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Toronto Blue Jays Top 20 Prospects in Review

This list was originally posted on January 8th, 2008. THIS IS A REVIEW OF AN OLD LIST. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST. THIS IS A REVIEW!!!!!!!!!

1) Travis Snider, OF, Grade B+
    Hitting .262/.344/.457 with 15 homers for Double-A New Hampshire. Impressive power production at a young age in Double-A, but very high strikeout rate is concerning and I'm wondering what his average and OBP are going to look like.
2) Brett Cecil, LHP, Grade B+
     2.76 ERA with 79/22 K/BB in 72 innings for New Hampshire, 63 hits allowed, 1.98 GO/AO. Looks good to me.
3) Kevin Ahrens, 3B, Grade B-
     .282/.344/.396 for Class A Lansing. Good batting average, decent OBP, but not as much pop as expected and a high strikeout rate. Hitting .338 in July.
4) J.P. Arencibia, C, Grade C+
     .288/.291/.520 in 31 games since moving up to Double-A. Strong power, but a poor 1/27 BB/K ratio in 125 at-bats.Plate discipline a big concern.
5) John Tolisano, 2B, Grade C+
     .255/.338/.396 for Lansing. 43 walks with 76 strikeouts in 333 at-bats is a decent ratio.
6) Justin Jackson, SS, Grade C+ 
      Slumped after a hot start, now at .249/.353/.385 with 14 steals. Very high strikeout rate (107 in 325 at-bats) but drawing some walks. Very interesting player.
7) Trystan Magnuson, RHP, Grade C+
     0-8, 6.14 with a 38/31 K/BB in 63 innings for Lansing. Obviously terrible performance.
8) Curtis Thigpen, C, Grade C+
     .220/.265/.310 for Triple-A Syracuse. Nothing positive there. Stock has definitely dropped.
9) Johermyn Chavez, OF, Grade C+
      .210/.270/.325 for Lansing. Undone by poor strike zone judgment.
10) Marc Rzepcynski, LHP, Grade C+
       2.70 ERA, 80/27 K/BB in 83 innings for Lansing, 70 hits allowed, 3.27 GO/AO. Looks very good, but we need to see him at higher levels.
11) Ricky Romero, LHP, Grade C 
       5.05 ERA with 75/51 K/BB in 118 innings for New Hampshire, 135 hits allowed, 1.85 GO/AO.  Status has defiintely slipped.
12) Ryan Patterson, OF, Grade C
       .257/.296/.443 with 11 homers for New Hampshire. Showing some pop, but just hasn't put things together overall and is now 25.
13) Robinzon Diaz, C, Grade C
       Hitting combined .328/.356/.488 in 37 games split between three levels.
14) Brian Wolfe, RHP, Grade C
      1.59 ERA with 7/1 K/BB in 11 innnings for Syracuse, 3.00 ERA with 11/5 K/BB in 18 innings for the Blue Jays. A nice decent middle reliever.
15) Josh Banks, RHP, Grade C
       Now in Padres system. 3.51 ERA with 29/14 K/BB in 56 major league innings.
16) David Purcey, LHP, Grade C
       2.69 ERA with 121/34 K/BB in 117 innings for Syracuse, 97 hits allowed. Impressive K/IP ratio. Stock has risen again although he was hit hard in two major league starts.
17) Brandon Magee, RHP, Grade C
       5.11 ERA with 44/48 K/BB in 111 innings for New Hampshire, 133 hits allowed. Seems to have run into the Double-A wall.
18) Alan Farina, RHP, Grade C
       3.29 ERA with 37/13 K/BB in 27 innings for Lansing before going on the DL. Impressive K/IP ratio.
19) Jacob Butler, OF, Grade C
       .230/.322/.416 with 13 homers for New Hampshire. Some pop, will take a walk, but at age 25 is running out of time.
20) Buck Coats, OF, Grade C
       .286/.333/.407 with 12 steals for Syracuse. Could still be useful fifth outfielder.

I really like what Cecil has done so far. I still have some concerns about Arencibia, though I respect his power I really don't like the BB/K/AB ratio in Double-A. Snider's upside is very impressive given his youth, but I think he would struggle if rushed too much more.

 

0 recs | Comment 14 comments

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Yohermyn Chavez

by Wheelhouse on Jul 24, 2025 12:20 PM EDT   0 recs

Hey John...Campbell

Where would you rank Scott Campbell in the Top 20? What do you think of him?

by killa on Jul 24, 2025 2:25 PM EDT   0 recs

Romero

Ricky’s month-by-month ERA
April 5.61
May 7.16
June 4.81
July 3.33

In his last 7 starts, he’s gone at least 6 innings with 3 or fewer ERs in 6 out of 7. Sample-size mirage or perhaps a small improvement

The Dodgers won't win a playoff series until the Cool-a-Coo returns.

by mckeeno on Jul 24, 2025 3:06 PM EDT   0 recs

Romero

The peripherals are still not that great, so more likely a mirage although I don’t think he’s as bad as he was pitching before.

by GoJays7 on Jul 24, 2025 3:22 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

So 2009 might look like this....

So…..

Cooper slides into the #3 spot.

Arencibia and Ahrens swap places

Kenneth Wilson, Eric Thames, and Eric Sobolewski move into the top 10 by default?

What an awful minor league system!

Even with Jackson’s struggles, I would leave him in the top 8.

Mike Newman
baseballhandyman.blogspot.com

by Baseball Handyman on Jul 24, 2025 8:04 PM EDT   0 recs

Response

I don’t think it’s THAT bad. They’ve got a few nice pieces in Snider, Cecil, and Cooper. We may have to wait a bit on Arencibia but obviously he’s got an impressive upside. Ahrens and Jackson are going to need time but they’re talented enough to be major league regulars. Tolisano looks like a decent possibility to contribute in some way to a major league team in the future. Then you’ve got some other names in the ‘08 draft class that could make some noise.

The system doesn’t thrill me, but there’s a lot of teams that wouldn’t mind having this crop, either.

by mrkupe on Jul 24, 2025 9:27 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Response

While the system is better than it was, I would still venture to say it’s in the bottom quarter of major league baseball. Even Snider and Cecil seem to have ? marks going forward. I do like Jackson more than most though. I just hope he doesn’t end up being the next Gookie Dawkins!

Mike Newman
baseballhandyman.blogspot.com

by Baseball Handyman on Jul 25, 2025 9:55 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Eiland has a huge upside

most see him becoming good in a couple of years like Daryl Jones of the Cardinals. He draws walks, but hasn’t hit for any power yet but has a good frame for power.

by Bravesin07 on Jul 24, 2025 8:38 PM EDT   0 recs

Arencibia

I think Arencibia is going to be the #3 prospect next year. He is demolishing much higher quality hitting than Cooper, not saying he can’t do the same, but Arencibia is also a Catcher.

by slitheringslider on Jul 25, 2025 1:33 AM EDT   0 recs

I don't see how the system is bad

A lot of quality bats in the system it seems. Arencibia being a catcher I’d rate him higher then Cooper even though Cooper will be the better bat.

Cecil the numbers speak for themselves. Jackson is starting to improve. And Snider has HUGE power potential.

All that to go with Lind who is not hitting very well in the majors should help the organization out. The drafting since 06 has been superb.

www.bluejayfever.com New Jays Site/Forum

by Rios39 on Jul 25, 2025 5:07 PM EDT   0 recs

Response

Last I heard Arencibia just does not rate very well defensively behind the plate. So while you might give a small bonus to him for the defensive premium, I’d be wary of over-doing it, or of putting him ahead of a masher like Cooper on that basis.

I like him, but he’s got two very glaring weaknesses in plate discipline and defense. Hard to complain too much as long as he continues to kill the ball, but given the way he’s developing, he’s giving himself an exceptionally small margin for error.

by mrkupe on Jul 25, 2025 6:26 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Well JP....

Arencibia has a rocket arm though. He’s been throwing runners out from his knees. He has an absolute killer arm. And it’s more likely for a catcher to improve blocking balls and moving laterally then all of a sudden getting a stronger arm. His D really has been improving as well.

www.bluejayfever.com New Jays Site/Forum

by Rios39 on Jul 26, 2025 12:54 PM EDT   0 recs

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