Blue Jays still have a top 10 farm system despite their recent graduates. Here’s a look at the top prospects

By: Laura Armstrong - Staff Reporter, Toronto Star Posted: 9:51 AM CDT Tuesday, Mar. 30, 2021 Last Modified: 7:20 AM CDT Thursday, Apr. 1, 2021

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The day a top prospect makes his Major League Baseball debut is always full of excitement, and the Blue Jays have had no shortage of such thrills in recent years.

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The day a top prospect makes his Major League Baseball debut is always full of excitement, and the Blue Jays have had no shortage of such thrills in recent years.

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This article was published 30/03/2021 (1684 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The day a top prospect makes his Major League Baseball debut is always full of excitement, and the Blue Jays have had no shortage of such thrills in recent years.

It all started with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s arrival on April 26, 2019, ushering in a new generation in Toronto. That was followed less than a month later by Cavan Biggio’s debut, on May 24. Bo Bichette brought some mid-season hype when he joined the debutant’s club on July 29 of that same season.

The trend continued in 2020, with top pitching prospect Nate Pearson making his first big-league start five days after the season began, and catcher Alejandro Kirk delighting his cult following when he jumped multiple minor-league levels to make his major-league debut in September.

Steve Nesius - THE CANADIAN PRESS
Toronto Blue Jays reliever Simeon Woods Richardson, ranked the team’s fourth best prospect, pitches against the New York Yankees during the fourth inning of spring training on March 14. He could play a role out of the bullpen if called up early by the big club. — Steve Nesius - THE CANADIAN PRESS Toronto Blue Jays reliever Simeon Woods Richardson, ranked the team’s fourth best prospect, pitches against the New York Yankees during the fourth inning of spring training on March 14. He could play a role out of the bullpen if called up early by the big club.

Toronto’s farm system is still considered among the top 10 in baseball, despite all its recent graduates. That means there are more potential debutants to look forward to in 2021. Get to know the most likely candidates here:

Closest to landing

There are backups at multiple roles should injury or poor performance require the Jays to dip into their depth early on in the season. Right-hander Joey Murray, Toronto’s No. 18 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, has moved quickly up the minor leagues since he was selected by the Jays in the 2018 draft. The now 24-year-old finished 2019 in Double-A and spent last summer impressing at Toronto’s alternate site in Rochester. His high spin rate fastball and a recent uptick in velocity has drawn interest and praise from the Jays’ top brass. Catcher Riley Adams, also 24, still sits about midway down the Jays catching depth chart, but Toronto’s No. 19 prospect has spent the last year proving he is ready in case of emergency. And Josh Palacios, who comes in at No. 29 on the list, will challenge Jonathan Davis as Toronto’s top outfield option if the need arises, after a strong spring training at the plate. All three could be ready for the call at any point this season.

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They are starters of the future but the Jays may use No. 4 prospect Simeon Woods Richardson, 20, and No. 7 prospect Alek Manoah, 23, in a different capacity this summer: out of the bullpen. Both pitchers have come on fast during their time in the organization, with Woods Richardson not turning 21 until September and Manoah initially not projected to crack the big-leagues until 2022. Their spring training performances, taken with a grain of salt because of small sample sizes, suggested near major-league readiness: they gave up just five hits between them in 15 innings, many against big-league hitters. Workload will be an issue when it comes to both right-handers’ shots at playing a role in the second half of the season, but they certainly look like they have the ability to help.

Still a chance

In his first meeting with media following the 2020 season, Jays general manager Ross Atkins predicted No. 2 and No. 3 prospects Austin Martin, 22, and Jordan Groshans, 21, could reach the big leagues in 2021. Atkins put Martin slightly ahead of Groshans in that projection because of his amateur experience at Vanderbilt University. Neither did much to prove their major-league readiness in spring, though, posting dismal numbers at the plate, albeit in limited at-bats. Toronto’s big-league infield is fairly set, with Guerrero moving to first base, Biggio taking over at third and veteran Marcus Semien joining the crew on a one-year deal, making the path to the big leagues for Martin and Groshans less clear, unless something goes expectedly haywire. Can’t rule out September call-ups, though.

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