Baseball Prospectus Top 10 Blue Jays Prospects

Baseball Prospectus gave their top 10 Blue Jays prospects this morning (subscription required).

Here is their list:

1. RHP Aaron Sanchez
2. LHP Daniel Norris
3. CF Dalton Pompey
4. RHP Jeff Hoffman
5. C Max Pentecost
6. LHP Jairo Labourt
7. RHP Miguel Castro
8. RHP Roberto Osuna
9. RHP Sean Reid-Foley
10. RHP Alberto Tirado

Our system is heavy on the pitchers. BP says that most of the pitchers have the potential to be mid-rotation guys. Hoffman is the one they figure has a shot at being a top of the rotation starter.

They also listed 3 'Prospects on the Rise':

1. Anthony Alford

2. Matt Smoral

3. Dwight Smith, Jr.

About Alford they said:

Despite the lost development time, Alford is still only 20 years old and brings an element of power and speed to the table. The 6-foot-2 outfielder is extremely athletic and an outright physical specimen, possessing strong wrists and forearms that enable him to generate plus bat speed. The stroke is presently more designed to line-drive contact, but there's plenty of backspin created and he has the potential to add more lift as hitting experience builds. This prospect is something of a wild card, though, with a lot of rough edges, gaps to close, and time to make up. There's a feel here that as the body shapes into more of a baseball player and the level of experience builds, that this is a prospect who's going to take some steps forward as quickly as this season.

We can hope.

They also list 3 that are 'likely to contribute in the majors this year:

1. A.J. Jimenez. saying his biggest problem has been staying healthy.

2. Devon Travis: "will get a chance to push for the second-base job this spring and prove he can continue playing above what an initial glance at the package may suggest."

3. Tyler Ybarra.

Jimenez could be a back up catcher almost any time, if he could stay healthy. He does have a few guys in front of him at the moment, but, if Navarro is traded and if the team decides that Russell can catch Dickey, I'd wouldn't mind using A.J. over Thole. Neither is likely to hit much but Jimenez looks to be the better defensive catcher.

With Travis...I do think that if we don't sign someone in the next month, it would be a clear signal that the team is planning .to go with Travis. I thought Alex would go after Gordon Beckham, now that he's a free agent, but we haven't heard anything about that yet. If they did get Beckham, it would allow them to start Travis in Buffalo.

And they give their top 10 talents 25 and under:

1. Marcus Stroman
2. Aaron Sanchez
3. Drew Hutchison
4. Daniel Norris
5. Dalton Pompey
6. Jeff Hoffman
7. Max Pentecost
8. Jairo Labourt
9. Miguel Castro
10. Roberto Osuna

I do have high hopes for Hutchison this year. I hope that he's one that is helped out the most by Russell Martin. And being a year further removed from Tommy John can't hurt.

I wonder, if the Jays don't pick up a some relievers, if they would consider Castro for a spot in the pen at some point this year. He seems to have the stuff for a reliever. Maybe too early to think about that.

We'll have our own top prospects list coming out in January.