Throughout the remainder of the 2010 season, I'm going to update my Top 75 Jays' prospects list once a month. This is the first installment. Draft picks from 2010 will be added as they sign - beginning in July. Suggestions are always welcomed, with a supporting explanation, to help shape the next list.
1. Kyle Drabek, RHP, AA
2. Brett Wallace, 1B, AAA
3. Travis d'Arnaud, C, A+
4. Henderson Alvarez, RHP, A+
5. Adeiny Hechavarria, SS, A+
6. J.P. Arencibia, C, AAA
7. Eric Thames, OF, AA
8. Chad Jenkins, RHP, A-
9. A.J. Jimenez, C, A-
10. Brad Emaus, 3B, AAA
The Top 10 list was definitely the easiest. The organization has received excellent value from the players that it picked up during the Roy Halladay trade. Even when Alex Anthopoulos had his back against the wall, he was able to acquire prospects that quickly became the three best in the system. That's the sign of a very good general manager and a smart scouting staff. Thames' power has really come on this season, although his batting average has dipped recently. Arencibia has been a pretty hot hitter lately, even if we haven't seen a huge improvement in his patience at the plate. Jimenez is one of my personal favorites. He's repeating low-A ball but is still young and has a solid defensive reputation. He'd probably be in high-A right now if it weren't for d'Arnaud's presence.
11. Brad Mills, LHP, AAA
12. Zach Stewart, RHP, AA
13. Moises Sierra, OF, INJ
14. Carlos Perez, C, SS
15. Tyler Pastornicky, SS, A+
16. Jake Marisnick, OF, R
17. Justin Jackson, SS, A-
18. Randy Boone, RHP, AA
19. Tim Collins, LHP, AA
20. Robert Ray, RHP, AAA
Mills hasn't been as sharp as he was earlier in the season, but he's holding his own in a very tough pitching environment. Sierra has yet to play this season due to a stress fracture in his leg (now healed) and a wrist injury. Perez is another talented catcher who is a couple steps behind d'Arnaud and Jimenez; the catching depth in the system is quite impressive. Pastornicky is holding his own in high-A, especially given his age, but he is going to have to get a little stronger so he can drive the ball a little more consistently. Collins has the potential to be a little higher on the depth chart, depending on whether or not you project him as a big league middle reliever or LOOGY. Jackson was just activated off the DL but was sent down a level and joins Kevin Ahrens in Lansing.
21. Kenny Wilson, OF, A-
22. Trystan Magnuson, RHP, AA
23. Danny Farquhar, RHP, AA
24. Ryan Goins, SS, A-
25. Michael McDade, 1B, A+
26. Gustavo Pierre, SS, SS
27. K.C. Hobson, 1B/OF, R
28. John Tolisano, 3B/RF, A+
29. Luis Perez, LHP, AAA
Wilson has shown improvement this season and you have to keep in mind that he's still learning to switch hit. His career line against right-handed pitching is .214/.326/.295, which clearly needs to improve if he's going to keep hitting from the left side. Both Magnuson and Farquhar are quality relief prospects, although the latter player has taken a step back this season and no one seems to know exactly why. Both Goins and McDade have impressed this season with the big first baseman showing good power. Pierre and Hobson will start their seasons later this week in the New York Penn League and Gulf Coast League, respectively. Tolisano has seen time at third base this season with Ahrens injured and struggling in high-A. With the promotion of Mark Sobolewski to Dunedin, Tolisano will now see time in the outfield, which is probably the best spot for him.
30. Sean Ochinko, 1B/3B/C, A-
31. Chuck Huggins, LHP, A+
32. Josh Roenicke, RHP, AAA
33. Joel Carreno, RHP, A+
34. Darin Mastroianni, OF, AA
35. Ryan Schimpf, 2B, A-
36. Alan Farina, RHP, A+
37. Adam Loewen, OF, AA
38. Welinton Ramirez, OF, A+
39. Brian Jeroloman, C, AA
There are definitely some sleepers within these 10 prospects, including Ochinko - who has shown good versatility by playing third, first and catcher - as well as Carreno, Mastroianni, and Farina. I've been a fan of Farina since his college days and he's finally healthy and throwing well. Ramirez is another player to keep an eye on, especially if he can show a little more patience at the plate. Loewen is technically not a true prospect anymore, given his time in the Majors, but he's on the list as a hitting prospect. He's really been impressive this season.
40. Ronald Uviedo, RHP, AA
41. Bobby Bell, RHP, AA
42. Santiago Nessy, C, DSL
43. David Cooper, 1B, AA
44. Drew Hutchinson, RHP, R
45. Brian Dopirak, 1B, AAA
46. Dustin Antolin, RHP, INJ
47. Eric Eiland, OF, A-
48. Andrew Liebel, RHP, A+
49. Scott Campbell, 3B, INJ
Uviedo could end up being a solid under-the-radar pick-up by Anthopoulos. Uviedo has good stuff and he's been moved back into the rotation by the Jays after spending the early part of '10 as a reliever in the Pirates system. It's a great pick-up for a player that didn't really figure into the Jays' plans moving forward. Nessy is having a bit of a rough time early on in the DSL, but he has a lot of potential and is just 17 years old. Hutchinson doesn't throw all that hard for a right-hander but he impressed the Jays in extended spring training and should open the year in Auburn. Antolin would have been higher on the list if he hadn't blown out his elbow while pitching in Lansing. Eiland has shown some improvements this season but he's still learning to turn his raw athleticism into baseball skill. Campbell has been on the DL all season while dealing with a torn labrum in his hip.
50. Markus Brisker, OF, SS
51. Daniel Webb, RHP, SS
52. Mark Sobolewski, 3B, A-
53. Carlos Pina, LHP, SS
54. Ryan Tepera, RHP, A-
55. Michael Crouse, OF, SS
56. Aaron Loup, RHP, A-
57. Egan Smith, LHP, A-
58. Yan Gomes, C, A+
59. Rey Gonzalez, RHP, AAA
Brisker is another one of my favorites but the organization has been pretty cautious with him this season after pushing him a little too hard in '09. Crouse is another toolsy, but raw, outfield prospect with a lot of potential - and he's Canadian. Sobolewski had a nice start to the year while repeating low-A; he's moved up to high-A so we should get a better idea of his skill level now. Tepera and Loup have been pleasant surprises so far this season. Gomes has responded well to skipping over low-A ball, although he's fighting for playing time with a number of catchers in Dunedin. Gonzalez has struggled mightily in triple-A.
60. Jon Talley, 1B/C, A+
61. Matt Daly, RHP, A-
62. Gari Pena, SS, R
63. Nick Bidois, SS, R
64. Balbino Fuenmayor, 1B, A-
65. Matt Wright, LHP, A-
66. Brad Glenn, OF, A-
67. Nestor Molina, RHP, A-
68. Adrian Martin, RHP, AA
69. Jarrett Hoffpauir, 2B, AAA
Talley is another player that is fighting for playing time. It looks like the organization has decided his future is not behind the plate, and his hitting has really picked up lately. We should get a look at Pena and Bidois in the Gulf Coast League. Fuenmayor is still struggling to reach his potential; he needs to improve his pitch recognition, among other things. Molina has produced pretty good numbers in Lansing, considering his age and experience level. Hoffpauir has been a pleasant surprise in Las Vegas, but there is no point in promoting him just to have him rot on Toronto's under-used bench.
70. Evan Crawford, LHP, A-
71. Shawn Bowman, 3B, AA
72. Brian Slover, RHP, A-
73. Jonathan Jaspe, C, AA
74. Chris Hopkins, OF, A-
75. Bryson Namba, 3B, SS
You could argue for a few other prospects to sneak onto the list, but these six players have all shown flashes of potential. Bowman has shown the most improvement recently and he's done a nice job of improving his previously-terrible patience at the plate. Jaspe is an offensive-minded catcher who hasn't received much playing time in double-A. Slover is prone to big innings and give up runs in bunches.
You can also read Marc Hulet at www.FanGraphs.com.
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20100610102116731