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Draft Report Cards: Toronto Blue Jays
By Jim Callis
October 20, 2010
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QUICK TAKE
With a new general manager (Alex Anthopoulos), scouting director (Andrew Tinnish) and philosophy, the Jays set about rebuilding their system. They had nine picks in the first three rounds and went over slot to sign several others.
Bonus Spending: $11.6 million
POSITION PLAYERS
BEST PURE HITTER: Scouts consider 3B Kellen Sweeney (2) a better hitter than his brother (Athletics outfielder Ryan) at the same stage of their careers. Sweeney has a quick bat and a smooth stroke, and he doubled off a 98 mph fastball from the Phillies' Jarred Cosart in instructional league. » BEST POWER HITTER: OF Marcus Knecht (3s), a Toronto native, has huge power potential and hit several balls into the second deck at Rogers Centre during a predraft workout. Sweeney, 3B Christopher Hawkins (3) and 1B Art Charles (20) all have plus raw power. » FASTEST RUNNER: SS Brandon Mims (9) and OF Ronnie Melendez (24) both are 75-80 runners on the 20-80 scouting scale. » BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER: Sweeney had Tommy John surgery in August 2009 and played shortstop in high school, but he has taken quickly to third base.
PITCHERS
BEST FASTBALL: RHP Sam Dyson (4) operates at 93-95 mph and can touch 98 with explosive life. RHP Asher Wojciechowski (1s) sits at 92-94 and peaks at 96. Projectable high school RHPs Aaron Sanchez (1s) and Noah Syndergaard (1s) worked at 92 and topped out at 95 in instructional league. » BEST SECONDARY PITCH: Toronto drafted several pitchers with quality breaking balls, most notably RHP Deck McGuire's (1) slider, LHP Mitchell Taylor's (7) curveball and Sanchez's curve.
ODDS AND ENDS
BEST PRO DEBUT: RHP Drew Permison (42) racked up a 2.31 ERA, seven saves and 59 strikeouts in 39 innings with a 90-93 mph fastball. » BEST ATHLETE: Hawkins is the best all-around athlete in Toronto's draft, with average to plus tools across the board. SS Dickie Joe Thon (5), who signed for $1.5 million, has plus speed, range and arm strength to go with a loose swing and gap power. » MOST INTRIGUING BACKGROUND: Besides Sweeney, three other draftees have big league connections. Thon's father Dickie was an all-star shortstop. Unsigned RHP Gabriel Romero's (47) brother Ricky won 14 games for the Jays in 2010. 3B/2B Andy Fermin's (32) dad Felix played 10 years in the majors. » CLOSEST TO THE MAJORS: McGuire was one of the most polished college pitchers in the draft. He has a 90-94 mph fastball and throws four pitches for strikes. Wojciechowski and Dyson are also on the fast track. » BEST LATE-ROUND PICK: Athletic RHP Myles Jaye (17) has a ton of projection remaining in his 6-foot-3, 175-pound frame, and he already throws 91-94 mph with good life. » THE ONE WHO GOT AWAY: Toronto went over slot for 13 different players and went after several other tough signs. The best two they missed out on were LHP Logan Ehlers (8) and RHP Nick Vander Tuig (39). Ehlers, now at Nebraska, has an 89-92 mph fastball and a plus curveball. Vander Tuig, now at UCLA, flashed a low-90s fastball and plus slider before having Tommy John surgery in 2009.
By Jim Callis
October 20, 2010
E-mail Print
QUICK TAKE
With a new general manager (Alex Anthopoulos), scouting director (Andrew Tinnish) and philosophy, the Jays set about rebuilding their system. They had nine picks in the first three rounds and went over slot to sign several others.
Bonus Spending: $11.6 million
POSITION PLAYERS
BEST PURE HITTER: Scouts consider 3B Kellen Sweeney (2) a better hitter than his brother (Athletics outfielder Ryan) at the same stage of their careers. Sweeney has a quick bat and a smooth stroke, and he doubled off a 98 mph fastball from the Phillies' Jarred Cosart in instructional league. » BEST POWER HITTER: OF Marcus Knecht (3s), a Toronto native, has huge power potential and hit several balls into the second deck at Rogers Centre during a predraft workout. Sweeney, 3B Christopher Hawkins (3) and 1B Art Charles (20) all have plus raw power. » FASTEST RUNNER: SS Brandon Mims (9) and OF Ronnie Melendez (24) both are 75-80 runners on the 20-80 scouting scale. » BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER: Sweeney had Tommy John surgery in August 2009 and played shortstop in high school, but he has taken quickly to third base.
PITCHERS
BEST FASTBALL: RHP Sam Dyson (4) operates at 93-95 mph and can touch 98 with explosive life. RHP Asher Wojciechowski (1s) sits at 92-94 and peaks at 96. Projectable high school RHPs Aaron Sanchez (1s) and Noah Syndergaard (1s) worked at 92 and topped out at 95 in instructional league. » BEST SECONDARY PITCH: Toronto drafted several pitchers with quality breaking balls, most notably RHP Deck McGuire's (1) slider, LHP Mitchell Taylor's (7) curveball and Sanchez's curve.
ODDS AND ENDS
BEST PRO DEBUT: RHP Drew Permison (42) racked up a 2.31 ERA, seven saves and 59 strikeouts in 39 innings with a 90-93 mph fastball. » BEST ATHLETE: Hawkins is the best all-around athlete in Toronto's draft, with average to plus tools across the board. SS Dickie Joe Thon (5), who signed for $1.5 million, has plus speed, range and arm strength to go with a loose swing and gap power. » MOST INTRIGUING BACKGROUND: Besides Sweeney, three other draftees have big league connections. Thon's father Dickie was an all-star shortstop. Unsigned RHP Gabriel Romero's (47) brother Ricky won 14 games for the Jays in 2010. 3B/2B Andy Fermin's (32) dad Felix played 10 years in the majors. » CLOSEST TO THE MAJORS: McGuire was one of the most polished college pitchers in the draft. He has a 90-94 mph fastball and throws four pitches for strikes. Wojciechowski and Dyson are also on the fast track. » BEST LATE-ROUND PICK: Athletic RHP Myles Jaye (17) has a ton of projection remaining in his 6-foot-3, 175-pound frame, and he already throws 91-94 mph with good life. » THE ONE WHO GOT AWAY: Toronto went over slot for 13 different players and went after several other tough signs. The best two they missed out on were LHP Logan Ehlers (8) and RHP Nick Vander Tuig (39). Ehlers, now at Nebraska, has an 89-92 mph fastball and a plus curveball. Vander Tuig, now at UCLA, flashed a low-90s fastball and plus slider before having Tommy John surgery in 2009.
