J.P. Arencibia Stats & Scouting Report

AB	1573
AVG	.212
OBP	.258
SLG	.412
HR	80

Full name Jonathan Paul Arencibia
Born 01/05/1986 in Miami, FL
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Tennessee
Debut 08/07/2010
Drafted in the 1st round (21st overall) by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2007 (signed for $1,327,500).

View Draft Report

Shortly after Julio Borbon broke his ankle in the preseason, Tennessee's next best hitter, Arencibia, pulled a muscle in his back and was forced out of the lineup until mid-March. He ranked with Borbon among USA Baseball's college national team's top prospects last summer after leading the team with nine home runs in 121 at-bats. Power has long been his calling card. The Miami native tied Alex Rodriguez' Westminster Christian High career record for home runs with 17 and was drafted by the Mariners in the 17th round in 2004. A potential first-rounder entering the season, Arencibia struggled offensively and behind the plate upon returning to the lineup. He's an aggressive hitter with plus power to all fields. His swing gets long and he tends to have too much of an uppercut stroke. The verdict is out on whether he'll stay behind the plate as a pro. His receiving skills are rudimentary at best, and his footwork prevents him from getting off better throws despite solid-average to plus arm strength. His stock has slipped, but he won't make it out of the second round.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

The 21st overall pick in 2007, Arencibia has hit 82 homers in three full pro seasons since signing for $1,327,500. LASIK surgery improved his night vision and helped him raise his Triple-A numbers from .236/.284/.444 in 2009 to .301/.359/.626 last season, earning him Pacific Coast League MVP honors. Called to Toronto in August, he became the first player in modern baseball history to collect four hits and two homers in his big league debut. Afterward, he went 1-for-30 with 11 strikeouts. Arencibia's carrying tool is his power to all fields, which is at least above-average and draws 70 grades on the 20-80 scale from some scouts. He overswings at times and isn't terribly disciplined at the plate, so he may not hit for a high average. His defense also is in question. He has solid arm strength but threw out just 23 percent of PCL basestealers. His receiving and blocking skills are improving, though just average at best, and he can get lackadaisical at times. He has below-average speed but isn't terrible for a catcher. John Buck made his first all-star team in 2010, but he departed as a free agent to the Marlins, leaving Arencibia as the favorite to win the catching job out of spring training in 2011.
The No. 2 college catching prospect behind Matt Wieters in 2007, Arencibia signed for $1,327,500 as the 21st overall pick. After struggling in his pro debut, in part because a pitch hit him on his left wrist, he has hit 27 and 21 homers in his two full seasons. Arencibia's ability to hit for power is his most attractive asset. He also has made strides behind the plate, boosting his overall value. He has a slightly above-average arm and has worked hard to shore up his once-shaky receiving skills. His game-calling has impoved as well. Scouts question how much Arencibia will hit in the major leagues because his swing is long and his bat speed is ordinary. His overly aggressive approach caught up to him in Triple-A. He still needs more polish defensively, as he threw out just 25 percent of basestealers and committed 14 passed balls in 2009. Like most catchers, he's a below-average runner. Even if he never hits for a high average, Areniciba could provide 20-25 homers on an annual basis and solid defense. With only John Buck, Raul Chavez and Ramon Castro standing in his way, he'll take over in Toronto as soon as he's ready. Arencibia will return to Las Vegas to begin 2010.
The 21st overall pick in 2007, Arencibia signed for $1,327,500 and struggled in his pro debut, in part because he was hit by a pitch on his left wrist. Healthy in 2008, he tied Minor League Player of the Year Matt Wieters for the most homers by a minor league catcher (27) and ranked 10th in the minors with 105 RBIs. Arencibia has impressive power to all fields--especially to center and left field--and rarely gets cheated at the plate. An agile and fundamentally sound receiver who calls a good game, he's bilingual and a natural leader. He threw out 34 percent of basestealers in 2008, and evaluators rave about his easy, accurate and strong throwing arm. He also improved his blocking skills, dramatically reducing his rate of passed balls. Despite batting .298 in his first full pro season, Arencibia projects as an average hitter at best at the big league level. He likes to swing at the first pitch he can handle, leading to few deep counts and even fewer walks, so the Blue Jays challenged him to see more pitches during his stint in the Arizona Fall League. Arencibia's long swing and tendency to uppercut also will cut into his average. As with most catchers, he's a below-average runner. A potential first-division regular, Arencibia is Toronto's catcher of the future. He could be big leagueready by the second half of 2009.
Arenicibia tied Alex Rodriguez' career record with 17 homers at Miami's Westminster Christian High, and he led USA Baseball's college national team with nine homers in the summer of 2006. A strained muscle in his back contributed to a lackluster junior season at Tennessee, but he still went 21st overall in the 2007 draft and signed for $1,327,500. It took him some time to get comfortable in pro ball, and he was hit by a pitch on his left wrist in midsummer, which sapped his power. Power long has been Arencibia's calling card. He's an aggressive hitter with juice to all fields. He has decent mobility and a strong arm, which he employed to throw out 34 percent of basestealers in his debut. He blocks balls well and made progress calling games. He's a natural leader who's also fluent in Spanish. Arencibia's swing gets long and he tends to have too much of an uppercut. He'll need to shorten his stroke and tighten his strike zone to hit for average. His receiving skills were rudimentary at best in college. The Blue Jays have worked on his setup to help him better receive the ball to his glove side, with his elbow down instead of out. Though his arm is strong, his footwork often prevents him from getting off quicker throws. He's a below-average runner. With Curtis Thigpen and Robinzon Diaz close to being big league ready, Toronto can afford to take its time with Arencibia. He'll begin his first full season in high Class A.

Minor League Top Prospects

Arencibia led all minor league catchers with 32 homers and won the league MVP award. He has a smooth, easy stroke that generates plus power to all fields. His approach matured in his second year in the PCL, though he isn't expected to hit for a high average because he still over-swings at times and is a well below-average runner. Arencibia's defense remains his biggest sore point. He improved his blocking and receiving skills, but they're still just average at best. His 13 passed balls ranked second in the league, and PCL observers criticized him for getting lackadaisical behind the plate. His arm strength is average, but he threw out just 23 percent of basestealers for the 51s.
Arencibia had little trouble jumping to Double-A in the second half of his first full season. He showed his power-and-defense combination right away in the EL, with three doubles and two home runs in his first week. He also threw out his first basestealer and 34 percent overall. The biggest knock against Arencibia is his overly aggressive offensive approach. He'll also need to polish his receiving skills after committing 33 passed balls in his first 159 pro games. "He's outstanding defensively and he's going to catch in the big leagues," an AL scout said. "He threw as easily as anyone I saw all year-- easy, accurate and strong. He gave away a lot of at-bats when I saw him, but the bat will play."
Before he was promoted to Double-A in June, Arencibia made a run at the FSL triple crown and also impressed observers with his work behind the plate as well. He uses the whole ballpark and shows some power to the opposite field. While he doesn't walk much, that's more a result of aggressiveness than of chasing pitches out of the zone. He takes a pretty big hack and usually goes after the first strike he sees. "He's aggressive in the zone," Fort Myers manager Jeff Smith said. "He doesn't get cheated up there, but he has knowledge of the strike zone." Arencibia has a strong arm and quick release, and he threw out 35 percent of basestealers. He came to the FSL with a reputation for having mediocre receiving skills, but he showed agility and an aptitude for framing pitches and blocking balls in the dirt.
Arencibia entered his junior year at Tennessee as a potential top 10 pick, but he was slowed by a strained muscle in his back early this spring and slipped to Toronto at No. 21 overall. It took him some time to get comfortable in pro ball, and he was hit by a pitch on his left wrist in midsummer, which sapped his power. In the past, he showed above-average pull power with wood bats with Team USA. Arencibia should hit for power with a decent average, but his catch-and-throw skills have been widely debated. The consensus this summer was that he's a good enough defender to catch in the big leagues. He has decent mobility and a strong arm, though he's still working on getting rid of the ball quicker and controlling the running game. Arencibia threw out 34 percent of basestealers in the NY-P. He blocks balls well and made progress calling games.