Toronto Blue Jays: 6 Reasons Why Brett Lawrie Will Be an All-Star in 2012

Brett Lawrie is an absolute beast. He has played 20 games since his call-up and has dazzled since day one. He is a likeable guy, and there is no reason that he cannot continue to improve his game in the offseason.

The Toronto Blue Jays have a very strong lineup, and he will have many opportunities to put up big numbers in 2012.

Canadian born, his support in the Blue Jays organization is unlike anything they have ever seen. 

Here are 6 reasons that will lead to Brett Lawrie achieving All-Star status in his first full season.

Skills and Work Ethic

Brett Lawrie can do it all. His defence is improving (and quite frankly, not as bad as I anticipated), and he is becoming accustomed to playing the hot corner. His skillset has been praised since day one, and every scout has drooled over how special his bat is and how special an offensive player he can be.

Since joining the Blue Jays he has shown some maturity and his work ethic has never been in question. To quote general manager Alex Anthopoulos:

"Is he intense? Is he competitive? Yes. He's somebody that plays the game to win. You're not going to get 25 players that are cut from the same cloth. But I know one thing—his work ethic and the way he plays the game won't be matched." 

Statistics

Lawrie's statistics since his call-up have been sensational, and there is no reason to think that he cannot build on what he has achieved so far. Through 20 games Lawrie's stats look like this:

.333 AVG, 11 runs, 23 hits, 12 extra-base hits, 5 home runs, 14 RBI, 5 walks

If you translate those numbers over 160 games you get:

.333 AVG, 88 runs, 184 hits, 96 extra-base hits, 40 home runs, 112 RBI, 40 walks

Those numbers are absolutely disgusting, and while no one anticipates Lawrie coming close to that, with his upside where can you see him slowing down?

Also, he is known to have some solid speed, and people anticipate he can steal 20 bags, although he is of to a slow start in that department (1 SB).

Popular, Well-Known Prospect

From a fantasy perspective, Brett Lawrie was in the 'news' for months. Fantasy baseball experts kept talking about how great Lawrie would be and speculating when he would arrive. Lawrie did not disappoint upon arrival, but his wrist injury kept delaying his debut and allowed for more people to learn who he is.

Ranked as the No. 28 prospect for 2011 on mlb.com, Lawrie is known throughout the league.

I don't think he will have any issue garnering votes on the All-Star ballot.

Weak 3B Crop in the AL

If you look at third base in the AL, there are only a few possible roadblocks that Lawrie will have to overcome to become an All Star.

The biggest names would be the other three 3B in his division: Evan Longoria, Alex Rodriguez, and Kevin Youkilis. You would think Longoria would be a guarantee, and A-Rod is getting too old to put up All-Star numbers. Youkilis? Well he is oft injured and often start slowly.

Even if Youk and Longo grab the spots, there is no reason to think that Lawrie can't grab the extra vote.

Young, Good-Looking Man

Let us be honest here: Lawrie is a good-looking young man with a great smile. My girlfriend already loves his look and can see why he will garner so many fans across Canada and the US. He will probably get a lot of female support on the ballot.

Lawrie is a personable young kid with a great (albeit newfound) attitude, and he plays the game right.

He always seems to be smiling and is already a crowd favourite.

Canadian Playing for Canada's Team!

Lawrie is Canadian (he is from Langley, BC), and it must be a dream come true to play for Canada's team. Lawrie garners a lot of support from across the country. The amount of support Lawrie received during a series against the Seattle Mariners was impressive, and with his continual improvement you will see many Lawrie jerseys in the stands.

As Lawrie stated: "It was very exciting for me being a Canadian kid. It's a great feeling to come back to Canada and have the Canadian flag on my chest again. It's the first time I've felt welcome in a long time."