Archive for d.j. davis

I published the Jays Top 15 prospect list just over a week ago but it already undergoes a transformation thanks to the (still unconfirmed) blockbuster trade between Toronto and the Miami Marlins. Justin Nicolino (5th), Jake Marisnick (6th), and Adeiny Hechavarria (10th) slide off the list and head to Florida while Anthony DeSclafani, another member of the trade, was in the 16-22 range and could very well make the Marlins’ upcoming Top 15.

#1 Travis D’Arnaud (C)

Opening Day Age: 24
2012 Level: AAA
Acquired: Trade (2009)
Projected 2013 Level: AAA/MLB

The young catcher entered 2012 as the Jays’ top prospect and he did nothing to change the lofty status, although a knee injury ended his season prematurely in June. Had he not been injured d’Arnaud likely would have made his big league debut when MLB incumbent J.P. Arencibia suffered a fracture in his hand.

d’Arnaud has the potential to be both an above-average hitter and fielder. One talent evaluator said the prospect was likely ready for the big leagues but stressed his value was behind plate and that it wasn’t overly likely that he would see time at other positions in an effort to get his bat into the lineup. Despite Arencibia’s offensive challenges the organization remains committed to him as the starter behind the plate because of the trust he’s built up with the pitching staff. The organization also recently re-signed backup Jeff Mathis to a two-year contract extension (plus an option) suggesting that d’Arnaud could become trade bait as the organization is openly working to improve the big league club – especially the pitching staff. Read the rest of this entry »

The Toronto Blue Jays organization boasts some impressive depth that stretches well beyond the 15 best prospects listed below. There were at least another 10-12 prospects legitimately in the running for the 10-15 spots on this list.

#1 Travis D’Arnaud (C)

Opening Day Age: 24
2012 Level: AAA
Acquired: Trade (2009)
Projected 2013 Level: AAA/MLB

The young catcher entered 2012 as the Jays’ top prospect and he did nothing to change the lofty status, although a knee injury ended his season prematurely in June. Had he not been injured d’Arnaud likely would have made his big league debut when MLB incumbent J.P. Arencibia suffered a fracture in his hand. d’Arnaud has the potential to be both an above-average hitter and fielder. One talent evaluator said the prospect was likely ready for the big leagues but stressed his value was behind plate and that it wasn’t overly likely that he would see time at other positions in an effort to get his bat into the lineup.

Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve begun working on the off-season FanGraphs Top 15 prospect lists. While researching for the series I took in the Northwest League championship finals between the Vancouver Canadians (Toronto Blue Jays) and the Boise Hawks (Chicago Cubs) in early September. Both teams are loaded with B- and C-level prospects so it was a fun series to watchh.

I’ll have observations on some Boise players in the next day or two.

Taylor Cole, RHP: A 2011 draft pick, Cole repeated the Northwest League in ’12 after missing two years of development for a Mormon mission. Prior to college and his time off, Cole – who recently turned 23 – was a highly-regarded amateur who could dial his heater up to 94-95 mph. It nows sits 87-90 mph. This was probably his worst start of the year after posting a 0.81 ERA in 12 games (11 starts). He allowed just six runs in 66.1 innings during the regular season but gave up seven in this game. His shoulder was flying open, causing his pitches to elevate and carry off the plate. Cole did show a nice, compact delivery and he stayed tall over the rubber. His struggles with his fastball command prevented him from setting up his best pitch – a changeup that shows a potential future grade of 60-70. His curveball – which is usually above-average – was not good early on but improved a bit as the game progressed and could become league average. With improved fastball command I can see the potential for a back-end starter or middle reliever at the big league level.

Read the rest of this entry »