Top 50 Blue Jays Prospects of 2024: 50-26

For the sixth year in a row, we go deep into Toronto Blue Jays farm system to highlight not only the next set of potential superstars, but also the depth pieces that could help surround what the front office expects to be a championship-calibre team for at least the next two seasons.

The system has changed a lot in a half-decade.

The 2019 list was headlined by the core now in Toronto, and the way the club has used their minor-league inventory has changed significantly as the team has become a contender, as well, and it may be shifting once again.

As the aforementioned core gets closer and closer to free agency, the franchise has to start thinking about the next era, and that seems to be happening with some investments in high-risk, high-upside talent.

I’ll cut the preamble short there because there’s an obscene 12,000 words of thoughts built into the player descriptions that outline where things stand.

But first, a handful of bullet point observations:

There are a few clear tiers. Ricky Tiedemann stands alone. Then, the young, upside guys in the top five, followed by a big group of upper-level position players on the verge of contributing in the big leagues, and then a glut of risky arms. Past about 20 or so, you could argue for and shuffle just about any name in my top 40 if you really wanted to.

Lots of relievers. I considered more true relievers than ever before and, in the end, a lot of them ended up making the list. It’s a combination of two factors. In an effort to find pitching to help them win ASAP, the Jays have drafted more of them in the middle rounds. The second factor is it’s not a deep system and a lot of the lower-level breakout players I liked coming into 2023 didn’t exactly have great seasons, leaving them very hard to evaluate and more in the 51-75 range, which is littered with FCL and DSL position players and a handful of teenage arms.
It’s not a great system. Bottom-third in baseball is the easiest way to describe it in a very subjective MLB ranking.

Lastly, a new element this year is “future roles.” Out of six big-league position player roles that I believe cover every box and six pitcher roles that do the same thing, I’ve assigned one to every prospect. Obviously, the upper-level guys are more certain, while any role you see assigned to a lower-level prospect is subject to change each January when the new top 50 list drops. More on that below, including a glossary of my definitions.

First up are players 50 through 26 with the top 25 coming on Thursday. 

PREVIOUS YEARS

Here’s a quick look at how my top 50 lists have broken down in each of the past five years if you want to go back in time:

2023 // 2022 // 2021 // 2020 // 2019

FUTURE ROLES (NEW)

POSITION PLAYERS

First-division starter: An important everyday player on a contender.
Second-division starter: An everyday player on a non-contender. Good enough to start, but you’re probably upgrading when the time comes to win.
Corner platoon bat: Doesn’t play up the middle — whether that’s infield or outfield — and will probably show some platoon splits.
Bat-first utilityman: Plays multiple positions, but he’s in the lineup for his bat. Think Cavan Biggio.
Glove-first utilityman: Plays multiple positions, but it’s the glove that counts. Think Ryan Goins.
Bench specialist: An elite defender and/or base-stealer who fits best as a 26th man on a roster. Think 2015 post-season Dalton Pompey.

PITCHERS

Top-of-the-rotation SP: Anyone in the ace discussion that you’d want starting a post-season game.
Mid-rotation SP: Good innings-eater, maybe with upside for more.
Back-end SP: Has starter traits and will get chances but may not stick long-term.
High-leverage RP: Elite 8th and 9th inning arms.
Middle RP: Single-inning relievers who aren’t quite high-leverage.
Multi-inning RP: A role that is becoming trendy across baseball as teams try to develop them is the one-time-through-the-order reliever, a hybrid version of the old swingman.

ELIGIBILITY

Pitchers: Under 50 career innings.
Hitters: Under 130 career at-bats.

TOP 50 BY POSITION

Catchers: 2
Corner infielders: 8
Middle infielders: 5
Utility guys: 5
Outfielders: 9
Pitchers: 21

HOW THEY WERE ACQUIRED

Trade: 5
MLB Draft: 27
International free agency: 18

AFFILIATE LEVELS

Triple-A East: Buffalo Bisons (AAA)
Double-A Northeast: New Hampshire Fisher-Cats (AA)
High-A West: Vancouver Canadians (A+)
Single-A Southeast: Dunedin Blue Jays (A)
Florida Complex League: FCL Blue Jays (CPX)
Dominican Summer League: DSL Blue Jays (DSL)

GRADUATED (1)

13. RHP Nate Pearson, age-26, MLB (75.2 innings)

GONE (2+5 NR)

9. RHP Sem Robberse, age-21, AA (traded to STL for Jordan Hicks)
44. RHP Adam Kloffenstein, age-22, AA (traded to STL for Jordan Hicks)
NR RHP Matt Svanson, age-24, AA (traded to STL for Paul DeJong)
NR LHP Nick Allgeyer, age-27, AAA (traded to PHI for cash)
NR 2B/OF Vinny Capra, age-26, AAA (traded to PIT for Tyler Heineman)
NR C Sammy Hernandez, age-19, A (traded to STL for Genesis Cabrera)
NR C Juan Gonzalez, age-22, A (traded to CWS for cash)

FELL OFF (14)

21—20—2B/SS Estiven Machado, age-21, A+
24—21—RHP Adrian Hernandez, age-24, AA
26—49—C Luis Meza, age-19, CPX
29—32—RHP Trent Palmer, age-25, A
30—NA—2B/C Carlos Vasquez, age-19, CPX
31—48—OF/C Zach Britton, age-25, AA
32—36—2B/3B Tanner Morris, age-26, AAA
34—14—RHP Irv Carter, age-21, A
39—NR—LHP Jimmy Robbins, age-26, AAA
41—NR—OF Robert Robertis, age-21, A
42—43—OF Yeuni Munoz, age-20, CPX
43—NR—RHP Alejandro Melean, age-23, AA
46—29—2B/SS Luis Garcia, age-20, A
49—NR—RHP Eliander Alcalde, age-20, A

HONOURABLE MENTIONS (13)

HM—26—43—C Luis Meza, age-19, CPX
HM—29—32—RHP Trent Palmer, age-25, A
HM—30—NA—2B/C Carlos Vasquez, age-19, CPX
HM—31—48—OF/C Zach Britton, age-25, AA
HM—42—43—OF Yeuni Munoz, age-20, CPX
HM—49—NR—RHP Eliander Alcalde, age-20, A
HM—NR—NA—1B Peyton Williams, age-23, A+
HM—NA—NA—2B/3B Nick Goodwin, age-22, A+
HM—NR—NR—LHP Trenton Wallace, age-25, AA
HM—NA—NA—LHP Connor O’Halloran, age-21, A
HM—NR—NA—RHP Samuel Acuna, age-18, DSL
HM—NR—NR—OF Railin Tejada, age-19, DSL
HM—NR—NR—3B/OF Aneudi Escanio, age-19, DSL

50. C Franklin Rojas

Last year’s ranking: NA  2022 rank: NA
Acquired: 2024 IFA (Venezuela)
2024 age: 17
Expected starting affiliate: Dominican Summer League

YEAR IN REVIEW: A right-handed hitting catcher from Venezuela, Rojas is seen as a potential everyday player, with oodles of power for his age — he’s already produced some triple-digit exit velocities in showcases — and a strong arm behind the plate. He’s also very athletic, which might eventually draw some comparisons to fellow Venezuelan Gabriel Moreno. 

OUTLOOK: It’s easy to make the exciting Venezuelan comps, but Rojas essentially replaces another catcher from that country on this list in Luis Meza, who the Jays gave $2.25 million in the 2022 IFA class. It’s way too early to close the book on Meza as a teen, but he has not developed as hoped over his first two years as a professional.

FUTURE ROLE: First-division starter

MLB ETA: 2029

49. OF Yunior Arias 

Last year’s ranking: NA  2022 rank: NA
Acquired: 2024 IFA (Dominican Republic)
2024 age: 17
Expected starting affiliate: Dominican Summer League

YEAR IN REVIEW: You might see this outfielder’s name listed as Andres Arias, but the Jays call him Junior with a ‘Y’ and the massive 6-foot-4 outfielder has a ton of upside thanks to his long levers. Physically and tools-wise, he’s an Enmanuel Bonilla starter kit, but instead of the $4.1 million he got, the Jays shelled out in the range of $900,000 to sign Arias this January thanks to a shade of difference in the tools.

OUTLOOK: The calling card here is the bat, as Arias has already impressed with his ability to use the whole field, but he’s checked in at 105-mph off the barrel, too. There’s a typical everyday right fielder profile here if things click. Check back in four years.

FUTURE ROLE: First-division starter

MLB ETA: 2029

48. 2B Miguel Hiraldo

Miguel Hiraldo Dunedin Blue Jays

Last year’s ranking: 47  2022 rank: 18
Acquired: 2017 IFA (Dominican Republic)
2024 age: 23
Expected starting affiliate: Double-A New Hampshire

YEAR IN REVIEW: It’s been a long, winding journey for Hiraldo on this prospect list over the years, starting at No. 15 five years ago when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. sat at No. 1, and slowly falling in the seasons since. It looked like Hiraldo was going to fall off the list this year, but a 115 wRC+ as a 22-year-old in Double-A last year gives him another life. One interesting aspect of Hiraldo’s profile is he’s showing the ability to crush left-handed pitching, posting an .893 OPS in 2023, which could earn him some platoon work down the road if things continue to progress.

OUTLOOK: The strikeouts are rising, and he doesn’t walk much, but Hiraldo had some pop with the Fisher Cats with 33 extra-base hits and finally showed some of the hitterish qualities that earned him a lucrative $750,000 signing bonus seven years ago. With the glut of infielders ahead of him, Hiraldo will likely return to Double-A and essentially needs to hit his way out of that level.

FUTURE ROLE: Bat-first utilityman

MLB ETA: 2026

47. C Edward Duran

Last year’s ranking: NR  2022 rank: NA
Acquired: Trade from Miami, Aug. 31, 2022 (Jordan Groshans)
2024 age: 20
Expected starting affiliate: Single-A Dunedin

YEAR IN REVIEW: Signed by the Marlins out of Venezuela in 2021 and traded to the Jays as a player to be named later in the 2022 swap that sent former top prospect Jordan Groshans to South Beach in exchange for bullpen reinforcements Anthony Bass and Zach Pop, Duran showed enough with the bat this year to climb onto the back end of this list. Overall, the right-handed hitter batted .315/.422/.417 with two home runs across 41 games in the lower levels of the minors. Duran’s 132 wRC+ was 11th-best in the organization and the only other teenager that topped that mark was first-round pick Arjun Nimmala, who only had 40 plate appearances.

OUTLOOK: The once ocean-deep catching pipeline that the Blue Jays boasted has completely dried up, with Duran one of just two catchers on the list this year. The question as well with every young catcher is whether or not they’ll be able to stay behind the plate, and Duran has already dabbled at first base, although that was mostly seen as just a way to get him some more at-bats. With Groshans struggling in the Miami organization and some past contributions from Bass and Pop, this trade looks like a clear win for GM Ross Atkins and his front office so far.

FUTURE ROLE: Second-division starter

MLB ETA: 2028

46. OF Victor Arias

Last year’s ranking: NR  2022 rank: NR
Acquired: 2019 IFA (Venezuela)
2024 age: 20
Expected starting affiliate: Single-A Dunedin

YEAR IN REVIEW: Arias makes his debut on this list, inching just past other young international names in the organization like Yeuni Munoz, Robert Robertis, Railin Tejada, Aneudi Escanio, Luis Meza, Carlos Vasquez, Faruk De La Cruz and Jean Joseph. Like most of those other names, the stat lines haven’t jumped out for Arias, a compact left-handed hitter, but he’s shown both an approach and some pop, which earned him an emergency look in Double-A late last year. His peak exit velocity of 107 mph shows there could be some growing pop.

OUTLOOK: Overall, Arias slashed just .216/.375/.381 with five homers and 16 swipes, but there’s enough bat speed to get excited about if he can keep an already alarming number of strikeouts in check.

FUTURE ROLE: Second-division starter

MLB ETA: 2028

45. OF David Guzman

Last year’s ranking: 50  2022 rank: NA
Acquired: 2023 IFA (Venezuela)
2024 age: 18
Expected starting affiliate: Florida Complex League

YEAR IN REVIEW: He was overshadowed by top international signing Enmanuel Bonilla last January, but Guzman still cracked the list in the final spot at No. 50 and then did enough in the DSL to stick. Using a compact cut from the left side of the plate that’s reminiscent of Kole Calhoun once in a while if you squint, Guzman, with his short and boxy frame, doesn’t project for a whole lot of power down the road, instead using a line-drive approach that meshes well with his low strikeout rate and bat-to-ball skills.

OUTLOOK: With Bonilla playing centre field every day in the Dominican last summer, Guzman made 45 of his 50 starts in right and there’s a chance he could move up this list in a significant way after his stateside debut this year.

FUTURE ROLE: Corner platoon bat

MLB ETA: 2028

44. 1B Rainer Nunez

Rainer Nunez Toronto Blue Jays

Last year’s ranking: 27  2022 rank: NR
Acquired: 2017 IFA (Dominican Republic)
2024 age: 23
Expected starting affiliate: Double-A New Hampshire

YEAR IN REVIEW: While there were many disappointing offensive performances throughout the system early on last year, some were still able to turn things on as the weather warmed up. Nunez, unfortunately, was not one of them as he really struggled in his first taste of Double-A pitching. Not only did he strike out at a career-worst 27 per cent clip, but the game power also dried up from his 2022 breakout with just 13 homers across nearly 500 trips to the plate.

OUTLOOK: There’s no questioning the raw power Nunez possesses, as his exit velocities continue to be amongst the most impressive in the system. But as a right-handed hitting first baseman, Nunez has to hit, hit, and then hit some more in order to find a major-league future, and he did not do enough of that in 2023. Without doing major damage at the plate on a regular basis, it’s a tough profile to envision working, but the raw power is too exciting to give up on yet.

FUTURE ROLE: Corner platoon bat

MLB ETA: 2026

43. SS/2B Manuel Beltre

Last year’s ranking: 20  2022 rank: 11
Acquired: 2021 IFA (Dominican Republic)
2024 age: 20
Expected starting affiliate: High-A Vancouver

YEAR IN REVIEW: If you could combine Rainer Nunez and Beltre’s best skills, you might have a heck of a prospect. Unfortunately, that’s not allowed yet, so the Jays will continue to try to find ways to get Beltre to hit the ball harder. Beltre slashed a muted .231/.335/.340 with six home runs across 98 games, while splitting time between the two middle infield spots. The defence has come along, and a full-time shortstop is on the table, but the bat is light.

OUTLOOK: Even though he took a tumble in these rankings this year, let’s start with the good first. While he’ll never wow you with acrobatics, Beltre makes all the plays he needs to a shortstop, which is going to be important because the offensive profile has him facing a glove-first utilityman future at this point. It’s important to remember how young Beltre is, but the bat is on notice.

FUTURE ROLE: Glove-first utilityman

MLB ETA: 2027

42. RHP Ryan Jennings

Last year’s ranking: NR  2022 rank: NA
Acquired: 2022 fourth round (128th overall)
2024 age: 25
Expected starting affiliate: High-A Vancouver

YEAR IN REVIEW: Despite spending a good portion of the summer on the injured list with an elbow issue and ending up with just 43 innings to his credit, the Louisiana Tech product returned to fire three hitless innings in the postseason to help the Vancouver Canadians to their fifth Northwest League title.

OUTLOOK: The Jays continue to take college-aged arms in the middle rounds of the draft and hope they strike gold. Jennings bounced back and forth from the rotation to the bullpen in college and many believe that will be the case as a pro, but there were positive signs in 2023. With a fastball that touches 95-96 mph and a lively curveball as an out pitch, Jennings should be monitored closely once he gets to Double-A.

FUTURE ROLE: Back-end SP

MLB ETA: 2026

41. RHP Michael Dominguez

Michael Dominguez Dunedin Blue Jays

Last year’s ranking: 48  2022 rank: NR
Acquired: 2019 15th round (447th overall)
2024 age: 23
Expected starting affiliate: Double-A New Hampshire

YEAR IN REVIEW: Armed with one of the most unique pitches in the organization with an odd slider shape that can befuddle hitters at times, Dominguez quietly get pretty good results as he moves up the minor-league food chain, finishing 2023 with the second-most strikeouts in the organization with 120 across his 102.1 frames.

OUTLOOK: There’s a good chance Dominguez is a reliever in the end and some alarming results against left-handed hitters in his eight starts at Double-A — he allowed a whopping 11 homers across 35.2 innings, and eight of them came off the bats of lefties — shows he’s going to have to work hard to get upper-minors hitters out and refine his arsenal.

FUTURE ROLE: Multi-inning RP

MLB ETA: 2026

40. LHP Mason Fluharty

Last year’s ranking: NR  2022 rank: NA
Acquired: 2022 fifth round (158th overall)
2024 age: 22
Expected starting affiliate: Double-A New Hampshire

YEAR IN REVIEW: If you’re looking for a group of arms that could impact the Blue Jays bullpen sooner rather than later, you’ve now arrived. The Jays have spent a lot of draft capital trying to find some close-to-ready pitching depth in the past three drafts, and some of those arms took steps forward in 2023. Using a tricky, low-slot delivery, Fluharty was really good in reaching Double-A last year, finishing with a 3.28 ERA and 75 punch-outs across 57.2 innings.

OUTLOOK: If you’ve read these pieces over the years, you know that relievers have bounced around in terms of value. From Julian Merryweather to Nate Pearson to Adrian Hernandez to Hagen Danner to Connor Cooke’s appearance in the top 25 this year, they’re very hard to predict and really the only reason there’s such a large group of RP-only arms in the 30-40 area this year is the lack of depth in the system. Any one of these names could be in the big leagues by June or just as easily off the list altogether a year from now. At the very least, it’s an intriguing group of arms.

FUTURE ROLE: Middle RP

MLB ETA: 2025

39. RHP T.J. Brock

Last year’s ranking: NR  2022 rank: NA
Acquired: 2022 sixth round (188th overall)
2024 age: 24
Expected starting affiliate: Double-A New Hampshire

YEAR IN REVIEW: There’s really no secret when it comes to Brock, a right-hander out of Ohio State. The slider is filthy, and he uses it a lot, helping him strike out 56 batters in just 32 appearances once he got to Double-A. The on-paper results weren’t great, however, as Brock finished with a 6.68 ERA in New Hampshire last year. 

OUTLOOK: If the results match the quality of his stuff in the first half of the season, Brock might not be in the minors long if injuries strike in the big leagues. He may have to hop over a couple of these other names to do it, but there’s a chance he’s helping soon.

FUTURE ROLE: Middle RP

MLB ETA: 2025

38. RHP Hayden Juenger

Hayden Juenger Buffalo Bisons

Last year’s ranking: 14  2022 rank: 31
Acquired: 2021 sixth round (182nd overall)
2024 age: 23
Expected starting affiliate: Triple-A Buffalo

YEAR IN REVIEW: Juenger’s role has been all over the map over the past couple of seasons as the Jays tried desperately to develop the Missouri State righty as a one-time-through-the-order bulk arm. Command issues have hindered that at times, as Juenger spent the entire year in Triple-A last season, walking 39 batters across 75.1 innings and plunking six more. One wrinkle is the automated balls and strikes system in Triple-A is believed to have spiked walk rates at times as pitchers adjusted, so some are taking command issues at the highest level of the minor leagues with a grain of salt due to the robo umps. On the other side of that coin, many believe Triple-A walk rates for hitters were higher than what players project to do in the majors. The ABS system has created an interesting evaluation wrinkle for the time being.

OUTLOOK: In addition to some command issues, Juenger was simply too hittable at times last year and is tinkering with his pitch mix in order to refine his changeup against lefties. With a low arm slot coming from a different angle for the 6-footer, Juenger can be tough to hit when he’s on, but consistency has eluded him thus far.

FUTURE ROLE: Multi-inning RP

MLB ETA: 2024

37. RHP Hagen Danner

Last year’s ranking: 25  2022 rank: 24
Acquired: 2017 second round (61st overall)
2024 age: 25
Expected starting affiliate: Triple-A Buffalo

YEAR IN REVIEW: The story with Danner, a converted catcher, since he transitioned back to the mound three years ago, is this: The stuff is filthy … when healthy. Staying on the mound has been an issue for Danner, whose run of bad injury luck continued when he suffered an oblique strain during his MLB debut last year, ending his season.

OUTLOOK: With a fastball in the 95-98 range and a devastating slider, Danner’s stuff is back-of-the-bullpen material. All that’s standing in the way of that is health, just like Julian Merryweather and Nate Pearson previously.

FUTURE ROLE: High-leverage RP

MLB ETA: Debuted Aug. 11, 2023

36. RHP Bowden Francis

Last year’s ranking: NR  2022 rank: 23
Acquired: Trade from Milwaukee, July 6, 2021 (Rowdy Tellez)
2024 age: 28
Expected starting affiliate: Triple-A Buffalo

YEAR IN REVIEW: Some dig the long-ball, so there’s been some unnecessary fawning over Rowdy Tellez the last couple of years. But now that the big first baseman was non-tendered by the Brewers this off-season, the trade that netted the Jays both Francis and useful reliever Trevor Richards looks pretty good. Francis sat all the way up at No. 23 on this list two years ago, before it looked like he was destined for a middle relief future. That could still be the case, but Francis was quietly excellent wherever he pitched in 2023, including a 1.73 ERA across 20 big-league games.

OUTLOOK: That middle reliever future may very well come true in the end, but Francis is expected to be stretched out as rotation depth this winter and with very little surrounding him at Triple-A he may be needed. His inclusion, especially this high, at the age of 28 speaks to both the lack of overall depth in the system, but especially the lack of potential rotation depth. If you have any chance to be even a back-end big-league starter, you’ll make this list. With 37 innings on his big-league resume, this will be his last year here barring injury. 

FUTURE ROLE: Multi-inning RP

MLB ETA: Debuted April 27, 2022

35. RHP Yosver Zulueta

Yosver Zulueta Futures Game

Last year’s ranking: 4  2022 rank: 15
Acquired: 2019 IFA (Cuba)
2024 age: 26
Expected starting affiliate: Triple-A Buffalo

YEAR IN REVIEW: Sometimes you run guys up lists early and it simply doesn’t work out the way you expect. From No. 45 in 2020 to No. 15 for two years straight and then all the way up to No. 4 on this list last year, Zulueta’s stock continued to rise with the thought that his command issues would even out as he was further removed from defecting from Cuba and a TJ surgery that kept him away from a competitive mound for far too long. The idea was that was going to happen at Triple-A to begin 2023, and before long the electric righty would be in the mix for a spot start or two and maybe a rotation spot with an injury. Instead, Zulueta’s wobbly command regressed further in Buffalo, and he was eventually shifted into a single inning bullpen role by the end of the year. His total body of work included 45 walks and 10 hit batters across 45 appearances. Not what you want.

OUTLOOK: While last year did not go well at all for Zulueta and it ensured a bullpen future, the torn ACL he suffered in 2022 was bothering him at times, so there’s one grain of salt you can take. He ended up pitching in the Dominican Winter League and while the numbers don’t look that great, with five more free passes and six earned runs allowed across 9.1 frames, Zulueta’s stuff was back to looking pretty electric at times. There’s a lights-out reliever touching triple digits in here if things click.

FUTURE ROLE: High-leverage RP

MLB ETA: 2024

34. RHP Devereaux Harrison

Last year’s ranking: NR  2022 rank: NA
Acquired: 2022 9th round (278th overall)
2024 age: 23
Expected starting affiliate: Double-A New Hampshire

YEAR IN REVIEW: The Jays definitely have types when it comes to mid-round pitchers, and one inefficiency they seem to scour for is arms who have been overlooked by scouts because they’ve spent a good amount of time in NCAA bullpens. At Long Beach State coming into the draft, that’s what Harrison did, and that continued in 2022 in his first year as a pro, which is why he didn’t make this list last year. Given the chance to start in May last year, Harrison flourished, registered a 1.23 ERA across his first seven starts, allowing just 23 hits across 36.2 frames. The right-hander would finish with a 2.95 ERA in 94.2 innings.

OUTLOOK: While Harrison tired late in the season, that was expected given the workload jump and his three-pitch mix of heater, changeup and really good slider worked so much better than expected in a rotation role that he was one of the better stories in the system. He even combined on a seven inning no-hitter with Matt Svanson, who was later traded for Paul DeJong. While Harrison lands at No. 34 here, various incarnations had him in the 20-30 range and I would not argue if you wanted him there over some of the lower-level upside guys.

FUTURE ROLE: Back-end SP

MLB ETA: 2026

33. 2B/OF Adrian Pinto

Last year’s ranking: 18  2022 rank: NA
Acquired: Trade from Colorado, March 24, 2022 (Randal Grichuk)
2024 age: 21
Expected starting affiliate: Single-A Dunedin

YEAR IN REVIEW: Pinto is in a group here with a couple of upper-level utilitymen, but injuries have set the versatile and athletic right-handed hitter back since the Jays acquired him in the trade that sent Randal Grichuk to Denver and brought back Pinto and Raimel Tapia. In 29 Single-A games between leg injuries, Pinto did do some nice things, getting on base at a .413 clip and stealing 12 bases, but the sample size is so small over the past two years that it’s really hard to evaluate the entire package of skills.

OUTLOOK: With speed and defensive versatility, Pinto has caught the eye of Jays big-league staffers in camp over the last two years, but he simply hasn’t been able to stay on the field enough to move out of the lower levels. Now heading into his age-21 season, it’s paramount he finds a way to stay healthy, which would allow the Jays to figure out if he’s a second baseman or a centre fielder. He might end up just being both as a low-impact utility guy as this ranking suggests. Or he could break out this season. Your guess.

FUTURE ROLE: Second-division starter

MLB ETA: 2026

32. INF/OF Rafael Lantigua

Rafael Lantigua Toronto Blue Jays

Last year’s ranking: 45  2022 rank: 46
Acquired: 2016 IFA (Dominican Republic)
2024 age: 26
Expected starting affiliate: Triple-A Buffalo

YEAR IN REVIEW: Lantigua doesn’t get any prospect love, but he continues to slowly climb up this list by producing at every single stop, showing some sneaky exit velocities, and playing just about every position on the diamond. He played six of them last year, dabbling at all three outfield spots, as well as shortstop, third base and second base. It was just gravy that he finished with an impressive 131 wRC+ and a .305/.425/.469 slash line, adding 12 homers and 28 steals. He even paced the organization in hits (142), doubles (40) and walks (98).

OUTLOOK: A minor-league free agent at the end of the season, Lantigua looked around for opportunities, before deciding to return. There’s not a lot of upside here, but the perception gap between Lantigua and the next name on this list, Otto Lopez, who’s been viewed as a top 15 prospect in the system at times, is interesting. One of these years, Lantigua is going to be pressed into duty and don’t be surprised when he performs better than most expect. He’s another layer of Triple-A depth that the Jays have lying in wait behind the group of infielders already on the 40-man roster.

FUTURE ROLE: Glove-first utilityman

MLB ETA: 2024

31. INF/OF Otto Lopez

Last year’s ranking: 16  2022 rank: 8
Acquired: 2016 IFA (Dominican Republic)
2024 age: 25
Expected starting affiliate: Triple-A Buffalo

YEAR IN REVIEW: After looking great at the WBC for Canada, Lopez’s season went down the drain thanks to nagging injuries, and what little power he did have completely dried up in the process. Overall, Lopez slashed .258/.313/.343 with just a 68 wRC+ plus across 84 Triple-A games, well down from the 114 mark he posted in Buffalo in 2022.

OUTLOOK: Now out of options, the 2024 season is an important one for Lopez to start rebuilding his stock, and there’s a very good chance it’s in another organization eventually, one that can give him some at-bats. His defensive versatility and on-base ability give him a chance to carve out a long career on a bench still.

FUTURE ROLE: Glove-first utilityman

MLB ETA: Debuted Aug. 27, 2021

30. OF Gabriel Martinez

Last year’s ranking: 11  2022 rank: 41
Acquired: 2018 IFA (Venezuela)
2024 age: 21
Expected starting affiliate: High-A Vancouver

YEAR IN REVIEW: One of the most disappointing seasons in the entire system was authored by a player who was the most exciting breakout prospect on this list a year ago. Welcome to baseball and prospect prognostication. You just never really know how players are going to perform with all of the variables involved. Martinez went from showing off his hit tool with burgeoning power in 2022 to struggling mightily at High-A Vancouver last year, watching his wRC+ drop to a well below average 82. It’s hard to find many positives from a season that was mediocre from start to finish.

OUTLOOK: Martinez’s hit tool is the driving force, but he doesn’t have much foot speed in the outfield and the projection is very middling at this point. He’s going to have to go back to Vancouver in an attempt to rebuild his stock this summer.

FUTURE ROLE: Corner platoon bat

MLB ETA: 2026

29. OF Dasan Brown

Dasan Brown Toronto Blue Jays

Last year’s ranking: 17  2022 rank: 38
Acquired: 2019 third round (88th overall)
2024 age: 22
Expected starting affiliate: Double-A New Hampshire

YEAR IN REVIEW: Coming off a bit of a breakout offensively, one that pushed him back into the top 20 on this list, the Oakville, Ont., product unfortunately fell back to earth at the exact same stop, slashing .218/.309/.315 with seven homers and 26 steals across 107 games. With Brown, it’s a combination of approach and swing plane issues and he’s still really raw as a hitter after trying to find himself over the last few years.

OUTLOOK: So, here’s the thing with Brown, and the reason he’s still in the top 30 — there’s a very good chance he’s a major leaguer eventually. He provides elite centre field defence and that’s not in question, while his wheels on the basepaths also provide value. Making a bit more contact and finding a consistent approach at the plate — both easier said than done — are all that’s separating Brown from a fifth-outfielder career on a big-league bench. Having Kevin Kiermaier in the organization for another year as a sounding board for Brown won’t hurt, either.

FUTURE ROLE: Bench specialist

MLB ETA: 2026

28. OF Yhoangel Aponte

Last year’s ranking: 40  2022 rank: 16
Acquired: 2021 IFA (Venezuela)
2024 age: 20
Expected starting affiliate: Single-A Dunedin

YEAR IN REVIEW: Aponte was primed to be my Yosver Zulueta — the guy I somewhat irrationally push up the list early based on one glowing report or two — but a ho-hum stateside debut had me pumping the breaks on that a bit. It looked like 2023 was going to be more of the same — and it was in certain areas — but the one notable jump was in the power department, as Aponte hit nine home runs in just 50 games. Unfortunately, strikeout issues came with those round-trippers and there’s a bit too much swing and miss.

OUTLOOK: Aponte went off at Single-A to finish the year out, posting a 192 wRC+ and hitting a homer in his six games there, which has a handful of people predicting a breakout 2024. This ranking suggests that will happen to an extent, and it’s been interesting to monitor Aponte’s development as it came with a Jackie Bradley Jr. glove comparison early on. As he’s filled out since signing three years ago, it’s more of a corner outfield profile these days. Last year, his peak exit velocity of 109.1 mph could be a sign of things to come if he curbs the whiffiness.

FUTURE ROLE: Corner platoon bat

MLB ETA: 2027

27. 2B/OF Sam Shaw

Last year’s ranking: NA  2022 rank: NA
Acquired: 2023 ninth round (274th overall)
2024 age: 19
Expected starting affiliate: Florida Complex League

YEAR IN REVIEW: A bat-first prospect, the Jays gave Shaw a $282,500 bonus, well above the ninth-round slot value of $175,900 at his spot, in order to lure him away from a commitment to Xavier. He then went out and backed up some quietly good pre-draft scouting reports with a 111 wRC+ across nine complex league games.

OUTLOOK: A left-handed hitter without a position at this point, Shaw’s throwing issues seem to have become a thing of the past post-draft this fall, giving him a chance to play either second base or centre field in the eyes of most evaluators. The Jays seem to want to try both, but it’s the bat that’s going to give him an MLB future if things click.

FUTURE ROLE: Bat-first utilityman

MLB ETA: 2028

26. RHP CJ Van Eyk

CJ Van Eyk Surprise Saguaros

Last year’s ranking: 36  2022 rank: 12
Acquired: 2020 second round (42nd overall)
2024 age: 25
Expected starting affiliate: Double-A New Hampshire

YEAR IN REVIEW: Drafted way back in the pandemic year in 2020, Van Eyk missed all of 2022 after undergoing Tommy John, finally making it back onto a mound in May last year, but it was an odd season overall when all was said and done. After debuting throwing 3-4 innings at a time, Van Eyk was shut down in May and then again in June with some non-arm related issues. He made it back at the end of July to reel off nine starts on turn, once again of the 3-4 inning variety, including four Double-A starts. His return from TJ was enough to land him back in the same range as last year, but where Van Eyk took a bit of a jump was during his Arizona Fall League showing, at which point the stuff looked a whole lot more crisp.

OUTLOOK: With a starter’s arsenal that includes a couple different breaking balls — the curve is the out pitch — and a changeup, Van Eyk’s breakout potential and bullpen potential are about even. As I’ve written numerous times in this piece about a number of prospects facing turning points, it’s an important year for Van Eyk in terms of rebuilding his stock and proving he’s a starter. There are some breakout vibes coming off the AFL performance.

FUTURE ROLE: Back-end SP

MLB ETA: 2025

**Players 25 through 1 will be unveiled on Thursday