB, 3/7 BB/K

D.J. (Dennis) Jones (19 years old)

How he was acquired: Selected in the 20th round of the 2012 draft

How he fared in 2011: Jones is yet another athletic outfielder on the Gulf Coast roster. During the 2011 season – his final season at Jeff Davis High School – he hit .559 with 35 steals and 49 runs scored. He was drafted by the Brewers in the 22nd round, but declined to sign, instead choosing to attend Hillsborough Community College in Tampa. He attempted to become a switch hitter, but the results didn’t follow, as Jones hit only .205 in 32 games. He also worked off the mound, compiling a 2.13 ERA in 25.1 innings.

No. 35: Wilmer Becerra

Wilmer Becerra could get the Cardona treatment and jump right to the United States. (liderendeportes.com)

Outfielder / 17 years old / 6’4″ 190 lbs

Born: October 1, 1994 in Bejuma, Venezuela

Bats Right   Throws Right

High School Team: N/A

College: N/A

Signed: July 6, 2011 by the Toronto Blue Jays as an international free agent for $1.3 million

Pre-2011 Rank: N/A

Quick Facts:

• His father, of the same name, was a scout for the St. Louis Cardinals and a well-known player in Venezuela
• Went 8-for-26 with one double, one home run, and eight strikeouts while playing in the Liga Paralela in Venezuela last year
• Was ranked No. 5 by Baseball America on their list of highest projected Latin American signing bonuses

Extra Information and previous experience:

The Toronto Blue Jays signed their fair share of marquee international players in 2011, and the best position player from the group could turn out to be right-handed hitter Wilmer Becerra. Along with pitcher Roberto Osuna and infielder Dawel Lugo, Becerra was ranked among the top available players in last year’s international class and one that the Blue Jays had been eyeing for a couple of years.

Coming from a baseball family, Becerra is a toolsy player and gifted overall athlete that possesses a combination of power and speed. At 6-foot-4 with a wide lower half and good strength, he was considered, by some scouts last summer, one of the best right-handed hitters available given his good plate coverage and projectable power. A mature hitter for his age, the 17-year-old Venezuelan drew positive reviews for his overall makeup and specifically his work ethic, something that he’ll need if he hopes to reach his power potential.

In a subscriber-only interview with Scout.com last year, former Blue Jays director of Latin America Operations Marco Paddy mentioned that Becerra could develop into a 30/30 player or better. When I asked Baseball America’s Ben Badler about that tidbit, though, he said that, in addition to it being unlikely, he hasn’t heard anything from anyone outside the Blue Jays organization on that front.

On the Baseball America website, Badler also wrote that there’s a divide among scouts when it comes to Becerra’s bat with some feeling that his swing tends to get long in game situations and is better in tryout settings.

A shortstop his entire life, Becerra worked out primarily in the outfield prior to signing, as it was a foregone conclusion that he’d be converted to the new position by whichever team that signed him given his frame and quickness (Badler added that he didn’t have the hands to play shortstop anyway and, even though he had a poor arm as an infielder, a better throwing action in the outfield made him more accurate there instead).

Running the 60-yard dash in a blistering 6.5 seconds, Becerra was considered one of the fastest players in Venezuela, and it’s likely that he’ll begin his professional career as a center fielder because of his speed. According to Badler, though, there’s a concern of how much of his speed he’ll retain as he adds weight to his frame and, combined with a weak throwing arm, a move to left field down the road isn’t out of the question, either.

After signing in July, Becerra worked primarily on the fundamentals of his new position at the Blue Jays’ training complex in the Dominican Republic for the rest of the summer. After that, he made his way to instructs in Dunedin, Florida during the fall, something that implies that he could receive the Adonys Cardona treatment and start his professional career in the Gulf Coast League and avoiding Dominican summer ball altogether.

Expected 2012 Team: GCL Blue Jays (Rookie)

Ultimate ceiling if he puts it all together: Big-league LF, 30/30 hitter

As toolsy and touted as Becerra is said to be, like all teenaged prospects, it’s impossible to predict his future given his age, which is why the 30/30-hitter ceiling above shouldn’t be taken too seriously right now.

That being said, the early scouting reports on him are mostly positive, and hopefully he cracks the GCL roster in 2012 so we can get more information on him this season.

- JM

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No. 49: Jesus Gonzalez

Right Fielder / 17 years old / 6′1″ 190 lbs

Image courtesy of liderendeportes.com

Born:  in Venezuela

Bats: Right    Throws: Right

Academy: Ciro Barrios, Venezuela

Signed By: The Toronto Blue Jays for $1,400,000

Jersey Number: n/a

Quick Facts:

• Worked at the same Academy as fellow Jays international signees Wuilmer Becerra (OF) and most recent (Nov. 3rd, 2011) Jays Venezuelan signee Jesus Tinoco (SP).
• Not to be confused with other Jesus Gonzalez baseball players, such as the one with a middle initial G who the Jays had in their organization through 2009 (a first baseman who only made it as high as HiA Dunedin) or the catcher that played this winter for Boston in the Liga Paralel in Venezuela. (more…)