With the Minor League season opening this week, here's where Toronto¡¯s Top 30 Prospects are projected to start:
- Arjun Nimmala (MLB No. 85), SS -- Vancouver (High-A)
- Trey Yesavage (MLB No. 86), RHP -- Dunedin (Single-A)
- Orelvis Martinez, 2B/3B -- Buffalo (Triple-A)
- Ricky Tiedemann, LHP -- Injured (Tommy John surgery)
- Alan Roden, OF -- Toronto (MLB)
- Jake Bloss, RHP -- Buffalo (Triple-A)
- Josh Kasevich, SS -- Injured (stress reaction in back)
- Landen Maroudis, RHP -- Injured (elbow surgery rehab)
- Will Wagner, INF -- Toronto (MLB)
- Kendry Rojas, LHP -- Injured (midsection)
- Khal Stephen, RHP -- Dunedin (Single-A)
- Fernando Perez, RHP -- Vancouver (High-A)
- Johnny King, LHP -- Extended spring training
- Charles McAdoo, INF -- New Hampshire (Double-A)
- Brandon Barriera, LHP -- Injured (Tommy John rehab)
- Adam Macko, LHP -- Injured (meniscus surgery)
- Juaron Watts-Brown, RHP -- Vancouver (High-A)
- Enmanuel Bonilla, OF -- Extended spring training
- Mason Fluharty, LHP -- Toronto (MLB)
- Sean Keys, 3B -- Vancouver (High-A)
- RJ Schreck, OF -- New Hampshire (Double-A)
- Ryan Jennings, RHP -- New Hampshire (Double-A)
- Adrian Pinto, 2B/OF -- Vancouver (High-A)
- Carson Messina, RHP -- Extended spring training
- Jace Bohrofen, OF -- New Hampshire (Double-A)
- Lazaro Estrada, RHP -- Buffalo (Triple-A)
- Angel Bastardo, RHP -- Toronto (MLB) -- IL (Tommy John rehab)
- Dasan Brown, OF -- New Hampshire (Double-A)
- Peyton Williams, 1B -- New Hampshire (Double-A)
- Victor Arias, OF -- Vancouver (High-A)
Team to watch
Watch High-A Vancouver, if only to see how top prospect Nimmala handles the jump to the Northwest League. The 2023 first-rounder notably got off to a rough start at Single-A Dunedin in his first full season but course-corrected in the middle of the summer and dominated the Florida State League late. Even if he gets off to a slow start, his history of adjustments has earned him a longer leash in his age-19 season. Perez and Watts-Brown bring some heft to the Canadians¡¯ pitching staff, and Keys -- a fourth-rounder last year out of Bucknell -- could be Toronto¡¯s next high-OBP darling in the mode of Spencer Horwitz or Roden.
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Players we could see in MLB in 2025
Martinez and Bloss both saw the Majors last year, albeit in short spurs -- the former for one game before his PED suspension, the latter for three starts with Houston before his trade to Toronto -- and will look to make it back. Martinez certainly has the power, but will need to find a defensive home after shuffling between second and third. Bloss has three above-average pitches in his fastball, slider and curve, giving him a solid shot at boosting the Jays¡¯ starting depth. Kasevich -- a career .288 hitter in the Minors and above-average defender at shortstop -- could be another infield option once he heals up from a stress reaction in his back.
New Faces
Yesavage didn¡¯t pitch in a Minor League game after going 20th overall out of East Carolina in last year¡¯s Draft. He opens with Single-A Dunedin, in part to avoid the cold Aprils of Toronto¡¯s more northern affiliates, but the quality of his fastball-slider-splitter combination should make it a short stay in the Florida State League. Second-rounder Stephen joins him in Dunedin and similarly didn¡¯t pitch for an affiliate last year out of Mississippi State. Prep picks King and Messina will continue to be built up in extended spring training.
On the shelf
Tiedemann will miss much of the 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery last year, while Maroudis and Barriera are still rehabbing from their internal brace and TJ procedures, respectively. Similarly, Bastardo ¨C a Rule 5 pick ¨C had Tommy John last July, and he¡¯ll make rehab appearances in the Minors before it becomes a real concern about him sticking in the Majors. Elsewhere, Macko underwent arthroscopic surgery to address a torn left meniscus earlier this spring, and that¡¯ll delay his 2025 debut. Rojas is dealing with a midsection (i.e. non-arm) injury and didn¡¯t break camp with a club. He threw two hitless, scoreless innings against the Twins in the March 15 Spring Breakout game as part of his only public-facing appearance in Florida.