The Hardball Times rates outfielder Johermyn Chavez as the Jays best minor league prospect in its top 10 list. The minor league crew at Batter's Box had Chavez at #12 in the top 30 list which you can check out here, here and here.
THT rates righty Chad Jenkins #2 (we had him at #4), catcher J.P. Arencibia #3 (we rated him #5), shortstop Tyler Pastornicky #4 (we said #7) and righty Zach Stewart #5 (number one by us!). Rounding out the THT Top 10 were first baseman David Cooper at #6 (we agree!!), righty Henderson Alvarez at #7 (we slotted him in at #3), outfielder Moises Sierra at #8 (he was #2 for us), second baseman Brad Emaus at #9 (#24 according to da Box) and lefty Brad Mills at #10 (who just missed our top 10 at #11).
In summary, we only agree on Cooper at number 6 and on three of the prospects are least being in the top five in Jenkins, Arencibia and Stewart. The biggest difference of opinion revolves around Chavez (12 spots) and Emaus (15 spots) but for the most part, our lists range from two to four spots difference.
The bible of prospect lists, Baseball America, will release its top 10 for the Jays on December 22nd. They're currently working through its way through the top tens of the National League East.
Continuing with BA, you can also find the musings of Jays reliever/author Dirk Hayhurst in his latest chapter of "Bullpen Chronicles".
Checking out how Jays farmhands are doing in winter ball, righty Robert/Bobby Ray is holding his own with Phoenix in the hitter happy haven of the AFL. He's won two of his three decisions with a 4.64 ERA. Though hitters are batting .309 against him, his K-BB mark is 22-6 over 21 1/3 innings over his six starts. Lefty Fabio Castro has put up a 2.63 ERA with Gigantes of the Dominican Winter League. Opponents are hitting just. 216 against him in 24 innings and his K-BB total is 15-7.
Offensively, Johermyn Chavez has put together a nice line of .313/.353/.438 with three RBI in 16 at-bats for Magallanes in the Venezuelan Winter League. However, he has just one hit in his last 10 at-bats and has walked just once. Brad Emaus is putting together a nice season in the Arizona Fall League. He's hitting .343 over his past 10 games with the Phoenix Desert Dogs to push his overall line to .302/.387/.396. Even though the power isn't quite what you'd like, his batting eye is. Emaus has drawn seven walks and has struck out just three times in 53 at-bats. He's homered once, driven in nine runs and is 2-for-2 in the stolen base department.
David Cooper is batting .286/.365/.429 with the Mesa Solar Sox in the AFL with six extra base hits but just one homer and five RBI in 56 at-bats. The Jays first round pick in 2008 has hit .325 over his past 10 contests. Recent 40-man roster addition Brian Dopirak is hitting .287/.388/.509 with Magallanes in Venezuela. Even though he's hitting just .243 over his last 10 contests, his OBP is a more than respectable .370 and he's slugging .514 so that is a good sign.
Those struggling with the stick include outfielders Adam Loewen and Darin Mastroianni. Loewen's having a miserable time of it in Arizona by hitting only .179/.288/.250, including a .125 batting average over his past 10 games. Mastroianni is hitting .148/.286/185 but the good news is his batting eye has helped him draw six walks in 27 at-bats. The running game has yet to kick in for him as he is just 1-for-2 in the stolen base department.
To find out more on how the Jays players and pitchers are doing in the Winter Leagues, click here.
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20091113010940311