Top Prospects
- Brett Wallace, 1B/3B (AAA) 23
- Kyle Drabek, SP (AA) 22
- Zach Stewart, SP (AAA) 23
- Chad Jenkins, SP (LoA) 22
- Travis d’Arnaud, C (HiA) 20
- Jake Marisnick, OF (LoA) 19
- Carlos Perez, C (LoA) 19
- JP Arencibia, C (AAA) 24
- Henderson Alvarez, SP (HiA) 20
- Brian Dopirak, 1B (AAA/MLB) 26
- Daniel Farquhar, RP (AAA) 23
- Darin Mastroianni, OF (AA) 24
- Michael McDade, 1B (AA) 20
- Tim Collins, RP (AA) 20
- Gustavo Pierre, SS (GCL) 19
- Robert Bell, SP (AA) 24
- Justin Jackson, SS (AA) 22
- Tyler Pastornicky, SS (AA) 20
- Brad Mills, SP (AAA) 25
- Santiago Nessy, C/1B (Rk) 18
The following is the my take on the Top 50 Jays Prospects by position, then in order of talent and ceiling.
11- Brad Emaus 2B/3B
14- Tyler Pastornicky SS
19- Jacob Marisnick CF
20- Darin Mastroianni CF
22- Moises Sierra RF
23- Kenneth Wilson CF
26- Zach Stewart SP
Top 5 Catcher Prospects
In order to have success in MLB, you must have a strong catcher who can manage both handling the games, and hits in clutch situations. The Jays have lacked this for a long time, but things they are a changing folks. The Jays have concentrated much of their recent efforts in steadying themselves behind the plate and it seems to be working. From Arencibia to Ochinko, the Jays have a good stream of offensively and defensively capable catchers coming up the ladder. Here they are in order of talent:
1. Travis d’Arnaud, 21 yrs old, 6′2″ 195 lbs, drafted by PHI in 1st sup rd of 2007
Will be 21 in 2010. He was the “add-in” piece in the Doc Halladay deal and the lesser known of the 5 on this list from Jays fans perspectives. In 2009’s edition, BA had ranked him 7th best PHI prospect and stated that he has “premium catch-and-throw tools, such as soft hands, quick feet and plenty of arm strength” and added that he has “a line-drive swing and gap power with a willingness to use the opposite field.” They considered him trade fodder due to the presence of Lou Marson in PHI, and they were right on that count. That was in 2009 when he had just hit .305 with 6 HRs and 30 RBI in 239 AB between SS and LoA. In 2010’s edition, BA ranked him 4th in the PHI system, adding this important statement: “got better as 2009 wore on, clubbing 25 doubles in his last 224 at-bats. He led the SAL in doubles and is tapping into his plus raw power.” It’s important because sure, every team wants a catcher who is excellent defensively, which explains the continuous employment of guys like Jason Kendall and others, but that he developed some real power and became a doubles machine makes him that much more attractive. It also makes it more likely that if his power plays as well in MLB, he could unseat JP Arencibia who is due to arrive at some point in 2010. That BA statement was according to 2009 stats in LoA at age 20, which totaled 438 AB, 38 doubles, a .255 avg, 13 HRs, 71 RBI, 8 SBs. D’Arnaud may eventually force the Jays to allow him to split time with Arencibia, or force for JP to move to 1B – if Brett Wallace is not already there. D’Arnaud is a better defender, has the power to take advantage of the gaps at Rogers Center, and may be a more important piece to the Doc Halladay deal than people give him credit for.
2. Carlos Perez, 19 yrs old, 6′0″ 193 lbs, signed as an international FA in 2008
Will be 20 yrs old in 2010. Carlos signed with the Jays in 2007 as an international free agent for $700,000 and showed maturity last season with the GCL Jays. He hit 11 doubles, 3 triples, and a homer in 141 ABs, while walking 16 times and only striking out 23 times. His OBP and AVG were respectable at .364 and .291 respectively. BA ranked Perez as the 6th best prospect in the GCL this past season and see him as yet another “catcher of the future for the Jays” if all goes according to plan. His defense is pointed to as his strongest asset. Perez threw out 49% of base stealers this season and has a 1.9 second pop-time. He’s a good size for a catcher and should make the jump to LoA Lansing in 2010 where he’ll be tested both offensively and defensively. However, with Ochinko and Gomes both fighting for spots at Lansing, something’s got to give. The Jays have the enviable problem of finding spots for 4 guys (Perez, d’Arnaud, Gomes and Ochinko) between 2 levels, which leads me to believe one of these guys will go to AA, most likely d’Arnaud. That leaves the likeliness of Perez and one of Gomes or Ochinko manning the plate in LoA. Where ever Perez plays, he’s one guys to keep a close eye on during 2010, as he could jump to the top 3 of the Jays prospect list in BA’s 2011 list.
3. JP Arencibia, 24 yrs old, 6′0″ 215 lbs, drafted in the 1st rd of the 2007 draft
Will be 24 yrs old during 2010 season. JP was selected 21st overall in 2007 by the Jays and jumped up the ladder along with Travis Snider. Unlike Snider, he stopped at AAA instead of jumping to MLB in 2009. He had an awesome 2008 between HiA and AA, accumulating 27 HRs and 105 RBI in the process with a decent .298 average. However, as most already know, JP took a step back in 2009 and showed some holes in his swing. He hit .236 on the season and managed 21 homers, which in my opinion is still great when you consider the fact that he played hurt half the season. Some scouts doubt that he’ll be able to hit for average, but his power is off the charts. This is the guy who beat Alex Rodriguez’s home run record in High School. He did finish the last 10 games of 2009 with a .349 average and 6 dingers, so he could suprise many with a call up in August or September. I love JP’s bat and think it’ll play better than most believe in MLB, however, I also doubt JP will stay at catcher long term, which is why I ranked him 3rd on this list. It’s also the reason I’d like to see the Jays keep Wallace at 3B. With d’Arnaud and Perez coming up to take the catcher’s position, and JP having as much prodigious power as he does, he would be the perfect 1B compliment to what would be a potent lineup. Although he is 3rd on this list, he is by far the #1 offensive catcher in the system and deserves more recognition than he’s getting from minor league evaluators. He’ll need to minimize his strike outs to do well against MLB pitching, but should hit for better average overall than someone like Adam Dunn did most of his career. Look for great things from JP in 2010, I certainly do.
4. Sean Ochinko, 22 yrd old, 5′11″ 205 lbs, drafted in the 11th rd of the 2009 draft
Will be 23 yrs old in 2010. Chosen in the 11th round in the 2009 draft, Sean played well enough to be named a NYP All-Star at the mid-season point. Getting 188 AB in Auburn, Sean hit 6 homers, 20 doubles, and carried a .324 average overall. His OBP was outstanding at .382 and he only struck out 26 times in 188 AB. Sean already has some experience at 1B, which leads me to believe that if JP, Carlos, or Travis really do take over the catcher position for the Jays for a long time period, Sean could become a 1B of the future for the Jays, something the Jays have a half-dozen candidates for! Still, Sean is more likely to be ready to compete very soon and may begin the 2010 season in HiA Dunedin. He has more leadership ability and clutch performance potential than the top 3 on this list and could be a great find in the 2009 draft for the Jays.
5. Yan Gomes, 22 yrs old, 6′2″ 215 lbs, drafted in the 2009 draft
Will be 23 yrs old in 2010. The Jays drafted Gomes in the 10th round, one round ahead of Ochinko in the 2009 draft. He’s bigger than the other catchers at 6′2″ and 215 lbs. He spent some time in the GCL before heading for SS Auburn in 2009. In 223 AB, he managed 23 doubles, 2 HRs, 44 RBI and a .300 average. He caught 38% of all would be base stealers, and committed only 2 errors during his short season. Since he has more size and makes good contact, he could develop a lot more power as he develops. The Jays really solidified their C position with the addition of both Gomes and Ochinko. I’m not really sure how the Jays will organize these catchers in terms of progression, but the fact that Gomes is the 5th best catcher in the Jays system indicates just how strong it really is.
Those who didn’t make the cut (in order of potential): 16 yr old Santiago Nessy (DNP), Brian Jeroloman (AA-AAA), AJ Jimenez (LoA), Jonathan Talley (LoA), Jonathan Jaspe (HiA), Matthew Liuzza (HiA), Leonardo Hernandez (DSL), C.J. Ebard (AA), Chris House (LoA), Alexys Rodriguez (DSL).
Top 5 Jays Second Base Prospects
The second base depth in the minors for the Jays is extremely top heavy. The Jays do have a great track record in identifying top-quality 2B prospects, see Aaron Hill and Roberto Alomar, and they very well may have added one more top-quality 2B in the 2009 draft. Beyond the top 2 guys, however, the quality dwindles down to a trickle and is extremely raw to say the least. Still, with Hill being in Toronto for the foreseeable future, there’s really no rush to push prospects through each level, which allows them to develop a little more effectively than would otherwise be possible.
Here are the top 5 2B prospects, 2010 edition:
1- Ryan Schimpf, 21 yrs old, 5′9″ 181 lbs, drafted in the 5th rd of the ‘09 draft
Ryan hails from Covington Louisiana and helped LSU get to the College World Series in 2009 by being a leader on the club. He batted a great .336 over 262 AB, with 19 doubles, 1 triple, 22 HRs, and 70 RBI. He did een better than that during the College World Series, hitting .348 in 23 AB, with 2 doubles, 3 HRs, and 7 RBI in 6 games. The sports writes in the State also selected him as the Player of the Year, which is no small feat when you consider players like DJ LeMahieu, Jared Mitchell, and Louis Coleman were all on the same squad at LSU – nevermind other players on other teams in the State. Here’s a video of what he can do from You Tube, which shows his line-drive abilities. He continued his great 2009 season by coming out of the gates quickly in Aubrun once the Jays signed him. He did a quick little stint in the GCL, but immediately skipped it to go to Auburn and ended up with the following stats: 129 ABs, 37 hits, 7 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HRs, 14 RBI, 4 SBs, and a .287 average. He only struck out 24 times while walking 15 times, had a .369 OBP, .426 SLG, and .795 OPS. His defense could get a little better though, with 8 errors being committed for a .953 fielding percentage. I look for the Jays to begin Schimpf’s 2010 season in HiA Dunedin and he could wind up in AA by the end of the season. He plays with tons of character, is a great team mate, has an awesome work ethic, and should be someone you keep an eye on if you’re looking for a 2B in fantasy circles.
2 - John Tolisano, 21 yrs old, 5′11″ 190 lbs, drafted in the 2nd rd of the ‘07 draft
When you evaluate the fact that Tolisano is the same age as Schimpf, yet has 3 years of minor league development under his belt, you get to understand why I and others haven’t given up on him yet. He’ll turn 22 in October of 2010 and still has plenty of growth and will get plenty of time to develop it. Tolisano is a switch hitter, but clearly hits better from the right side of the plate where he carries a .250 average with 11 HRs, in comparison to a .165 average with 1 HR from the left side. While I understand the value of being a switch hitter, it only works if you can actually hit from both sides. It seems to me that Tolisano may be better served by hitting only from the right side, but who am I to judge? For whatever reason, whether it’s trying to hard to hit for power or a lack of skills, Tolisano has yet to be able to hit for average or to get on base as often as he needs to. He held a .232 average over 401 ABs in 2009 while in HiA Dunedin and hasn’t been much better over his 3 year minors career with a .229 average while in Lansing in 2008, and a .246 average in 2007 while playing in the GCL. His OBP has progressively gotten worse over 3 seasons (.336, .315, .305), and he committed 21 errors in 2010. While some can look at this progression in a negative manner, I say that it will help him in the end by ensuring he gets the time he needs to fully develop. He should begin 2010 in Double A even if his average is lacking thus far in his progression. Hopefully the staff in AA will be decide to make John a right-handed hitter instead of a switch-hitter and that will rectify the average issues.
3 – Bradley Emaus, 23 yrs old, 5′11″ 200 lbs, drafted in the 11th rd of the ‘07 draft
Going into the 2009 season I was really pulling for Emaus to make the Jays bench as a utility infielder, mostly because of his versatility and his excellent spring training with the club, when he kept a .306 average, .370 OBP, and hit 4 HRs in only 49 ABs. Instead of making the club he was sent to AA New Hampshire and started off very hot, probably in hopes of getting the call early on, but cooled off as the season wore on. I’ve heard from New Hampshire fans that he and David Cooper became fast friends in AA and were very care free about their performances, which may explain why he cooled off so much. Either way, he wound up hitting .253 with 28 doubles, 10 HRs, 10 SBs, and kept a mediocre .336 OBP. His defense is good with a .977 fielding percentage and only 12 errors made in 2009. If it wasn’t for John Tolisano and Ryan Schimpf starting the season off in AA and HiA respectively, I would say that Emaus could return to AA in 2010, but as it is he’ll most likely open up the season in AAA Las Vegas. I still believe he can be a very useful bench player if he can become more aggressive and be more consistent offensively because he does hit the ball with a ton of power. He’s a doubles machine waiting to happen, so here’s to hoping that separation from David Cooper will do him some good.
4 - Oliver Dominguez, 20 years old, 5′9″ 156 lbs, signed as an Int’l FA in ‘06
Dominguez is a switch-hitter who, just like Tolisano, hits better from the right side with a .229 average on the right versus a .208 average on the left side. He is still learning how to get on base more often in order to improve on his .297 OBP in the GCL in 2009, but he did have a .404 OBP in the DSL the year before which provides some hope that he’ll adjust as he progresses. He should begin 2010 in LoA Lansing and will continue to improve his base stealing abilities, his biggest strength. In 2009, he stole 13 bases in 13 chances which is impressive for a young base stealer. He only got 142 ABs in 2009, so I expect him to get much better as he gets more experience at the plate. Since I like to cheer for the outside shot guys, I really do hope that Dominguez jumps up the depth charts as he progresses and he could make for a Eugenio Velez type utility player for the Jays in the future.
5 – Justin McClanahan, 24 years old, 6′2″ 210 lbs, drafted in the 33rd rd of the ‘08 draft
I listed Justin on this list because he has played the majority of his time thus far at 2B, but I believe that the Jays prepared him for a switch to either 3B or 1B in 2010 at the end of the 2009 season by giving him some time at each position. He is a little big for 2B but moves extremely well for his size and played excellent D at 2B in 2009 with a .980 fielding percentage. However, all of this has to be taken lightly since he was a 23 year old in LoA Lansing, which is quite old in prospect standards. In 431 ABs there, he hit .261 with 20 doubles, 13 HRs, and 11 SBs. His OBP was low at .328. How Justin handles the switch to a different position will determine whether he makes it past AA and whether he has a future in baseball. There are just too many guys ahead of him on the depth chart for him to progress at 2B. Look for him to begin 2010 as the HiA Dunedin 1B / 3B part-time player.
Top 5 Jays SS Prospects
Definitely one of the two weakest position for the Jays in terms of both talent and ceiling for prospects, the short stops of the Jays minor league affiliates fail to inspire even the most dedicated fans of the team. Everyone in baseball knows that the likeliness of any of the 5 players listed below in becoming the starting SS of the future any time soon is highly unlikely. They all have some level of potential, but each has shortcomings in development that have forced everyone to ask Alex Anthopolous “how will you acquire the SS of the future for the Jays?” Alex has not once stated anything to the effect that they believe they have the answer in-house, which lets us speculate that he does not believe any of these players is the answer. Some could still surprise as this list will show, and that’s why lists such as this one are made,but I still expect Alex will add some real depth to this list in short time.
1 – Gustavo Pierre, 18 yrs old, 6′2″ 183 lbs, signed as an international FA for $750,000 in July 2008
Almost everyone you will talk to who know Jays prospects very well will tell you that they expect Gustavo to move to 3B before he reaches MLB. Still, since he hasn’t played any other position yet as a pro, I have decided to include him on both my 3B and SS list because the Jays do have the option to use him in either role depending on what they have on the team and in terms of what they have as up-and-coming prospects. Gustavo is still too young to evaluate well, but he has shown some real potential in all areas of his game. He hits the ball with authority, with 18 extra base hits out of his 45 total hits in a short season, and also accumulated a decent .431 SLG. He hits RHP (.278) a lot more consistently than LHP (.195), not unusual for young hitters, so learning to hit lefties is definitely on his list of things to improve on. He also needs to learn how to walk, with only 3 walks and 45 strike outs in 2009. At 17 yrs old in the GCL, Gustavo did better than fellow international signed Balbino Fuenmayor who has progressed immensely since that time. Therefore, I consider Gustavo’s first season a moderate success that he can build on in 2010. He should be the SS for the Lansing squad in 2010 and if all things go as planned, he should develop a lot of power and confidence as he grows stronger and more experienced.
2 - Justin Jackson, 21 yrs old, 6′1″ 186 lbs, drafted in 1st rd (45th overall) of the 2007 draft
Justin was part of what became one of the most active drafts in Jays history, when they had 7 picks in the first 2 rounds of the draft and actually signed them all. Most of them (Kevin Ahrens, Trystan Magnuson, Eric Eiland, and John Tolisano) have disappointed in development thus far, with Brett Cecil and JP Arencibia being the possible exceptions to those high picks. Justin had some injury woes in 2009, so that season was pretty much lost in terms of development. His stats reflect that with a .200 average versus RHP, .213 average overall, and way too many strike outs with 87 strike outs in 249 AB. More worrisome were his .269 SLG and .321 OBP, which are much lower than his 2008 levels of .368 SLG and .340 OBP. He did manage to steal just as many bases in almost half the ABs, taking 17 and getting caught only 4 times in 2009. Despite mediocre offense and a fair amount of errors each season, Justin has been pushed up to the next level and set up to fail because of it. I really do hope they let him begin the season in HiA Dunedin in 2010 and don’t push him up to AA. If he’s ever going to make it to the show and be an impact player, he needs to learn how to hit consistently and to get on base. I have a feeling Justin’s injuries hurt his performance, and also believe that he was trying too hard to be a power bat, which hurt his chances to get on base. With his steal potential and overall abilities, Justin should be concentrating on hitting for average and letting the power happen on its own over time as he grows stronger. Hopefully Justin gets a full healthy season under his belt in 2010 and he could make it to AA by year’s end if things go well.
3 - Tyler Pastornicky, 20 yrs old, 5′11″ 170 lbs, drafted in the 5th round of the 2008 draft
If it wasn’t for the injury woes that Justin Jackson endured and Gustavo Pierre’s intriguing hitting potential, Tyler would have topped this list by far. He’s that pesky type of player that drives opposing teams nuts because he can hurt you in many ways. The biggest way he can hurt you is wit his dazzling speed, which he used to steal 57 bases in 2009. I always like to add those to the doubles total in order to get a taste of what a player’s impact really is, and if you add those 57 steals to his doubles count Tyler had 71 doubles. Now that’s an impact player. He gets on base a lot more than Justin, with a .331 OBP and struck out 57 times to his 42 walks in 2009, which is pretty good for such a young player. His fielding percentage is on par with Justin’s at .951, but I’ve always believed that faster players have lower percentages simply based on their range and the number of opportunities that it adds to their totals. Tyler ended the year in HiA Dunedin, where Justin Jackson should begin the season, so there lies the dilemma, to send him to AA or send Justin instead. If it were me making the decision, Tyler needs to be pushed a little and go to AA instead of Justin. I’ll update this scenario at the beginning of the season, but if they send Justin to AA it could seriously hurt his chances of ever developing confidence, where as sending Tyler would provide the Jays with a better look at what they have in-house in terms of close-to-immediate help at the position. Tyler’s definitely my favorite SS in the minors for the Jays, still, I have to respect Justin’s and Gustavo’s overall potential.
4 – Mike McCoy, 28 yrs old, 5′9″ 171 lbs, Acquired off waivers Colorado, was originally drafted by STL in the 34th rd of 2002 draft
Although he’s a little old to be considered a prospect, the Jays are lacking so much depth at the SS position that I decided to include him on the list. In this recent post, I looked at the immediate impact Mike McCoy could have for the Jays in 2010 and how he could end up being the bench king for the squad. Not only does he had extensive experience at all positions, but he has varying tools that the Jays desperately need in order to be successful in 2010. He has speed, something the Jays have lacked for a very long time, with 40 SB in 2009 in AAA. He gets on base a ton, proven by his .405 OBP in AAA last season. He fields every single position he plays at above average and can also fill the lead off hole in the lineup the Jays currently have. I’ll even go as far as to say this: if Mike McCoy has a very strong spring and proves he deserves to play every day, the Jays could wind up trading Alex Gonzalez earlier than any of us believe they would in 2010. He has the potential to be the 2010 version of Randy Ruiz and Garrett Jones, a player who just needed a chance to prove he can play in MLB. I certainly hope he gets that chance and does well, as he could set up the table for Aaron Hill and company very well. He should begin the year on the Jays bench if he does well in spring, if not it’ll be a return to AAA.
5 - Ryan Goins, 22 yrs old, 5′10″ 170 lbs, drafted by the Jays in the 4th rd of the 2009 draft
You can catch the 2009 MLB draft video of Ryan here. Goins hit 14 doubles, 10 HRs, had a .357 average, and maintained a .404 OBP in his 2008 college season at Dallas Baptist University. From there, he upped his performance to 22 HRs and a .371 average in 2009 before the draft, when he was listed as a second baseman. The Jays drafted him and have had him play SS ever since in part due to his very strong and accurate arm. He played on 3 teams for the Jays in 2009, but oddly enough did not show any power at all during the season, while holding his own average wise with a .297 average in Auburn in 101 ABs. He seemed to struggle a little more in Lansing, with a .198 average and .258 OBP in 81 ABs, but should improve on that in 2010. There’s no question that Ryan has overall potential to become a good and perhaps slightly above-average SS, but he lacks the overall package to make him a top-rated SS right now. When asked about Goins before the draft, Baseball America’s Jim Callis said the following: “Still don’t think he’s a top-five-rounds guy. He has a plus-plus arm but he’s a below-average runner, so he’s going to have to be an offensive second baseman. He can hit, but the ball flies out at Dallas Baptist. I like him, but he might be only the fourth best college projected second baseman in this draft, behind Shaver Hansen (Baylor), Brodie Greene (Texas A&M) and Brock Holt (Rice).”
The biggest question the Jays have to decide on is who plays where in 2010. If Pastornicky and Jackson are to fill the SS position at HiA and AA, which one of Pierre and Goins gets the call in LoA? It’s either a call of allowing Pierre to spend one more season in the GCL and keeping Goins in LoA, or in moving Pierre to 3B and allowing both to play in LoA as a result. I believe the Jays are ready to move Pierre to 3B, so I vote for the latter option.
Short stops in the system who didn’t make the cut: Manuel Mayorson (AAA), Luis Sanchez (AA), Daniel Arcila (DSL), Alvaro Blanco (DSL).
Top 5 Jays Outfield Prospects
1. Jacob Marisnick, 18 yrs old, 6′4″ 200 lbs, drafted in the 104th overall in the 2009 draft
He’s the only OFer on this list to crack the top 10 Toronto prospect list from Baseball America this year, sitting at #6. His body type, arm strength, and ability to cover center field draw comparisons to Hunter Pence. Jacob could be the first 5-tool OFer the Jays have had in a long long time and his athletic abilities are raved about by most scouts who see him play. He has abover-average power, can run very well, and has a great arm for someone who can play CF. The only reason he wasn’t taken in the first or second rounds was due to issues with his swing that scared some teams off, but there are issues with every single hitter in that draft not named Dustin Ackley, so I’m not sure how that holds water. He’s an intelligent player who should move quickly through the system now that Chavez is gone. It’s possible the Jays could start him in the GCL, but Lansing seems like a more likely destination. The Jays are hoping the $1 million bonus they handed him after the draft is money well spent, and I for one am looking forward to seeing if he can really bring 5-tools to the Jays sometime in the near future.
2. Darin Mastroianni, 24 yrs old, 5′11″ 190 lbs, drafted in the 16th rd of the 2007 draft
Darin played half of ‘09 in HiA and the other half in AA. He’s the type of scrappy guy that everyone likes to cheer for and plays with a lot of heart every single day. Darin’s known to stick around and sign autographs for kids long after others have left and cares about the game. The most obvious skill Darin has is his speed, as he stole 70 bases in 2009. What many people overlook is his awesome OBP .426 in HiA and .372 in AA, which bodes well for the prospects of his becoming a lead off hitter in the future. He struck out 83 times in ‘09, but also walked 76 times, showing a ton of patience at the plate. Although he’ll never become a power hitter, Darin does drive the ball well, hitting 21 doubles between both leagues and he could add some muscle as he matures in order to hit 5-7 HRs per season. His defence is great, he covers ground like no other CF in the system, and would therefore compliment an OF of Wells in RF and Snider in LF very well. Whether or not that ever happens remains to be seen. Darin should begin the year in AA, but may also move quickly to AAA if he starts the year off well.
3. Kristopher Hobson, 19 yrs old, 6′2″ 210 lbs, drafted in the 6th rd of the 2009 draft
Kristopher was drafted out of high school and is already hailed as having the most power potential of any Jays prospect. Think Adam Lind with a bit less power, as he’s mainly a gap-to-gap hitter right now and has a great arm. The only thing that may keep him from playing the OF is his slow footedness, so he may be a LF or 1B in the future, but his arm would play very well in RF. He’ll turn 20 in August and should be able to add some size to an already big frame, which bodes well for his power output. I’m not sure where the Jays will start Kristopher in 2010, but we know it will be the GCL, SS Auburn, or Lansing. Wherever he begins the year, Kristopher is one Jays prospect to keep an eye on because he could turn some heads in 2010.
4. Moises Sierra, 21 yrs old, 6′0″ 225 lbs, signed as an international FA in 2005
Although many people who evaluate minor league players say that Moises is a star in the making, I just don’t see him as highly. When I look at his stats and evaluate his progression through the minors, as well as read up on what others say, I see no proof that he’ll be more than a 4th OFer in MLB. He’s never hit more than 9 HRs in a season, doesn’t steal many bases and has slowed as he matures, and he doesn’t play the OF particularly well. However, what Moises does do well is get on base, with a .360 OBP in HiA – where he spent most of ‘09, and drive the ball well with 33 extra base hits in 439 ABs. He’ll get a chance to play a full season in AA this season and I’m hoping he begins to show more power, because he can definitely hit the ball well and has enough potential to be an asset for the Jays in 2011.
5. Kenneth Wilson, 20 yrs old, 6′0″ 165 lbs, drafted in 2nd rd of the 2008 draft
The Jays may have drafted Wilson a little too early in 2008, but he has shown some streaks of potential since they sent him to Lansing as a 19 year old in ‘09. Although drafted mostly as a speedster, he has shown boughts of power with 4 HRs and 19 extra base hits in only 327 ABs at LoA to go along with his 37 SBs. As with most young players, Kenneth strikes out way too much, doing so 99 times in 2009. Like most of the Jays 2007 picks, Kenneth has issues in being able to hit for average and doesn’t get on base often enough with a lowly .212 average and .306 OBP. Look for both of these issues to improve in ‘10 as eh most likely returns to Lansing and gets more comfortable with his swing. Kenneth will never be a power hitter, but he could pan out to be an OFer in the mould of Shane Victorino.