The “next wave” of Blue Jays’ prospects has already been around for several years now, and Toronto’s remaining farm system is rather thin. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. have all established themselves as Major League veterans, but who’s next to make a push for promotion to the majors this year? Exciting pitching prospect Ricky Tiedemann is the biggest name that could reach Toronto in 2024. After Tiedemann, there are a handful of infielders that could develop into impact bats but come with significant levels of risk. Keep reading to check out the top 20 ranking of the Blue Jays farm system.
Top Blue Jays Prospects
The Top Tier
1) Ricky Tiedemann – SP, 21 YO
2023 Stats(CPX/A/AA/AAA): 44.0 IP/3.68 ERA/44.1 K%/12.4 BB%
There might not have been a better debut season in 2022 than the one that Tiedemann had. After being selected in the third round of the 2021 draft, Tiedemann wasted no time showing off his talent against professional batters. He progressed across three levels making it all of the way to Double-A at just 19 years old. Tiedemann relies on three pitches all of which can generate high whiff rates. The fastball sits comfortably around 96 mph but can touch 99 at times. His lower arm slot creates deception and makes it incredibly difficult for left-handed batters to pick up his slider or changeup.
The strikeout rate wound up increasing even higher in 2023, but so did his walk rate. Whether it was rust or the difficulties of facing tougher competition, Tiedemann struggled with consistency last year. Hopefully, a clean bill of health will remediate those issues in 2024. He only pitched 44 innings this season (plus a handful in the AFL), limiting his potential fantasy impact. His dynasty value remains high as his ceiling is arguably the highest of any pitching prospect in baseball.
2) Orelvis Martinez – 3B/SS, 22 YO
2023 Stats (AA/AAA): .243/.340/.496/28 HR/2 SB/23.4 K%/12.5 BB%
Since signing with the Blue Jays back in July of 2018, Martinez has done nothing but hit home runs. His knack for hitting home runs has been apparent since the moment the Blue Jays signed him. He hit seven home runs in his first taste of professional baseball and has since followed that up with three consecutive seasons with at least 28 home runs. His approach and swing are designed to pull the ball in the air. Much like what Isaac Paredes does, but his raw power is even more impressive. There are still whiff concerns, but his understanding of the strike zone has improved as he has progressed through Toronto’s system.
The biggest worry with his hit tool was how much average he would be able to hit for. Martinez hit just .203 last season and his BABIP was just .223. Some of that was poor luck, but a large portion of the explanation was his pull and fly ball tendencies. The beginning of 2023 appeared to be more of the same. On May 21st, Martinez was batting just .151. However, his batted ball profile was beginning to change. Martinez was hitting more line drives and less fly balls. From May 23rd forward, Martinez slashed an impressive .277/.378/.502. These improvements make it easy to dream about his potential moving forward. He is likely to shift to third base long-term. Even at that position, a .250 batting average with 30 home runs would be a very useful fantasy asset.
#BlueJays No. 4 prospect Orelvis Martinez is making his Triple-A debut tonight in Syracuse.
His second at-bat? Home run. pic.twitter.com/XyfjBfkgXN
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) July 18, 2023
3) Brandon Barriera – SP, 19 YO
2023 Stats (CPX/A): 20.1 IP/3.98 ERA/31.3 K%/11.3 BB%
The Blue Jays saw how big of a success drafting Tiedemann was and decided to draft another left-handed high school pitcher. This time, Toronto selected Barriera in the first round of the 2022 draft. The top left-handed high schooler in the draft, Barriera combines plus stuff with quality control to create an exciting pitching profile. His fastball sits 93-95. He also mixes in a changeup and curveball although the slider is his best offering. Check out the movement he gets with that pitch on this strikeout:
Brandon Barriera's SL is a nasty pitch. His first inning was 92-94 T96 and the SL 80-83. He gets Termarr Johnson here with that SL. pic.twitter.com/0SbhH9TuV6
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) July 25, 2021
The only thing holding Barriera back is health. He threw just 20.1 innings in his debut season thanks to a plethora of injuries. First, it was a shoulder injury in Spring Training. Next, it was elbow soreness after a start in May. The icing on the cake was a bicep issue that ended his season on July 29th. Barriera has enough potential to be a front-of-the-line starter, but it remains to be seen whether or not he can handle a starter’s workload.
4) Addison Barger – 3B/SS/OF, 24 YO
2023 Stats (A/AAA):.246/.353/.392/9 HR/5 SB/21.5 K%/13.6 BB%
Now, would you believe me if I said a power-hitting infielder grew up idolizing Ichiro? Well, it is true. The former sixth-round pick swings the bat from the left side with an open stance in a similar fashion to the former star. However, unlike Ichiro, Barger is more focused on pulling the baseball out of the park. Coming off an incredible 2022 season during which he hit .308/.378/.555 many thought there was an outside chance Barger could make the Opening Day roster.
The Blue Jays decided to send Barger to Triple-A. After that, Barger’s season never seemed to get on track. He struggled to find any consistency and injuries hampered him throughout the season. He wound up hitting just nine home runs and posting a 91 wRC+. However, Barger made notable improvements during the second half. He looked healthier posting a .264/.366/.444 with a much lower strikeout rate and a higher walk rate. His contact skills have continued to improve and there is enough power for Barger to be a reliable fantasy asset. Barger sticks at fourth on this list despite the disappointing season.
5) Arjun Nimmala – SS, 18 YO
2023 Stats (CPX): .200/.500/.320/0 HR/1 SB/20.0 K%/35.0 BB%
Watching Nimmala swing the bat, it is difficult to believe he only stands at 6’1″. At just 18 years old, Nimmala has a powerful build that can unleash fury on any baseball he connects with. His stance features a big leg kick and exploding hands designed to drive the ball out of the park. He focuses on pulling balls in the air which is the goal if you are trying to hit home runs. The Jays’ first-round pick has as much potential as any player on this list.
The power projection is great, but that also leads to some concerns. His big leg kick is evident of a hitter who is trying to hit a few too many home runs. He is patient at the plate but is also not eager to take pitches the other way. He does not have the best speed and figures to lose a step as he continues filling out his frame. If the Jays can develop his hit tool, Nimmala will fly up prospect ranking lists.
6) Cade Doughty – 2B/3B, 22 YO
2023 Stats (A+): .264/.342/.459/18 HR/4 SB/29.7 K%/8.3 BB%
Doughty nearly worked himself into the first round of the 2022 draft after a dominant season at LSU. Doughty came up with big hit after big hit for the Tigers and continued this at Low-A. He managed to hit six home runs in just 26 games (a 30/600 pace) while showing off solid plate discipline. Doughty’s swing is powerful from the right side designed to pull the baseball. He can get too pull-happy at times which leads to over-aggression and whiff concerns.
These concerns were evident at the start of 2023. The Jays started Doughty in High-A where he struggled to make contact throughout the early parts of the season. After May 26th, Doughty was slashing an ugly .189/.310/.358 with a strikeout rate of 31%. From that point forward, Doughty looked like a different hitter. He slashed .294/.356/.498 the rest of the way with 14 home runs. His strikeout rate remains a concern, but his raw power and excellent batted-ball metrics make him a player to watch. Remaining at second base would increase his fantasy value significantly although it is more likely he lands at third long-term. This puts more pressure on his bat to live up to its potential.
7) Alan Roden – OF, 24 YO
2023 Stats (A+/AA): .317/.430/.459/10 HR/24 SB/12.0 K%/12.8 BB%
20 picks after the Jays selected Doughty, they selected Alan Roden. Roden played his college ball at Creighton where he never hit below .378 in any of his three seasons. Roden does not have the prettiest stance or swing, but he sure knows how to make contact. He starts with an open stance and a big leg kick creating natural pull tendencies. He understands the strike zone and profiles to post double-digit walk rates throughout his professional career. Once pitchers come into the zone, Roden does not miss. He hits a ton of line drives leading to high BABIPs and batting averages. His hit tool is a plus-plus attribute.
Standing at just 5’11”, Roden does not have the same kind of power as other prospects. His profile prioritizes contact over power although his pull rate should help him hit 10-15 each season. With below-average power and speed, Roden profiles to garnish most of his fantasy value in OBP leagues. He is not the flashiest player but comes without some of the large variances other prospects have. Roden is an underrated asset who profiles to have a solid Major League career. A good comp could be Masataka Yoshida’s 2023 season except Roden profiles to walk twice as often.
Head over to the Pitcher List Dynasty page to check out the other farm system rankings!
Prospects Dynasty Managers Should Know
8) Domiano Palmegiani – 1B/3B, 23 YO
2023 MiLB Stats (AA/AAA): .255/.364/.478/23 HR/7 SB/27.5 K%/13.1 BB%
Palmegiani is a corner infielder with big-time power who came on strong during the second half of 2023. A strong showing in the AFL has his stock rising even further. He lacks a true defensive home and has struggled to keep his strikeout rate in check throughout the Minor Leagues.
9) Jace Bohrofen – OF, 22 YO
2023 Stats (CPX/A): .299/.443/.636/7 HR/1 SB/24.7 K%/19.6 BB%
Bohrofen has a beautiful left-handed swing designed to launch the ball to the pull side. His quick hands led to some impressive numbers at Arkansas and continued in his first taste of professional action. His extreme fly ball tendencies are likely to limit his batting average and he lacks the speed to contribute much in the stolen base category.
10) Landen Maraudis – SP, 18 YO
2023 Stats: DNP
The Blue Jays selected Maraudis in the fourth round although he ranked inside the top 75 on MLB Pipeline’s draft rankings. He stands at 6’3″ and already comes with a plus fastball that has the ability to add even more velocity. The secondaries will need some work, but there is a strong base for Toronto to start with.
11) Dahian Santos – SP, 20 YO
2023 Stats (A+): 48.1 IP/3.54 ERA/27.2 K%/13.1 BB%
Full arm extension and a low release point help Santos create plenty of deception and pile up the strikeout totals. His slider comes with elite spin rates while the development of a third pitch will likely be the key to keeping him in a starter’s role. He lacks consistent command which has led to high walk totals throughout his professional career.
12) Josh Kasevich – SS, 23 YO
2023 Stats (A+): .284/.363/.365/4 HR/11 SB/10.7 K%/9.9 BB%
There is no debating Kasevich’s hit tool. Impressively low strikeout rates led to Toronto taking him in the second round and that has continued throughout his professional career. The lack of power caps his offensive upside and likely prevents him from ever being an impactful fantasy bat.
13) Enmanuel Bonilla – OF, 17 YO
2023 Stats (DSL): .307/.407/.429/3 HR/5 SB/24.3 K%/11.9 BB%
Bonilla’s sample size is limited to just 50 games in the DSL, but there is a lot to like. A small toe tap is followed by quick hands that allow him to pull the ball out to left field. A high whiff rate in 2023 sheds some light on potential hit tool concerns moving forward, but Bonilla is certainly a player to keep on your radar.
14) Leo Jimenez – 2B/SS, 22 YO
2023 Stats (AA/AAA): .270/.366/.401/8 HR/8 SB/16.6 K%/10.0 BB%
Although Jimenez has a much higher chance of reaching the Major Leagues than somebody like Bonilla, he lacks the upside fantasy managers should be targeting. Jimenez profiles to have a slightly above-average hit tool with a below-average home run and stolen base totals. A utility infielder is the most likely outcome.
15) Yosver Zulueta – SP, 25 YO
2023 Stats (AAA): 64 IP/4.08 ERA/25.4 K%/15.7 BB%
From a pure stuff standpoint, Zulueta would rank inside of the top five on most team’s prospect lists. Both his slider and sweeper generated whiff rates north of 40% last season while his fastball and sinker combo both sit in the mid to upper 90s. The issue is that Zulueta has nearly no idea where the pitches are going and has yet to show any signs of lowering his walk rate.
The Next Five
Although these prospects do not crack the top-15, dynasty managers should keep their eye on these five players.
Alex De Jesus – 21 years old – The power has never fully developed for De Jesus who now projects as a utility infielder at best.
Juaron Watts Brown – 21 years old – Third-round draft pick who has a big slider but mediocre fastball metrics.
Tucker Toman – 20 years old – Likely destined for third base, there is a lot of pressure for Toman’s power to develop.
Spencer Horwitz – 26 years old – Best case scenario is a strong-side of a platoon first baseman with plus power.
CJ Van Eyk – 25 years old – An intriguing arsenal that has been held back by injuries limiting him to just 34.1 innings over the last two seasons.
Feature image by Michael Packard (@CollectingPack on X)