With the Minor League season opening this week, here's where the Blue Jays¡¯ Top 30 prospects are projected to start:
1. Ricky Tiedemann (MLB No. 28), LHP -- Buffalo (Triple-A)
2. Orelvis Martinez (MLB No. 85), INF -- Buffalo (Triple-A)
3. Arjun Nimmala, SS -- Dunedin (Single-A)
4. Brandon Barriera, LHP -- Dunedin (Single-A)
5. Leo Jimenez, SS -- Buffalo (Triple-A)
6. Addison Barger, OF -- Buffalo (Triple-A)
7. Alan Roden, OF -- New Hampshire (Double-A)
8. Enmanuel Bonilla, OF -- Extended Spring Training
9. Adam Macko, LHP -- New Hampshire (Double-A)
10. Kendry Rojas, LHP -- Vancouver (High-A)
11. Josh Kasevich, SS -- New Hampshire (Double-A)
12. Landen Maroudis, RHP -- Dunedin (Single-A)
13. Cade Doughty, 3B -- New Hampshire (Double-A) injured list (shoulder)
14. Damiano Palmegiani, 3B -- Buffalo (Triple-A)
15. Chad Dallas, RHP -- Buffalo (Triple-A)
16. Spencer Horwitz, 1B -- Buffalo (Triple-A)
17. CJ Van Eyk, RHP -- New Hampshire (Double-A)
18. Juaron Watts-Brown, RHP -- Dunedin (Single-A)
19. Connor Cooke, RHP -- Buffalo (Triple-A)
20. Tucker Toman, SS -- Dunedin (Single-A)
21. Dahian Santos, RHP -- Vancouver (High-A) 60-day injured list (forearm)
22. Jace Bohrofen, OF -- Vancouver (High-A)
23. Alex De Jesus, 3B -- New Hampshire (Double-A)
24. Fernando Perez, RHP -- Dunedin (Single-A)
25. Yhoangel Aponte, OF -- Dunedin (Single-A)
26. Dasan Brown, OF -- Vancouver (High-A)
27. Manuel Beltre, SS -- Dunedin (Single-A)
28. Sam Shaw, 2B -- Extended spring training
29. T.J. Brock, RHP -- New Hampshire (Double-A) injured list (elbow soreness)
30. Adrian Pinto, 2B/OF -- Vancouver (High-A) injured list (rib)
Team to watch
The Blue Jays gave Tiedemann a long look in Spring Training before sending him to Triple-A Buffalo, instantly making the Bisons a must-follow club for Jays fans. The inclusion of Martinez ¨C Toronto¡¯s other Top 100 prospect and potential future second baseman ¨C seals that status, and Jimenez, Barger, Palmegiani and Horwitz make the lineup all the more dynamic. Keep an eye out as well for Cooke, who could use his mid-90s fastball and plus slider to find a spot in the Jays¡¯ bullpen before long.
Players we could see in 2024
Tiedemann has three Major League-ready weapons in his fastball, sweeper and changeup, and after being limited by shoulder and biceps issues last year, he will be carefully monitored in 2024. If the Jays¡¯ rotation depth is tested any more in the first half, they may choose to use Tiedemann¡¯s innings where they¡¯re most impactful at the Major League level. Martinez has the power to push for his own Major League look on the infield in his age-22 season, while the remainder of that Bisons infield isn¡¯t far off either, particularly the on-base king Horwitz who got 15 games with the big club in ¡¯23.
New faces
Last year¡¯s 20th overall pick Nimmala only played nine games in the Florida Complex League after the Draft. He will be making his full-season debut with Dunedin, where he¡¯ll focus on making enough contact to let his above-average power play at just 18 years old. Third-rounder Watts-Brown and fourth-rounder Maroudis will both make their organization debuts in the Florida State League after not pitching in a game after the Draft, while sixth-rounder Bohrofen heads to High-A Vancouver after slugging .636 in 24 games between the FCL and FSL late last summer.
On the shelf
A shoulder injury will hold Doughty back for a few weeks before he joins the Double-A New Hampshire roster. Santos was placed on the Vancouver 60-day injured list as he continues to deal with forearm/elbow issues that plagued the second half of his 2024 season; the Blue Jays intend to build him back up in a way that will keep those in the past. Brock has experienced elbow soreness that has him behind but will join New Hampshire when ready, and Pinto is dealing with a rib injury before joining Vancouver.