The Toronto Blue Jays have a unique farm system. If any other team’s looked like theirs, they might need to collect as much talent as possible right now and hope to hit on a few guys in short order. But Toronto graduated an exceptional amount of talent to the big leagues last year in Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, and Cavan Biggio. Those are the kinds of names around which the team could—and hopes t0—build for at least the next six or seven years.
What’s left is a collection of players who are primarily tabbed to be role players, save for a few at the top who offer more intrigue or ceiling. In the next wave of talent the team moves to the majors they’ll look to establish their starting rotation and find complements to the massively talented core that arrived last year.
Note: These Top 50 lists are all done through a fantasy baseball-focused lens. Many players who are ranked higher or lower on other platforms will get a boost here. For example, players who profile as middle relievers or glove-first infielders likely won’t have much fantasy relevance, so they won’t be ranked as highly.
1. RHP Nate Pearson
Age: 23
Highest level: AAA
Nate Pearson brings triple-digit heat with a slider in the 90s and a gotcha-speed curveball in the 70s. He also has a changeup but hasn’t needed it too much yet, making it something to keep an eye on. The arsenal is built for whiffs. Command was a concern after the Arizona Fall League in 2018, but he kept free passes in check through 2019 and continued to build his case as a premium starting pitcher prospect on the precipice of MLB.
It’ll be interesting to see how deep the Jays let Pearson go into games. He made 25 appearance last year but only averaged four innings per appearance. He went at least five or more frames from July 24 and on. If he can keep it up he’ll be a foundational piece for Toronto—and your squads—soon.
ETA: 2020
2. 3B Jordan Groshans
Age: 20
Highest Level: A
Jordan Groshans has loud, explosive skills which emanate through fierce bat speed that can put a hurting on pitchers. Like nearly any hitter who effectively uses aggression as a sixth tool, there are possible swing-and-miss concerns, but he’s not giving anyone reason to buy into those yet. He also figures to grow into his power as his 6’3″ frame is primed for it as he matures.
He has enough athleticism and the right offensive profile to stick at third, possibly allowing the Jays to use Guerrero more liberally at DH and first base. Snap him up if you’re looking for a Josh Donaldson-esque prospect to take over the hot corner on your team in the next couple of years.
ETA: 2022
3. RHP Alek Manoah
Age: 21
Highest Level: A-
The Jays took Alek Manoah 11th overall in the 2019 draft. He uses a fastball, slider, and changeup, and racked up 144 Ks in 108.1 innings with a 2.08 ERA and a sub-1.00 WHIP for the West Virginia Mountaineers in his junior year. There are some concerns about how well he throws strikes, as he walked more batters in each of his first two college seasons than he did in 2019 despite throwing half the innings.
But we could also consider his breakout draft-year performance as the kind of non-linear progress we see all sorts of prospects make every season. At 6’6″ and 260 pounds, it’s possible he figured out how to optimize his body to boost his stock and prospect status. He pitched only 17 professional innings over six starts but performed well. If Manoah starts strong next year, he’ll be worth a quick add.
ETA: 2022
4. RHP Simeon Woods Richardson
Age: 19
Highest Level: A+
The Jays acquired Simeon Woods Richardson along with Anthony Kay from the Mets for Marcus Stroman at the 2019 trade deadline. The inclusion of Woods Richardson raised eyebrows in a similar way to how the Mets sent Jarred Kelenic to the Mariners in the Edwin Diaz/Robinson Cano blockbuster. He works aggressively, up in the zone with heat and down with breakers, which is becoming the prototypical way to build a starting pitcher.
Upon joining Toronto’s org, Woods Richardson was assigned to High-A and threw six solid outings in which he struck out more than a batter per inning and was stodgy when it came to giving free passes. Prospecting in dynasty is always a balancing act; if you can afford to wait on a teenage pitcher to see if he breaks out even more, he could be well worth it.
ETA: 2022
5. LHP Anthony Kay
Age: 24
Highest Level: MLB
Kay is almost definitively average across the board, except he can push 95 mph on his sinker from the left side. His skill set isn’t game-changing, but it is valuable enough in the big leagues that he’ll get chances to stick in rotations.
He got a cup of coffee with the Jays in three starts at the close of 2019, looking like a solid back-end piece. His strikeout and walk numbers in that tiny sample look similar to Julio Teheran’s and Joey Lucchesi’s. Steamer projects him for worse, but the truth might be somewhere in the middle.
ETA: 2020
6. RHP Eric Pardinho
Age: 18
Highest Level: A
Eric Pardinho was a big get for the Jays in the 2016 J2 class, signing a seven-figure bonus out of Brazil. He’s thrown fewer than 90 professional innings but can pump up his heat into the mid-90s. He’s got a slider, curve, and changeup to go with it that all play at least average, if not better.
The concern for Pardinho is his size. He’s listed at 5’10”, 155 pounds, leaving little room for projection and a lot for healthy skepticism about his velo and body holding up over the rigors of a full season. I’d rather wait and let him show me something before taking a flier on grabbing a share now.
ETA: 2022
7. RHP Adam Kloffenstein
Age: 19
Highest Level: A-
Adam Kloffenstein was teammates with Groshans in high school before Toronto took the pair just two rounds apart in 2018. Like many of the org’s pitching prospects, he’s got a huge frame (6’5″, 243 lbs) and a four-pitch mix that’s led by heat he can push into the mid-90s.
After barely throwing at all immediately after being drafted, he tossed 64.1 effective frames in 2019 that provided plenty to keep projecting on. The big goal, or hope, will be to get him to maintain his velocity as he builds up his innings totals. He averaged fewer than five innings per start over 13 starts.
ETA: 2022
8. 3B Miguel Hiraldo
Age: 19
Highest Level: A
Scouting reports on Miguel Hiraldo project him as a solid all-around player who won’t be a star but will be a welcome addition to the MLB club that gets to roster him. He’s got a fire-plug build that doesn’t have much left by way of projection, but his barrel control and plus bat speed allow him to get to the ball with force.
His skill set for dynasty strikes me as one that’s underappreciated yet plenty serviceable—the kind of guy who helps in an injury pinch or is comfortable to keep around until you look for something different on the wire.
ETA: 2022
9. SS Orelvis Martinez
Age: 17
Highest Level: R
Orelvis Martinez signed for the second-highest bonus in the 2018 J2 signing period, behind only Victor Victor Mesa. He brings a ton of potential, as shown through his lofty .278 ISO in 40 rookie-ball games with a K% under 20. His pro debut showcased how he can make good use of his frame to get to make contact and tap into his power. If it clicks, the offense he provides will allow him to settle in most anywhere defensively.
At this point, he’s an add for a super deep league and a guy to keep an eye on in shallower ones.
ETA: 2023
10. SS/3B Kevin Smith
Age: 23
Highest Level: AA
Kevin Smith started showing up on prospecting radars in 2018 where dominated A-ball and then held his own in High-A. He finished the year with 25 homers and 29 steals. He was assigned to Double-A to start 2019 and struggled, hitting below .200 with an OPS below .600 through the first half of the year. No qualifying major leaguer had an OPS below .633 last year.
He ended his 2019 stronger and appearing to have settled in, and then went to the Arizona Fall League and hit below .100 in 18 games. There’s major league talent there, but for fantasy purposes, Smith isn’t a priority.
ETA: 2020
11. OF Griffin Conine
Age: 22
Highest Level: A
Griffin Conine is another prospect member of the Jays’ unabashed sons-of-former-big leaguers club. He started 2019 by serving a 50-game suspension after testing positive for ritalinic acid. He came back and thumped 22 homers in 80 games while slashing .283/.371/.576 at Single-A Lansing. He also struck out nearly 36% of the time, too.
The profile reads as boom-or-bust for Conine. Something’s going to have to give as he moves through the minors—either the Ks drop or the power becomes completely neutralized against advanced pitching. The start of his 2020 will be fascinating to watch.
ETA: 2021
12. C Alejandro Kirk
Age: 21
Highest Level: A+
Alejandro Kirk is listed as 5’9″, 220 pounds. It would be irresponsible to not share a FanGraphs report on him: “The first thing anyone talks about when Kirk’s name comes up is his weight…one source body comp’d him to Chris Farley, noting that, like Farley, Kirk is deceptively agile for his size.”
Oh. My. God!
I don’t know about you guys, but this automatically makes me pull for Kirk. He made stops at A and High-A ball last season and walked more than he struck out at each. He had 39 extra-base hits in 92 games and finished the season with the seventh-highest batting average and second-highest OBP in the entire Jays system. He’s a couple of years away, but he feels like another episode of La Tortuga, Toronto Style.
ETA: 2022
13. C Gabriel Moreno
Age: 19
Highest Level: A
Gabriel Moreno makes for an interesting case as to what a catcher can be. Body-wise, he’s the exact opposite of Kirk, as he’s listed at only 5’11”, 160 pounds. Catchers are getting smaller, though, as Carlos Muñoz pointed out in his Saberseminar presentation back in August.
Moreno brings a high-energy approach and broke out this year to the tune of a .280/.337/.480 triple slash with 12 homers and a K% of just 11.1. He also threw out 33% of would-be base stealers. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s part of a catching platoon, making him a solid streamer at some point.
ETA: 2023
14. RHP Thomas Hatch
Age: 25
Highest Level: AA
There have been questions about Thomas Hatch’s control in the past that make it fair to wonder if he can start long term or if he’ll be pushed to a relief role. He made 19 starts for the Cubs’ Double affiliate before being traded to the Jays in the David Phelps deal at the deadline, and then made six more starts for Toronto’s Double-A Fisher Cats.
In the Cubs org, Hatch walked 37 batters in 21 starts. After being traded, he walked only two. Small sample size? Certainly. But Toronto helped him tweak something for the better. If he’s got control, he could be a back-end starter. If he doesn’t, he could focus on his two best pitches as a reliever and see his velo tick up, allowing him to enter the conversation for high-leverage opportunities.
ETA: 2020
15. OF Chavez Young
Age: 22
Highest Level: A+
Chavez Young is profiled as having great make-up and defense, making him a solid bet to stick around in the majors once he arrives. He’s a switch-hitter who has flashed gap power and the instincts to steal bases. His 2019 might look like a disappointment relative to his 2018, but the skills are there, and it’s possible he was working on things that don’t show up in the standard box score.
This is the kind of player whose skill set will provide opportunity, which can be one of the most valuable traits about unheralded prospects in dynasty leagues. You don’t need to add him now, but he’ll be worth keeping an eye on for a Toronto team that doesn’t have the same amount of stability in the outfield as it does in the infield.
ETA: 2022
16. RHP Kendall Williams
Age: 19
Highest Level: R
Toronto took Kendall Williams in the second round of the 2019 draft. He’s another big boy—6’6″, 205 pounds—and he got in 16 innings with the org’s rookie-ball affiliate before the season was done. He’s got the fastball-curveball combo and can pump the heat into the mid-90s. His size helps his stuff play up because of the extension he gets and the resulting plane on which it attacks hitters.
He’s got a ton of projectability, and it’ll be a while before we know exactly what kind of role he’ll fill as he learns to work his long levers. He’s the kind of guy I’m adding to a list I check in on periodically through the season.
ETA: 2024
17. Dasan Brown
Age: 18
Highest Level: R
Dasan Brown is a Canadian native whom the Jays popped on in the third round last June. He’s got legitimate 80-grade speed and picked up six steals in 14 rookie-ball games after the draft. He’s got good bat speed, too, but is super raw. That makes sense, given that he was one of the youngest players in the entire draft class.
In addition to his six steals, he also walked nine times in those 14 games after being drafted. That’s the kind of thing I like to look for in younger prospects. If they’re flashing a quiet carrying tool while have loud abilities elsewhere, they can provide a ton of sneaky value.
ETA: 2024
18. RHP Patrick Murphy
Age: 24
Highest Level: AA
Patrick Murphy’s injury history alone might be enough to scare you off at first look: He’s already had Tommy John and thoracic outlet surgery. He was mostly healthy in 2019, though, and started catching some attention for how he commanded the zone. His K-BB% was 16.2 (the major league average usually sits somewhere around 14%).
The concern here, like with lots of Jays “starter” prospects, is how many innings he can go. As with a lot of his peers, he averaged less than five frames per start. Combine that with his injury history, and it’s not hard to see Murphy leveraged as a reliever whose heavy fastball could help at the end of games. It’ll be interesting to see how much leash the Jays give him this year and if he can successfully shove his way to the majors.
ETA: 2020
19. RHP Yennsy Diaz
Age: 23
Highest Level: MLB
Yennsy Diaz has been developed as a starter through the minors, but he profiles as a reliever in the majors. He’s got mid-90s fastball and a two-plane curveball that would be best served out of the bullpen. That might help his velo play up to get more whiffs, but unless you’re in a ratios league he’s probably of fleeting interest.
ETA: 2020
20. RHP Curtis Taylor
Age: 24
Highest Level: AA
Curtis Taylor came from the Rays as the final piece of the Eric Sogard deal. His season effectively ended in May because of elbow pain.
Not pitching since the season’s second full month? Bad. Still being interesting enough for a team to acquire you? Good. Taylor has pitched 73 innings and 45 innings in the last two years, making him look distinctly like a middle reliever. That makes sense given how the Rays use the opener. His fastball-slider combo played up in that context, and the Jays probably have similar ideas. Like Diaz above, if you’re not in a ratio league, you probably won’t spend a lot of time considering Taylor.
ETA: 2020
21. OF Will Robertson
Age: 21
Highest Level: A-
Will Robertson was drafted in the fourth round last June out of Creighton where he slashed .307/.401/.509 in three years. He was assigned to Low-A and struggled at first, but turned it on to finish with a .268/.365/.505 line with six homers in 61 games. Offense will be his calling card, so if he makes it to the majors, it’ll be because the numbers at the plate got him there.
His ceiling probably ends up as a lower-end left fielder or platoon bat. Useful for the Jays if he reaches it, less so for dynasty leaguers.
ETA: 2023
22. RHP T.J. Zeuch
Age: 24
Highest Level: MLB
T.J. Zeuch doesn’t have the high-octane stuff you’d expect of someone who’s 6’7″, but he does have pitchability. It was enough to get him to the majors for the Jays last year where he tossed 22.2 innings over five appearances. He struck out less than the average reliever and gave up more free passes. He might get more chances if he can limit the walks, which he has a history of having done through the minors.
For dynasty purposes, he’s probably going to be a guy you might throw a dart with on the odd day you need innings or if you’re on the bubble closer to the playoffs.
ETA: 2020
23. OF Anthony Alford
Age: 25
Highest Level: MLB
Anthony Alford is a power/speed threat who’s never quite gotten to the power and hasn’t quite been on base enough to show the speed. His last extended stay at any stop with a wRC+ above 95 was Double-A in 2017, where it was 135. He doesn’t rank higher than the fourth option at any outfield spot on the Jays depth chart.
We’re probably nearing the end of the road of Alford’s relevancy for dynasty if we haven’t already turned off it. Maybe there are a ton of injuries in Toronto’s outfield in 2020 and he chips in a few stolen bags.
ETA: 2020
24. RHP Hector Perez
Age: 23
Highest Level: AA
Hector Perez was acquired in the unsavory Roberto Osuna trade. He’s been developed as a starter in the minors, even having thrown 121 innings last year, but still projects to the bullpen because of stiff arm action and lack of control.
His K/9 was in double digits in 2018 between A-ball and each team’s Double-A affiliate, but it was below 9.00 in 2019. After so many relief profiles that have gone through the system were used as starters in some capacity, it seems like the Jays want to see who they can get the most out of by giving the most innings. For fantasy purposes, we can sit on the sidelines until it sorts itself out.
ETA: 2020
25. C Reese McGuire
Age: 24
Highest Level: AA
Reese McGuire is barely a prospect at this point, having played in 30 games and racked up 97 at-bats last year. He’ll move past the rookie max in that regard in early 2020. He’s supposed to be a defense-first backstop who pairs as a nice complement to a more offensive-oriented catcher like Danny Jansen, but in limited samples in the majors he’s produced good numbers at the plate by avoiding Ks and driving the ball.
He might be a name to keep in the back of your mind. If Jansen struggles for an extended period again, maybe McGuire siphons some plate appearances and gives us a few surprises.
ETA: 2020
26. OF Tanner Morris
Age: 22
Highest Level: A-
Tanner Morris was drafted in the fifth round in 2019 as a bat-first, and possibly bat-only, prospect. He could probably fill left field and only because of the offense he may put up. He was assigned to Low-A after being selected, where he played 64 games and walked (16.7%) nearly as much as he struck out (19%). He’ll be a lot more interesting in deeper formats if he can maintain that kind of eye at the plate.
ETA: 2023
27. C Riley Adams
Age: 23
Highest Level: AA
Riley Adams is another solid backup-looking catcher prospect in the Jays system who hits the ball hard. That translated into more homers in 2019 but came at the expense of his ability to get on base, as his walk percentage dropped seven points and his strikeout rate went from 21.7% to 31.6%. If he can find a happy medium, he might be worth a stream once he hits the majors, but I’m not hoping for more.
ETA: 2021
28. RHP Joey Murray
Age: 23
Highest Level: AA
After dominating Low-A in 63 innings last year with a 23.6 K-BB%, Joey Murray was promoted to Double-A and barely slowed down at all. He threw another 43.2 innings and walked a few more guys, dropping his K-BB% to 18.5. Assuming he starts the season there, it’ll be interesting to watch how he produces in his second go-round at the level. If he picks up where he left off, or is even better because he’s more comfortable, he’s the kind of arm I love having at the back end of my farm.
ETA: 2021
29. 2B Samad Taylor
Age: 21
Highest Level: A+
The book on Samad Taylor tells of electric tools that would lead to a starting second baseman of some quality. It also tells of perhaps trying to do too much at times. His approach worked in 2018, but he struck out almost 10% more in 2019. His power and steals lessened as a result and, though he generated runs at a slightly higher clip, more advanced pitching might continue to carve him up and reduce that, too.
If Taylor bounces back in 2020, he might be worth putting on your radar. The deeper the league, the more value you’ll be able to extract from him, though it’ll probably be in lieu of average and OBP.
ETA: 2022
30. SS Leonardo Jimenez
Age: 18
Highest Level: A
Leonardo Jimenez gets praised for his advanced glove work and solid offensive profile. His defense is probably the carrying tool, and the offense appears as though it could be reminiscent of César Hernández’s, featuring more gap power than dinger bashing. That’s if it all comes together, though. The defense will probably continue to provide opportunity, which I’ve emphasized above as a key consideration worth taking, but he’s so far off that you can afford to wait on him.
ETA: 2023
31. SS Otto Lopez
Age: 21
Highest Level: A
Otto Lopez played second, short, and the outfield for Low-A Lansing last season, and he’s going to have to do more of that to keep pushing through to the majors. He’s got enough of a feel to hit to make him more than a defensive replacement off the bench in the later innings, but not quite enough to be interesting in the vein of other utility guys like Marwin Gonzalez or Howie Kendrick.
Those players grew into who they were after they reached the majors, though. You can wait on Lopez and then some to see if he might surpass his current ceiling of bench piece.
ETA: 2022
32. RHP Kyle Johnston
Age: 23
Highest Level: A
Kyle Johnston came to the Jays from the Nationals in the Daniel Hudson trade. He had a totally average K-BB% of 14.4 with Washington’s Double-A affiliate and performed poorly after being traded, registering a -7.7 K-BB%. His true talent is closer to the pre-trade version.
That said, he’s the kind of milquetoast starting pitching prospect who won’t draw a lot of eyes but will probably draw a fair amount of streams in deeper leagues, like Erick Fedde.
ETA: 2022
33. RHP Dany Jimenez
Age: 25
Highest Level: AA
Dany Jimenez is another middle-relief prospect for the Jays who struck out nearly 44% of hitters at High-A last year. He got bumped to Double-A about halfway through his season, walked the same amount of guys, and still whiffed at a 34% clip. Real life interesting but immaterial for fantasy.
ETA: 2020
34. SS Kevin Vicuña
Age: 21
Highest Level: A+
Kevin Vicuña is regarded as the best defensive shortstop in the Jays system and has an excellent makeup. These are the things that will get him to the big leagues and help him stay more than anything else.
He’s probably not going to be much of a threat offensively. He hit .250 with one homer in 440 plate appearances last year in High-A. The only thing to take note of is the opportunity he’ll get because of the defense and how he handles the mental side of things. I’m not sure I can say enough about how much opportunity helps guys reach levels most didn’t see coming.
ETA: 2021
35. RHP Emanuel Vizcaino
Age: 20
Highest Level: R
Emanuel Vizcaino has a promising fastball-curveball combo that could work well out of relief, but he’s behind the curve with being 20 already and not having played in 2019. If afterthoughts had afterthoughts, it might be Vizcaino for dynasty leaguers right now.
ETA: 2023
36. OF Jhon Solarte
Age: 18
Highest Level: R
Jhon Solarte has a decent eye at the plate, with a walk rate in double digits and a K rate barely breaking 20% in either of the last two seasons. He also added a pinch of power in 2019, but his ISO still hasn’t broken triple digits.
He repeated rookie ball last year but is still young. The best-case scenario probably paints him into a corner outfield spot, but he’s going to have to hit a bunch more to get anywhere close to that.
ETA: 2023
37. RHP Maximo Castillo
Age: 20
Highest Level: A+
Maximo Castillo has a keen ability to limit walks, as evidenced by his 2.3 BB/9 through four minor league seasons. He’s moved up a level each year since 2017, and if he can continue to limit free passes while getting the occasional strikeout, maybe he develops into a back-end rotation piece for the Jays. It might take regularly coaxing more ground balls, though.
ETA: 2022
38. C Hagen Danner
Age: 21
Highest Level: A
Hagen Danner is a traditional catcher prospect who shows promise behind the plate and for whom the offense is developing slowly. He bopped 12 homers last year in 307 plate appearances—10 more than 2018—but he struck out more than 30% of the time.
In a system with what seems like a million catcher prospects, Danner will have more real-life value than to any dynasty format.
ETA: 2023
39. C Philip Clarke
Age: 21
Highest Level: A-
Philip Clarke isn’t much of a defender but offers pop with an interesting wrinkle, being that he hits left-handed. He walked 12.6% and struck out just 13.2% of the time in 37 Low-A games after being drafted.
He collected a .299/.344/.466 slash line in two years with 47 extra-base hits in 545 plate appearances at Vanderbilt, so the offensive promise is there. His eye at the plate seems to be getting better, so if you’re going to bookmark him, make sure you keep tabs on that BB:K ratio.
ETA: 2023
40. 3B Jose Zepeda
Age: 19
Highest Level: R
Jose Zepeda played 13 rookie-ball games in 2018, and then repeated the level and played another 27 games there in 2019. He managed to record 21 walks in those 27 games and only 14 strikeouts. He also added 77 points to his ISO, bringing it up from an invisible .022 to a nearly infinitesimal .099. The plate discipline is interesting, though.
ETA: 2023
41. 2B Adrian Montero
Age: 18
Highest Level: R
Adrian Montero is another young, way-far-off rookie-baller in the Jays system. In 39 games last season, he hit .322 and stole 17 bags. He also walked more than twice as much as he whiffed.
These aren’t the kinds of numbers that will persist all through the minors, but keeping tabs on the guys who don’t whiff and can take a walk can lead to promising things down the road.
ETA: 2024
42. SS Glenn Santiago
Age: 18
Highest Level: R
Glenn Santiago performed like the Lite version of Montero in 25 rookie-ball games: 13 steals and a double-digit walk rate. If he can make more contact, he might be of slightly more interest in perhaps the deepest league on the planet.
ETA: 2022
43. C/1B Yorman Rodriguez
Age: 22
Highest Level: A
Yorman Rodriguez plays first base and catcher while being listed at 5’10”, 160 pounds, so that’s fun. But what’s also fun is that he struck out just 2% of the time last year at A-ball and walked 6.1%. That kind of discipline helped him generate a 141 wRC+. I compared Alejandro Kirk to Willians Astudillo above because of their size and vaguely similar penchant for contact, but Rodriguez’s BB:K ratio looks even more Tortuga-like.
We’re probably a few years off from seeing if that’s true, but knowing who could be the next Astudillo is probably good enough to bump you at least three spots in the standings in your league. Or, at least, it should be.
ETA: 2023
44. RHP Brad Wilson
Age: 23
Highest Level: AA
Brad Wilson tossed 38 innings in High-A with a K-BB% of 25.7. That prompted a promotion to Double-A, where he was much more average (14.7 K-BB%) as he adjusted through 18 innings. If he proves to be acclimated at the start of the year and the Ks are back, he’ll be of more immediate interest than most guys above him right now.
As a guy from a Division II college, he doesn’t come with pedigree but could actually be worth watching. He struck out more than a batter per inning and walked barely two per nine in two seasons at Ohio Dominican University.
ETA: 2022
45. RHP Luis Quinones
Age: 22
Highest Level: A-
More than a thousand players were off the board when the Jays took Luis Quinones in the 34th round last June. He made two relief appearances in rookie ball, threw 6.1 innings, and struck out 45% of the batters he faced.
Toronto moved him to Low-A for his final 30.1 innings where he struck out more than 38% of the batters he faced but walked nearly 14% of them. If he harnesses the stuff, he might become a fast-moving reliever ticketed for higher-leverage situations.
ETA: 2022
46. RHP Bryan Baker
Age: 24
Highest Level: AAA
Bryan Baker is like Quinones—only a couple years older and with a longer track record. He struck out more than 30% of hitters in 54 innings split between Double-A and Triple-A last year, but also walked more than 15% of them. He’ll probably show up in the majors this year and if he somehow limits the free passes, he might have some streaming value.
ETA: 2020
47. 2B/3B Davis Schneider
Age: 20
Highest Level: A-
Davis Schneider has played in rookie ball for the last three years. After 34 games last year where he showed enormous power, he was finally promoted to Low-A. The power poofed into thin air, but he still showed an ability to take a walk. For all intents and purposes, though, he won’t be on your dynasty radar.
ETA: 2023
48. C Geyber Jimenez
Age: 18
Highest Level: R
Geyber Jimenez walked exactly as much as he struck out in 2019 (15.6%). It helped charge him to a 135 wRC+. Both were big improvements over his 2018 debut. It was only 15 games, though, so we’ll have to see if these are real changes in 2020 or not.
ETA: 2025
49. C Ryan Sloniger
Age: 22
Highest Level: A-
Ryan Sloniger is another late-2019 draftee who excelled in rookie ball. He hit nine homers in just 30 games before being promoted to Low-A. He showed the same penchant to take a walk but struck out almost eight percentage points more. If pitchers can keep carving him up, he won’t be of any intrigue.
ETA: 2022
50. OF Forrest Wall
Age: 25
Highest Level: MLB
Forrest Wall showed well in 109 Double-A games in 2019 by hitting nine homers and snagging 13 steals. It was his second go-round at that level, and he was eventually promoted to Triple-A, where his ISO increased by more than 40 points in 14 games. He probably has the rabbit ball to thank for that.
Given how many similar outfielders Toronto has, it might be tough for Wall to get a crack at any playing time in 2020. At 25, he’s going to have to do a lot and do it fast to be considered in dynasty formats.
ETA: 2020
(Photo by Jeff Chevrier/Icon Sportswire)
No love for Ryan Noda?
What about Santiago Espinal? Dude was on a tear this spring too.