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1. Gabriel Moreno, C
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 60 | 50/55 | 30 | 50 | 60 | 70 |
Background: Beyond teenage arms, backstops are notorious for their incessant flameouts – especially teenage backstops. But Toronto’s become a bit of a pipeline for top catching prospects in recent years. Danny Jansen, a 16th round pick out of West High School in 2013, was a consensus Top 100 prospect and has turned into a serviceable big league catcher. Rotund youngster Alejandro Kirk, a personal favorite of mine, is coming off of a rookie season in which he batted a respectable .242/.328/.436 in 60 games as a 22-year-old. And then there’s Gabriel Moreno, the best of the trio and a potential budding superstar. Signed out of Barquisimeto, Venezuela, for barely nothing – his bonus was only $25,000, to be exact – Moreno looked a bit overwhelmed during his debut in the Dominican Summer League in 2017, hitting a lowly .248/.274/.296 in 32 games. Undeterred, the front office aggressively pushed him state to the Gulf Coast League, but that only last briefly as he slugged a Ruthian .413/.455/.652 in 23 games before he was bumped up to Bluefield. Moreno spent the ensuing summer, 2019, squaring off against the significantly older Midwest League: he hit .280/.337/.485 with 34 extra-base hits in only 82 games. And like a simmering pot, the 5-foot-11, 160-pound backstop’s offensive production reached a boiling point in 2021 – until a fractured thumb, courtesy of an errant pitch, prematurely ended it. Before the injury he was battering the competition to the tune of .373/.441/.651. In Double-A. As a 21-year-old catcher. Moreno returned to action for a handful of games at the end of the year before shredding the Arizona Fall League competition (.329/.410/.494).
Snippet from The 2020 Prospect Digest Handbook: There’s definite starting caliber potential here with the ceiling of a .270/.330/.450 type hitter.
Scouting Report: After ranking the young backstop as the club’s fifth best prospect two years ago, Moreno’s left little doubt who the big cheese is in the farm system now. The young Venezuelan catcher does it all – minus running: hits for average, hits for power, he owns a howitzer for an arm, and he’s an absolute brick wall behind the dish. Oh, yeah, his patience at the dish has been trending in the right direction since the start of his career, going from well below average to slightly better-than-average. He’s a perennial All-Star and a franchise cornerstone – as long as he can (A) withstand the rigors of catching without breaking down and (B) avoid serious injuries.
Ceiling: 7.0-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2022
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2. Orelvis Martinez, 3B/SS
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 45/50 | 50/60 | 35 | 50 | 45/50 | 60 |
Background: In a talent-laden international free agent class in 2018 – which included the likes fellow top prospects Diego Cartaya and Marco Luciano – it was Orelvis Martinez’s deal with Toronto that ranked as the second highest handed out, trailing only Miami’s not-so-great $5 million investment in Victor Victor Mesa. Martinez received a hefty $3.5 million deal, by the way. The 6-foot-1, 188-pound third baseman / shortstop was immediately placed on the fast track by the Jays’ savvy front office as he debuted in the Gulf Coast League in 2019. In 40 games in the stateside rookie league, he hit a respectable .275/.352/.549 with eight doubles, five triples, and seven homeruns. Last season, Toronto pushed the young Dominican infielder up to Dunedin in Low-A. And he responded by slugging .279/.369/.572 with 22 doubles, two triples, and 19 homeruns in only 71 games. His overall production with their affiliate, per Weighted Runs Created Plus, topped the league average mark by a whopping 49%. Martinez spent the last month-plus battling – and mostly flailing away – at the High-A West league pitching.
Snippet from The 2020 Prospect Digest Handbook: Really impressive power for a teenage bat, regardless of the level. Martinez may develop 25- to 30-homer thump in the coming years. And he combines that with surprisingly strong contact skills. Martinez also showed a willingness to walk as well. Defensively speaking, he’s solid. Martinez has some above-average starting caliber potential. Perhaps even peaking as a borderline All-Star. Short quick swing with impressive bat speed due to his strong, twitchy wrists. He doesn’t get cheated either.
Scouting Report: Consider the following:
- Since 2006, only two 19-year-old hitters met the following criteria in Low-A with one organization: 145 to 155 wRC+ total, a strikeout rate between 24% and 28%, and a walk rate between 8% and 11%. Those two hitters: Travis Snider and Orelvis Martinez. Snider, of course, is a former longtime top prospect of the Jays with a history of dominant MiLB seasons that never quite figured it out at the big league level.
Martinez’s strikeout rate in Low-A, 26.1%, isn’t a concern given (A) his age, (B) his level of competition, and (C) the fact that it’s declined noticeably during his 27-game cameo In High-A. The young baby-faced Dominican infielder shows a solid approach at the plate, above-average power, and an average glove. Like Jordan Groshans, he’s almost assuredly getting moved to the hot corner with Bo Bichette entrenched at shortstop. Making Martinez’s numbers in Low-A all that more impressive: according to Baseball America’s park factors, Dunedin is heavily slanted towards pitchers.
Ceiling: 4.0-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2024
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3. Jordan Groshans, 3B/SS
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 50/55 | 50/55 | 30 | 55 | 50 | 60 |
Background: The 2018 draft class will inevitably go down as one of the stronger ones in recent memory. The first seven picks – Casey Mize, Joey Bart, Alec Bohm, Nick Madrigal, Jonathan India, Jarred Kelenic, and Ryan Weathers – have already spent time in the big leagues, as have Logan Gilbert, Brady Singer, Trevor Larnach, and Nick Hoerner, among others. That doesn’t include current top prospects like Grayson Rodriguez, Matthew Liberatore, Triston Casas, and – of course – Jordan Groshans. The first prep shortstop taken off the board that year, Groshans turned in a dynamic debut as he split time between the Gulf Coast and Appalachian Leagues, batting an aggregate .296/.353/.446 with 13 doubles and five homeruns in only 48 games. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound third baseman / shortstop got off to another scorching start in 2019, ripping through the Midwest League to the tune of .337/.427/.482 but a stress injury to his navicular bone in the left foot prematurely ended his sophomore campaign. Last year the Magnolia High School product – once again – was limited due to an injury, this time a sore back that delayed the start of the season, but he managed to squeeze in 75 games – a new career high. Playing in the minors’ most important level, AA, Groshans stroked .291/.367/.450 with 23 doubles and seven homeruns. Per Weighted Runs Created Plus, his overall production topped the league average mark by 24%. For his career, he’s sporting a .300/.372/.453 triple-slash line through 146 games.
Snippet from The 2020 Prospect Digest Handbook: But Groshans is flashing an impressive skill set that may end up with two above-average tools (hit and power) and a couple strong 50-grades in his glove and speed.
Scouting Report: Consider the following:
- Since 2006, only three 21-year-old hitters met the following criteria in Double-A with one organization (min. 300 PA): 120 to 130 wRC+, a walk rate between 8% and 11%, and a strikeout rate between 18% and 21%. Those three hitters: Chris Lubanski, Jonathan Galvez, and – of course – Jordan Groshans.
Understandably so, Groshans got off to a bit of a slow start to the year – remember he’s not only making the leap from Low-A but he’s totaled just 71 minor league games prior to the season – but he picked things up in early June and slugged .308/.380/.482 the remainder of the year. Groshans hasn’t started tapping into his above-average power, but it’s coming. Regardless of his defensive ability, he’s not going to stick at shortstop as long as Bo Bichette is around, so third base is his for the taking.
Ceiling: 4.0-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2022
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4. Nate Pearson, RHP
| FB | CB | SL | CH | Command | Overall |
| 70 | 55 | 70 | 50 | 50 | 60 |
Background: The hard-throwing righty’s old stomping ground, the College of Central Florida, has created a bit of pipeline to the minor leagues, sending seven players to the professional ranks via the amateur draft. The highest chosen player: big Nate Pearson, a 6-foot-6, 250-pound hurler with a hellacious fastball. The 28th overall pick in 2017, Pearson immediately began vaulting up prospect lists with each passing triple-digit fastball. And he put an exclamation point on it with his exceptional showing in 2019. Splitting time across three separate levels, the Florida native struck out 119 and walked just 27 to go along with a 2.30 ERA in 101.2 innings of work. Pearson was on Toronto’s taxi squad during the COVID season two years ago, making five appearances, four of which were starts. Last season, he bounced between AAA and the big league, as well as an extended period on the disabled list with a core injury. He threw 30.2 minor league innings, averaging 12.9 strikeouts and 3.8 walks per nine innings. He tossed another 15 frames in Toronto, posting a 20-to-12 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Snippet from The 2020 Prospect Digest Handbook: An abnormally strong feel for the strike for a pitcher with a premium arsenal. Person, who works entirely from the stretch, pounded the zone with the regularity of a crafty, 15-year veteran. He has a legitimate chance to ascend to a bonafide, true #1 starting pitcher.
Scouting Report: What will Toronto do with the firebolt-slinging right-hander? Is he a starter or a reliever? He was a member of Buffalo’s rotation, and he made one start with the Jays, before hitting the DL. But once he returned he was a full-time reliever – though it’s likely they were trying to limit his usage from further aggravating the core issue. In article in The Toronto Star by Gregor Chisholm on December 21, 2021, Blue Jays General Manager was quoted as saying, “If there’s a way to create a bridge from here, where he’s getting exposed to longer outings, and being built up, it may mean he’s not always in the a starting role…Maybe there’s an extended outing way to do that, whether that be starting, pitching out of the ’pen, or some combination of the two.” I think it’s too early to push him into a single-inning relief role. The stuff is still legit: 80-grade fastball, plus slider, above-average curveball, and a decent changeup. The only question is his inability to command the zone in his brief outings in the big leagues.
Ceiling: 3.5-win player
Risk: Moderate to High
MLB ETA: Debuted in 2020
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5. Otto Lopez, 2B/SS/CF
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 55 | 35 | 60 | 45 | 55 | 45 |
Background: An older prospect when he signed with Toronto during the summer of 2016 – or at least in terms of the typical international free agent age. Lopez was an elderly 17-years-old. The Dominican-born infielder wouldn’t make his professional debut until the following season, but the player development engine decided to bypass the foreign rookie league and push him directly into the Gulf Coast League: he responded with a productive .275/.361/.360 slash line in 51 games. Lopez, a 5-foot-10, 160-pound middle infielder / part-time center fielder, spent the majority of the following season with Vancouver in the old Northwest League, batting .297/.390/.434. And he finally moved into full season action in 2019. He, of course, continued to hit: .324/.371/.425 with 20 doubles, five triples, and five homeruns. As minor league action returned to normal in 2021, after the COVID-imposed shutdown, Lopez upped the ante even further – in the minors’ most important test, AA. In 70 games with New Hampshire, he slugged .331/.398/.457 with 24 doubles, one triple, and three homeruns. Toronto bumped him up to Triple-A in early August for another 43 games (.289/.347/.405).
Snippet from The 2020 Prospect Digest Handbook: Lopez still looks like a utility-type guy with the same caveat: if the power continues to creep forward as will his prospect ceiling. Strong bat-to-ball skills. Above-average speed, though he doesn’t use it efficiently. And a solid glove.
Scouting Report: Consider the following:
- Since 2006, only five 22-year-old hitters met the following criteria in Double-A with one organization (min. 300 PA): 130 to 140 wRC+ total, 18% to 21% strikeout rate, 8% to 11% walk rate. Those five hitters: Colin Moran, Jerry Sands, Yusniel Diaz, Brandon Laird, and – of course – Otto Lopez.
One step closer to his utility role in the big leagues, especially now that he’s accruing some valuable time in the outfield. Lopez is a slashing speedster with modest patience and very little power. Beyond his limiting frame size, the 5-foot-10, 160-pound infielder/outfielder puts the ball on the ground all too frequently (approximately 53% in 2021) to have a shot at any surge in the power department. One more thought: Lopez posted a 134 wRC+ in A-, a 132 wRC+ in A-ball, and a 136 wRC+ in AA.
Ceiling: 1.5-win player
Risk: Low toModerate
MLB ETA: Debuted in 2021
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6. Sem Robberse, RHP
| FB | CB | SL | CH | Command | Overall |
| 55 | 55 | 50/55 | 50/55 | 45/55 | 45 |
Background: Fun Fact Part I: According to the invaluable Baseball Reference, there have been 12 players born in the Netherlands to make the big leagues. Fun Fact Part II: of those 12 players, only two of them would establish themselves as above-average or better regulars – Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven and shortstop Didi Gregorius. The Zeist, Netherland, native spent parts of two years working in the Dutch Major League, at the ages of 16 and 17. He would throwing a total of 84 innings, fanning 74, walking 16, and compiling an aggregate 1.82 ERA. After signing with Toronto during the summer of 2019, Robberse made five brief appearances with the club’s Gulf Coast League affiliate, posting a 9-to-0 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 10.0 innings. Last season the 6-foot-1, 160-pound right-hander made a total of 21 appearances, 19 of which were starts, between Dunedin and Vancouver. The then-19-year-old tossed 88.2 innings, racking up 90 strikeouts and 38 walks to go along with a 4.36 ERA and a 4.18 FIP.
Scouting Report: A tremendous job of unearthing the right-hander by the club’s scouting department. In spite of the solid showings in 2019 and 2021, Robberse remains incredibly projectable – even as he’s entering his age-20 season. He owns two present above-average offerings – a low- to mid-90s fastball and a curveball – with two others that may eventually creep into 55-grade territory (changeup and slider). He’s a strike-thrower more than a command guy, but – again – that’s trending in the right direction as well. Robberse has the starter’s kit for a solid #4 / #5 arm. Consider the following:
- Since 2006, only seven 19-year-old hurlers met the following criteria in Low-A with one organization (min. 50 IP): 24.5% to 26.5% strikeout percentage and a 7.5% to 9.5% walk percentage. Those seven arms: Randall Delgado, Jake Thompson, Kelvin De La Cruz, Victor Vodnik, Ian Clarkin, Alfredo Garcia, and Sem Robberse.
Ceiling: 1.5-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2024
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7. Miguel Hiraldo, 2B/3B
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 45/50 | 40/50 | 55/45 | 50 | 50 | 45 |
Background: Cut from a similar mold as all the other infield prospects the team has signed off the international market in recent years. Hiraldo garnered a hefty $750,000 bonus from the Jays during the summer of 2017. The second / third baseman would make his debut the following year with a strong showing in the Dominican Summer League, hitting .313/.381/.453 before earning a 10-game cameo in the Gulf Coast at the end of the year. Prior to the COVID shutdown, Hiraldo spent the majority of the season in the Rookie Advanced League; he would bat .300/.348/.481 with 20 doubles, one triple, and seven homeruns in 56 games. Last season, as MiLB action returned, the 5-foot-11, 170-pound infielder spent the entirety of the year battling against the Low-A Southeast competition, hitting a mediocre .249/.338/.390 with 26 doubles, four triples, and seven homeruns. He also swiped 29 bags in 34 attempts. His overall production was exactly league average, 100 wRC+, per Weighted Runs Created Plus.
Snippet from The 2020 Prospect Digest Handbook: Impressive power that could peak in 20-homer territory in the coming years. Throw in some average defense and Hiraldo already has the makings of a legitimate prospect. The best part about Hiraldo, though, is his ability to consistently square up the baseball. He’s poised to be one of the bigger breakouts in 2020.
Scouting Report: Consider the following:
- Since 2006, only three 20-year-old hitters posted a 95 to 105 wRC+ total with a strikeout rate between 23.5% to 25.5% and a walk rate between 9% and 12% in Low-A with one organization (min. 400 PA): Matt West, Luis Mateo, and Miguel Hiraldo.
Hiraldo had an up-and-down year for Dunedin in 2021. He was solid in May (.270/.333/.404), July (.277/.381/.479), and September (.263/.333/.421), but struggled in June (.216/.336/.330) and August (.222/.293/.321). Among all the club’s young infielders plucked from the international scene, Hiraldo has the best present power and it’s still projecting to be a 45- to 50-grade tool. Above-average speed. Decent glove. He falls into the utility backup role like so many others in the organization.
Ceiling: 1.5-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2023/2024
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8. Estiven Machado, 2B/SS
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Background: Signed off the international market for a hefty $775,000 during the summer of 2019. Machado was limited to just one plate appearance during his debut last season due to a severe hamstring injury.
Scouting Report: Very, very flashing on the defensive side of the ball. Smooth, quick, twitchy movements. Really good looking swing from both sides of the plate. When Machado makes contact it’s audibly loud, like a firecracker. Above-average runner. I think there’s some Brandon Phillips-type potential here. But with basically no game data to go off of, Machado remains an unknown. He looks like a player though.
Ceiling: Too Soon to Tell
Risk: Too Soon to Tell
MLB ETA: Too Soon to Tell
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9. C.J. Van Eyk, RHP
| FB | CB | SL | CH | Command | Overall |
| 55 | 60 | 50/55 | 50 | 40/45 | 45 |
Background: A New York-based organization took a late round flier on Van Eyk coming out of George M. Steinbrenner High School – though it wasn’t the New York team that Mr. Steinbrenner owned. Van Eyk, of course, bypassed the Mets’ interest and headed to Florida State University. After a stellar three-year career – he averaged 11.5 strikeouts and 4.2 walks per nine innings – Toronto drafted the 6-foot-1, 198-pound right-hander in the second round, 42nd overall, in the 2020 draft. The two sides agreed to a deal worth slightly less than $1.8 million. Van Eyk made 19 starts with the Vancouver Canadians in High-A West last season, throwing 80.1 innings with 100 strikeouts and 39 walks. He finished the year with a 5.83 ERA, a 4.55 FIP, and a 4.58 xFIP.
Scouting Report: Consider the following:
- Since 2006, only three 22-year-old hurlers met the following criteria in High-A with one organization (min. 75 IP): 27% to 29% strikeout percentage with a 10% to 12% walk percentage. Those three hurlers: Sean Manaea, Kyle Bradish, and Cornelius Johannes Van Eyk.
Very solid four-pitch repertoire highlight by a lively 93 mph fastball. Van Eyk complements the above-average heater with a plus, 12-6 downward biting curveball that falls off the table, a slider that projects to be above-average, and a firm changeup. Even going back to his collegiate days, Van Eyk’s never displayed a solid grasp of the strike zone (his lowest walk rate was 3.7 BB/9, which happened during his sophomore campaign). He needs to show some type of tangible improvement in the next year or so. If that happens, he looks like a #4-type arm. If not, well, he could be service fastball/curveball combo relief arm.
Ceiling: 1.5-win player
Risk: Moderate to High
MLB ETA: 2023/2024
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10. Adam Kloffenstein, RHP
| FB | CB | SL | CH | Command | Overall |
| 550/5 | 55 | 50/55 | 45 | 40/45 | 45 |
Background: The Blue Jays staff spent a lot of time at Texas-based Magnolia High School heading into the 2018 draft. They selected shortstop Jordan Groshans with the 12th overall selection that year from the prep school, signing him to a below-slot deal worth $3.4 million. Two rounds later Toronto snagged Groshan’s teammate Adam Kloffenstein – except the big right-hander received nearly $2 million above the recommended slot to sign. Built like an NFL tightend at 6-foot-5 and 243 pounds, Kloffenstein spent the entirety of 2021 battling – with mix results – the High-A West competition with the Vancouver Canadians. In a career-high 23 starts, the big righty posted a mediocre 107-to-61 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 101.1 innings of work. He finished the year with a 6.22 ERA, a 5.16 FIP, and a 5.09 xFIP.
Snippet from The 2020 Prospect Digest Handbook: Kloffenstein fastball was touching the mid-90s last season; his curveball showed flashes of above-average; his slider’s a swing-and-miss pitch; and his changeup is quietly strong. Throw in a solid feel for the strike zone and Kloffenstein has the makings of a #4-type starting pitcher. He’s poised to be one of the bigger breakouts in 2020.
Scouting Report: Consider the following:
- Since 2006, there have been twelve 20-year-old pitchers to post a strikeout percentage between 22% and 24% in High-A (min. 100 IP): Jack Flaherty, Brad Hand, Antonio Senzatela, Brett Oberholtzer, Troy Patton, Ricardo Sanchez, Peter Lambert, Reggie Lawson, Kyle Smith, Gabby Hernandez, Dan Cortes, and – of course – Adam Kloffenstein.
- Only two of those hurlers posted a walk rate of at least 10%: Ricardo Sanchez and Adam Kloffenstein, the latter being 3-percentage points higher.
Kloffenstein hardly resembled the same pitcher from two years ago. His fastball backed up a few ticks, now sitting in the 90 mph range. His slider was inconsistent, though it would flash above-average on rare occasion. And his change, now thrown rarely, is below-average. His 40-grade command from two years ago showed no signs of improvement either. Add it all up – especially combined with his production – and Kloffenstein’s prospect status has dulled quite bit. Instead of tracking like a #4-type starting pitcher, he’s in the #6 / spot-starter path with the floor of a middle reliever.
Ceiling: 1.0- to 1.5-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2024
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All statistics were provided via the following website: Baseball Reference, FanGraphs, TheBaseballCube, BaseballProspectus, and ClayDavenport.com
