Brett Lawrie

I got a good up-close look at the Blue Jays 3rd baseman when they hosted the Pirates in Dunedin. The 24 year-old has shown flashes of power in his first two seasons and may be on the verge of forming a middle-of-the-batting-order slugging trio with teammates Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion. Already the highest-drafted Canadian player ever, the British Columbia productive might be the best native of his country to come into the majors since longtime Expos and Rockies star Larry Walker. Entering his mid-20s, this might be the year Lawrie reaches stardom and the Jays battle their way back toward contender status.
(If you notice a vague mesh pattern, that's because I took the shot through the protective fencing that tops the dugouts at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium.)

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