The Toronto Blue Jays prospects have come and gone over the years. Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and first-round draft pick Alek Manoah have since graduated to the majors. The Blue Jays traded for Matt Chapman from the Oakland Athletics most recently. The rebuilding A’s received four minor league prospects- Toronto’s top pick in the 2021 MLB Draft Gunnar Hoglund, infielder Kevin Smith, and left-handed pitchers Zach Logue and Kirby Snead. Hoglund and Smith were top ten prospects in the Blue Jays farm system. Now that they are gone, their top prospects list has changed. Here are the hopeful players fans should keep their eyes on throughout the 2022 season.
Blue Jays Prospects
Leo Jimenez
Scouting Grades: Hit: 60, Power: 30, Run: 55, Arm: 55, Field: 55, Overall: 50
Leo Jimenez did the unthinkable of any hitter in a full-season league last summer. Jiminez had the best strikeout-to-walk ratio of hitter the previous year. The 20-year old walked 54 times while striking out 36 times in 262 plate appearances. The Blue Jays top-five prospect is an elite defender as his power remains a vital tool to his long-term value. As long as Jimenez can consistently hit the ball, it will add to his already threatening advanced plate approach. With his above-average athleticism and quickness, Jimenez will continue to play shortstop while mixing in reps at second base.
Otto López
Scouting Grades: Hit: 55, Power: 40, Run: 60, Arm: 50, Field: 50, Overall: 50
Otto López has something that the other prospects here don’t. López has Canadian roots as a native of the Dominican Republic; his family moved to Montreal when his dad took a job there. Nevertheless, López has been a consistent force in the Blue Jays farm system. Since signing with the club in 2016, 2021 was his best season. The utility player hit .315/.379/.437 with five home runs, and 22 steals at Double-A and Triple-A. López made his big league debut on August 17 before being sent to Buffalo. This season, expect to see more of López in the Blue Jays roster as a potential call-up when a player is injured.
Jordan Groshans
Scouting Grades: Hit: 55, Power: 50, Run: 50, Arm: 60, Field: 50, Overall: 55
Jordan Groshans had another season with an injury. Despite the interruption, Groshans performed well when he could, hitting .291/.367/.450. After only 23 games in Low-A back in 2019, he jumped two levels to Double-A. The 22-year old is known for his ability at the plate. Groshans has excellent swing decisions to drive the ball in the opposite direction. Even though he got more reps at shortstop than at third base last year, he’s no shortstop. Groshans has the defense to play third, especially with his arm at 60 on the scouting grade. However, he will need to work on his flexibility as he continues to work up through the minor league ranks.
Orelvis Martinez
Scouting Grades: Hitting: 50, Power: 60, Run: 45, Arm: 60, Field: 45, Overall: 55
Orelvis Martinez got to make his full-season debut in 2021. Martinez hit .279/.369/.572 for Low-A Dunedin, leading the Low-A Southeast League in slugging by 60 points. His strong debut earned him a late-season promotion to High-A Vancouver. In 95 games, he hit 28 home runs with a respectable 25 percent strikeout rate. He has value in his bat that comes with excellent bat speed and power.
Gabriel Moreno
Scouting Grades: Hitting: 60, Power: 55, Arm: 55, Run: 45, Field:55, Overall: 60
Gabriel Moreno has made promising developments as the Blue Jays top prospect. He went off in Double-A New Hampshire, hitting .373/.441/.651 in 32 games. Furthermore, it’s no surprise that Moreno looks like a potential All-Star catcher, something the Blue Jays never had. The 22-year old projects for a plus hit tool with above-average power. His 55 defense behind the plate makes him a well-rounded threat who’s closing in on Danny Jansen and Alejandro Kirk.
Other Notable Blue Jays Prospects
The following prospects round out the top 10. Ricky Tiedemann, Sem Robberese, C.J. Van Eyk, Manuel Beltre, Irv Carter. Gunnar Hoglund’s move to Oakland means that fellow 2021 draft pick Ricky Tiedemann is now the organization’s top prospect on the mound. He’s the only left-handed pitcher in the Blue Jays’ top 30 prospects list. Robberese is the team’s top right-handed pitching prospect.
Main Image
Players Mentioned:
Gunnar Hoglund, Zach Logue, Kevin Smith, Kirby Snead, Leo Jiminez, Otto López, Jordan Groshans, Orelvis Martinez, Gabriel Moreno, Ricky Tiedemann, Sem Robberese, C.J. Van Eyk, Manuel Beltre, Irv Carter
