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The Jays have not sat on any of their young talent, moving individual players up quickly in recent years, once they have demonstrated they can play at a given level. So, it's likely that no one in the Toronto system will be garnering individual awards in the Florida State, Eastern or International leagues. But that's certainly not because they aren't talented or worthy, they just don't stay in the league long enough to make that kind of impact.

And that's the way the Blue Jays' front office likes it.

"We're very pleased with the progress we've made," said Tony LaCava, Toronto's director of player personnel. "It's all about getting them to the Major Leagues. Once they've shown they can master a league, we move them up, so sometimes we have players who are spread out over three levels. Chip Cannon [eighth round, 2004] is a perfect example of that. He hit 32 homers in three levels."

And after watching talented young infielders like Aaron Hill and Russ Adams race through the system in recent years, its no wonder Toronto's brass is happy with its move-'em-quickly policy.

Here's a look at some of what the Jays have on the farm this season. But based on recent history, don't expect all of them to be there long.

Five faves

Five prospects whose names you should know:

Dustin McGowan, RHP
After a remarkable recovery from Tommy John surgery, McGowan found himself in Toronto last season where he started seven of the 13 games in which he appeared. He wasn't nearly as effective (1-3, 6.36) as he had hoped to be, but he is healthy now and figures to be part of Toronto's rotation at some point this year. Whether that chance comes in April or later remains to be seen.

Ricky Romero, LHP
Romero wasted little time establishing himself as one of the more accomplished pitchers in all of Minor League baseball. After a brief stint in Auburn of the New York-Penn League, the sixth overall pick in last year's draft went 1-0 in eight starts at Dunedin of the Florida State League. Romero isn't overpowering, but he knows how to control the situation on the mound. He was on a strict pitch count last summer but faces no such limitation this season. Romero will probably begin the year back at Dunedin and pitch in Florida until the weather turns a bit more favorable in New Hampshire, where the Jays' Eastern League affiliate is located.

2005 Organizational Record
LEVEL AAA AA A A R R	LEAGUE IL EL FSL MWL NY-P APP	TEAM Syracuse New Hampshire Dunedin Lansing Auburn Pulaski TOTAL:	W 71 68 82 70 45 34 370	L 73 74 58 69 30 33 337	PCT .493 .479 .586 .504 .600 .507 .523

Adam Lind, OF
It didn't take long for Lind to establish himself as a bona fide star in Toronto's system. He showed how well he could hit last season, leading the Florida State League in doubles and extra-base hits. While his work with the glove doesn't quite compare to his facility with the bat -- he hit .313 -- Lind has a chance to move rapidly, even if he is a liability on the field at times. Look for an Eastern League start in New Hampshire, and if all breaks well, he'll scoot over to upstate New York and finish the season at Triple-A Syracuse.
Adam Lind raps an RBI double during the AFL season

Brandon League, RHP
League continues to baffle the experts, who looked at his golden arm, saw it produce pitches in excess of 100 mph, and predicted immediate success. Having a rocket for an appendage, however, doesn't always translate into triumph, and that may just be the case with League. He's shown flashes of brilliance, but has been bounced back and forth between the bullpen and the rotation. He's got great stuff but isn't consistent with it. League won't turn 23 until this month so no one is giving up on him yet, but it's time he starts to show more.

2005 Organizational Leaders
Average Home Runs RBIs SBs ERA Wins Strikeouts Saves	.339 32 114 30 2.18 16 161 30	Ryan Patterson Chip Cannon Kevin Barker Ryan Klosterman Casey Janssen Zach Jackson David Purcey Lee Gronkiewicz
Complete MiLB statistics

David Purcey with a strikeout in the FSL All-Star Game

Others to watch: RHP Francisco Rosario, RHP Shaun Markum, C Guillermo Quiroz, C Curtis Thigpen, OF/DH John-Ford Griffin, 3B John Hattig.
Syracuse's Francisco Rosario closes out Pawtucket
Guillermo Quiroz puts a three-run blast in the seats
Curtis Thigpen strokes an RBI single for New Hampshire

Cinderella stories

Chip Cannon, 1B
The Jays seemed to have gotten a bargain in the eighth round of the 2004 draft, taking the slugger from The Citadel, a military school in South Carolina. After hitting 10 homers as a New York-Penn League first-timer in 2004, Cannon came around last season, smacking 32 homers and driving in 98 runs. He was born with clubfeet and had three operations on each foot as a child. It would seem his life is a Cinderella story, so why not make his season one?

John Hattig, 3B
He's from Guam. How much more Cinderella do you need? He was the first player ever drafted from the tiny island, and came to the Jays in 2004 in the deal that sent Terry Adams to the Red Sox. Injuries limited him to 36 games last year but if he plays well in Syracuse -- he hit .316 in 26 games there a year ago -- he may get a taste as a bench player with the parent club.
Jonathan Mayo interviews John Hattig of Syracuse (May 2005)

Primed for breakout

Kyle Yates, RHP
After going 11-6, including 7-1 with a 1.91 ERA at Dunedin, it's difficult to imagine Yates having more of a breakout year. He's proven to be a real sleeper though, and this is the season in which everyone will get better acquainted with the former Texas Longhorn. He was never the top dog in Texas but he'll make plenty of noise this year, figuring to split time between Dunedin and New Hampshire. Yates will stay in the rotation this season, but at some point he'll probably move back into the bullpen.

2005 draft recap

1. Ricky Romero, LHP
1-0, 3.58 ERA, 33 IP, 38 H, 8 BB, 24 K

The former Cal State-Fullerton ace stepped right into pro ball and continued to excel. After a brief stay in the NY-P League, he made the jump to the Florida State League, going 1-0 with a 3.82 ERA in eight starts for Dunedin. He's moving quickly, so if you want to see him in your town make plans early.

2. Brian Pettway, OF
.225 BA, .288 OBP, .385 SLG

The University of Mississippi product experienced the usual struggles that many position players have when making their first leap into pro ball. Though he displayed better-than-average gap power in school, his impatience at the plate (66 strikeouts, 16 walks in 200 at-bats) made it difficult for him to display those talents in the NY-P League. He did have six homers and 25 RBIs.

3. Ryan Patterson, OF
.339 BA, .386 OBP, .595 SLG

Patterson fared much better than Pettway, nearly winning the NY-P Triple Crown. He led the circuit with 65 RBIs, finished second with 13 homers and was third in hitting. A power hitter at LSU, Patterson had some doubters who felt he might not make the transition to pro ball without the benefit of an aluminum bat. But he performed well and could have an impact sooner than originally expected.
Ryan Patterson gets the first NYPL All-Star Game hit

4. Eric Fowler, LHP
4-2, 3.02 ERA, 57 IP, 42 H, 29 BB, 55 K

A teammate of Pettway's at Mississippi, Fowler had a strong initial stretch in pro ball in 15 games (10 starts) for Auburn. He seemed to be more effective as a reliever, but the body of work was so small it would be difficult to make a judgment just yet as to where he might be most effective. He held opponents to a .202 batting average in 56 2/3 innings as young hitters struggled with his dazzling curveball. He could move quickly as he refines his secondary pitches.

5. Josh Bell, C
.238 BA, .258 OBP, .387 SLG

The success Bell enjoyed at Auburn University didn't follow him to Auburn in the NY-P League. He had three homers and 17 RBIs, but struck out 65 times and collected just four walks in 181 at-bats after hitting .338 with 59 RBIs in 240 at-bats at Auburn.

Best of the rest: RHP Jeremy Sowers (10th round), OF Jacob Butler (eighth round), SS Wesley Stone (11th round).

Predictions

Organization MVP: And the winner is ... Lind. It's tough not to like everything this kid has going for him. He's just a flat-out hitter who is fun to watch at the plate and should continue to rack up some impressive numbers in '06.

Pitcher of the Year: The easy pick would be to go with Romero or McGowan, but the selection here is Josh Banks. He's stubborn and durable on the mound and has the stuff to be a solid, middle-of-the-rotation guy. Banks chews up innings and could put together a 12- to 15-win season in the International League.

Team of the Year: Syracuse seems like the logical selection. They'll have some top-notch pitching for at least part of the season, with many of the best hurlers crisscrossing the northeast between New Hampshire and Syracuse. At some point Lind should be there, and with League and McGowan also checking in eventually, fun should be had by all in upstate New York.

Where'd he come from? Ryan Roberts has quietly gone about his business, moving across the diamond from third base to second base as he's worked his way up through the Jays system. He showed some pop in his bat last year (24 HRs, 79 RBIs), but is faced with the prospect of cracking a stellar young Toronto infield. After starting the year in Syracuse, look for him to be one of the first players called up should a bench position open or a spot starter be needed north of the border.

He's gonna make it after all: After what seemed to be an interminable climb through the Minor Leagues, first with the Yankees and then Toronto, John-Ford Griffin had a big 2005 in Syracuse and finally got rewarded with a call-up at season's end. Griffin may have finally broken through the barrier that will let him earn a spot on the bench this year.

Quotable

"I think that Adam Lind is a guy that's going to have a breakout year. He has the chance to be a special player, a special hitter, and he doesn't get the accolades that some others get. We liked his bat out of college and he's been making progress every year. I think he's going to be a fine left fielder." -- Tony LaCava, Toronto's director of player personnel.

Kevin Czerwinski is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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