Don’t forget to pick up your copy of the The 2023 Prospect Digest Handbook here!
_______________________________________________________________________________________
1. Ricky Tiedemann, LHP
| FB | SL | CH | Command | Overall |
| 60 | 70 | 60 | 50/55 | 60 |
Background: The former Golden West College ace has become the de facto top pick for the Blue Jays’ 2021 draft class. Toronto opened up that year’s midsummer selection process by netting University of Mississippi ace Gunnar Hoglund with the 19th overall pick. Less than a year later the club would package Hoglund with Zach Logue, Kevin Smith, and Kirby Sneed to acquire All-Star three-time Gold Glove winning third baseman Matt Chapman. Their second rounder was lost due to the George Springer signing. So Ricky Tiedemann, who dazzled the JuCo competition for just 38.0 innings before his selection, is the next man up. His sparkling performance last season has proven that not only is he the best prospect the club draft in 2021, but also among the best in the entire class. Toronto kept the 6-foot-4, 220-pound southpaw from making his affiliated debut two years ago, opting, instead, to hold out until 2022. Tiedemann made six dominating starts with Dunedin, allowing only 11 base hits and six earned runs in 30 innings. The front office saw enough from their surging southpaw and decided to bump him up to Vancouver in late May. Tiedemann promptly ripped off eight more dominant starts, including a stretch that saw him hold the opposition to one earned run over his first 23.2 innings of work. Toronto decision makers – once again – had seen enough and deemed the hard-throwing youngster ready for the minors’ toughest challenge – Class AA. Tiedemann promptly went out and allowed only three earned runs over 11 innings. Tiedemann finished his breakout season – and professional debut – with 78.2 innings of work, 117 strikeouts and just 29 walks. He averaged 13.4 strikeouts and 3.3 walks per nine innings. He tallied a tidy 2.17 ERA, a 2.23 FIP, and a 3.08 xFIP.
Scouting Report: Consider the following:
- Last season, there were 659 minor league hurlers that tossed 70 or more innings. Tiedemann’s strikeout percentage, 38.9%, ranked second, trailing only San Francisco’s Kyle Harrison.
One of the loosest arms, generating one of the easiest plus fastballs in all of the minor leagues; Tiedemann saw a noticeable uptick in velocity from his pre-draft days to last season. The lanky lefty was sitting 94- to 96-mph and peaking at 97 mph. He features two plus-plus secondary offerings: a low- to mid-80s sweeping slider that absolutely death on lefties and righties, as well as a mid-80s changeup. The intriguing part of Tiedemann’s changeup is the fact that there’s natural cutting motion, not the typical arm-side fade that’s associated with the pitch. Throw in a surprisingly improved feel for the strike zone and Tiedemann has the makings of a bonafide ace. The lone red flag, thus far, is the fact that he rarely turned over a lineup, especially in High-A and Double-A.
Ceiling: 5.0-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2023
_______________________________________________________________________________________
2. Brandon Barriera, LHP
| FB | CB | SL | CH | Command | Overall |
| 70 | 55 | 55 | 60 | 45 | 60 |
Background: The New York-born Florida transplant is no stranger to playing elite age-appropriate competition. The young left-hander made a trio of appearances for Team USA’s 12U squad back in 2016, throwing 5.0 innings of work, handing out five free passes and fanning a couple of hitters. He also went 1-for-4 with a dinger as well. A few years later, in 2019, the then-15-year-old hurler made a pair of starts for the Team USA’s 15U club, posting a 10-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 9.1 innings of work. Last season the 6-foot-2, 180-pound lefty was limited to just 37 innings as a senior, striking out a whopping 68 and walking 11 hitters during that span. The interesting part, as Kiley McDaniel notes in a June 14th article for ESPN, is that Barriera made the decision to prematurely end his final amateur season in self-preservation, a way to avoid injury – namely Tommy John issues – as the draft was closing in. Toronto selected him in the opening round, 23rd overall, and signed him to a hefty $3,597,500. He did not appear in an affiliated game.
Scouting Report: Per the usual, my pre-draft write-up:
“As McDaniel notes, Barriera’s long been on scouts’ radars – with plenty of game tape available of a young freshman throwing in the upper 80s and lower 90s. Nowadays it’s peaking in the upper 90s and it’s in the conversation for one of the class’s best heaters – a rarity for a southpaw. He’ll complement the plus-plus offering with a strong trio of offspeed pitches: a late bending curveball, a tightly spun slider, and a tremendous changeup that’s his best secondary weapon. The changeup was on display early during a 2021 Perfect Game appearance. Even though the fastball has plenty of giddy up, Barriera doesn’t look anywhere close to being physically maxed out. He’s tall and lanky, but strong with one of the loosest arms / deliveries around. He’s battled command issues – which is nothing new for a southpaw – but there’s some Cole Hamels-type potential here. He could be special, if he avoids the injury nexus.”
Ceiling: 3.5-win player
Risk: High
MLB ETA: 2025/2026
_______________________________________________________________________________________
3. Addison Barger, 3B / SS
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 50 | 60 | 40 | 50 | 50 | 55 |
Background: It was a tough year on the club’s best hitting prospects. Toronto’s most promising infielder, Orelvis Martinez, struggled to hit his weight in Double-A. The front office dealt away their top overall prospect, backstop Gabriel Moreno, as well as former first rounder Jordan Groshans. But the struggles and losses were buoyed by the emergence of two under-the-radar prospects: corner outfielder Gabriel Martinez, and shortstop / third baseman Addison Barger. While there was ongoing speculation as to whether the Blue Jays could risk safely leaving Martinez off the club’s 40-man roster (he was not added, nor was he taken in the Rule 5 draft), the front office did add Barger. Drafted out of C. Leon King High School in the sixth round in 2018, the lefty-swinging shortstop showed slow, steady progress through the opening seasons of his career, leading to his breakout in 2022. The former prep star looked abysmal during his lengthy debut in the Gulf Coast League that summer, hitting .194/.318/.322. He was limited to 13 games in the Appalachian League the following season – though he managed to bat .283/.345/.434. Once minor league ball returned to action after the COVID delay, Barger spent the majority of the 2021 season squaring off against the Low-A Southeast League. And he turned in a surprising production line: .249/.334/.492 with 21 doubles, two triples, 18 homeruns, and seven stolen bases – which lead to his true breakout last season. Appearing in a combined 124 games between Vancouver (69 games), New Hampshire (47), and Buffalo (8), the Washington-native mashed .308/.378/.555 with career highs in doubles (33), homeruns (26), and stolen bases (nine). Per Weighted Runs Created Plus, his production topped the league average mark by a whopping 51%.
Scouting Report: Consider the following:
- Since 2006, only two 22-year-old hitters met the following criteria in a High-A season (min. 275 PA): 145 to 155 wRC+, 7% to 10% walk rate, and a 24% to 28% strikeout rate. Those two hitters: future Hall of Famer Paul Goldschmidt and – of course – the quietly underrated Addison Barger.
An average defender at either shortstop or third base, the lefty-swinging Barger was a force to be reckoned with last season, showing above-average power, solid patience, and a surprisingly strong hit tool – especially given his proclivity to the punch out. Barger’s a student of hitting, which helps explain his emergence. Semi-open, upright stance with a newly-found large leg kick, Barger has a ferocious swing and that creates an explosion on contact. His leg kick, by the way, is nearly equivalent – if not equal to – a pitcher’s leg kick. As long as he’s getting the foot down in time, though, it shouldn’t be a problem. It should be noted that he improved his strikeout rate considerably since 2021. He also showed significant improvement in his ability to handle southpaws as well, slugging .291/.364/.466 last season against them. It almost sounds crazy, but there’s a little Josh Donaldson to his offensive game. There’s a solid chance he develops into a .280/.350/.450 type hitter. But he’s got to repeat the production against lefties and keep his strikeout rate in check.
Ceiling: 3.0-win player
Risk: Moderate to High
MLB ETA: 2024
_______________________________________________________________________________________
4. Yosver Zulueta, RHP
| FB | CB | SL | CH | Command | Overall |
| 70 | 60 | 55 | N/A | 40 | 55 |
Background: The stocky, well-built right-hander from Remedios, Cuba, first popped up on scouts’ radar several years before making the leap stateside. Zulueta made his debut in the Cuban National Series as a spry, erratic 18-year-old during the 2016-17 season. The hard-throwing hurler would make 11 appearances, including three starts, for Naranjas de Villa Clara, posting a problematic 22-to-17 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 22.0 innings of work. Zulueta spent the next two seasons working for the club, as well as half of a season with Alazanes de Granma, before joining Toronto’s organization in mid-June 2019. The club handed him a million dollar deal that summer. Unfortunately, Zulueta eventually underwent Tommy John surgery to repair a barking right elbow. He would – finally – make his affiliated debut two years ago. But that lasted just three – THREE! – pitches before he hit the disabled list, again. This culprit was a torn ACL in his knee. Healthy for the start of the 2022 season, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound right-hander took off like a bat out of hell as he shredded the Low-A competition for three starts, breezed through six starts in Double-A. Halfway through his tenure with New Hampshire he hit the disabled list for a month with knee and shoulder issues. He eventually made it back to the Fisher Cats’ mound in early September. He would cap his wild ride of a first full season in the minors with three brief appearances with the Bisons of Buffalo. Zulueta finished 2022 with 84 punch outs, 32 walks, and a 3.72 ERA in 55.2 innings.
Scouting Report: One of the farm system’s best: fastball, curveball, and arm. And his above-average, hard-tilting slider is in the conversation for the best as well. It’s easy to see why the club has remained so incredibly patient with the injury-ridden right-hander. His fastball sits in the 94- to 97-mph range and will reach as high as 99 mph. His curveball is so unfairly wicked, a snap-dragon that will haunt dreams. His slider, which he commands the worst of the three, is above-average and flashes plus at times. Zulueta reportedly throws a changeup as well, but not only did I not see one during a late season contest, but the catcher never even signaled for it either. Zulueta has the second highest ceiling among all Toronto minor league arms. Whether he can stay on the mound and throw consistent strikes is an entirely different question. Some of those command / control issues could just be from a lack of mound time.
Ceiling: 3.0-win player
Risk: Moderate toHigh
MLB ETA: 2023
_______________________________________________________________________________________
5. Gabriel Martinez, LF / RF
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 55 | 50 | 35 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
Background: It doesn’t happen all that frequently, but Martinez is one the few prospects that debuts during their age-16 season. Signed out of Maracaibo, Venezuela, on his birthday in 2018, the 6-foot, 170-pound corner outfielder would make his affiliated debut with the Jays’ foreign rookie league squad the next summer. The results were mediocre given his age and level of competition: he batted .239/.317/.347 with 13 doubles, two triples, two homeruns, and eight stolen bases. Toronto moved the teenager into the Gulf Coast League once Minor League Baseball returned from its COVID-induced vacation in 2021. This time, though, the wiry corner outfielder proved to be up to the task as he mashed .330/.448/.410 with eight doubles in 31 games. The club let him dip his toes in the proverbial waters of Low-A at the end of the year. Last season, still only 19-years-old, Martinez turned in his best offensive campaign to date. He opened the year up by slashing .288/.349/.483 in 65 games with Dunedin. And he continued to shred the competition after a promotion up to Vancouver (.324/.381/.490). The Venezuelan youngster finished the year with an aggregate .293/.355/.477 with 23 doubles, 14 homeruns, and four stolen bases – despite missing more than a month of action due to a fracture wrist that required surgery. His overall production, according to Weighted Runs Created Plus, topped the league average mark by 34%.
Scouting Report: Consider the following:
- Since 2006, only four 19-year-old hitters met the following criteria in any Low-A league (min. 250 PA): 130 to 140 wRC+, a 15% to 19% strikeout rate, and an 8% to 12% walk rate. Those four hitters: Hao Yu Lee, Alejandro Osuna, Bryan Anderson, Gabriel Martinez.
Very fast hands that allow him to stay inside the baseball, the head of the bat crackles though the strike zone like a whip. Martinez is an intriguing prospect because he takes the toes-to-nose approach at the strike zone, but (A) consistently makes contact (a la Vladimir Guerrero), (B) walks an average amount of times, and (C) shows a willingness to shoot the ball the other way. Dunedin’s one of the more homer-friendly environments in the minors, so it’s not surprising to see Martinez’s power surge in 2022. He’s likely ticketed for another brief stint in High-A before moving on to Double-A, so it’ll be interesting to see if he can continue belting dingers at the same pace. Above-average hit tool, average power, strong contact skills, and an average glove. There’s starting material here, maybe more if he continues to hit like he did in 2022.
Ceiling: 2.0-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2024
_______________________________________________________________________________________
6. Dahian Santos, RHP
| FB | SL | CH | Command | Overall |
| 55 | 55/60 | 55 | 40/50 | 50 |
Background: Toronto signed the diminutive right-hander out of Acarigua, Venezuela during the summer of 2019 – though it would be nearly two years before Santos would toe the rubber during an affiliated game. The front office sent the promising youngster to the Complex Leagues to begin his career in 2021. Santos would make 10 appearances in the stateside rookie league before earning a promotion up to Low-A to cap his professional debut. Santos tossed 40.1 innings, striking out 12.9 and walking 3.6 walks per nine innings to go along with a 5.58 ERA. Last season the Venezuelan righty spent the first four months of the year back in Dunedin before earning a late season call up to Vancouver. He would finish the 2022 campaign with an impressive 142-to-44 strikeout-to-walk ratio in only 86.0 innings of work. He compiled an aggregate 4.50 ERA and a solid enough 3.82 FIP.
Scouting Report: Consider the following:
- Since 2006, there have been 271 hurlers that tossed at least 70 innings during their age-19 season in any Low-A league. Dahian Santos’ strikeout percentage, 39.34%, was the best of the bunch. For those interested, here’s the Top 10 strikeout percentage for 19-year-old hurlers in Low-A (min. 70 UP):
- #1.Dahian Santos
- #2. Tyler Glasnow
- #3. Kyle Harrison
- #4. Joey Cantillo
- #5. Grayson Rodriguez
- #6. Jose Fernandez
- #7. Clayton Kershaw
- #8. Joey Estes
- #9. Carlos Duran
Santos possesses a windup and release point similar to potential future Hall of Famer Chris Sale – a little bit of a hunched over low-slot slinging release point. High quality arsenal that the young right-hander commands well. An above-average fastball that sits in the 93-mph range, and there may be more velo in the coming years as he continues to add strength. An above-average slider that flashes plus on occasion. And a very good, sneaky mid-80s changeup that tumbles and fades. If Santos was four inches taller he’d be a consensus Top 100 prospect. Like a lot of the club’s other young arms, Santos’ game day workload was highly governed; he pitched past the fourth inning just six times in his 23 appearances. There’s backend potential here, maybe more if the velocity upticks another few miles-per-hour.
Ceiling: 2.0-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2024/2025
_______________________________________________________________________________________
7. Orelvis Martinez, 3B / SS
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 30/40 | 60 | 35 | 50 | 45 | 55 |
Background: Regarded as one of the top talents available on the market during the international signing period in 2018. The front office sent their prized prospect straight into the Gulf Coast League the following season for his debut, bypassing the foreign rookie league all together. And the wiry, 6-foot-1, 188-pound third baseman / shortstop sparkled against the older competition as he mashed .275/.352/.549. After minor league action returned from its forced COVID absence, Martinez quickly shredded the Low-A competition to the tune of .279/.369/.572 in 71 games. So Toronto bumped the burgeoning star up to High-A for the remaining month – though he struggled to the tune of .214/.282/.491. Last season, despite the month-long struggle with Vancouver to close out the 2021 campaign, Martinez was deemed ready enough to take on the harsh environment of Double-A. But, once again, the Dominican infielder struggled – significantly. Appearing in a career best 118 games, Martinez cobbled together a lowly .203/.286/.446 slash line with 15 doubles, a career best 30 homeruns, and half-a-dozen stolen bases (in nine total attempts). Per Weighted Runs Created Plus, his overall production fell 4% below the league average mark. Martinez owns a career .237/.320/.503 slash line in 256 games.
Scouting Report: Consider the following:
- Since 2006, there have been 46 instances in which a 20-year-old hitter received at least 350 plate appearances in Double-A. Only eight of them finished their respective Double-A stints with a wRC+ mark between 90 and 100: Andrew McCutchen, Jonathan Schoop, Hudson Potts, Francisco Martinez, Bryan Anderson, Dayan Viciedo, Andrew Lambo, and – of course – Orelvis Martinez.
Obviously, the big league success rate for similarly performing players is fairly small. Let’s continue:
- Only two of those aforementioned hitters whiffed in more than 22% — Potts and Martinez, both of whom whiffed in 28% of their plate appearances.
The plus power is quite evident, particularly for a 20-year-old squaring off in Double-A. The problem, of course, is the Cadillac-sized hole in his ferocious swing. Fastballs, even 80-grade heaters, aren’t the problem. Badly hung breakings balls aren’t an issue too. Martinez can’t hit low soft-stuff, particularly changeups and sliders that bend / fade just below the zone. He doesn’t walk enough to compensate either. Throw in 45-grade defense, and it’s certainly not a recipe for success. Batting averages aren’t entirely solid predictors of future performance (obviously), but Martinez hit .188 in April, .184 in July, and .146 in August. He cracked the Mendoza line in a full month just twice – .244 in May and .221 in June. The power is worth betting on, but the hit tool makes it a long shot.
Ceiling: 3.0-win player
Risk: Extremely High
MLB ETA: 2024
_______________________________________________________________________________________
8. Kendry Rojas, LHP
| FB | SL | CH | Command | Overall |
| 50/55 | 60 | 50 | 45/55 | 50 |
Background: A little more than a year after signing Cuban import Yosver Zulueta, Toronto inked fellow countryman Kendry Rojas for $215,000 in 2019. Standing 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, the lanky left-hander made his affiliated debut two years ago as he briefly pitched for the Jays’ Complex League affiliate. He tossed 23.2 innings that summer, averaging a ridiculous 14.8 strikeouts and 1.9 walks per nine innings to go along with a sparkling 2.28 ERA. Last season, despite missing roughly 2.5 months due to an undisclosed injury, Rojas tossed 39.2 innings with Dunedin, posting a 43-to-19 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He finished the stint in Low-A with a 4.08 ERA, a 3.19 FIP, and a 4.24 xFIP.
Scouting Report: Textbook definition of projection. Rojas owns one of the loosest, easiest throwing arms in the minor leagues. But the wiry 6-foot-1, 160-pound southpaw is only sitting in the 89- to 91-mph range. Without a doubt, though, there’s much more velo in the tank. And it wouldn’t be surprising to see him sitting 93- to 94-mph in a year or two. Despite the lack of present velocity, Rojas’s heater snuck up on a lot of minor league bats in 2022. Plus, mid-80s slider with phenomenal two-plane break. And his mid-80s changeup, while lacking typical velo separation, shows above-average movement and solid deception. Rojas is a cross-body thrower, but he commands the strike zone exceptionally well with all three offerings. There’s backend starting potential here, maybe more if he added more velocity than expected. He could be a longshot candidate for Breakout of the Year in 2023. Really, really like this lottery ticket. And I think it’s one worth betting big one.
Ceiling: 1.5- to2.0-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2024
_______________________________________________________________________________________
9. Tucker Toman, 3B / SS
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 45/50 | 50/55 | 30 | 45 | 50 | 5 |
Background: Continuing the 2022 Draft subtheme of strong bloodlines, Toman’s father, Jim, is a long time collegiate coach. The elder Toman, who was a two-year team captain at N.C. State during his playing days, has spent time coaching at Florida International University, N.C. State, South Carolina, Liberty, College of Charleston, and is currently the head coach at Middle Tennessee State University. A member of Hammond’s varsity baseball team since his eighth grade year, Toman batted a scorching .502 with eight dingers and 25 RBIs as a junior. And he finished his senior campaign with a .487 average with seven homeruns and 27 RBIs. He was committed to powerhouse Louisiana State University. The Jays grabbed him in the second round, 77th, and signed him a massive $2 million deal. Toman made an 11-game cameo in the Complex League, hitting .290/.391/.368 with three doubles.
Scouting Report: My pre-draft write-up:
“A high school athlete playing shortstop but is destined to slide over to the hot corner. Toman’s robotic and lacks a lot of lateral movement to stay at the infield’s prime position. Offensively, the young switch-hitter shows an open stance from either side of the batter’s box. Upright with plenty of natural loft, Toman hasn’t begun to fully tap into his above-average power potential. His swing looks more natural as a lefty, showing impressive bat speed for his non-dominant side. There’s some sneaky upside as potential second round pick.”
Ceiling: 1.5- to 2.0-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2025/2026
_______________________________________________________________________________________
10. Cade Doughty, 2B / 3B
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 50 | 50 | 35 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
Background: The two most famous Denham Spring High School alums just happened to bypass a chance at professional baseball as teenagers, opting, instead, to attend SEC Conference powerhouse Louisiana State University. All the way back in 1986, the Atlanta Braves took a 27th round chance on a big, lanky, hard-throwing right-hander by the name of “Big” Ben McDonald. Three years later, of course, the Baltimore Orioles used the top pick in the draft to select the LSU ace. Like McDonald, infielder Cade Doughty was a late round gamble coming out of the Louisiana-based prep school. But the reigning Gatorade State Player of the Year had his sights set on the land of the Tigers. Doughty opened up his collegiate career by batting .278/.365/.407 in 16 games before the pandemic forced the season to a premature close. After ripping through the South Florida Collegiate Baseball League competition with the Boca Raton Blazers that summer, Doughty established himself as one of LSU’s best hitters during his sophomore season. He batted .308/.368/.546 with 11 doubles, two triples, and 13 homeruns in 58 games. And the 6-foot-1, 205-pound infielder basically repeated that production line during his final season as well, slugging .298/.393/.567 with career highs in doubles (19), homeruns (15), and stolen bases (4). The Toronto Blue Jays selected Doughty in the second round, 78th overall, and signed him to a deal worth $833,600. The second / third baseman hit an impressive .272/.370/.495 with five doubles, six homeruns, and three stolen bases in 26 games with Dunedin.
Scouting Report: My pre-draft write-up:
“Consider the following:
- Since 2011, only six (6) SEC Conference hitters batted between .290/.380/.550 and .300/.420/.600 in a season (min. 600 PA): Harrison Bader, Jordan Beck, Greg Deichmann, Cayden Wallace, Andre Lipcius, and – of course – Cade Doughty.
Really nice looking swing. Short, quick, and packs more of a punch than his 6-foot-1, 205-pound frame would suggest. Even ignoring the loud audible “pings” from an aluminum bat, Doughty’s contact regularly sounds like an explosion. 50-grade hit tool. 50-grade power. Solid defender at the keystone. Runs well, but won’t steal many bases. There’s some Joey Wendle-type potential.”
Ceiling: 1.5- to 2.0-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2024/2025
_______________________________________________________________________________________
All statistics were provided via the following website: Baseball Reference, FanGraphs, TheBaseballCube, BaseballProspectus, ClayDavenport.com, and Baseball America.
