Wondering which young players could have an impact in the majors this year? Let MLB FanHouse guide the way in Better Know a Prospect. In this edition we look at three players from the rapidly improving Toronto system.Travis Snider, OF: A 2006 first round pick out of high school in Washington state, Snider got a taste of the majors in 2008 as a 20-year-old after the Blue Jays dealt Matt Stairs to the Phillies. Snider is a pure masher. He hit .301 in his 24-game cameo with Toronto last year and pounded out 50 homers in 305 games at the minor league level. He is limited defensively -- at 5-foot-11, 245 pounds you can understand why -- but after finishing 11th in the AL in runs last year, the Jays are desperate for the infusion of offense that he could provide.
Brett Cecil, SP: Toronto had one of the best pitching staffs in baseball last year, but the departure of A.J. Burnett and severe injuries to Shaun Marcum and Dustin McGowan have left the rotation in a state of flux. That could open the door for Cecil, who is widely considered the best pitching prospect in the Blue Jays' system. The southpaw has transitioned to a starting nicely after serving as closer for the University of Maryland in college, posting a 2.41 ERA and whiffing 185 batters in 168 1/3 innings over two minor league seasons. When he's not missing bats, Cecil induces a lot of weak contact; He had a 62.5 percent ground ball rate last year.
Ricky Romero, SP: Another left-handed pitcher, Romero has struggled for much of his professional career, but he performed well last year after getting called up to Triple-A Syracuse, posting a 3.38 ERA and fanning 38 in 42 2/3 innings there after a rough go with Double-A New Hampshire. Once upon a time in 2005, the Jays selected Romero No. 6 overall, right between Ryan Braun at No. 5 and Troy Tulowitzki at No. 7. There are a host of other notable names that went after him -- Mike Pelfrey, Cameron Maybin, Jay Bruce, Chris Volstad, Jacoby Ellsbury and Matt Garza, to name a few --so the Jays probably feel some pressure to justify picking him so highly, or at least to salvage some value from the selection. Couple that with the holes in Toronto's rotation, and he's likely to get a shot soon.For comprehensive coverage of the minor leagues, visit John Sickels at Minor League Ball and Baseball America. For minor league statistics, visit Baseball-Reference and Minor League Splits.
