There is a mix of talent at the Appalachian League level, and a lot of it is not very good. However, you do find the occasional first rounder out of high school (Aaron Sanchez) or the International bonus baby, such as Gustavo Pierre, but you can also find some hidden gems such as 2010 17th round pick Myles Jaye from Starrs Mill High School in Fayetteville, Ga. I was fortunate enough to see all three on my trip to upper east Tennessee and here are my thoughts on Pierre and Jaye (you can see my report on Sanchez a few stories down).

Gustavo Pierre

Much hyped, Pierre signed for $700,000 in July of 2008 and it’s been slow moving ever since for this 6’2 Dominican Republic native.

What’s good: He has a great, athletic frame with plenty of room to add muscle and strength. He has some pop with 7 HRs this year to go along with pretty good bat speed that he used to hit the ball hard in his first two ABs. He didn’t get a chance to show off his speed, but other reports say he has at least plus speed, which is good news for when he has to move to the OF (see below). He is 19, leaving plenty of time to develop and there is no rush to push him up levels.

What’s bad: He is already a DH, masquerading as a SS. He has 43 errors at short this alone in 68 games and has been written in at DH for 31 games. This mean he is going to have to hit, hit a lot, and hit for power. He may end up in a corner OF spot, but his value is going to be in his bat. He did miss a couple of curveballs that night as his swing got long and he has a bad habit of letting go of the bat with his top hand in the middle of the swing. This makes it impossible for him to use his top hand through the hitting zone, which is crucial. He has slightly improved his walk total, but he has a bad approach at the plate, causing him to strike out a lot and this is his biggest flaw right now, too many swings and misses.

Can he make it: Pierre has the frame and power potential to hit 25+ HRs a year, but it’s going to take a lot of work on his approach and patience in the Jays’ system before they see a return on their investment. Time is on the Jays and Pierre’s side, so there is no need to rush him. Look for him to be in Lansing in 2012, the team he started with in 2011.

Myles Jaye

Once again, the Jays spent for talent they want, giving this 17th rounder $250,000, a number usually spent on 3rd round picks. Early on, it looks like they made a wise choice here.

What’s good: Another young one, also only 19, he is a classic Blue Jays HS pitching prospect, tall, lanky and tons for room projection. He has smooth mechanics and delivers an 88-94 MPH fastball with ease. His low 80s slider looked real sharp at times, with hard biting downward action that saw a few swing and misses. He also looked quite athletic when covering first base, always a positive sign. He looked comfortable on the mound and knew what he was doing in the field.

What’s bad: As with a lot of young pitchers, controlling his pitches is his biggest weakness. He left his fastball up on several occasions, causing it to be hit hard. He didn’t always throw his slider for strikes or located it well enough to get the hitter to chase. He walks a few too many, but with time and learning how to pitch, that can be fixed.

Can he make it: He grades out right now as at least a future MLB long reliever, with the chance to be a back end rotation guy. I really like this pick by the Jays and they made the right decision to go well over the usual late round bonus. As with Pierre and most Appy guys, he can move slowly, but if he can refine his control and get his fastball down in the zone, he could move through levels quickly in a bullpen role.