By Matt Eddy
November 14, 2008

Baseball America's Top 10 Prospects lists are based on projections of a player's long-term worth after discussions with scouting and player-development personnel. All players who haven't exceeded the major league rookie standards of 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched (without regard to service time) are eligible. Ages are as of April 1, 2009.

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TOP TEN PROSPECTS

1. Travis Snider, of 2. J.P. Arencibia, c 3. Brett Cecil, lhp 4. Justin Jackson, ss 5. David Cooper, 1b 6. Kevin Ahrens, 3b 7. Brad Mills, lhp 8. Ricky Romero, lhp 9. Marc Rzepczynski, lhp 10. Brad Emaus, 2b/3b

BEST TOOLS

Best Hitter for Average Travis Snider Best Power Hitter Travis Snider Best Strike-Zone Discipline Brad Emaus Fastest Baserunner Kenny Wilson Best Athlete Markus Brisker Best Fastball Alan Farina Best Curveball Ricky Romero Best Slider Brett Cecil Best Changeup Brad Mills Best Control Andrew Liebel Best Defensive Catcher Brian Jeroloman Best Defensive Infielder Justin Jackson Best Infield Arm Kevin Ahrens Best Defensive Outfielder Sean Shoffit Best Outfield Arm Moises Sierra

PROJECTED 2012 LINEUP

Catcher J.P. Arencibia First Base David Cooper Second Base Aaron Hill Third Base Kevin Ahrens Shortstop Justin Jackson Left Field Travis Snider Center Field Vernon Wells Right Field Alex Rios Designated Hitter Adam Lind No. 1 Starter Roy Halladay No. 2 Starter Dustin McGowan No. 3 Starter Shaun Marcum No. 4 Starter Brett Cecil No. 5 Starter Jesse Litsch Closer B.J. Ryan

TOP PROSPECTS OF THE DECADE

Year Player, Position 2008 1999 Roy Halladay, rhp Blue Jays 2000 Vernon Wells, of Blue Jays 2001 Vernon Wells, of Blue Jays 2002 Josh Phelps, c Cardinals 2003 Dustin McGowan, rhp Blue Jays 2004 Alex Rios, of Blue Jays 2005 Brandon League, rhp Blue Jays 2006 Dustin McGowan, rhp Blue Jays 2007 Adam Lind, of Blue Jays 2008 Travis Snider, of Blue Jays

TOP DRAFT PICKS OF THE DECADE

Year Player, Position 2008 1999 Alex Rios, of Blue Jays 2000 Miguel Negron, of White Sox 2001 Gabe Gross, of Rays 2002 Russ Adams, ss Blue Jays 2003 Aaron Hill, ss Blue Jays 2004 David Purcey, lhp Blue Jays 2005 Ricky Romero, lhp Blue Jays 2006 Travis Snider, of Blue Jays 2007 Kevin Ahrens, 3b Blue Jays 2008 David Cooper, 1b Blue Jays

LARGEST BONUSES IN CLUB HISTORY

Ricky Romero, 2005 $2,400,000 Felipe Lopez, 1998 $2,000,000 Gabe Gross, 2001 $1,865,000 Russ Adams, 2002 $1,785,000 Travis Snider, 2006 $1,700,000

BLUE JAYS LINKS

Blue Jays' Team Page Blue Jays Top 10 Scouting Reports  Last Year's Blue Jays Top 10 Prospects 2008 Draft: Blue Jays (Basic Database) 2008 Draft: Blue Jays  (Advanced Database) 2008 Draft Report Cards: Toronto Blue Jays  Complete Index of Top 10 Prospects Pre-Order the 2009 Prospect Handbook

Despite their strongest showing of the decade, the Blue Jays still couldn't end a playoff drought that dates to their 1993 World Series championship. In general manager J.P. Ricciardi's seventh year at the helm, Toronto had the second-best run differential in the American League and went 86-76, but its reward was a fourth-place finish in the AL East.

Though the Jays' offense again fell flat, their pitching staff led the league with a 3.49 ERA and their defense ranked among the best in the AL. That Toronto's pitching was so strong was a testament to depth, because the club lost young, homegrown righthanders Dustin McGowan (frayed labrum), Shaun Marcum (Tommy John surgery) and Casey Janssen (torn labrum) during the season. Rookie lefthanders David Purcey and Jesse Carlson stepped in and showed enough to warrant consideration for the 2009 staff.

A 2004 first-round pick, Purcey led all Triple-A hurlers with a 2.69 ERA and went 3-6, 5.54 in 12 big league starts as a fill-in for Marcum. Twice signed by the Blue Jays as a minor league free agent, Carlson cleaned up his command and gave Toronto's lefty-dominated bullpen 60 quality innings, limiting batters to a .196 average.

Already accustomed to contending with the Red Sox and Yankees, the Blue Jays were displaced from their usual third-place perch by the surprising Rays. To keep pace in an increasingly rugged division, Toronto will have to rely on its farm system. The good news is that the system is in its best shape since at least 2004, when Alex Rios, McGowan, Gabe Gross, Aaron Hill and David Bush highlighted our Jays Top 10 Prospects list.

The system's best prospect is Travis Snider, who's on the verge of claiming the left-field job for several years. He spent most of the season in Double-A as a 20-year-old, and when he debuted in the big leagues in September he became the AL's youngest player. The drafting of Snider, a prep product, with the 14th overall pick in 2006 signaled a shift in philosophy for the organization. Toronto used a strictly college-oriented approach in its first four drafts under Ricciardi but since has become more diversified. Just two years ago, our Jays top 30 featured only one player they had drafted out of high school (Snider), while this year's list has eight.

In the 2007 draft, Toronto held seven of the first 88 picks and spent four of them on high schoolers. Seven players from that draft made this top 10 list, including prepsters Justin Jackson and Kevin Ahrens.

An increased big league payroll and the addition of a Rookie-level Gulf Coast League affiliate in 2007 have afforded the Blue Jays the patience and the means to develop less-refined high school and international talents. The younger players they've targeted have generally been more athletic, bolstering depth at key defensive positions. Shortstops Jackson, Gustavo Pierre and Tyler Pastornicky; third baseman Ahrens; second baseman John Tolisano; and center fielders Eric Eiland, Kenny Wilson and Markus Brisker all joined the organization as teenagers in the past two years.

In those same two years, Toronto also hit on several quality college draft picks. Catcher J.P. Arencibia and lefties Brett Cecil and Brad Mills, all 2007 draftees, reached Double-A and succeeded in their first full pro seasons. First baseman David Cooper, the 16th overall choice in 2008, hit his way to high Class A in his pro debut.

After years of playing it safe on the international market, the Blue Jays signed Pierre, one of the top 16-year-old Dominican talents available, for $700,000 on the first day of the 2008 signing period.

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