Jays Minors - Top 4 Second Basemen

Now, this is where the Jays minors picture gets really murky. We have a combination of under performing players and just drafted players who did fairly well in a short period of time. First and foremost, nobody sticks out and screams top-prospect. All have decent defensive tools and can become average MLB starters if all falls into place for them. Whether one of these guys becomes a star or not is the real question, and the 2010 season will go a long way to answering that question as they move up the ladder, and as the Jays are forced to decide who gets which level of play. Regardless, this is one of the weakest areas of the Jays minors system, only behind the SS position. The following are the top 4!

1. Ryan Schimpf: will be 22 in 2010
Overtaking John Tolisano as the top 2B in the system is the Jays 2009 5th round draft pick, Ryan Schimpf. Ryan signed very early after the draft, with little fanfare, and played hard from the beginning. He spent most of the season at Aubrun and played extremely well against right handers, hitting .333 with all 3 of his HRs, and showed his youth against lefties, hitting .152 with no extra base hits in 33 ABs. However, it's the fact that he walked almost as often as he struck out (15/24) that stood out for Ryan and enabled him to get a total OBP of .381 in 2009 at such a young age. Depending on how he comes out of the gates in 2010, he could move up the ladder very quickly and surpass John at some point. He's a sturdy 5'9" and 185 lbs and plays better defence than John does. His 2009 stats are as follows:
133 AB, 39 hits, .293 average, 7 doubles, 2 triples, 3 HRs, 14 RBI, 5 SBs

2. John Tolisano: will be 22 in 2010
Out of all of the Jays disappointing 2007 draft picks, I like John to turn it around the most. The 2007 second rounder played with a lot of heart in 2009, even if the results didn't match the effort. Regardless of the level John played at since he was drafted, he has maintained a very low batting average, which is the most troubling aspect of his progression. Whether it's his youth for his level of play, or the fact he tries too hard to "hurt" the ball and drive it out, John has to learn to hit for average if he wants to become a regular in MLB. He did so badly near the end of the year that the Jays decided against sending him to the AFL and decided to rest him instead. He may repeat HiA at Dunedin, but will likely get the move up to AA New Hampshire at some point in 2010. His calling card to the bigs is his intriguing combination of power and speed which both play well at 2B. His 2009 stats were:
401 AB, 93 hits, .232 average, 19 doubles, 2 triples, 12 HRs, 58 RBI, 5 SB

3. Brad Emaus: will be 24 years old in 2010
Brad was one of my favorite breakout candidates in 2009. He had an awesome spring training with the Jays, and took off like a bat out of hell once he started play in AA. However, he slowed down big time as the season wore on and ended up with very mediocre stats. His versatility in the infield may mean that Brad becomes a utility player for the Jays in 2010 or 2011. But, he does have the power and skills to become a starter if he works on being more consistent. His 2009 stats were as follows:
505 AB, 128 hits, .253 average, 28 doubles, 2 triples, 10 HRs, 67 RBI, 10 SBs

4. Oliver Dominguez : will be 21 years old in 2010
Oliver struggled a bit after his promotion from the DSL to the GCL, but he was only 20 years on in 2009 and still has plenty of time to develop. The tools are all there. His most telling stat in 2009 was the fact that he stole 13 bases without being caught once, indicating both how fast and smart he is on the bases. He should put on a little more weight as he gets older and bulks up, but currently sits at 5'9" and 156 lbs, not exactly a welter weight. With the 3 guys on this list ahead of him, Oliver will get time to develop at each level, and I expect he'll get a promotion to Lansing for 2010.
In 142 AB, he had 32 hits, a .225 average, 6 doubles, 3 HRs, and 13 SBs

Sadly, our SS are next up!

Jays Minors - Top 4 First Basemen

If we rewind the clock to 2007, before Brian Dopirak was obtained, the Jays minor league depth at 1B was non-existant. There was absolutely no light at the end of the dark tunnel to cover 1B. JP must of been thanking his lucky stars that Lyle Overbay never got injured, because there was nobody behind him to take the spot with any gusto.

Fast-forward to today and it's a completely different picture. Although half of the top four have yet to "prove" themselves in the minors, their ceilings are extremely high and the Jays may actually have an issue at some point when young players start knocking on MLB's door.

The top spot on this list is automatic, but the others are ranked in terms of ceilings.

1. Brian Dopirak : will be 27 in 2010

Brian deserved the same shot Randy Ruiz got last season based on his performance in AA and AAA. The Jays were very lucky that the Cubs were silly enough to release him outright in 2008, even though he was named their minor league player of the year just 4 years earlier. How much would they like to have him now that Derek Lee is getting a bit too expensive for their budget? Between AA and AAA, Brian his 27 HR in 546 AB all the while hitting .315. He is also playing winter ball this year in Venezuela and has 7 HRs in only 137 AB. His glove works very well at 1B and he is a lot more agile than his big body would indicate. He should get a fair shot at 1B if Overbay is dealt. If not, and this would be unfortunate, he will need to wait for a break and continue to waste time in the minors.

2. Santiago Nesi : will be 24 in 2010

Although the Jays signed Santiago while he was listed as a Catcher, there is little talk of keeping him at the position now that the Jays paid him a $750,000 bonus. Not only do they have better options at the position, but his arm is well below average and his defence isn't strong enough to keep him there. However, his bat would definitely play well at 1B, and he is a big guy at 6'2" 220 lbs. He is the best power hitting threat the Jays have in the system after JP Arencibia, and his stroke is more compact than JP's, meaning that he should be able to make more consistent contact without subtracting too much power. I'm very curious to see where the Jays start him in 2010 and can't wait to read about the results.

3. David Cooper : will be 23 in 2010

David was drafted 17th overall in the 2008 draft, and like many of the 2007-2008 draft picks he has struggled to get going ever since. Maybe it's the pressure, but between him, Justin Jackson, Kevin Ahrens, and others, there are many Jays prospects that are under performing thus far since being drafted in a high position. David spent 2009 in AA New Hampshire and hit 10 HR in 473 ABs while keeping a .253 average. The Jays are still hoping his learning curb starts to take off, so they sent him to the AFL this year, and the results were very similar. He hit 1 HR over 78 ABs and kept a lowly .231 average. He doesn't run well at all, doesn't hit as many extra base hits as other 1B in the system, and isn't very big at 6'0" and 200 lbs. I'm still holding onto his high ceiling for one more year, but if he doesn't add muscle and start driving the ball with authority in 2010, I'll be giving up on this once high on our list prospect.

4. Michael McDade : will be 21 in 2010

Michael is a sixth rounder from the 2007 draft and hails from Las Vegas. He is one big boy at 6'1" and 260 lbs, and drives the ball accordingly. He had 16 HRs in 406 ABs in his first full season at LoA Lansing, and more importantly had 46 extra base hits overall. He drives the ball with authority and swings a little too freely, but that should be addressed as he matures and gains more experience - instruction. He still has issues hitting LHP (.234) in comparison to RHP (.293), but did learn to hit it a bit more consistently in the second half of the season. He hit .277 on the season and really came on after the all-star break with a .296 average to go along with 8 of his 16 HRs. So he was able to maintain his power while hiking his average quite a bit. Out of all the Jays prospects, he ranks in my top 3 to watch in 2010 in terms of prospects that can make some serious breakthroughs and jump up the rankings. It all depends on how he does in HiA and whether he learns to hit LHP.

As I've said, the Jays finally have some real potential at 1B, something they haven't had since Carlos Delgado strolled through the system. I can't wait to see how they perform in 2010 and look forward to their progression through the minors, or in MLB in Dopirak's case.

Next up will be 2B.

Jays Minors - Top 4 Catchers

For anyone who has watched the Yankees, Angels, Cardinals, White Sox, and Angels win their championships in recent years, it was obvious that the teams had talent throughout the organization that pushed them to the championship level. However, each of these teams also had something else in common: very strong catching. Whether we're talking Jorge Posada in NY, Jason Varitek in Boston, Mike Napoli in Los Angeles, AJ Pierzynski in Chicago, or Yadier Molina in St-Louis, they all had a major impact on their respective clubs. With guys like Matt Wieters, Buster Posey, Carlos Santana, and Jesus Montero getting all the press in terms of catchers coming through the minors, the Jasy actually have a formidable foursome that can challenge the depth of any squad on terms of talent at the Catcher position. Here they are, in order of talent:

1. Carlos Perez: will be 20 yrs old in 2010
Carlos signed with the Jays in 2007 as an international FA ($700,000 bonus) and showed some maturity last season with the GCL Jays. He hit 11 doubles, 3 triples, and a homer in 141 ABs, while walking 16 times and only striking out 23 times. His OBP and AVG were respectable at .364 and .291 respectively. BA ranked Perez as the 6th best prospect in the GCL this past season and see him as the catcher of the future for the Jays if all things fall into place. They point out that his defense really shines (something that the other catchers in the system seem to lag behind on) as he threw out 49% of base stealers this season and has a 1.9 second pop-time. His height and weight (6'0" 195 lbs) would also lead me to believe that he is more likely to stay at the position than the other catching prospects the Jays have, even if he does add to that a little.

2. Sean Ochinko: will be 23 yrs old in 2010
Selected in the 11th round in the 2009 draft, Sean played well enough to be named a NYP All-Star at the mid-season point. Getting 188 AB in Auburn, Sean showed that he can handle the bat very well, smacking 6 homers, 20 doubles, and sporting a .324 average overall. His OBP was outstanding at .382 and he only struck out 26 times. He has many College highlights that point to his leadership skills and ability to perform under pressure. Sean does have some experience at 1B, which leads me to believe that if Carlos really does take over the catcher position for the Jays for a long time period, Sean could become the 1B of the future (although Brian Dopirak may have something to say about that for the next couple of years.) Still, Sean is more likely to be ready to compete very soon and may begin the2010 season in HiA Dunedin or AA New Hampshire.

3. JP Arencibia: will be 24 yrs old during 2010 season
JP was selected 21st overall in 2007 by the Jays and climbed the ladder at an extremely quick pace, starting in HiA his first season in the minors. He followed up a great 2007 start with an even better 2008, splitting time between HiA and AA, accumulating 27 HRs and 105 RBI in the process with a decent .298 average. However, in 2009, JP took a step back and showed some holes in his swing. He hit .236 on the season and managed 21 homers. Some scouts doubt that he'll ever be able to hit for average, but his power is off the charts. This is the guy who beat Alex Rodriguez's home run record in High School. He did go through some injuries that slowed him down in 2009, so his "off-year" could be explainable, and he did finish the last 10 games with a .349 average and 6 dingers, so he could suprise many with a big league gig next year. Really, what do the Jays have to lose by letting him catch most of their games in 2010? It's not like Barajas will determine whether or not the Jays get into the playoffs, and they really need a power threat in the lineup. I love JP's bat and think it'll play well in the Dome, however, I also doubt JP will stay at catcher long term, which is why I ranked him 3rd on this list. Although he is 3rd, he is by far the #1 offensive catcher in the system and deserves more recognition than he's getting from minor league evaluators. He'll need to minimize his strike outs to do well against MLB pitching, but should hit for better average overall than Adam Dunn.

4. Yan Gomes: will be 23 yrs old in 2010
The Jays drafted Yan Gomes one round ahead of Ochinko in the 10th round of the 2009 draft. He's much bigger than the other catchers at 6'2" and 215 lbs, and unlike Ochinko who started his 2009 season in Auburn due to his signing date, Gomes was first sent to the GCL in order to get him some time behind the plate before the Auburn season started. Gomes is probably second defensively out of the Jays catching prospects, behind only Perez, and does have a good contact hitting approach. He hit .300 in 237 ABs in 2009, but only hit 2 homers and 23 doubles, less than Perez and Ochinko did in fewer ABs. He's a natural leader, hard worker, and should develop well as a result. Like Perez and Ochinko, how he handles the jump to AA and beyond will determine which one gets the prize of backing up or taking over from JP Arencibia. Regardless, I see a bright future for the Jays at the C position, and only hope that it would lead to some well deserved glory years for us Jays fans.

Jays sign 4th rd pick Ryan Goins - SS

The Jays have signed their highest selection thus far post 2009 draft with the signing of Ryan Goins and ends up being the 4th of the top 10 to sign. He has been assigned to the GCL Jays, and will join fellow SS Gustavo Pierre on the roster. It will be interesting to see if the Jays push Pierre up a notch despite a rough start to the season, or if they decide to play Goins at 2B instead.

RHP Ryan Shopshire - GCL Blue Jays

Ryan, who stands a lofty 6'5" and 200lbs, has shown some of the best stuff out of the GCL Blue Jays so far this season. In 3 games, he has thrown 12 innings, struck out 14 while walking 5 and allowing 5 earned runs. His latest start last night was his best so far, with 5 shutout innings against the GCL Yankees where he struck out 4, walked only 1, and allowed only 3 hits. At 23 years old, Ryan is fairly old for the GCL, but is nonetheless showing his stuff and could get a chance in Lansing or Dunedin at some point this season.

Interesting note thus far for Ryan: he has a 0.00 ERA, 8 IP, 5 HA, 2 BB, and 11 Ks when bases are empty, but has an 11.25 ERA, 4 IP, 5 HA, 3 BB, and 2 Ks when runners are on base. Clearly Ryan is uncomfortable with runners on and needs to work on this aspect of the game to advance.

RHP Kenny Rodriguez - New Hampshire

Kenny was promoted from Dunedin after Marc got the call from the Jays. At 24, he was the most mature HiA pitcher and had proven himself worthy of a promotion with his 66.2 IP, 63 Ks, and 2.43 ERA for Dunedin.

His first 2 starts in AA have been the Dr-Jekyl and Mr.Hyde type of starts, with his first line being 6 IP, 2 Ks, 1 ER, 3 BB, and his second being 5.2 IP, 3 Ks, 7 ER, and 2 BB. We can at least say that both have been lengthy starts and that every pitcher goes through growing pains when promoted. Kenny hails from Cuba and could move into the "top 3 guys to call up if needed" category quickly if he progresses as expected. Purcey is surely next in line, along with others returning from injury, but Kenny is getting close to being next on the totem pole and should get better this season in AA.

Tolisano, Ahrens, Jackson - The Horror Trio

2B John Tolisano is the only one of 3 very high draft picks the Jays made in 2007 that seems to be displaying some parts of his potential. The 20 year old has 8 Hrs and 5 Sbs thus far, not bad for a 2nd baseman, but his .257 average leaves a lot to be desired even if it is well above what the other two are doing. Justin Jackson is hitting a lowly .228 (.178 in his last 10 games) and has no home runs to speak of. The 2007 1st round pick (45) is really disappointing and should be sent down to LoA until he finds his swing and before he needs anti-depressants. Kevin Ahrens is doing even worse for a 1st round pick (16), hitting .220 (.161 in last 10 games) with only 2 home runs on the season. What's worse is that they also lead the Dunedin team in errors, with Jackson committing 18 and Ahrens committing 11. Both Ahrens and Jackson need to be demoted, with SS Tyler Pastornicky and 3B Balbino Fuenmayor taking their places from Lansing. They need to realize that the time for them to perform and grow as players is now and also need to regain their confidence. If that means playing them against lesser competition, so be it!

SP Joel Carreno - Lansing Lugnuts

The Jays did have another SP that was very impressive on their GCL squad, so much so that they promoted him very quickly to Lansing in order to push his progression. RHP Joel Carreno was signed in 2004 (at 17) out of the Dominican Republic and was 2-0 with 12 Ks in 11 IP and only 1 ER in 2 games with Auburn. So the Jays promoted him and as of yet, he has not let them down. He has made 2 starts, pitched 11.1 innings with 10 Ks and only 3 walks, and 5 earned runs for a 3.97 ERA. He stands at 6'0" and 190 lbs and may be done growing, so will not be an imposing presence on the mound. He is only 22 and could become one to follow as he continues to prove himself in LoA ball.

SP Dave Sever - GCL Blue Jays

While looking through the GCL Blue Jays stats, the only stats that popped out at me as being impressive were those of Dave Sever, a 6'4" 195 lbs RHP. Dave will be 23 in August and so is older than most in the GCL, but his stats still allow for some projection.

In 4 games (2 starts), he has 19 IP, 21 Ks, 3 BB, 12 HA, and a 2.84 ERA.

Now I understand that it doesn't really mean much until you're able to do this in HiA, AA, or AAA, but he does have some potential and could advance before the end of the season. Yet another Jays SP prospect to keep an eye on, that's all I'm saying here.

Kenny Rodriguez makes first AA start

RHP Kenny Rodriguez, a 24 yr old from Cuba, made the jump from HiA to AA this week and got the July 4th start for New Hampshire. While in HiA, Kenny was 6-3, with a 2.43 ERa in 66.2 IP, 56 Ha, 23 BB, and 63 Ks. In his first start in AA, he went a strong 6 IP, with 3 HA, 3 BB, 1 ER, and 2 Ks. A very encouraging beginning to his progression through the higher levels of the minors. With Marc Rzepczynski getting the start for Toronto on Tuesday, chances are Kenny is in AA to stay and Marc may go to AAA if or when he is sent down again.

GCL Blue Jays Update

The GCL BLue Jays are about to play their 10th game of the year, and currently sit 2nd in their division at 6-3, behind the Yankees and ahead of the following teams: Atlanta, Phillies, Tigers, and the Pirates. Their forte so far has been the pitching, led by Carlos Pina (a 19 yr old from Venezuela, 5'11", 169 lbs) and Matt Fields (a 22 yr old from the US, 6'3" 190 lbs) who have had impressive stats. Pina has already started 2 games, has thrown 12 innings with 10 HA, 0 ER, 4 BB, and 7 Ks. Fields on the other hand has been involved in 4 games but only started one and went 3 innings - he is clearly getting stretched out. He has thrown 8.2 innings, also with 7 Ks, 6 HA and 3 BB. Both of these guys have 0.00 ERAs and Fields in particular could get a shot at LoA by the time the season is well underway.

Offensively there is not much flash to speak of. SS Gustavio Pierre has a HR and a 3B to go along with his .261 AVG and the team lead in SLG with .478. The only other player on the team with a HR is 3B Matthew Nuzzo who is hitting .273 on the year so far. One interesting note so far has been 2008's 16th round pick OF Michael Crouse, who is an 18 yr old from Port Moody California. Although he is only hitting .250, he has already stolen 5 bases in 6 games, has a triple to go with these, and has walked 3 times while striking out 4 times. It seems he is fairly disciplined at the plate and at 6'4" 215 lbs at only 18 yrs of age, he has a lot of room for power growth. He may be a guy to keep an eye on for 2010 and beyond.

Moises Sierra back into form

Dunedin's OF Moises Sierra returned from injury recently and is back to hitting the way we know he can. His line over the last 10 games is 37 ABs, 16 hits, for .432 AVG, with a HR, a 2B and a SB. He's now hitting .325 on the season and although his power has been minimal to what is expected, he should get a shot at AA soon enough.

Lansing's Chase Lirette arrives

Selected in the 16th round of the 2006 draft, 24 year old RHP Chase Lirette played in the GCL for the Jays last season - after taking a year off due to injury - but did nothing to impress. This season is entirely different, as Chase has come on strong even if he is slightly older for LoA pitching and is showing why he may be able to make some headway. He has yet to allow more than 2 earned runs in 6 starts and has struck out 24 in 33 innings pitched while only walking 8. He is 3-0 with a 1.87 ERA and could get a promotion in the near future since he has proven dominant so quickly. He's one guy to keep an eye on in Lansing and should draw some attention from BAs 2010 rankings.

AA's Marc Rzepczynski, LHP Makes BA' Hot Sheet

Marc Rzepczynski's last 2 starts have been absolutely outstanding, and to prove it, here's what BA had to say about this line:

1-0, 0.64, 14 IP, 10 H, 1 R, 0 HR, 4 BB, 1 HBP, 16 SO

"A fifth-round pick in '07 from UC Riverside, Rzepczynski leads the EL with 88 strikeouts. On the flip side, he's also tops with 36 walks issued. But nearly half of those free passes (17) were issued in five April starts. Since then he's struck out 53 batters in 52 innings, while issuing a manageable 19 walks—or 3.3 per nine innings. Rzepczynski checks in on Hot Sheet this week for twirling seven shutout innings against Erie and then following that up by allowing only one run over seven innings to a strong Akron club. He struck out eight batters each time."

You can check out the other hot prospects here, but Marc has definitely given the Jays something to look at when they need another arm. He is maturing at a good rate and could become a strong #2 or #3 candidate that compliments Bret Cecil for a long time for the Jays. To have such great home grown talent is awesome and should allow the Jays to make a good run at resigning Doc.

Pre-Draft Top 20 Prospects

Before we get to watch our the Jays add some prospects through the MLB Draft, held June 9th at 6pm ET, I wanted to list the top 20 prospects the Jays have waiting in the wings.

1. Bret Cecil, LHP: Got the call to the bigs and impressed everyone who saw him pitch.
2. Marc Rzepczynski,LHP: Striking out more than 1 per inning in AA while working out mechanics. Has great stuff.
3. JP Arencibia, C: Still learning how to hit more consistently, but has done a great job adjusting after a rough April.
4. Henderson Alvarez, RHP: Getting little glory down in Lansing. Not a SO pitcher, but extremely effective for his age (19) in LoA.
5. Daniel Farquhar, RP: Relievers rarely get real credit as prospects, but Daniel is looking more and more like a closer of the future.
6. Johermyn Chavez, OF: Another lonely Lansing star who is performing extremely well for his age.
7. Brad Emaus, 2B: Mr.Extra base hits is getting it done consistently in AA and has the versatility to make it to the Jays as a bench player.
8. Justin Jackson, SS: Although the power has been non-existent, Jackson has gotten hot at the plate recently and should improve.
9. Tim Collins, RP: Yet another great reliever in the minors for the Jays, Tim gets the job done extremely efficiently.
10. Luis Perez, LHP: The Jays are just full of lefties in the minors and Perez has proven to be one of the more consistent of the bunch.
11. Fabio Castro, LHP: Yes, another lefty, he's older but has been the absolute best SP in the minors for the Jays this season. Has a 2.15 ERA in AAA in 8 starts.
12. Brad Mills, LHP: Not sure what's happened with Brad, but he's not effective thus far in AAA. Although the Ks have been there, he's getting hit way too easily.
13. Gustavo Pierre, SS: Has been assigned to the DSL, yet to play in 2009.
14. John Tolisano, 2B: Started out ice cold, but has shown more power as he improved in May.
15. Moises Sierra, OF: The comeback story of HiA Dunedin has been a nice surprise at a position where the Jays need to find depth.
16. Balbino Fuenmayor, 3B: Starting to hit, albeit slowly and with a lack of power.
17. Charles Huggins, LHP: the 6th LHP on this list, Chuck made the move up from LoA to HiA. At 23, he's right on pace and could be a nice find since he was drafted in the 23rd round of the 2008 draft.
18. Matthew Daley, RP: The Lansing closer is ready for a promotion and should be tested very soon.
19. Tyler Pastornicky, SS: Justin Jackson should be looking over his shoulder. This guy rarely strikes out and knows how to get on base. Showing better now after a rough start to the season.
20. Michael McDade, 1B: The best start of all minor league first basemen for the Jays as a 19 year old.

Hot Prospect: Justin Jackson, SS Dunedin

Nobody is happier about Justin Jackson's hot streak this season than any Jays fan who has faint memories of El numero uno, Tony Fernandez. Since then, the Jays have filled the SS positions with some willing and able people, but never with guys who have the ability to make an impact on the outcome of the game. This does exclude Marco Scutaro's run thus far since he has been instrumental to the Jays. Nobody would have predicted that would happen, but he'll be able to hold the fort until JJ gets enough experience to make the bigs.

Jackson's 2009 stats don't look very impressive when looked at altogether
.246 avg, 134 AB, 33, hits, 6 doubles, 1 triple, no homers, 10 SBs, 22 walks and a scary 51 Ks (38%)

However, if you take April out of the equation the story is entirely different
May stats:
.367 avg, 49 AB, 18 hits, 4 doubles, 1 triple, 3 SBs, 9 walks, 15 Ks (30%)

Although the reduction in Ks is not monumental, it is an improvement. The fact that a good portion of his hits started to become extra base hits after April is very encouraging even if the homerless part is worrisome.

If we break down JJ's issues, it becomes evident that he has serious problems hitting right-handed pitching. His average vs lefties is .389, while it is .224 against righties. He also seems to have issues playing in Dunedin, where he is hitting .224 in comparison to .269 while away where he has 5 of his 7 extra base hits.

Overall the increased number of hits is very nice and JJ seems likely to become a top of the order or bottom of the order player with very little power. At 6'1" 186 lbs you would think that he'd be able to put a hurt on once in a while, but I guess they can't all be Pedroia types, can they. He did have 7 HRs last year, which leads me to believe that if he squares up the ball enough he'll get his 5-10 HRs per season. I hope he keeps up the hot streak and does enough to get a trial in AA some time this season.

The Dunedin Crew lights up Jupiter!

Dunedin's RHP Andrew Liebel had a great start with 6.2 IP, 8 hits allowed, and 8 Ks for his first win of the season after 11 starts. Yep, his first win despite a respectable 4.35 ERA and 48 Ks over 60 IP. Andrew has allowed 2 or fewer runs over his last 4 starts and is really starting to open up some eyes. He's only 23 years old, stands at 6'0" and a sturdy 195 lbs. He was a 3rd round pick of the Jays in 2008, a draft that seems to have created quite a few options for the Jays going forward.

But, the lighting up of Jupiter pitching was done by one effective offensive outburst. 2B John Tolisano hit his 5th HR of the season and is starting to show the pop in his bat on a consistent basis. Outfielder Darin Mastoianni was a pest the entire game at leadoff, getting 3 hits including one double, a walk, 3 runs, and 2 RBI. His season average now sits at over .300, and although he has no home runs, he does have 27 stolen bases already. He could be the first speedster the Jays have had since.....hell, I can't remember the last speedster they've had. Another hot outfielder during this game was Sean Shoffit, who was demoted from AA after a horrid start to the year. He was 3 for 4 with 3 runs scored and 2 RBI. However, the ligthning rod of the bunch was the previously mentioned Johnny Tolisano, who went 5 for 5 and punched in 4 RBIs with the help of his home run. John is hitting .286 over his last 10 games but only has 2 extra base hits over those 35 ABs. He still needs to develop a lot before the Jays move him up and may remain in HiA the entire season as a result.


Note: 3B Kevin Ahrens is really starting to look like a huge bust. Although the expectations were not as high as, say a Cameron Maybin or Travis Snider, he was compared to Chipper Jones when the Jays selected him in the 1st round of the 2007 draft. He went 0 for 5 in last night's game and is hitting .162 over his last 10. His season average is at the mendozza line (.206) and he has only managed 9 extra base hits over 131 ABs. Not exactly compelling stuff for a 1st rounder. SP Tim Alderson, Aaron Poreda, Rick Porcello, Andrew Brackman, and OF Ben Revere are just a few of the later picks in the 1st round that may have been better options than Ahrens. Then again, all scouts agreed that Ahrens was a great pick at the time, but who can really tell how a HS player will develop. That Porcello passed us by really kills me though, because the only reason he did was "sign ability". Which pretty much means "we don't want to win badly enough".

Prospect Reider Gonzalez shines in AA start

New Hampshire's 24 year old RHP Reider Gonzalez, who hails from Cuba, threw a gem in his latest start, lasting 8 innings of shutout ball. He only allowed 4 hits and 1 walk, while striking out 5. It was his 11th start of the season and he now holds a meager 2.31 ERA, and has 43 Ks over 66 innings.

Over the season, Reider has been hit a lot more by lefties (.268) than righties (.184) which leads me to believe that he'll have to do a little better before getting a promotion. He also struggles with runners on base, allowing a .265 average which is manageable, but not ideal. With his height of 5'9", he may end up with a role in relief given his dominance over righties. But for now, the Jays must be happy that they have at least one RHP option in the minors since they have so many LHP to draw from.

Hot Prospect - Balbino Fuenmayor 3B, Lansing

Today's hot prospect is Balbino Fuenmayor, 3B for the Lansing squad. The Jays have had a hard time filling up the hot corner from within since Ed Sprague left the team. The Jays signed Balbino to a $1.5 million contract in hopes that he or Kevin Ahrens would be able to be that guy, but both had rough beginnings to their minors careers.

Balbino is 6'3", and has put on about 40 lbs since signing his contract with the Jays - he now sits at a hefty 235 lbs. The beginning to his 2009 season has been horrific, with his average sitting below the mendozza line. But he has recently gotten hot at the plate and has hit .344 over his last 10 games, with 2 doubles and a home run. If you wonder where Balbino's problems lie, look no further than his walks. He has only walked once, that's right once, in 118 ABs while striking out 1/3 of the time. So the fact that he has been able to hit .344 over the last 10 games is very encouraging and he may finally steal some time from Mark Sobolewski at 3B for Lansing. At his size, Balbino should be able to create some power, but thus far it's been scarce to say the least with only 3 homers.

Maybe this hot streak is the beginning for Balbino. I'll update at end of June on his progression.

Jays Prospects Hot Sheet

LHP Fabio Castro AAA
Castro made his first start at AAA on April 30th and had a rough first start with 3 ER in 5.1 innings. Not a disaster, but not stellar either. Since then, however, hos stats are as impressive as any pitcher's in AAA. In his last 3 starts, Castro has thrown 21 innings without allowing a run, struck out 10, walked 5 and allowed 8 hits. His latest start against Memphis was his best of the 3 with 8 IP, 3 hits allowed, 2 BB, and 5 Ks. If this keeps up the Jays will be forced to give him a look to see if his hot start can translate to big league success.

LHP Marc Rzepczynski AA
Marc is now 6-2 on the season and only allowed more than 2 runs in a game once (his second start). He has 52 Ks to his 43 IP, but has allowed 41 hits which could lead to trouble once he gets promoted if he becomes "too hittable". He has lowered his walks per game as the season has progressed to 1 or 2 which is very encouraging and indicates that whatever the outcome, Marc is throwing strikes and trusting his stuff. He could get a look in AAA by July.

RP Daniel Farquhar A Dunedin
15 IP, 21 Ks, 9 hits, 9 BB, 6 saves, no blown saves, 1 ER for a 0.90 ERA. 'Nough said.

2B Brad Emaus AA
Brad belongs in AAA. Over his last 10 games he is hitting .333 with 13 hits, 5 doubles, 2 home runs, 7 RBIs, 6 walks, and only 6 Ks in 39 ABs. On the season he his hitting lefties especially well with a .357 AVG and a 1.116 OPS. He deserves to get a promotion to AAA.

1B Brian Dopirak AA
Brian has driven in 12 runs in the last 10 games with 3 home runs, 1 triple, an d4 doubles being part of his extra base hit onslaught. Like Emaus, he is hitting lefties very well with the same .357 AVG and 1.121 OPS. He also deserves a look in AAA.

LHP Brad Mills AAA
The Jays are loaded with great LHP in the minors and Mills is yet another. He has yet to allow more than 3 runs in a start and only allowed 2 or less in his last 3. He has 29 Ks over 38.2 IP, and has allowed 40 hits and 20 walks. Unfortunately for Mills, he has yet to get a win because like Johan Santana will tell you, you don't always get the offensive support you deserve.