Batter's Box Interactive Magazine

To complete the minor league week here on Batters Box let's look at the movement in the top 30 lists from 2008 to 2009. Five players graduated to the major leagues, replaced by five players who are new to the organization since last season. Thirteen players dropped off the list from 2008 and thirteen players made it on to the lists despite being overlooked last year.

Graduates:

Travis Snider, #1 in 2008
Brett Cecil, #2
Ricky Romero, #9
Marc Rzepczynski, #10
Scott Richmond, #16

Newcomers:

Zach Stewart, #1 in 2009
Chad Jenkins, #4
Sean Ochinko, #19
Ryan Schimpf, #25
Jake Marisnik, #29

Dropped:

Kevin Ahrens, #5 in 2008
Scott Campbell, #8
Brian Jeroloman, #12
Eric Eiland, #13
Balbino Fuenmayor, #15
Kyle Ginley, #19
Zack Dials, #21
Davis Romero, #22
Jon Talley, #23
Kenny Wilson, #24
Mark Sobolewski, #26
Joel Carreno, #27
Marcus Brisker, #30

Added:

Henderson Alvarez, #3 in 2009
Carlos Perez, #8
Danny Farquhar, #9
Yohermyn Chavez, #12
Brian Dopirak, #15
Gustavo Pierre, #16
Bobby Bell, #17
Darin Mastroianni, #18
Eric Thames, #20
Luis Perez, #21
Reidier Gonzalez, #27
Trystan Magnuson, #28
Chuck Huggins, #30

Are there any themes evident here? Most of the players dropped were ranked in 2008 based on potential. Players such as Ahrens, Jeroloman, Eiland, Wilson, Brisker and Sobolewski were newly drafted and ranked highly based on their draft positioning. They had not yet delivered great results but that would come in year two or three. Well in most cases it still hasn't come and now they have to show us.

Injuries also played a part, Ginley missed most of the year and Dials, Sobolewski and Wilson missed a good part of the year with injuries. Of these players I would pick Kenny Wilson as the most likely to turn it around in 2010, he has the speed and he was just starting to produce in 2009 when he was injured.

More than 50% of the newcomers were players whose first season, or part season, was in 2008 and we did not get a good read on them last year. Alvarez, Perez and Pierre played in the GCL last season while Farquhar, Bell, Thames and Huggins were 2008 draft picks. Chavez, Mastroianni and Magnuson had much better years in 2009 than they did in 2008.

Who just missed?

The next five were:

Scott Campbell
Yan Gomes
Kevin Ahrens
Carlos Pina
Kenny Wilson

Who made the biggest move up?

Moises Sierra, up 23 spots
Andrew Liebel, up 16
Tyler Pastornicky, up 13
Tim Collins, up 7

All four had good years

Who dropped the most?

John Tolisano, down 15 spots
Bobby Ray, down 9
Justin Jackson, down 7

Posted by Gerry on Friday, October 09 2009 @ 07:22 AM EDT.

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The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.

TeeJay1324 - Friday, October 09 2009 @ 08:51 AM EDT (#207274) #

Jeroloman was still pretty good defensively, he threw out 43.5% of attempted base stealers and only allowed 5 passed balls in 937 innings behind the plate.

I don't know what happened to him offensively he went from striking out 20.8% of the time in '08 to 33% in '09. The only encouraging sign is he still walked a decent amount(14.6% of PA) his power disappeared along with his batting average dropping .100 and .053 respectively.

He managed one good month, April, with a line of .294/.377/.412 but he was horrid from then on. Especially the second half he had no homers in 123 ABs with a .228 SLG%.

He was supposed to goto the AFL but isn't now he's out with an injury.

ayjackson - Friday, October 09 2009 @ 09:32 AM EDT (#207276) #

The biggest move up had to be Alvarez. The biggest move down was likely Ahrens.

Of the newcomers, I'm bullish on No.'s 15 through 20 - looks like a sweet spot in the rankings. I look for them all to move up again next year.

MatO - Friday, October 09 2009 @ 09:45 AM EDT (#207278) #

I just got to thinking about Blue Jay drafts and international signings now that the team is 33 drafts and signing years in. It occurred to me that 3rd base and catcher have been particular black holes since the team's inception in terms of player development. Here are what I think are the top players by position drafted or signed by the Jays (no rule 5 or trades)

First: Delgado, Olerud

Second: Kent, Hill, (Young)

Third: Sprague?

Short: Fernandez, Gonzalez?(ugh) (Young)

Not quite sure where to slot Michael Young. At SS or 2B

Catcher: Borders, Myers (Whitt was expansion draft)

OF: Moseby, Barfield, Green, Stewart, Lind and more

Pitchers: Stieb, Key, Halladay, Carpenter, Hentgen, Stottlemyre etc.

The best the Jays can do is Sprague at 3rd and it doesn't sem likely that streak will be broken soon. Arencibia could go .250 .280 .450 and be arguably the best catcher ever drafted by the Blue Jays.

Mike Green - Friday, October 09 2009 @ 10:00 AM EDT (#207279) #

Or Perez could go .280/.350/.420 and be easily the best catcher signed or drafted by the Blue Jays. Delgado was, of course, signed as a catcher. It does sound as though Perez has a chance to stick there.

For a long time, it looked like Zimmerman was going to fall to the Jays in 2005. In a lot of cases, it is really unclear what position a player will end up- either Hill or Kent could easily have ended up as a career third baseman. Who knows- maybe the Jays will move Hill to third in a couple of years and he'll end up seen as a third baseman...

whiterasta80 - Friday, October 09 2009 @ 10:03 AM EDT (#207280) #

Technically both Delgado and Sprague were developed as catchers, also, both Jeff Kent and Aaron Hill debuted as 3B. so if we stretch things a little we have decent players at those positions.

Did we not draft McGriff or Fielder? I thought they should have been mentioned at 1B

whiterasta80 - Friday, October 09 2009 @ 10:04 AM EDT (#207281) #

LMAO I guess MG and I think alike

MatO - Friday, October 09 2009 @ 10:10 AM EDT (#207282) #

McGriff and Fielder were obtained through trades. Kent played some 3rd but only when the team he was on had a good established 2nd baseman. I think they tried to convert Sprague to catcher at one point but I'm pretty sure he was a 3rd baseman in college and most of his career.

Mike Green - Friday, October 09 2009 @ 10:15 AM EDT (#207284) #

McGriff came over in the Dale Murray/Dave Collins trade with the Yankees. If one was going to review the origins of the 1992/93 World Series champions, you could very well start with that trade. Dale Murray becomes Roberto Alomar in two easy steps. Big Daddy was acquired from the Royals for Leon Roberts.

whiterasta80 - Friday, October 09 2009 @ 10:16 AM EDT (#207285) #

Thanks for the update on McGriff/Fielder- that predates my baseball knowledge. In fact Sprague getting promoted coincided with my 11th birthday, so its possible that he played 3rd in college. All I know is the first baseball cards of him I had- he was listed as a C.

MatO - Friday, October 09 2009 @ 10:17 AM EDT (#207286) #

I wasn't thinking that far ahead to Perez. He's been a favourite of mine since last year in the DSL My guess is Arenciabia will debut in 2010-11 and could put up that line which might make him the best up to that point.

MatO - Friday, October 09 2009 @ 10:27 AM EDT (#207287) #

Checking Sprague on the Baseball Cube he played 3B in his first 2 years in the minors. In 91 and 92 he moved around between, C, 3B and 1B. From 93 on he was exclusively at 3B until later in his career when he was a utility guy.

Mike Green - Friday, October 09 2009 @ 11:03 AM EDT (#207288) #

In the oddities department. Terry Francona, Billy Beane and John Gibbons were drafted back-to-back-to-back in the first round of the 1980 draft.

Arencibia and Perez also have to beat out Geno Petralli.

85bluejay - Friday, October 09 2009 @ 11:05 AM EDT (#207290) #

I was just going to post that I am not impressed with Dick Scott and hoped he would removed - Fan 590 just announced that Dick Scott and

Mike Baso have been fired - good first move by AA - impressive in my opinion.

MatO - Friday, October 09 2009 @ 11:22 AM EDT (#207291) #

Oh yeah, Petralli. Better hitter than Borders for sure and maybe marginally better than Myers, although both had 1,000 more PA than Petralli (Borders had 125 with the Mariners in 2005 at the age of 42!).

MatO - Friday, October 09 2009 @ 11:29 AM EDT (#207292) #

Well, Scott has appeared in these pages numerous times and it's been much appreciated that he's taken the time to do that. I hope Gerry has as much luck with his successor.

ayjackson - Sunday, October 11 2009 @ 10:01 AM EDT (#207370) #

I see David Cooper is listed on the Mesa roster, while the rest of the Jays (Loewen, Emaus, Jimenez, Rei Gonzalez and Rob Ray) are on the Phoenix roster. I assume Jimenez will be an emergency catcher.

Gerry - Sunday, October 11 2009 @ 11:41 AM EDT (#207372) #

The Jays were committed to sending a catcher to the AFL but both Arencibia and Jeroloman couldn't go. Dick Scott told me they were going to ask Kyle Phillips but I assume he said no too. That left older guys like CJ Ebarb or Matt Liuzza or a young guy like Jimenez. Jimenez may not play much but the experience should be good for him as he would be targetted for Dunedin next season.

Denoit - Friday, October 23 2009 @ 01:01 PM EDT (#207661) #

Jiminez has fared ok so far (small sample size) in the AFL, anyone have the scouting report on him? Im mostly interested in his defence, because by the looks of it his bat has some potential to grow.

Gerry - Friday, October 23 2009 @ 03:43 PM EDT (#207666) #

Jimenez catching is good, he hasn't been a catcher for long but he has made good progress behind the plate. Jimenez hit OK in the Midwest League this year although he hardly ever walked. The Jays sent him to the AFL even though he is very young and most of the players there are AA level. Keith Law was just in Arizona and in his chat this week he said that Jimenez has a long swing but looked good behind the plate. Jimenez is young enought to develop and shorten the swing.

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