Mound Talk

1. Travis Snider, OF, A. Snider had a heck of a season in the Midwest League hitting .313/.377/.525! The negatives about Snider are his size. Conditioning will be an issue for him to deal with and along with that, he lacks speed. Outside of that, the prognosis is very good for Snider. He is patient, has power and drives the ball to all fields.
2. Kevin Ahrens, SS, Rk. . Ahrens probably won’t stay at short. But he’ll be more than adequate at third. He’s got a lot of projectibility with his size. Look for an aggressive approach at the plate from him and take his 2008 stats lightly as he will likely be asked to work on a couple specific areas and because he’s still getting used to switch-hitting.
3. Brett Cecil, LHP, NCAA. Lefty closers with good sliders are few and far between. Needs to improve the consistency on his slider and fastball and maybe add a little velocity. Toronto is trying him out as a starter for the time being, but Cecil looks destined to be a closer. If the Jays make the move, Cecil should move quickly.
4. J.P. Arencibia, C, A-. Arencibia doesn’t have the defense of many other top catching prospects. He is cut in the Mike Piazza mold of catching: hit the ball enough that no one remembers your defense. He has plus raw power but needs more work with a wood bat. Arencibia needs work to stay behind the dish, but will likely be able to, if his bat develops as it should.
5. Justin Jackson, SS, Rk. Jackson has a longer swing but generates very good bat speed. Jackson defensively profiles better as a third baseman where his plus arm strength and plus accuracy can be more effectively utilized. He isn’t terribly quick but certainly isn’t slow and his reaction at short isn’t great. Jackson has some potential but is a work in progress, so to speak.
6. Trystan Magnuson, RHP, NCAA. Magnuson was a bit of an overdraft by the Jays who took on the injured pitcher. He has a very strong arm including a low-90s fastball, slider and changeup. Based on his college performances, he profiles better as a reliever where he can add a couple MPH. Toronto tends to keep their prospects on the slow path to the bigs but Magnuson should be an exception.
7. John Tolisano, 2B/SS, Rk. His strength is in his ability to control the strike zone with quick hands. He’s a switch hitter who may resort to being a full-time lefty soon. Defensively, he has a decent arm with good action and very good accuracy. He profiles best as a second baseman and given his defensive skills already, Tolisano is a guy to ear-mark as a fast riser. The only thing that will hold him back is his bat.
8. Curtis Thigpen, C, MLB. Thigpen has enough exposure that the average fan knows he’s a low risk prospect. They also know he’s a low reward prospect. Defensively he’s alright and offensively he’s fairly average with a good OBP.
9. Yohermyn Chavez, OF, Rk. Spending his second season in a Rookie League, Chavez will turn 19 this month. He profiles nicely as a solid hitting outfielder with power and discipline. His hitting skills are fairly advanced with a nice smooth swing and strong wrists. He is too aggressive at the plate but has succeeded based on his superior skills.
10. Marc Rzepcynski, LHSP, NCAA. With a nice frame to work from, Rzepcynski has great stuff. He keeps the ball down, in the park and very often away from hitters bats. He’s had a couple isolated injuries that have cost him some time. Expect Toronto to be especially careful with him.
Flier. Sean Shofft, 2B, A. Very good discipline combined with good power and speed typically spell success. He doesn’t hit for a great average because he strikes out WAY too often (1/3 of the time) and has average defense.

Perhaps no team is more saturated in 2007 draftees than the Jays. Both Toronto and San Francisco, two previously empty systems, have been replenished with a surprising number of draft picks in 2007. They are a very interesting system and from a philosophical standpoint, they face a difficult challenge with guys who should be able to be accelerated and their history of keeping guys on the slow and steady path.