2012 Top Prospects #2: Jake Marisnick

Name: Jake Marisnick
Position: Centerfield
Acquired: 3rd round (2009)
Opening Day age: 21
Height/weight: 6’4”/200 lbs
Best/worst tool: Speed/power
Risk factor: Medium
ETA: 2013

Scouting Report

The best/worst tool category is almost a joke with Marisnick, as he has all the tools and they’re all varying degrees of awesome. This wasn’t always the case, however, as only a year ago there were some serious questions about whether Marisnick’s offensive abilities could handle elite professional pitching. Many of those questions were answered in 2011, as he displayed a marked improvement at the plate. His stance is very wide, with his back foot at the back of the box (like most hitters) and his front foot actually in front of home plate. His hands are very high, but he gets them through the zone quickly to generate excellent bat speed. His patience at the plate has improved, though he still has some work to do in that regard. Marisnick is predominantly a fastball hitter, but should improve against breaking balls as he gets exposed to them in the higher levels. He has at least above average potential with the bat, possibly even plus, as he could be a .290-.300 hitter. His power is perhaps his worst tool, but it should still be above average down the road. He has more line drive power than true home run power, as he may never be more than a 20-25 home run guy, though the doubles and triples will make up for that. Despite his size (6’4”, 200 lbs), Marisnick is an exceptional athlete. He’s a good base runner with plus speed, though the stolen base numbers could decline as he ages. His athleticism aids him in the outfield, where he’s an above average defender with both great reads and great range. His arm could be considered a plus tool in center field. Given his size it’s possible he’ll eventually be move to right field, a process that may be accelerated if and when he joins Anthony Gose in Toronto’s outfield.

2011 Statistics and Analysis

462 AB, .320/.392/.496 (.888 OPS), 27 2B, 6 3B, 14 HR, 77 RBI, 37 SB, 43/91 BB/K

Some call it repeating a level, but given that Marisnick played in only 34 Midwest League games in 2010, that’s a difficult argument to justify. He put the tools together and had one of the most consistently dominant minor league seasons I’ve ever had the pleasure of following. In the five month regular season, Marisnick had a .900+ OPS in three months (April, July, August), an .800-.899 OPS in one month (June), and a .700-.799 OPS in one month (May). That’s remarkable consistency, proving that not only were his improvements very real, but he was able to adapt as pitchers made adjustments when facing him. The improved bat skills were the most notable, as Marisnick ranked 2nd in the league in BA, 4th in OBP, 8th in SLG, and 4th in OPS. Marisnick’s combination of power and speed generated plenty of counting stats (47 XBH, 37 SB), and should continue to do so moving forward.

Expected 2012 Assignment: High-A Dunedin

Future Outlook

Without a doubt, Marisnick was more than ready to play in the Florida State League last summer, but was held back for reasons unbeknownst to me. The most likely explanation may be that the Lugnuts were a strong team making a playoff push (they went on to lose in the Midwest League Championship), and the front office wanted their top prospect to learn how to play and succeed under pressure. Regardless, Marisnick’s Dunedin debut has been delayed until this April, where he’ll once again unite with Marcus Knecht and Michael Crouse to form a talented and dynamic outfield. The stay in Dunedin shouldn’t be nearly as long as the Lansing stop, as Marisnick has impressed in Spring Training and appears to be further along than most expected. He should finish this season with Double-A New Hampshire, and after starting there again in 2013, Marisnick could have a tri-level year (Double-A, Triple-A, MLB), making his debut as a September callup. With a player as talented as Marisnick it’s hard to ever consider him blocked, but with Colby Rasmus, Anthony Gose, and Jose Bautista ahead of him on the depth chart, he may need a couple of trades and a Bautista defensive switch to first base to claim a starting outfield job in the spring of 2014.

Perfect World Projection: All Star Centerfielder, Gold Glove contender.

Blue Jays Positional Primer: Center Field

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 fifth 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 III -- Blue Jays Positional Primer: Middle Infield
Part IV -- Blue Jays Positional Primer: Third Base
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

Leader of the Pack

Jake Marisnick -– 2011 team: Single-A Lansing
462 AB, .320/.392/.496 (.888 OPS), 27 2B, 6 3B, 14 HR, 77 RBI, 37 SB, 43/91 BB/K

A year ago, I ranked Jake Marisnick as the 11th best prospect in Toronto’s system, 6th among positional players. Things have changed drastically since last spring. Marisnick was a 3rd round pick in a very memorable 2009 draft for the Blue Jays. Despite being the fifth highest player Toronto drafted, he was the second highest to sign, behind only 1st round pick Chad Jenkins. The three pitchers drafted between the two all went unsigned. Marisnick agreed to terms on the day of the signing deadline, receiving a well over-slot bonus of 1.0M. In an otherwise rather uninspiring haul for the Blue Jays, Marisnick was a gem.

With such a late agreement, Marisnick wasn’t able to suit up for Toronto until the 2010 season, where he debuted with the Gulf Coast Blue Jays. The placement lacked aggression, and Marisnick cleaned up the league full of pitchers below his talent and development level, hitting .287/.373/.459 (.832) with 15 extra base hits and 14 stolen bases in 35 games. The front office took the hint and promoted him – but perhaps too far. Marisnick skipped two levels – Rookie and Low-A – instead moving straight into Single-A with the Lansing Lugnuts. He struggled to make adjustments, hitting .220/.298/.339 (.636) in 34 games, compiling a disappointing 9/37 walk to strikeout ratio.

Marisnick possesses a tool-set that scouts drool over, and used those tools to put together one of the most impressive all-around seasons of any position player in the low minors. He showcased his power (47 extra base hits), bat (.320 batting average), plate discipline (43 walks), and speed (37 stolen bases) while playing impressive defense in centerfield despite his large frame – 6’4”, 200 lbs. He may eventually be forced to right field, as at only 20 years old he could continue to grow and his arm would more than suffice, but such a transition would likely occur as he approaches the major leagues. Marisnick should open next season with the Dunedin Blue Jays, but could easily play himself into Double-A by midseason. Players who can both hit and play effective center field are few and far between, and Marisnick is one of the best in the minor leagues.

The Question Mark

Anthony Gose -– 2011 team: Double-A New Hampshire
509 AB, .253/.349/.415 (.763 OPS), 20 2B, 7 3B, 16 HR, 59 RBI, 70 SB, 62/154 BB/K

I’ve been torn back and forth between Marisnick and Anthony Gose over who is the better prospect, but the alarming number of questions about Gose’s bat forces him down. Gose was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2nd round of the 2008 draft, and played parts of three seasons for them before being swapped to Toronto, via Houston, in the Roy Oswalt trade two summers ago. It was later revealed that Alex Anthopolous attempted to acquired Gose as part of the Roy Halladay trade, but at the time Philadelphia was uninterested in moving him – though Travis d’Arnaud turned into a pretty good third piece anyways.

Anthony Gose is a very rare player in that he has arguably three 80 level tools. His arm is an 80 in center field, as he was both a pitcher and fielder in high school and touched 95 mph off the mound. His speed is an 80 as well, which is evident by his 70 stolen bases in 2011 and his career-best 76 stolen bases in 2009. His glove is his third best tool, and even on his bad days he still looks like a 70 caliber talent in center. The tools that have always held Gose back from top prospect status were his power and his bat. His power has made huge strides over the last few seasons, as he went from 35 (24/9/2) extra base hits in 2009 to 40 (20/13/7) in 2010 to 43 (20/7/16) in 2011. His bat, on the other hand, has shown minimal improvement. Despite an improving his walk rate (35 BB in 2009, 45 BB in 2010, 62 BB in 2011), his batting average has remained consistently low (.250-.260 range), while his strikeout rate has actually worsened (110 K in 2009, 132 K in 2010, 154 K in 2011). While his power has improved from a 30 tool at the time of his draft to a 50 tool at present, his bat tool hasn’t budged from a mediocre 40.

The biggest advantage he has on his side is age. Gose just finished a full season at Double-A, and only turned 21 years old in August. He’s roughly two years younger than his peers, and even if he repeats the Double-A or Triple-A level, he could still be in the majors before his 23rd birthday. From Toronto’s perspective, they have no reason to rush Gose and force him to the majors before he’s ready due to the presence of former top prospect Colby Rasmus in the Rogers Center outfield. As I mentioned, it’s possible Gose could find himself back in Double-A next season, but it’s far more likely he’ll get the pleasure of hitting in the launching pad that is Las Vegas. While the power and batting numbers are sure to increase simply due to the environment, one thing to keep an eye on is strikeouts, as they may be the best indicator as to whether or not he’s figuring it out. His work ethic certainly can’t be questioned, however, as after playing 145 games (including playoffs) in Double-A and 29 games in the Arizona Fall League, he’s continuing to work in the Venezuelan Winter League.

Remember the Name(s)

Jacob Anderson –- 2011 team: Gulf Coast Blue Jays
37 AB, .405/.476/.622 (1.098 OPS), 2 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 2 SB, 4/8 BB/K

The first of two 2011 draftees in the Remember the Name section, Jacob Anderson was the highest drafted player to sign with Toronto after Tyler Beede chose college over professional baseball, receiving a slightly-above slot bonus of 0.99M. Anderson played a lot of first base in high school, but that was due to a situation where the team had too many outfielders and too few infielders, and his bat was capable of playing at first base. Due to his size (6'4", 190 lbs) he best profiles as a corner outfielder long-term, but for the time being it appears Toronto will give him a chance to play center and deal with moving him at a later date.

The now 19 year old Anderson only got into 9 games with the Gulf Coast Blue Jays in August, but showed off the tools that made him a supplemental-first round pick. Anderson's best tool is his power, as he was rated as one of the best power hitters of his draft class. He has quick hips, a ton of bat speed, and a smooth swing, which allows him to generate power without having to rely upon an uppercut. A true plus tool. Uppercuts can often hinder the development of the bat tool, but Anderson should be able to avoid such a fate. He sets himself quickly and his timing mechanism (a toe tap with his front foot) is very simple, which should keep him consistent at the plate. Anderson has plus athleticism (9 triples, 24 stolen bases in his final high school season), which is a dimension of his game that was wasted at first base. He shows some hesitancy when the ball is coming towards him both in the infield and outfield, possibly limiting his defensive ceiling unless he can get past this quirk. His arm strength is average while his accuracy is a tick above average, so if he moves to a corner, he might be better suited to left than right. A great video of Jacob Anderson can be found here, via the awesome guys over at Jays Journal.

After such a strong offensive showing in his short season debut, it's possible Anderson could be challenged with a Single-A Lansing assignment out of the spring, as it would be a similar path to what top prospect Jake Marisnick has followed. The Lugnuts should have a number of openings in the outfield, as Marisnick, Knecht, and Crouse should all be promoted to Dunedin to open 2012. If not, Anderson will likely split the season between two teams, spending 30 or so games with a short season team (Vancouver most likely) before finishing the season with the aformentioned Lugnuts. Despite playing in only 9 professional games, Anderson should rank highly on my top prospect list.

Dwight Smith Jr –- N/A

The second 2011 draftee in the Remember the Name category is Dwight Smith Jr, another compensation round pick. Smith received a signing bonus of 0.8M which, like Anderson, was slightly above slot. Like Dickie Thon Jr, Smith Jr is the son of a former big leaguer of the same name. DNA and bloodlines are quickly becoming another important aspect of amateur scouting, although Junior plays the game a bit differently than his father. He recently turned 19 but has yet to play a professional game, which speaks to the problems the previous signing deadline had (it's been fixed, but the other draft changes the new CBA brought is a whole other story).

Smith's bat is easily his best tool, and is what made him a supplemental-first round pick. He has a very advanced approach at the plate, showing an ability to square up pitches regardless of the quadrant of the strikezone they're thrown in. Smith has a lot of action in his swing, as he wiggles the bat in his hands in addition to a huge front leg kick as a timing mechanism. The plane of his swing covers much of the plate, allowing him to fight off borderline pitches until he sees one to his liking. A large aspect of Smith's success is his plate vision and maturity. He can recognize pitches quickly and is an intelligent hitter, taking a walk when a pitcher refuses to throw over the plate. Smith grew up around baseball, and it's evident with the way he plays. His power is a step above that of his father, and should be an average tool in the future. His athleticism, on the other hand, is a step below his dad's. He has average speed, but is an above average base runner due to his inherent ability to read pitchers. The same instincts that help him in the box and on the basepaths also help him on defense. Reaction time and reading balls are far more important in the outfield than pure speed, which allows Smith to be an above average fielder. His arm strength is mediocre, but his accuracy is outstanding and his quick release allows him to throw out more runners than he should. A video of Dwight Smith Jr can be found here, which was once again brought to my attention by the guys at Jays Journal.

As previously mentioned, Smith has yet to make his professional debut, which makes forecasting his 2012 destination rather difficult. His advanced offensive skills make Lansing or Vancouver legitimate possibilities, and anything below Low-A would have to be considered a safe yet cowardly assignment. Smith's instincts and baseball smarts allow his tools to play up, but his ceiling is more of a solid regular than a potential All-Star.

Minor League Hitter of the Year

With the minor league seasons having reached completion, it is time to determine the Blue Jays minor league players of the year -- both hitter and pitcher. Unlike previous years, there are a wealth of candidates for these awards thanks to the overall depth of the farm system. In addition to the shear number of prospects, many of the high upside prospects had big years, causing the farm to look even better.

The candidates:

3B Brett Lawrie, Triple-A Las Vegas
300 AB, .347/.414/.647 (1.060 OPS), 24 2B, 6 3B, 18 HR, 62 RBI, 13 SB, 26/54 BB/K

Two major factors may have sabotaged Lawrie's chances to be the Blue Jays minor league hitter of the year. The first -- a hit-by-pitch suffered in a game in late May. Lawrie was having a truly insane month -- 1.170 OPS, 11 doubles, 3 triples, 11 home runs, and 14 walks. Reports were being leaked and discussed that a major league promotion was on the horizon for Lawrie, but the bruised hand was discovered to be a broken hand which resulted in 6 weeks on the minor league disabled list. Lawrie made his return in mid-July and picked up exactly where he left off, with a 1.122 OPS in the month which once again drove Blue Jays fans to demand the promotion of their much heralded top prospect. He finally received the big league call in early August, and he wouldn't play another minor league game after that. Between the aformentioned hand injury and the late season promotion, Lawrie only accumulated 300 minor league at-bats, which really cripples his chances. With 500 AB he's likely a shoe-in, but instead, he has a lot of competition.

C Travis d'Arnaud, Double-A New Hampshire
424 AB, .311/.371/.542 (.914 OPS), 33 2B, 1 3B, 21 HR, 78 RBI, 4 SB, 33/100 BB/K

The first of two Fisher Cat candidates, d'Arnaud made a monstrous leap as a prospect in 2011, finally putting some numbers behind the tools that scouts have been drooling over for years. d'Arnaud put his injury plagued debut season with Toronto behind him and helped lead New Hampshire to the Eastern League championship. Later named the Eastern League MVP, d'Arnaud put together a well rounded season that displayed his bat, power, and plate approach. Beyond the statistics, his defense received positive reviews, and assuming his back injuries are behind him he should have no difficulties staying behind the plate long term. d'Arnaud has developed himself from a mid-tier prospect in the Blue Jays system into arguably the best catcher in the minor leagues and Toronto's best prospect overall.

CF Anthony Gose, Double-A New Hampshire
509 AB, .253/.349/.415 (.763 OPS), 20 2B, 7 3B, 16 HR, 59 RBI, 70 SB, 62/154 BB/K

Progression was apparent in Gose' 2011 season, but his flaws were still very evident. The recently turned 21 year old has already played in three full seasons in the minor leagues as a former highschool pick, which speaks to the age discrepancy he has constantly fought through to post the numbers he has. The above statistics were collected while facing pitchers typically 1-4 years older than him, which does in a sense justify some of the strikeouts. Regardless, Gose made three substantial improvements to his game this year. First, after struggling to post ISO numbers over 100 through his career, Gose saw his power take a step forward, smashing 16 home runs with a 162 ISO. Second, Gose became a much more polished base stealer, improving his ratio from 58% (45/77) to 82% (70/85). Finally, he improved his walk rate for the third straight year, from 6.1% in 2009 to 8.1% in 2010 to 10.6% in 2011.

CF Jake Marisnick, Single-A Lansing
462 AB, .320/.392/.496 (.888 OPS), 27 2B, 6 3B, 14 HR, 77 RBI, 37 SB, 43/91 BB/K

Much like Travis d'Arnaud, Marisnick took the big step towards putting some numbers behind his jaw-dropping tools. The term is thrown around rather loosely, but Marisnick is a true 5-tool talent. What makes that even more impressive is that he displays these tools while playing centerfield. Marisnick's batting line looks impressive, but what is truly incredible is the consistency he displayed over his 118 games. On a month-to-month basis, Marisnick posted a .900+ OPS in three months (April, July, August), an .800+ OPS in one month (June), and a .700+ OPS in one month (May). In other words -- at best he played like an MVP, and at worst he played like a league average player -- and he played like the former far more often than the latter. Not only did Marisnick experience personal success, he led the Lansing Lugnuts to the Midwest League championship, though they failed to capture the title. Marisnick has flown up the prospect charts and has established himself as a legitimate top 5 prospect in the system, and possible top 50 in all of baseball.

The winner:

While the other three candidates all had outstanding seasons, I have to give the award to Jake Marisnick. Each of the other prospects had some factor working against them, while Marisnick was nearly flawless in his blitzkreig through the Midwest League. As an incredible athlete, the ceiling is limitless if he continues to show he can hit and hit for power. Marisnick will take his talents to Dunedin in 2012 and look to prove that this year was no fluke.

The Minor League Pitcher of the Year can be found here.

Top 15 Prospect Review: Hitters

#1: 3B Brett Lawrie

(MLB) 125 AB, .312/.386/.656 (1.042 OPS), 8 2B, 4 3B, 9 HR, 23 RBI, 6 SB, 13/25 BB/K
(AAA) 292 AB, .353/.415/.661 (1.076 OPS), 24 2B, 6 3B, 18 HR, 61 RBI, 13 SB, 26/53 BB/K

2011 Breakdown: After being acquired from the Brewers in the offseason, high expectations were placed upon Brett Lawrie. Lawrie was a true top-prospect, and as a Canadian, Blue Jays fans had hopes he could become the next Canadian superstar, like Morneau and Votto before him. Lawrie met those lofty expectations and then some, and likely would have won the AL Rookie of the Year if not for a broken hand in June that caused him to miss nearly two months. Lawrie has already moved up from 8th to 5th (on occasion) in the batting order, which suggests John Farrell will remove the kid gloves in 2012 and let the world see what Brett can do.

2012 Prospect status: N/A (graduated from prospect status)

#3: C J.P. Arencibia

(MLB) 398 AB, .219/.278/.447 (.725 OPS), 17 2B, 4 3B, 22 HR, 72 RBI, 1 SB, 31/124 BB/K

2011 Breakdown: Arencibia was called up in late 2010, but Cito Gaston's insistence on playing free agent-to-be John Buck dramatically cut down Arencibia's playing time, which left him as a huge question mark entering 2011. Arencibia started off hot, but has struggled throughout the rest of the year. His 7.1 walk percentage is a pleasant surprise, and ranks 4th among current Blue Jays regulars. Arencibia's biggest problem has been strikeouts, and while they may always been an issue with his uppercut swing, reducing his strikeout rate from its current 28.5% to around 20% would make a huge improvement in his overall batting numbers.

2012 Prospect status: N/A (graduated from prospect status)

#4: CF Anthony Gose

(AA) 509 AB, .253/.349/.415 (.763 OPS), 20 2B, 7 3B, 16 HR, 59 RBI, 70 SB, 62/154 BB/K

2011 Breakdown: Gose spent the entire 2011 season as the starting centerfielder for the prospect-rich New Hampshire Fishers Cats ball club. While strikeouts were still an issue, his 10.6% walk rate and 70/85 (82.4%) stolen base numbers give hope that he could hit near the top of a major league lineup at some point in the future. The batting numbers remained near his career averages -- subpar, but he did see an unexpected spike in his power numbers, more than doubling his previous career high in home runs. Some have attributed this to a short right field porch in his home stadium, however he hit 7 of his 16 home runs on the road. Additionally, many reports of his home park home runs have described them as bombs.

2012 Prospect status: Rising

#6: C Travis d'Arnaud

(AA) 424 AB, .311/.371/.542 (.914 OPS), 33 2B, 1 3B, 21 HR, 78 RBI, 4 SB, 33/100 BB/K

2011 Breakdown: When considering position, d'Arnaud had perhaps the best overall season by any Toronto hitting prospect in 2011. d'Arnaud had always been known as a player with all the tools to be a great catcher, but the numbers had never lived up to the hype. That all came to an end in 2011. d'Arnaud stayed healthy for nearly the entire season, and put together a batting line deserving of the Eastern League MVP award. d'Arnaud has shot up prospects list during the year, and is now arguably the top catching prospect in all of baseball (most experts are split on d'Arnaud and Devin Mesoraco of the Reds). With the graduation of Toronto's top three prospects, d'Arnaud has a legitimate chance to bear the title of Toronto's number one minor leaguer.

2012 Prospect status: Rising

#8: C Carlos Perez

(A) 383 AB, .256/.320/.355 (.675 OPS), 17 2B, 6 3B, 3 HR, 41 RBI, 6 SB, 37/74 BB/K

2011 Breakdown: Carlos Perez was a huge disappointment in 2011. He had shown all of the tools you could want from a catcher in his first three professional seasons, but that did not remain true this year. With a young player like Perez, the biggest hope is that he can translate those tools from short-season ball to full-year ball. The reason for Perez' drop-off in production is impossible to know without being around the team all year, but one can only hope it's fatigue related, not ability related. 2012 will be a huge test for Perez to re-establish himself, but at this point some of his prospect shine has worn off.

2012 Prospect status: Diminishing

#11: CF Jake Marisnick

(A) 462 AB, .320/.392/.496 (.888 OPS), 27 2B, 6 3B, 14 HR, 77 RBI, 37 SB, 43/91 BB/K

2011 Breakdown: Much like d'Arnaud, Marisnick took the huge step of translating tools into legitimate production. Marisnick has always been known as an athlete and a guy "who looks good in a uniform", but he became a baseball player in 2011. Recently named one of Kevin Goldstein's 10 most interesting prospect stories of the year, he mentions how Marisnick is one of the few players you can call a true 5-tool talent without looking like an idiot. In addition to posting an awesome batting line, Marisnick racked up the cumulative stats all year, totalling 47 extra base hits and 37 stolen bases. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Marisnick's season was his ability to avoid slumps. In his worst month of the year, May, he still managed a respectable .713 OPS. He had an .800+ OPS in the other four full months.

2012 Prospect status: Rising

#12: SS Adeiny Hechavarria

(AAA) 108 AB, .389/.431/.537 (.968 OPS), 6 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 1 SB, 8/21 BB/K
(AA) 464 AB, .235/.275/.347 (.622 OPS), 22 2B, 6 3B, 6 HR, 46 RBI, 19 SB, 25/78 BB/K

2011 Breakdown: A lot was expected from Hechavarria, and for the most part he failed to deliver. After hitting .273/.305/.360 in New Hampshire in 2010 after a midseason callup, it was hoped Hech could match or even exceed those numbers in his second go around with the Fisher Cats. The opposite happened. Hechavarria's batting line plummeted to .235/.275/.347 in 2011. Despite this, he was promoted to Las Vegas late in the year to work with hitting coach Chad Mottola. He did have a strong month with the 51's, but it's exactly that, a month. If Hechavarria wants to re-establish his prospect status, he'll need to show something with the bat in 2012, and string together those strong months into something tangible.

2012 Prospect status: Diminishing

#13: LF Eric Thames

(MLB) 304 AB, .263/.311/.457 (.768 OPS), 21 2B, 4 3B, 10 HR, 32 RBI, 2 SB, 18/73 BB/K
(AAA) 210 AB, .352/.423/.610 (1.033 OPS), 25 2B, 4 2B, 7 HR, 45 RBI, 5 SB, 23/41 BB/K

2011 Breakdown: Like Lawrie, Thames split the year between Las Vegas and Toronto. However, unlike Brett Lawrie, Thames has struggled at times to make the adjustment to the more talented pitching. Despite never posting a walk rate below 8.9% in his minor league career, Thames is walking in only 5.5% of his plate appearances while striking out in 22.2% of his appearances -- not a great combination. While the power Thames has displayed has been impressive (his ISO of .194 is currently 4th among the Blue Jays starters), and his 22.7% line drive rate equally so, it's hard to project Thames as anything more than a .260-.270 hitter in the major leagues. Thames stole Travis Snider's left field job in the summer, and it's likely only one of the two will make the squad out of Spring Training. It should be an interesting battle to watch.

2012 Prospect status: N/A (graduated from prospect status)

Blue Jays Prospect Hot Sheet: Aug 19-28

As I mentioned in the last edition, Hypocritical Sports Fan will be running a regular Blue Jays Prospect Hot Sheet. The list is a representation of the hottest 5 or so players in the Blue Jays farm system over a 10 day period, with the player pool consisting of my personal Top 40 prospect list.

This edition will be for the games spanning from (and including) August 19th to August 28th.

1. CF Jacob Anderson, GCL Blue Jays
.500/.551/.692 (1.243 OPS), 2 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 SB, 3/4 BB/K

Anderson, the first positional player drafted by Toronto this past June, has seen his professional career get off to a scorching start. As a late signee, Anderson has only played 9 games in the Gulf Coast League so far this year, but is already showing he could be ready for a Bluefield or Vancouver assignment to begin next year. The above stat line was accumulated in only 7 games (6 of which were multi-hit efforts), which makes Anderson taking the #1 spot even more impressive. Jacob Anderson is a big guy at 6'4", and given his age (he won't turn 19 until late November) it's likely he will move to a corner outfield position down the road as he continues to mature physically. Anderson even played some first base for his highschool team because of his size and the fact they were so rich in atheltic outfielders. Regardless, Toronto will likely give him every opportunity to prove he can stay in centerfield as his value is much higher there.

2. RHP Drew Hutchison, Double-A New Hampshire
2-0, 10 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 13 K

Coming into the season I had ranked Hutchison as my #14 prospect in the system and thought myself rather bold in doing so. Since then, Hutch has torn the minor leagues apart, moving all the way from Single-A Lansing up to Double-A New Hampshire. Hutchison made two starts from August 19th to 28th, the first being his last with Dunedin, and the second being his debut with New Hampshire. Unsurprisingly, Hutchison met the challenge and excelled, posting two impressive pitching lines that total the above numbers. Hutch snuck into some midseason Top-50 prospect lists, and given his impressive second half numbers, I expect his name will pepper the top half of Top-100 lists this winter. Drew has established himself as one of Toronto's top-5 prospects entering 2012.

3. CF Jake Marisnick, Single-A Lansing
.378/.439/.595 (1.034 OPS), 5 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 3 SB, 3/4 BB/K

Perhaps Toronto's most well rounded positional prospect, Jake Marisnick had one of those weeks. In his 9 games, Marisnick had multiple hits 6 times and atleast 1 extra base hit or stolen base 6 times. His best game during this time frame was August 26th, in which he went 3 for 4 with 2 doubles, 1 home run, and 2 runs scored. Along with the aformentioned Drew Hutchison, Marisnick has been one of Toronto's biggest stories in the minor leagues this year. Now up to a .323/.396/.500 (.896), 26 2B, 6 3B, 13 HR, 76 RBI, 35 SB, 43/84 BB/K line on the year, the 20 year old Marisnick has established himself as a blue chip prospect and should meet the 2012 challenge of Dunedin with a lot of confidence.

4. RHP Chad Jenkins, Double-A New Hampshire
0-2, 13.2 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 14 K

While the 0-2 record and 3.29 ERA don't seem worthy of a hot sheet, it's Jenkins' other numbers that show how dominant he was in late August. Jenkins held hitters to a sub-.200 batting average and walked no one, good for an impressive 0.59 WHIP. After posting rather mediocre numbers through his first two Double-A months (June and July), Jenkins came on strong in August with a 3.06 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 3.71 K/BB, and 7.24 K/9. While he lacks the upside of many of Toronto's other pitching prospects, Jenkins has gotten hot at the right time, inspiring some confidence from the front office, which should help him achieve his big league dreams at some point in 2012.

5. CF Anthony Gose, Double-A New Hampshire
.250/.386/.528 (.914 OPS), 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 11 SB, 6/10 BB/K

To say that Anthony Gose has been on a base stealing tear would be an understatement. From August 19th to 28th, Gose went 11/11, bringing his cumulative August total to 17/17. What has been equally impressive has been Gose's power development, as his 5 extra base hits during this time period bring him up to 11 for the month (5 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR). His biggest problem this year, which is emphasized nicely in this sample, is strikeouts. Gose struck out 10 times during these 10 games, bringing his season total up to 143 strikeouts in 130 games. Despite hitting only .250 here, Gose made his hits count.

6. LF Christopher Hawkins, Rookie-class Bluefield
.424/.500/.545 (1.045 OPS), 4 2B, 0 HR, 8 RBI, 2 SB, 6/6 BB/K

Toronto's outfield depth shouldn't be questioned any time soon. Hawkins is the 4th outfielder to make this hot sheet, and is the first prospect to appear on consecutive lists. Hawkins made the sheet once again through consistency, as he had at least a hit in 9 of his 10 games. The only game in which he did not record a hit was a pinch hitting appearance, where he walked. Amazingly, in his 9 starts, he reached base two or more times in every game. While he hasn't shown the extra base power that his hot list counterparts have, Hawkins has found continued success this year by taking what he is given and knocking the ball around the park. If "clutch" could be measured, Hawkins' 1.140 OPS with runners on and 1.033 OPS with runners in scoring position might suggest he has a some in him.

#11: CF Jake Marisnick

Name: Jacob Marisnick
Position: Center fielder
Acquired: 3rd round (2009)
Opening Day age: 20
Height/weight: 6'4", 200 lbs
Best/worst tool: Athleticism/power

Scouting Report: Jake Marisnick is the stereotypical projectable 5-tool player. Due to his excellent athleticism, his running, fielding, and throwing tools are ahead of his bat and power, but as he matures he should become a much more well rounded player. It's hard to imagine a 6'4" player being a significant base stealer in the majors, but Marisnick could easily develop into a 20/20 player while hitting close to .300 with a good approach and playing great defense in center. It speaks volumes about Marisnick that power is his weakest tool at this point, as at 20 years old he's barely below average in that tool. He is a scout's dream.

2010 Stats: .253/.336/.398 (.733 OPS), 20 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 26 RBI, 23 SB

2010 Analysis: Marisnick was a late sign in the 2009 draft. As such, 2010 was his first professional season and he split time between the Gulf Coast League (.832 OPS in 122 AB) and the Midwest League (.636 OPS in 127 AB). Marisnick struggled after his promotion as a 19 year old in the MWL, but it was likely a result of him being too aggressive while trying to impress.

2011 Stats: .315/.385/.486 (.871 OPS), 12 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 47 RBI, 18 SB

2011 Analysis: Marisnick's second trial with Lansing has gone much better, culminating in an appearance as a starting outfielder in the Midwest League All-Star game. Baseball Prospectus' Kevin Goldstein attended the game, and came away extremely impressed with Marisnick both physically and as a baseball player. He has shown a solid all-around game, hitting for average, hitting for power, while keeping a good approach at the plate and fielding well.

Future outlook: Marisnick will likely progress slowly, as the Blue Jays would be wise to focus on how Marisnick's bat is developing and not his flashy athletic tools. He should split the rest of 2011 with Lansing and Dunedin. If his bat continues to develop, Marisnick should spend 2012 in Dunedin/New Hampshire, and 2013 in New Hampshire/Las Vegas (or whatever the Triple-A affiliate is at that time). Marisnick's best case would see him as a 2013 September callup, with the potential for a regular job in 2014 depending upon the development of another center fielder in the Blue Jays system.

Perfect world projection: Star MLB center fielder, semi-regular All-Star appearances throughout his career, possible Silver Slugger and/or Gold Glove awards.

Worst case scenario: 4th outfielder in majors or fizzles out as Quad-A player.

Most likely outcome: Everyday MLB center fielder, possibly an All-Star appearance or two in his prime years.