Blue Jays 2007 Draft - Day One

Thursday, June 07 2007 @ 01:00 PM EDT

The Blue Jays select Kevin Ahrens, 3B from Memorial HS with the 16th pick and JP Arencibia, C from Tennessee with the 21st pick in the first round.

Round 1, pick 16: Kevin Ahrens, 3B
Memorial HS, Houston, TX
6-2, 180 lbs, throws - right, bats - switch
DOB: 4/26/88

BA: Ahrens is a switch-hitter with power and a high school shortstop who will have to move to third base at the next level. More of a gap-to-gap hitter in the past, Ahrens has gotten stronger and started to turn on his power at the World Wood Bat Championship last fall. He's proficient from both sides of the plate, with a sound approach and little effort in his swing. The only thing lacking in Ahrens' game is speed, as he's a below-average runner. Though he still sees himself as a shortstop, he'll definitely have to shift to the hot corner, where his plus arm and soft hands will be assets.

MLB.com: There's a lot of upside in Ahrens' offense and while he'll likely end up at third base, he could possibly start as a shortstop because of his hands and arm and play there until he proves he can't stay at the position.

ESPN.com: Ahrens' bat will take him as far as he can go. As a switch-hitter, he has a good approach at the plate. He's more powerful from the right side. He has a strong arm, but he projects more a third baseman.


Round 1, pick 21: JP Arencibia, C
U of Tennessee (stats)
6-1, 195 lbs, throws - right, bats - right
DOB: 1/5/86

Year	AB	Ave	OBP	SLG	K/BB	K%
2005	283	0.322	0.379	0.534	1.5	11.9%
2006	216	0.352	0.419	0.583	1.5	12.2%
2007	191	0.330	0.450	0.545	1.2	16.2%

BA: Arencibia pulled a muscle in his back and was forced out of the lineup until mid-March. Arencibia struggled offensively and behind the plate upon returning to the lineup. He's an aggressive hitter with plus power to all fields. Power has long been his calling card. His swing gets long and he tends to have too much of an uppercut stroke. The verdict is out on whether he'll stay behind the plate as a pro. His receiving skills are rudimentary at best, and his footwork prevents him from getting off better throws despite solid-average to plus arm strength.

MLB.com: Heading into the year, the Tennessee backstop was on the short list of top college catchers in the draft class. A nagging back injury has really hampered his production and given scouts some cause for concern. Still, he's got some track record and has performed very well for Team USA in the past.


Supplemental Round, pick 38: Brett Cecil, LHP
U of Maryland (stats)
6-2, 225 lbs
DOB: 7/2/86

Year	Innings	ERA	K/9	BB/9	HR/9	H/9
2005	43	3.77	8.4	2.7	0.0	8.6
2006	58.1	4.78	8.4	3.1	0.5	8.5
2007	62.1	3.32	9.0	2.8	0.4	9.0

BA: Cecil's body, arm action and stuff have all improved significantly during his college career. While Cecil was used primarily in relief during college, he took a turn in the Terrapins rotation late this season and his future figures to be as a starter. He has four pitches, solid-average command and durability. His fastball has been up to 94 mph and sits near 91. His slider can touch 86 with good tilt and depth. His repertoire includes a a curveball, changeup and split-finger fastball, and the changeup has enough fade and deception to become a usable third offering, especially against righthanded hitters.

MLB.com: Cecil's slider alone will get him to the big leagues. If he can add a changeup to throw to righties, he could close. At the very least, he could become a very good left-handed setup man in a big-league bullpen. He got a start at the end of Maryland’s season and there are those who think he has the stuff to be in a rotation in the future.

ESPN.com: Two-and-a-half pitch closer package. Fastball is already plus, 91-93, with good boring action. Really runs it in hard to RHBs. Slider is already an out-pitch; sharp diving break in towards back feet of RHB. Curve is vertical; only uses vs LHBs. Some poor pitch selection. Great pickoff move.


Supplemental Round, pick 45: Justin Jackson, SS
TC Robertson HS
6-2, 175 lbs, throws - right; bats - right
DOB: 12/11/88

BA: Jackson a long-armed, wiry athlete with lots of holes in his swing, but shows a good feel for hitting as well as strike-zone discipline. If Jackson gets stronger and fills out, he could hit for above-average power, but that's a projection not every scout will make. He's a strong defender with above-average arm strength. His flash in the infield turns some scouts off, but he fields the ball out front and has outstanding actions up the middle. He's not a great runner, but shows average speed under way.

ESPN.com: Athletic HS SS who will be good ML SS. Shows ability to make all plays and with a plus arm and soft hands will make many outstanding plays. Has quick first step and good instincts on bases. Shows talent to center the ball despite having a slight loop in his swing. Lacks ideal strength to project to average ML hitter and will have to work diligently to improve strength and master a shorter stroke to hit .260-.270, 10-15 HR and be a regular. Worst-case scenario: backup defensive specialist. Best case: Adam Everett. Regular SS with emphasis on defense bottom-of-the order guy. Take chance on defensive tools, chance to hit.

MLB.com: Jackson has been on the radar screen for a long time, with scouts seeing him many times over the years as they came to TC Roberson High School to see Cameron Maybin. His defense has never been questioned, but his ability to hit at the next level has. He did finish the season strongly at the plate.


Supplemental Round, pick 56: Trystan Magnuson, RHP
U of Louisville (stats)
6-7, 210 lbs
DOB: 6/6/85

Year	Innings	ERA	K/9	BB/9	HR/9	H/9
2004	3.1	13.50	8.7	2.9	2.9	20.3
2005	65.1	3.72	7.5	2.5	0.7	8.8
2006	53.2	3.69	5.4	2.5	0.3	7.6
2007	53	1.02	8.8	1.5	0.3	5.9

BA: Magnuson has slowly learned to control his thin, 6-foot-7 frame over the rubber and had been lights-out coming out of Louisville's bullpen this season. He did not allow an earned run in his first 23 innings and had 43 strikeouts and eight walks while posting a .165 opponent average in 44 innings during the regular season. He has a low-90s fastball and mid-80s slider that he has learned to keep down in the zone. He got ahead in the count with his fastball and used his slider as a chase pitch this spring. He'll have to improve its break in order for it to be as effective in pro ball.


Round 2, pick 85: John Tolisano, SS/2B
Estero High School (FL)
5-11, 180 lbs; throws - right; hits - switch
DOB: 10/7/88

BA: He was named Baseball America's top 14-year-old in 2003. Tolisano's performance fell off last summer, however, and he enters the draft as something of an enigma. He has a fair stroke from both sides of the plate, with average bat speed and solid-average power to all fields. He made better contact late in this season, but has struggled to square balls up enough that teams questions his ability to hit for average. He's a 50 runner on the 20-80 scale with flashy actions on defense. He has below-average hands and poor footwork, and some scouts believe he's best suited for the outfield.

MLB.com: The infielder has added a lot of bulk this season and it's allowed him to show some more power at the plate. The switch-hitter uses all fields well and has a good idea at the plate, though he is better from the left side. Defensively a shortstop right now, he profiles better as a solid all-around second baseman at the next level.

ESPN.com: Offensive type of player; line-drive hitter with modest power. Uses whole field. Needs to find a position; can't play SS, and it would take too much work to get him to be an adequate 2B. Has arm strength to move behind the plate. Below-average runner, so CF isn't an option, and lacks the HR power to play an outfield corner. Good approach at the plate. At the plate: stays back well, sees ball, gets hands in good position, except lead arm is a little too high. Has looseness in wrist and hands. Move to catcher may be his only chance to reach the big leagues.


Round 2, pick 88: Eric Eiland, CF
Lamar HS (TX)
6-2, 195 lbs; throws - left; hits - left
DOB: 9/16/88

BA: Billed as the best high school athlete to come out of Houston since Carl Crawford, Eiland didn't live up to that tag while battling left hamstring problems. The injury robbed him of his plus speed and restricted his spring. Eiland was raw at the plate to begin with, and it's likely that a club will draft him and evaluate him in summer ball before deciding whether to sign him. A reported $1 million price tag may mean that he winds up at Texas A&M.

MLB.com: Eiland is a toolsy high school outfielder who really put himself on the map at the Area Code Games last year. His performance this year hasn't necessarily lived up to that impression, but his skills are still undeniable. A hamstring injury hampered him for part of the season, but when healthy, Eiland has the ability to use his speed on both sides of the ball. He's got great bat speed, which could lead to more power.

ESPN.com: Could be tough sign as football recruit. Bat will carry him. Outstanding Area Code Games in '06 (couldn't get him out). Arm is lacking. LF only place to play; AL DH, maybe. Runs well. Defensive skills are playable. Arm only major problem at this time.


Round 3, pick 115: Alan Farina, RHP
Clemson University (stats)
5-11, 195 lbs
DOB: 8/9/86

Year	Innings	ERA	K/9	BB/9	HR/9	H/9
2007	54.2	3.79	11.6	4.2	0.8	6.5

BA: Farina throws in the low-90s with a true fastball. He works from a high three-quarters arm slot, and his delivery has some effort. Farina's velocity and breaking ball have improved from last season, in part because he lengthened his stride and got better extension out front. He flashed a slider that has touched 86, sitting at 83-84 with hard tilt.

MLB.com: Farina has done a nice job as a middle reliever for Clemson, but there are those who think he might be able to start at the next level. That's because of a fastball with good velocity, and three other pitches that project to be average offerings if given the chance to develop them. He's aggressive and usually around the strike zone as well.


Round 4, pick 145: Brad Mills, LHP
U of Arizona (stats)
6-0, 185 lbs
DOB: 3/5/85

Year	Innings	ERA	K/9	BB/9	HR/9	H/9
2004	9.2	4.66	6.8	12.7	0.0	9.8
2005	13.2	4.61	8.2	7.5	0.0	9.5
2006	82.1	4.70	9.0	4.5	0.3	10.5
2007	87.2	4.41	9.2	3.1	0.3	9.3

BA: Mills' repertoire is in the 87-90 mph range without touching 92 as he did last year. His breaking ball has improved, as he throws it with more power than he did before. Mills is still a semester short of graduation and likely will want to finish up, which could cost him instructional league and set his development back. He also needed a cortisone shot late in the spring to help a balky back that caused him to miss a pair of starts down the stretch, further clouding his draft status.

MLB.com: He has the chance to be a starter with an average fastball and above-average curve and changeup. He'd be considered much more highly if he had exhibited more consistent fastball command. At the very least, he could be an effective lefty bullpen type.


Round 5, pick 175: Marc Rzepczynski, LHP
UC Riverside (stats)
6-3, 205 lbs
DOB: 8/29/85

Year	Innings	ERA	K/9	BB/9	HR/9	H/9
2004	40.1	4.46	8.3	3.8	0.7	11.4
2005	35	7.71	8.2	5.4	0.0	10.3
2006	52.1	4.47	8.5	4.3	0.5	11.1
2007	72.2	2.72	10.5	3.1	0.0	7.9

BA: Rzepczynski had elbow soreness early in the season but has shown plus stuff since then, making that less of a concern. He may have done enough to impress scouts last summer, when he was the No. 4 prospect in the West Coast Collegiate League, and again this spring, particularly in a three-hit shutout of Cal State Fullerton. When he's right, his fastball sits at 88-91 mph and touches 93, and he throws three other pitches for strikes: a low-80s power curveball, a slider that at times touches 84 mph, and a changeup he keeps down in the zone. He had not allowed a home run through 73 innings and was throwing more quality strikes than ever before, as command always had been a major problem. His four-pitch mix profiles him as a middle-of-the-rotation starter.

-------

That concludes the draft for today. The Jays will pick round 6-50 tomorrow (or quit when they're tired).

71 comments

https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20070607112131784