Blue Jays OF Roden turning heads in Spring Training
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Alan Roden has become a name to watch in the Toronto Blue Jays' farm system after ending his 2024 season strong and impressing early in Spring Training this year.
The young outfielder, a third-round selection (98th overall) in the 2022 MLB June Amateur Draft out of Creighton University, has a real chance to produce in the Blue Jays' lineup this season.
"I think he's got the potential to be a 20-homer guy," manager John Schneider said on Wednesday morning.
Roden had a slow start to his professional career, slugging just .311 in 25 games in Single-A after being drafted.
The lefty outfielder improved to an on-base plus slugging (OPS) of .890 across High-A and Double-A in 2023 before he really turned it on last season.
In Triple-A Buffalo, Roden hit .314 with an OPS of .916 and nine home runs across 71 games with the Bisons - with seven of those home runs coming after Aug. 1.
As TSN's Scott Mitchell noted in his list of the Top 50 Toronto Blue Jays prospects of 2025, Roden showed that year that he can consistently hit for power - which answers the one major question mark surrounding the player's profile.
In three games (one start) in Spring Training so far, Roden has produced - he has two doubles in five plate appearances with two walks, two runs and a run batted in.
He boasted a 14.9 per cent strikeout rate across Double-A and Triple-A last year, far ahead of the 22.8 per cent rate across the majors a year ago, and his ascension is causing excitement around the organization.
“Just a guy who has adjusted and he’s getting better at everything really quickly,” Schneider said earlier in the week. “He’s obviously a really bright kid, and everything we’ve asked him to tackle, he’s done a really good job. It’s cool to watch a guy go through the system, take everything that’s thrown at him and apply it.”
“He has just done so much to put himself in a position to move through the system quickly,” general manager Ross Atkins said at the start of Spring Training camp. “The way he goes about his job, the contact rates, the shape of his offence, the fact that it’s both sides of the ball, and baserunning, he plays defence at a solid level, very physical with upside, the power. He’s an exciting piece.”
Roden is slated to start in left field against the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday.