Scouting Book: Top Blue Jays Baseball Prospects for 2008-2009

Top Toronto Blue Jays Prospects for 2008-2009

As always, our Prospect Rankings change very often, to reflect the latest and most promising prospects for the new season as the season approaches. We consider a prospect's chances to impact the team most, soonest as our biggest priority, and while our rankings incorporate opinions from other publications, we adjust to emphasize likely fantasy production. If, after considering all that, you still disagree with where we've placed these players, check back tomorrow: these listings update every day as we include new input and MLB situations evolve.

Our 5 Top Blue Jays Prospects for Early 2009

Current Overall SB ranking for 2009 shown in parentheses.

1. Travis Snider

OF, TOR (#4 overall)

Snider is a very young, very strong, and very promising prospect in the Blue Jays system who's pushing hard on the system's ceiling. Snider's rise through the Toronto system is impressive: at Lansing (Low-A) in 2007 he hit .313 with 16 home runs in 118 games, and he looked even better in the Fall League, hitting .316 and slugging .541 in Arizona.

He's still very young, and if his defense develops a little more he could be a viable OF or 1B. More likely, though, he'll enter MLB as part of the new generation of young, full-time DHs. He should taste the majors in 2009, and could start to contribute everday numbers by 2010.

More Scouting Book Info on Travis Snider >

SB #4 | BA #11 | BP #7 | ML #15 | SN #37 | ES #0 | SI n/a

2. Brett Cecil

LHP, TOR (#128 overall)

A lefthanded closer in college -- and a dominant one at that -- Cecil is nonetheless being developed as a possible starter in the Blue Jays system. While he's a long way away from MLB consideration, the early signs are good: while stretching him out in low A ball from single innings to an outing of seven (his longest), coaches were rewarded with a 1.28 ERA and a stunning 0.96 WHIP across 50 scattered innings.

Cecil works with a moving fastball in the mid 90's, mixing in an average change and using a plus slider as his strikeout pitch. As he transforms into a starter, the fastball will likely lose a few mph as he learns to use it with greater accuracy.

His next stop will be AA, and if he puts together a solid season in which he shows he can throw 120 innings or more, he's a good candidate to be tested for the Blue Jay rotation in 2009.

More Scouting Book Info on Brett Cecil >

3. J.P. Arencibia

C, TOR (#155 overall)

Picking catchers in the Toronto minor leagues is a bit of a matter of taste. Some scouts like Curtis Thigpen, while others think Robinson Diaz is the future of the Blue Jays' facemask. While we don't hate either of those fine fellows, our money is on JP Arencibia for now.

A big, strong right-handed hitter from Florida, Arencibia is a catcher of the offensive variety, though he does have a strong throwing arm to go along with his bat. He's also got a great personality for leadership and should be able to handle a pitching staff if he can stay behind the plate. While at-bat, he's a dead pull slugger with plus power. He just needs to learn a little plate discipline to stop big-league pitchers from picking him apart before he can get his bat into play.

More Scouting Book Info on J.P. Arencibia >

4. David Cooper

1B, TOR (#207 overall)

The Blue Jays have been bereft of developing power threats recently, but they're fixing it with this move. Cooper is a high-average, high-on-base machine with significant power to all fields. He was drafted higher than expected, but the way the power bats were vanishing from the board this year, one can hardly blame the Blue Jays for reaching.

More Scouting Book Info on David Cooper >

5. Kevin Ahrens

3B, TOR (#231 overall)

Drafted as a shortstop, the switch-hitting Ahrens has since been moved to 3B due to his lack of speed and fielding quickness.

His bat is solid, though, especially from the right side, from which he can hit for both power and average at a near-MLB level, despite his young age. He'll move through the A system this year, after 48 disappointing games of Rookie ball in 2006, when he posted a weak line of .230/.321/.339. He's a couple of years away.

More Scouting Book Info on Kevin Ahrens >

Helping you track baseball prospects, sleepers and rookies. (Closers, too!)

Top Toronto Blue Jays Prospects for 2008-2009

Our 5 Top Blue Jays Prospects for Early 2009

1. Travis Snider

2. Brett Cecil

3. J.P. Arencibia

4. David Cooper

5. Kevin Ahrens

Shutting Down, Starting Up

Closing the Book on 2008 and Looking Ahead to Next Year

Closing Time: Wait 'Til Next Year!

Seven Teams are Taking an Early Look at 2009 Closer Options

Dunn Just Right for Prospects

Adam Dunn Traded for Dallas Buck, Others

And One More Thing...

Prospects, Relievers and Throw-ins are Often Keys to Deadline Deals

< Older Features

< Back to Home Page

Helping you track baseball prospects, sleepers and rookies. (Closers, too!)

Top Toronto Blue Jays Prospects for 2008-2009

Our 5 Top Blue Jays Prospects for Early 2009

1. Travis Snider

2. Brett Cecil

3. J.P. Arencibia

4. David Cooper

5. Kevin Ahrens

Shutting Down, Starting Up

Closing the Book on 2008 and Looking Ahead to Next Year

Closing Time: Wait 'Til Next Year!

Seven Teams are Taking an Early Look at 2009 Closer Options

Dunn Just Right for Prospects

Adam Dunn Traded for Dallas Buck, Others

And One More Thing...

Prospects, Relievers and Throw-ins are Often Keys to Deadline Deals

< Older Features

< Back to Home Page

Rising and Falling

Recently-Changed Rankings

ScoutingBook's Top Early 2009 Prospects