Jake Marisnick, or known by his Twitter handle, @JakeMarisnick, was chosen 104th overall in the 3rd round pick in the 2009 Amateur Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays. Although MLB recommended he should sign for $310,000, the Jays signed him for a $1 million bonus. There is valid reason for that payment. Here’s why Marisnick has so much potential:

In his first year with the organization, Marisnick was assigned to the rookie-level Gulf Coast League. As Mop-up Duty  acknowledged, “Jake swiped 2 bags in his first 2 games, showed off his plus arm in nabbing a runner at home and at 3rd for 2 outfield assists in his third game, [and] […] hit 7 doubles in his first 10 games.” He was ready to prove he was the player the organization was hoping for.

He continued to show what he could do throughout the whole season. In 35 games in the GCL, Jake hit .287 with 12 doubles, three HR, and had a slugging percentage of .469. He also had an impressive 14 stolen bases in 15 attempts. This determination and perseverance earned him the MVP of the GCL league.

No surprise, then, that these numbers proved to be strong enough to earn him a mid-season promotion to the Lansing Lugnuts – the Jays’ Low-A affiliate team.

In Lansing, Marisnick continued to prove he was a threat, compiling 28 hits, 11 of those for extra bases (eight doubles, two triples, and one HR). Although his strikeouts increased, he continued to utilize his speed, stealing another nine bases. There is no doubt that Marisnick has become an instinctive and aggressive base runner. This type of player is one that the Blue Jays have been missing for the past few years, and will surely be able to utilize when he makes it to the majors.

Many professional scouts have compared the young athlete to Torii Hunter. Coincidentally, it probably helps that Marisnick’s advisor is Larry Reynolds, Hunter’s longtime agent.  The comparison comes as a strong compliment to Marisnick. In fact, in an interview with Baseball Beginnings Jake admitted:

“I try to model myself after Torii Hunter in the way he gets after it. He goes out, gets it done on defense, plays hard for his team and gets it done with the stick, hitting for power and average. […] The tools I’ll carry with me are the speed and the arm, the tools you can’t take away and you can’t teach.”

Evidently, it’s not just me, Baseball Beginnings, or Jake himself that have faith in his potential. Lisa Winston, an MLB beat writer, also stated: “Marisnick has tremendous makeup and athleticism. There is no doubt that his strength and speed are among his best tools.”

All of that said, Marisnick knows there’s still room to upgrade those skills.

“Over the offseason I have worked hard on gaining strength and improving my quickness. I’m very excited with where I am at getting ready to head back to spring training“

Marisnick said in an email to Jaysprospects.com.

“I’m very excited for the upcoming season not just for myself but the entire organization. It will be exciting to play a full season. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store.”

It is clear that Jake takes pride in his defense and his team, which always seems to be innate with the rare natural center fielders. For this reason, I’d like to compare him to recently-departed, Vernon Wells, because of his determination and above-average defense.

JaysProspects would like to thank Jake Marisnick for his time. We wish him luck making it into the big leagues.