Besides his baserunning prowess, Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Gose has hit .296 with runners in scoring position and is hitting at a .278 clip against left-handed pitchers after being benched against them earlier this season. (Seth Wenig/Associated Press)
Freed from Tony La Russa, the hypercritical St. Louis media and his own negative thought process, Colby Rasmus is looking forward to a fresh start in 2012.
"The media in St. Louis, they were always on me. I guess I'm an easy target because I'm nice and I try to talk and be nice to the guys, but that's just not how it works. They'll take you for everything you can get. So I'm just going to try keep my mouth shut, play the baseball game, relax, and just have fun," Rasmus told reporters on Feb. 24.
But the 25-year-old outfielder, who appears rejuvenated after an ugly 35-game stretch with the Jays last season, better not get too complacent.
Two of the Jays' top prospects - Anthony Gose and Jake Marisnick - are centre-fielders and could challenge Rasmus for playing time as early as 2013.
Gose and Marisnick are part of a stellar group of promising young position players in the organization that are often overshadowed by the club's prized pitching prospects.
Here's a rundown of five of the Jays' most vaunted non-pitching prospects:
Travis d'Arnaud
Drafted: 2007
Age at start of 2012 season: 23
MLB player he resembles: Geovany Soto
Destination to start 2012: AAA Las Vegas
After four middling minor league seasons, d'Arnaud enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2011. His .311 batting average and 21 homers for AA New Hampshire helped him nab the Eastern League MVP award, while his efforts behind the plate earned him the circuit's top defensive catcher honours.
Projected to be superior to J.P. Arencibia both offensively and defensively, the six-foot-two, 195-pound backstop will hone his throwing mechanics and accuracy at AAA Las Vegas this season. Look for him to make his major league debut before the end of August.
Anthony Gose
Drafted: 2008
Age at start of 2012 season: 21
MLB player he resembles: Kenny Lofton
Destination to start 2012: AAA Las Vegas
The most electrifying prospect in the organization, Gose is as good defensively and on the base paths as any prospect in baseball. A former pitcher, the exciting six-foot-one, 190-pound Californian also possesses an outstanding arm. Last season at AA New Hampshire, he stole 70 bases in 85 attempts, a marked improvement over his 45 steals in 77 attempts in 2010.
With 16 home runs, Gose also discovered previously untapped power last season, but he also whiffed 154 times. He'll spend 2012 in Las Vegas, where he'll work on refining his two-strike approach and his plate discipline.
Jake Marisnick
Drafted: 2009
Age at start of 2012 season: 21
MLB player he resembles: Drew Stubbs
Destination to start 2012: Class-A Dunedin
Last season, his second at Low-A Lansing, Marisnick hit .320, walloped 14 homers, swiped 37 bases and provided excellent centre -field defence. The six-foot-four, 215-pound Californian's arm and offensive skills are strong enough that he could switch to a corner outfield position to accommodate Gose. A five-tool talent, Marisnick has worked to eliminate a small hitch in his swing that had concerned scouts. He'll likely hone his talents at Class-A Dunedin to start 2012.
Matt Dean
Drafted: 2011
Age at start of 2012 season: 19
MLB player he resembles: David Freese
Destination to start 2012: Short-Season Class-A Vancouver
The combination of a commitment to the University of Texas and his struggles on the showcase circuit last summer led Dean to fall to the 13th round of the 2011 draft. But the Jays managed to persuade the six-foot-three, 190-pound Texan to join their organization with a $737,500 signing bonus. Possessing power to all fields, as well as an above average arm, Dean was a shortstop in high school, but will man the hot corner professionally.
It's dangerous to get too excited about a player that has yet to face a pitch in pro ball, but Dean has a strong makeup and work ethic, and this season, he'll aim to improve his plate discipline and reduce a pronounced leg kick in his swing.
Adeiny Hechavarria
Drafted: Signed as a free agent in April 2010.
Age at start of 2012 season: 22
MLB player he resembles: Alcides Escobar
Destination to start 2012: AAA Las Vegas
After struggling offensively for most of his first two professional seasons, Hechavarria hit .389 in 25 games at AAA Las Vegas to end the 2011 campaign and continued to impress at the plate this spring by hitting .353 in seven big-league contests. A supremely gifted defender, Hechavarria has the range and hands to win a Gold Glove. And though the Jays won't say it, the budding Cuban infielder seems destined to force the club to move Yunel Escobar to second base.
Despite improvements at the plate and adding muscle to his frame, Hechavarria won't hit for much power and must become less of a free swinger. He'll start the season in AAA Las Vegas, but will likely be the first prospect called up in 2012.
Kevin Glew
Regaled with stories about Mickey Mantle by his father when he was growing up, Kevin Glew has always preferred baseball to hockey. His interest in the sport blossomed after he endured a bone-chilling wind on the bench seats down the right-field line at Toronto's Exhibition Stadium on Oct. 5, 1985 to witness the Blue Jays secure their first division title. Over the past decade, Kevin's work has been featured in Baseball Digest, Baseball America and on MLB.com.
