Here's the Blue Jays' Spring Breakout roster
Keegan Matheson
@KeeganMathesonDUNEDIN, Fla. -- With so many prospects beginning to knock on the door at the same time, the Blue Jays need one to kick the door down.
This wave of prospects will be represented well in the Blue Jays¡¯ Spring Breakout game on Saturday, March 16, at 4:05 p.m. ET against the Yankees. Twenty-two of the Blue Jays¡¯ Top 30 prospects will be on the roster, and while you¡¯ll get your first glance at some of the stars of tomorrow in Arjun Nimmala (No. 3) and Enmanuel Bonilla (No. 8), there¡¯s an even larger group that could make an impact in 2024.
This starts on the infield, where the Blue Jays have piled up depth. Leo Jimenez (No. 5), Addison Barger (No. 6), Damiano Palmegiani (No. 14) and Spencer Horwitz (No. 16) will be on the roster, representing an array of skill sets. Jimenez is the true shortstop with an improving bat, while Barger is the max-effort third baseman who is seeing more time in right field, flashing impressive power with one of the best throwing arms in the system. Palmegiani might be this system¡¯s best bet to be ¡°2024 Davis Schneider¡± while Horwitz, whom you¡¯ve seen in the big leagues already, has one of the best plate approaches in the system at first base.
Add in Alan Roden (No. 7), the top outfield prospect in the system, and you¡¯re looking at an impressive level of ¡°quantity¡± to go along with the quality here. The Blue Jays¡¯ system doesn¡¯t rank among baseball¡¯s best by any means, but if it can serve the big league club by turning these six or eight prospects into one or two players who make legitimate contributions in 2024, then it¡¯s doing its job in the short term.
¡°It¡¯s the bat, first, that we look at, and then it¡¯s defensive versatility,¡± said manager John Schneider. ¡°The reps are limited a little bit defensively, but we just look at the quality of the at-bats. It¡¯s hard in spring, being out there on a limited basis, but we see spurts of their overall game and awareness. Where are you going on a cutoff? Where are you going on a ball in the gap? Are you going first to third? Are you tagging up? All of those little things.¡±
The Blue Jays are a team in need of upside on offense, particularly if their rotation doesn¡¯t replicate 100% of its remarkable 2023 season. There¡¯s a lot of hope involved with betting on internal improvements, which isn¡¯t always the safest strategy in baseball, so this organization needs a prospect success story if that¡¯s going to happen. The Spring Breakout game is your best shot at seeing them all in one place.
What is Spring Breakout? MLB Spring Breakout is a four-day event showcasing baseball¡¯s future: the current stars of Minor League Baseball. The inaugural edition will be held from March 14-17 at Grapefruit and Cactus League stadiums during Spring Training. A series of 16 exhibition games will be played between teams comprised of each MLB organization¡¯s top prospects, creating a new touchpoint on the baseball calendar that celebrates our sport¡¯s budding talent.
Here's the Blue Jays' Spring Breakout roster with MLB Pipeline's rankings: