Tolisano made his pro debut in the Gulf Coast League as a rookie-baller in 2007. He impressed with his power and plate discipline, hitting 246/336/437. He added 10 HR and, though he struck out a lot, walked in 12.4 percent of his plate appearances. Though he played at second last year, Baseball America notes that he could end up in the outfield. There’s no reason that Tolisano shouldn’t be a regular for the Jays by 2011.
4. Kevin Ahrens, SS, Born: April 26, 1989
Their 16th overall pick in the ’07 draft was this 18-year-old third baseman. Kevin Goldstein suggests that Ahrens has an All-Star ceiling. The switch-hitter was solid without overwhelming anyone in his debut season. He hit 230/339/321 in the Gulf Coast League, but walked 25 times in 190 PA.
3. Brett Cecil, SP, Born: July 2, 1986
The lefty has only appeared in 14 games as a pro, so we can’t get too excited about Cecil. It’s hard to get off to a better start than he did though. Cecil’s ERA was 1.27 and he allowed only one homer in 49.2 innings in low A ball. Eased into a starting role as a pro after a college career as a closer, Cecil struck out 56 and only walked 11 in his pro debut.
2. Brian Jeroloman, C, Born: May 10, 1985
Catchers who contribute offensively are few and far between (just ask Jason Kendall or Gerald Laird), but the Jays are stacked with them. Funnily enough, Jeroloman, still just 22, actually resembles Jason Kendall. He doesn’t hit for much power (28 XBH in 431 minor league ABs) but he’s extremely patient, drawing 85 walks in 375 plate appearances. That projects to about 125 times over the course of a 550 PA season, enough to make Jeroloman very appealing to the Jays. His defense—which Baseball America ranks as best in the Toronto system—would represent a huge upgrade over the Jays’ current catchers. He’s topped out in high A ball so far, but could be in the bigs by 2009 if he finds the fast track.
1. Travis Snider, OF, Born: Feb. 2, 1988
The lone true bright spot in the Jays’ system is as good as it gets. He is consistently ranked as a top 10 prospect for good reason. He followed up his 325/412/567 2006 campaign with a 313 /377/525 last year as a 19-year-old. Patient enough to earn a walk rate of 10 percent, Snider hit 58 XBH in the pitcher-friendly Mid-West League before lighting it up in the AFL. He’s built like a tank and could end up being the best hitter the Jays have had since Delgado.
Don’t Forget About:
Curtis Thigpen, Adam Lind, and Jesse Litsch. These three made it to the show in 2007 for their first extended taste of the bigs (or they’d be on this list). They saw limited playing time, but the Jays will rely on them this year.
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