Toronto Blue Jays prospects who dominated in 2017

The Toronto Blue Jays minor league affiliates have concluded their regular season portion of the schedule so this is a good time as any to give kudos to the prospects who dominated on their respective team throughout the Blue Jays farm system in 2017.

The Blue Jays farm system has climbed back up the ranks to respectability thanks in much to the play of uber prospects Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. who took the baseball world by storm in 2017. However in saying that there are many other talented prospects sprinkled throughout the ranks who project to have promising major league careers.

The current brain trust has successfully replenished the prospect cupboard after the 2015 dismantling by then General Manager Alex Anthopoulos who used his baby Jays to acquire the likes of David Price and Troy Tulowitzki for the playoff push that season.

Two successful amateur drafts later and the Blue Jays are sitting on a world of expectations and promise. It is easy to get enamored with minor league talents but remember for every Josh Donaldson there are ten Travis Snider‘s who never find a way to harness their talent consistently at the major league level.

Regardless of their successes or failures here are some of the Blue Jays minor leaguers who owned the farm this season and have made everyone take notice as they attempt to one-day punch their ticket to the show in Toronto.

So without further ado here is your overachiever prospect list.

Bo Bichette- Shortstop

Bo Bichette arguably had one of the best minor league seasons in recent history and has dominated every single level he has faced with ease thus far. The shortstop won just about every possible minor league accolade all the while never missing a beat in 2017.

The 19-year split the season between Lansing and Dunedin slashing a robust .362/.423/.565 with 162 hits including 14 home runs and 22 stolen bases in 499 plate appearances between the two levels. Bichette sports a career .372/.427/.591 line in 132 professional games between two seasons.

Bichette played much of the season with teammate Vladdy Jr. as the two combined for one of the most lethal duos in baseball and ironically they both come from major league bloodlines as both their fathers were major league players.

The shortstop has done nothing but repeatedly flash superstar talent and the sky is the limit for the teenager. Look for Bichette to break the Baseball America Top 10 by the start of next season as he has continuously climbed the ranks all season long. Guerrero Jr. currently sits in the 2nd spot but he will surely have company soon.

The future is so bright for Bichette, you can’t help but want to fast forward to 2020 when he presumably will make his MLB debut.

Ryan Noda- First Base/ Outfielder

Ryan Noda was selected by the Blue Jays in the 15th round, 459th overall of the 2017 amateur draft from the University of Cincinnati. Noda went straight to work after signing with the Jays poised to prove he belonged in professional baseball.

Noda put up Bichette like video game numbers in his first season with Bluefield slashing .364/.507/.575 in 276 plate appearances. The promising 21-year old also slugged 7 homers and swiped 7 bags while splitting time between first base and the outfield during his first 66 games.

The 6’3″ lefty proved that although he is no stranger to the strikeout that he can also work an at bat for a walk. Noda whiffed 60 times but conversely drew 59 bases on balls to offset the swing and misses.

The first baseman was firing on all cylinders during the dog days of summer as he was named the Appalachian League Player of the Month in July. Noda batted .444 with 40 hits including 14 for extra bases during the month to take home the honours.

Noda is a fly under the radar, late round pick who is worth keeping an eye on early next season. If I was a betting man Noda becomes a household name before it is all said and done.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.- Third Base

There has never been a Blue Jays prospect with more hype following his ascension to the major leagues than that of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The teenager just continues to impress and prove that he is every bit as good as advertised, the slugger was named the Prospect of the Year by ESPN yesterday and you have to assume Bichette was not far behind.

Vladdy Jr. continued to progress in his second season of professional baseball splitting time with Lansing and Dunedin in 2017. The young phenom slashed an impressive .323/.425/.485 with 13 round trippers in 119 games. Even more impressive was his 76 walks compared to 62 strikeouts in 527 plate appearances as Guerrero continues to mature into a complete hitter.

It is hard to believe that Vladdy won’t even turn 19 until March of next year and he already has 205 minor league hits in 181 professional games under his belt and was anointed the #2 prospect in baseball by Baseball America earlier in the season.

In all likelihood, Guerrero will take the torch from Josh Donaldson at the hot corner while his teammate Bo Bichette eventually relieves veteran Troy Tulowitzki of his duties at shortstop. The plan is to have the dynamic duo man the left side of the Blue Jays infield for years to come.

The sky is the limit for Vladdy Jr. as he looks to follow in his father’s footsteps.

Danny Jansen- Catcher

Catcher Danny Jansen had a season for the ages busting up the Blue Jays depth chart due to his offensive prowess in 2017. Janse was selected in the 16th round, 475th overall in the 2013 amateur draft out of high school.

For much of his minor league career, Jansen shared catching responsibilities with the likes of Mike Reeves and Michael De La Cruz having never played in more than 57 games prior to this season.

In 2017 Jansen suited up for 104 games finally reaching his full potential offensively making stops in Dunedin, New Hampshire, and Buffalo. The 22-year old slashed .323/.400/.484 with 119 hits and 10 home runs on the season but really excelled in Buffalo with the herd batting .369 with 5 round trippers in 31 contests at Triple-A. Jansen also cut his strikeouts in half from the previous season whiffing only 40 times in 424 plate appearances while also drawing 41 walks.

The Blue Jays definitely have depth at the backstop position with prospects Max Pentecost, Reese McGuire also complimenting Jansen but he has definitely leapfrogged up the depth chart since the beginning of the 2017 campaign.

Jansen surprisingly wasn’t a September call-up but it is understandable seeing the catcher did begin the season in High-A ball. Jansen should in all likelihood bring his tools of the trade north of the border at some point in 2018.

Ryan Borucki- Pitcher

Ryan Borucki has arguably been the organizations best starting pitcher on the farm this season. The hurler was selected by the Blue Jays in the 15th round, 475th overall in the 2012 amateur draft. The 23-year old was flawless on the bump in 2017 and surpassed the likes of Sean Reid-Foley and Conner Greene on the Blue Jays pitching depth chart.

Borucki began the season in High-A ball with Dunedin where he made 18 starts before being promoted to New Hampshire where he made another 7 starts for the Fisher Cats. The native of Illinois would finish off the campaign tossing a 6 inning shutout for the Bisons.

He would put up a 2.93 earned run average fanning 157 hitters in 150.1 innings of work drastically improving upon his 2016 earned run average of 4.18 he accumulated with Lansing and Dunedin. Borucki will begin the 2018 campaign in Buffalo and should make his MLB debut shortly thereafter if he can continue trending up.

The Blue Jays have very few minor league starters who are ready to make the jump to the majors as most of their heralded arms regressed in 2017 so Borucki was a welcomed surprise for the Blue Jays moving forward.

Get to know him now as he will be sporting Blue Jays colours sooner than later.

Honourable Mentions: Nate Pearson, Connor Panas, Kevin Smith, and Anthony Alford.

Next: Blue Jays’ Richard Urena proving he belongs