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Top 5 Blue Jays Prospects

The 2023 MLB season showed the world that there are elite and well-rounded Blue Jays prospects—for example, players like Davis Schneider. But more players are tearing it up in the minors and are showcasing that they have what it takes to be called up to the big leagues. The Blue Jays prospects continuing to gain honorable mention are Ricky Tiedemann, Orelvis Martinez, Arjun Nmala, Brandon Barriera, and Addison Barger.

Toronto Blue Jays Prospects

Ricky Tiedemann

Ricky Tiedemann is just one of the Blue Jays’ top prospects, is a left-handed pitcher, and is 21 years old. He is currently playing at the AAA level. He was drafted in 2021 in the third round, 91st overall. The three pitches that he uses are the fastball, slider, and changeup. As a freshman, he struck out 60 batters in 38 innings, encouraging the Blue Jays to draft him in 2021 and sign him at $644,800.

He had some memorable moments in 2023, and he is all fans are talking about. There has been a discussion that he is a hot ticket item to be traded, but many fans do not want the Blue Jays to trade him. The Blue Jays have a robust, young, tenacious pitcher with a superb fastball. It would be wise for the Blue Jays to hold onto this youngster and see what he can bring at a big-league level when he is ready to be called up.

Orelvis Martinez

Martinez made Blue Jays headlines back in 2018, and he signed a $3.5 million bonus. In 2019, the Blue Jays put complete faith in his baseball talent and skills early in his career. They did this by bringing this Blue Jays prospect to the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, and he didn’t waste any time as he slugged .549 with seven homers across 40 games. Martinez was a player that came out of the lost pandemic season. In 2021, he spent his baseball career playing between Single-A Lansing and High-A Vancouver. He recorded a .895 OPS and smashed 28 home runs. This permitted him to stand out as a young player with a powerful, lethal bat. But his power did not diminish as his career has continued to flourish in 2022. Martinez recorded 30 home runs with Double-A New Hampshire.

Arjun Nimmala

When we think of Arjun Nimmala, the first thing that comes to mind is a reference to a classic baseball movie, “Million Dollar Arm.” The concept behind this movie was that a cricket ball player could be transformed into a baseball pitcher. Cricket is a massive market in India, and two former cricket players went through the journey of transitioning from cricket to baseball.

So, how does this Blue Jays prospect play into all this? With his Indian descent, he has made headlines as an influential young player who earned a contract with the Toronto Blue Jays and inspired more Indian sports players to turn to baseball. The dream is no longer a dream and a reality for Nimmala. He has inspired many, and fans are so excited and happy that he has joined the Blue Jays. Nimmala is a 6-foot-1 right-handed hitter and shortstop, and when it comes to this young rookie, Nimmala can be identified through skill full projection as a Blue Jays prospect. He has recognized that he can be an aggressive yet patient hitter at the plate. He also is unique as he is capable of driving the ball to all areas of the field.

Brandon Barriera

If we were to compare Barriera to Nimmala, the most significant difference is that Barriera is not what you would call a projection type of player. But, at 6-foot-2, Barriera, without a doubt, showcases potential and is working his way to earn a spot in the majors. While playing baseball in high school, his fastball remained in the low 90s, and while he didn’t pitch in the Minors post-draft, he improved his fastball to 97-98 in the fall sessions. As well, his heater pitch possesses late movement, which is impressive. He also uses his slider in the low 80s with a recognizable sweep. This pitch has been known as his go-to off-speed pitch. In addition, his change-up ranges in the mid-80s. But what is dazzling about his changeup is that it is similar to his fastball.

Addison Barger

Addison Barger was supposed to be called to the majors this season but missed the September call-up. When you think of this Blue Jays prospect, the first phrase that comes to mind is, “he can hit bombs.” It is always refreshing to have rookie players who have upscale star potential to be threats at the plate. Barger and Schneider both possess similar characteristics to young baseball players. Seeing him get called up in the 2024 season will be exciting.

Living Young and Wild and Free: Blue Jays Prospects

The one consistent characteristic that these young Blue Jays prospects showcase is that they hustle, grind, and work hard to earn spots in the Blue Jays lineup. It is helpful that the Blue Jays have all these talented young players who can provide leverage for the Blue Jays in terms of support. In 2023, when the Blue Jay’s injuries continued to pile up (Bo Bichette, Brandon Belt, Matt Chapman, Danny Jansen, Kevin Kiermaier), youngsters such as Spencer Horwitz, Ernie Clement, and Davis Schneider had their golden opportunity to shine and silence the haters. So, the new prospects will most likely get their turn to shine in 2024.

Main Photo Credits: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Vanessa Serrao

Vanessa Serrao

Vanessa is a freelance baseball writer for Last Word On Baseball. She is also an author and is pursuing a career in sports journalism. She loves the Toronto Blue Jays, but covers MLB breaking news.

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