Blue Jays Positional Primer: Middle Infield

Inspiration for the Blue Jays Positional Primer series comes from Jason Parks of Baseball Prospectus. Over the course of the second half of the season, Jason examined the prospects in the entire minor leagues on a position-by-position basis, giving insight into players both within and well outside the top 100 rankings.

While the sample size of one team is vastly inferior to that of the entire minor leagues, I feel Toronto has enough depth in the farm -- particularly in the low minors -- that such a series could provide some insight into prospects that Blue Jays fans aren't as familiar with as they should be. This is the third installment of an eight part series that will examine catcher, first base, middle infield, third base, center field, corner outfield, right handed pitcher, and left handed pitcher. The middle infield and corner outfield lists are included as there's really no such thing as a second base or left field prospect, they're just shortstops and center/right fielders who couldn't handle the defensive demands and get moved to the easier defensive position as they age. It should be noted that -- outside of the Leader of the Pack, who is the #1 for the position -- these are not necessarily progressive rankings of the prospects

Part I -- Blue Jays Positional Primer: Catcher
Part II -- Blue Jays Positional Primer: First Base
Part IV -- Blue Jays Positional Primer: Third Base
Part V -- Blue Jays Positional Primer: Center Field
Part VI -- Blue Jays Positional Primer: Corner Outfield
Part VII -- Blue Jays Positional Primer: Right-handed Pitcher
Part VIII -- Blue Jays Positional Primer: Left-handed Pitcher

The Leader of the Pack

Adeiny Hechavarria –- 2011 team(s): Double-A New Hampshire, Triple-A Las Vegas
572 AB, .264/.305/.383 (.687 OPS), 28 2B, 8 3B, 8 HR, 57 RBI, 20 SB, 33/99 BB/K

Powered by one of the best gloves in the minor leagues, Adeiny Hechavarria takes the crown as the Leader of the Pack in the middle infield division. Hechavarria was signed in April of the 2010 season to a 4 year, 10 million dollar major league contract. He started the year working in extended spring training, getting acclimated to the American culture in a low stress environment. He began his official playing career with the High-A Dunedin affiliate, who play out of the Blue Jays spring training complex.

Hechavarria proved to be extremely raw, hitting .193/.217/.292 (.509) in a little over a month’s worth of games with the D-Jays while being perhaps too flashy in the field. Much to the shock of the fanbase, Hechavarria was promoted to New Hampshire in the summer, where, with the help of Spanish-speaking manager Luis Rivera, he managed to turn his season around, hitting a respectable .273/.305/.360 (.665). The fielding became more fundamentally sound as the season wore on, as his throws straightened out after previously throwing sidearm-with-tail across the diamond. The 5’11” shortstop frequently displayed his athleticism, but is still raw in terms of base running, as he will on occasion kill rallies running into outs. His power is average for a middle infielder, as he should be capable of hitting 10+ home runs with plenty of doubles and triples as he finishes maturing physically. The only drawback with Hechavarria is his bat tool, which is currently below average with only average potential, at best.

His second year, 2011, was the tale of two seasons. He spent the first four-plus months with Double-A New Hampshire, hitting .235/.275/.347 (.622) in 111 games. Much like 2010, Hechavarria received yet another seemingly undeserved promotion, and once again, he turned his game up afterwards. Hechavarria hit .389/.431/.537 (.968) in 25 games with the 51’s, and Las Vegas hitting coach Chad Mottola feels he can turn Adeiny’s bat around with some extended work. Hechavarria should have plenty of time to work with Mottola, as it’s expected that he’ll be assigned to Triple-A out of spring training next season, barring an unforeseen lack of moves this offseason. If he can get things together on the offensive side of the game, Hechavarria has a chance to be a very good player.

The Question Mark

Gustavo Pierre -– 2011 team(s): Rookie-Class Bluefield, Single-A Lansing
437 AB, .224/.290/.339 (.629 OPS), 16 2B, 5 3B, 8 HR, 41 RBI, 15 SB, 39/125 BB/K

Gustavo Pierre fall into the Question Mark category, as he may have the widest range of projections of anyone in the farm system. It’s debatable whether Pierre even belongs on the middle infield list, as at 19 years old and already 6’2” (with some growth left), he may be moved to a corner (infield, or outfield) sooner rather than later. Born in the Dominican, Pierre was acquired through International Free Agency in 2008, receiving a signing bonus of 0.7M.

Despite signing prior to the start of the short season leagues in 2008, Pierre didn’t make his professional debut until the 2009 season. He underwent Tommy John surgery in his signing year, which could partially attribute to the fielding issues that are glaring in his statistical lines. In his 233 career minor league games, he has committed 87 fielding errors. While errors are far from the best indicators of a defender’s abilities, where there’s smoke there’s often fire. It’s impossible to accurately evaluate Pierre’s fielding abilities without seeing him in person, but it’s possible the Tommy John surgery affected his arm in a way that makes his throws inaccurate. If this were the case, it would likely rule out third base as an eventual destination, perhaps making left field –- a position where throws are less important but he could still display his athleticism -– a more viable option.

Aside from his defensive flaws, Pierre is very athletic and has the potential for above average to plus power. Scouts rave over the way the ball comes off his bat, but making consistent contact has been an issue for him. A simple case of poor mechanics would be outstanding news, as it’s far easier to teach stances and timing than it is pure bat speed. Pierre started the season with Single-A Lansing but it became readily apparent he wasn’t yet ready for full-season ball, as he hit only .187/.244/.262 (.506) in 56 games. He was much better after his demotion to Rookie-Class Bluefield, hitting .252/.324/.396 (.720) in 63 games, showing impressive power (12 doubles, 3 triples, 6 home runs) and greatly improved plate discipline (26 walks) while facing pitchers more in line with his age and experience. With no shortstops immediately ahead of him on the depth chart, Pierre should get another shot with Lansing out of the spring, where he can once again attempt to erase some of the question marks tainting his prospect status.

Remember the Name(s)

Dickie Joe Thon -– 2011 team: GCL Blue Jays
121 AB, .223/.369/.322 (.691 OPS), 3 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 15 RBI, 6 SB, 23/44 BB/K

Dickie Thon is the perfect example of how the round a player is drafted in is not indicative of their talent level. A 5th round pick in 2010, Thon signed for a well over slot bonus of 1.5M. Negotiations were pulled into the public eye, as it was rumored that Thon’s father (of the same name) was hoping to see his son play for his former team, the Houston Astros. Despite this hiccup, Thon signed prior to the deadline, but was not assigned to any minor league affiliates, instead making his debut in 2011.

While the numbers for his professional debut aren’t particularly strong, scouts who had the opportunity to watch him play raved about his tools. Thon has the most offensive potential of any player on this list. He generates good bat speed, but has struggled with consistency. As a 19 year old playing with wooden bats for the first time, that’s both understandable and expected. Thon displays strong gap power, but as he continues to mature and fill out his athletic 6’2” frame, those gappers could start finding their way out of the park. He shows an impressive plate approach for such a young player, walking 23 times in 45 games. Thon’s best tool is his athletic ability, a trait that was passed down from his father (Thon Sr averaged 5 triples and 20 stolen bases per season across his 15 year major league career, peaking at 10 and 37 respectively). His arm and fielding tools are more fundamental than flash, but he has the athleticism and work ethic for both to develop into plus tools. Thon is the total package, with the potential for five above average tools.

Jorge Vega-Rosado –- 2011 team: GCL Blue Jays
183 AB, .317/.380/.470 (.850 OPS), 12 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 30 RBI, 22 SB, 19/40 BB/K

With all of the youth at the shortstop position in the Blue Jays system, the middle infield category has two players in the Remember the Name category. The second, JVR, was a 28th round pick in the 2011 draft. He signed in mid-June for approximately slot money, allowing him to make his debut during his draft year –- and what a debut it was. Rosado was one of best hitter on the Gulf Coast Blue Jays, ranking 3rd in batting average, 5th in OBP, 4th in SLG, 4th in OPS, 1st in doubles, 3rd in triples, 3rd in home runs, and 1st in stolen bases )among players with 50 or more at-bats). Given the demands of his defensive position, these were outstanding numbers.

The previous three shortstops on this list all have long, athletic frames with room to grow. JVR does not fall into the same category. A week away from his 20th birthday, Rosado stands only 5’8”, weighing 175 lbs. He is not a player who is going to develop significant power down the road, though as a middle infielder power is a bonus, not a requirement. His bat was impressive in his debut, but it will be tested as the Puerto Rican starts facing more experienced competition next year with Bluefield or Vancouver. JVR committed 11 errors in 51 games at shortstop, but as I mentioned with Gustavo Pierre, errors are a poor statistical measure of defense without additional evidence. As a 28th round pick playing in the Gulf Coast League, Rosado’s public exposure was limited. Hopefully another year of success at a more significant minor league level will force scouts and prospect experts to talk about him often.