Top 30 Prospects: #30 - #21

Monday, October 06 2008 @ 08:00 AM EDT

Welcome to the annual installment of Batter's Box's Top 30 Blue Jay prospects.

The minor league system seems to be stronger than it has been in years. This year there were 48 different players that got at least one top 30 vote from the 6 voters in the top 30 prospects. Today we present players #30 to #21.

30. Marcus Brisker, OF
Born August 21, 1990. Selected in the 6th round of the 2008 amateur draft.

Year	Age	Level	AB	2B	3B	HR	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2008	18	R	108	4	0	0	11	22	13	4	.306	.370	.343

High school players generally struggle in their first exposure to pro ball as the high school players from the 2007 draft class showed a year ago. However, Brisker had no such problem. The speedy 6'4" 200 lb OF was able to hit over .300 over the course of the season, and upped his OPS from .604 to .607 to .862 from June to August. This was especially impressive considering that he was not as experienced as most high school draftees. Up until his senior year Brisker had also been playing basketball which cut into the beginning of the baseball season. He's considered to have plus bat speed, but, given his inexperience, an uneven approach at the plate. Brisker was listed as a CF upon being drafted, but with his size he'll probably end up in a corner OF spot. A trip to the NY-P League is likely next year, although if Brisker continues playing well through the spring he could possibly jump straight to the full season Midwest League.


29. Andrew Liebel, RHP
Born March 22,1986. Selected in the 3rd round of the 2008 amateur draft.

Originally drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 47th round of the 2004 amateur draft, Liebel opted to go to Long Beach State instead. He was a reliever in the first 2 1/2 seasons of his college career before joining the Dirt Bags starting rotation late in the 2007 campaign. It was after the '07 season that Liebel focused on improving his arm strength by doing long toss as well as changing his workout routine and dietary habits. That helped him improve his fastball. After posting a 59-19 K/BB ratio in 101.1 innings in 2007, Liebel improved that figure in '08 to the tune of 97-19 in 117.1 innings in his senior season. He threw two complete game shutouts against U-C Davis and U-C Santa Barbara, had a scoreless innings streak of 19 and won 8 of 12 decisions with a 2.22 ERA as the ace of the Long Beach State staff. He worked seven innings in every start, except for one when he could go only go six innings thanks to a rain delay. Liebel won the Big West Player of the Year award and earned consideration for the Roger Clemens and Golden Spikes Awards. Considered by some to be the best college senior pitcher in the draft next to Seattle first round pick Josh Fields, Liebel received a $340,000 bonus from the Jays. He began his pro career in August with Auburn, posting a 1-2 record in seven appearances, six in relief.

Scouting reports say Liebel's stuff is average but his command of his four-pitch mix is above average. His fastball is in the 88-91 MPH range with the occasional 92 or 93 and his slider checks in at 79-80 MPH. He also throws a changeup and curveball. Liebel is said to have a bulldog mentality on the mound, wants the ball, has a good idea of how to pitch, works fast and works easily with a quick, loose arm action. He also holds runners well. The 6-1, 195 pound righty was compared to Yankees prospect Ian Kennedy by Baseball America. Some scouts aren't as high on Liebel as they feel his lack of stuff will slot him in middle relief in the majors. Turning 23 next season, the Jays may decide to push Liebel to Dunedin at some point. The question will be whether he makes a pit stop in Lansing first. If things go really well, Liebel has a shot to return to his roots with a visit to AA ball as he was born in Manchester, New Hampshire.

28. Antonio Jimenez, C
Born May 1, 1990. Selected in the 9th round of the 2008 amateur draft.

In 2007 Carreno led the Gulf Coast Jays in innings pitched, wins and strikeouts. He appeared on Baseball America’s Top Blue Jays 30 prospect list, although he didn’t make the Top 30 on the Box. This year Carreno was assigned to Auburn and also led the team in innings pitched, but he went further than that and led the team’s starters in H/9, BB/9 and K/9.

Carreno’s best pitch is a strong sinker with movement that sits in the low 90’s. He also throws a plus changeup, which he’s been able to control better this year than last. Carreno succeeds in large part by mixing his pitches and keeping hitters off balance and his improved K/9 ratio despite jumping a level suggests Carreno's learning more about the art of pitching. In terms of weaknesses, Carreno’s slider is still a work in progress and he sometimes struggles with his mechanics. He’ll likely begin next year in Lansing and, if things break right, it looks like he could develop into a back-of-the-rotation innings eater.

26. Robert Sobolewski, 3B
Born December 24, 1986. Selected in the 4th round of the 2008 amateur draft.

When the Jays drafted Sobolewski with their fourth round pick, it was thought he'd be a tough signing. Many experts suggested that a strong year could propel Sobolewski into the top ten selections for the 2009 draft. However, the Jays were able to lure him away from the University of Miami with a signing bonus of just $65,000.

Sobolewski's stats show that he is still an incredibly raw talent and he will likely spend most of 2009 back in Auburn. However, he did show flashes of his promise at times, including a five-hit game in July. Scouts rave over Sobolewski's raw power, especially to the opposite field. And while his defense at third is currently below-average, his strong arm suggests he could quickly improve with better positioning.

25. Moises Sierra, OF
Born September 24, 1988. Signed as a non-drafted free agent.

1990 birthdates make me feel incredibly old. In any event, Wilson's calling card is his speed. According to his draft profiles, Wilson's 60 yard time is in the 6.4 range, which is roughly 25x faster than Rod Barajas. This was evident in 2008 as despite rarely getting on base, Kenny managed to steal 25 bases.

Like most 18 year-olds, Wilson is still obviously very raw. At only 165 pounds, he doesn't project to have much power, however his speed and ability to hit from gap to gap should allow Wilson to rack up a fair amount of extra base hits. In the field, Wilson's defense is a work in progress. His speed allows him to get to balls that many outfielders can't reach, however his arm remains a liability.

2009 will likely see Wilson repeat the Gulf Coast League with the hope for a promotion to either Auburn or Lansing in 2010.

23. Jonathan Talley, C/1B/DH
Born February 18, 1989. Selected in the 13th round of the 2007 amateur draft.

The Jays gave Talley a $70,000 bonus (plus a college allowance of $64,000) after playing high school ball as a catcher at Carlsbad High School in California, the same school that former Jay Troy Glaus attended. Demetrius Pittman, the Jays scouting supervisor for Southern California, described Talley as a power bat and the premier big bat in the region at the time he was drafted. At 6-foot-3, 230 pounds - the scouting report on Talley is that he has good size and strength, is a physical left-handed power hitter with a sound approach at the plate and has the ability to hit for average and power. Even though he throws well, it's believed that Talley is not athletic enough to remain behind the plate and will probably be moved to first base or DH. He has spent time at all three positions since his pro career began.

Talley endured a rough introduction to pro ball as he started his career in the Gulf Coast League by going 0-for-10 while mustering just four extra-base hits in his first season. However, Talley did hit .345 in August 2007 and that strong finish carried over in his return to the Gulf Coast in 2008. Talley hit just .118 for June but rebounded to finish the campaign at .300 thanks to a .369 July and a .296 August. His power began to show as he racked up 14 extra base hits, more than tripling his '07 output. Talley still needs to improve on making contact and drawing a few more walks as he has struck out over 25 percent of the time in his career while drawing just 8 walks. However, one of those free passes came in a late-season call up to Lansing when he singled and walked in three plate appearances. Talley should be calling Lansing his baseball home to begin 2009.

22. Davis Romero, LHP
Born March 30, 1983. Signed in 1999 as an non-drafted free agent.

21. Zach Dials, RHP
Born July 22, 1985. Selected in the 28th round of the 2006 amateur draft.

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