Blue Jays: Jays Journal Top 30 Prospects List

This year’s Top 30 Prospects list has a ton of new faces along with plenty of slot changes. Vlad Guerrero still reigns supreme on our list just like he did in 2017. There were a few players that fell in the ranks, as Sean Reid-Foley, Jon Harris, Rowdy Tellez dropped from their positions on the 2017 list. Angel Perdomo fell the furthest as he went from 9th down to 24th on the 2018 list. I think this is more from the rising of talent around him rather than issues with his talents, as he put together another strong season in 2017.

The Top 10 looks pretty different as a number of players excelled and hit multiple levels of the Blue Jays’ system this past year. Danny Jansen climbed from 22nd all the way up to 7th. Fellow battery mate Ryan Borucki broke out this past year and kicks off the Top 10.

Over this past season, the Blue Jays have had a plethora of new faces break onto the Jays Journal List. Eleven players made their debut on the list this season. The majority of the new faces are this past season’s draft picks. The 2017 Blue Jays draft class is an exciting wealth of talent. Highlighted by Nate Pearson and Logan Warmoth, who debut in the Top 10 of the list, and Eric Pardinho just missed the Top 10 at number 12 as a 16-year-old International signee out of Brazil. He already is the face of the baseball movement in Brazil and looks to become the face of a youth movement in the Blue Jays Minor League pitchers.

Time to dive into out rankings and take a quick summary of each player on our list.

Top-30 Blue Jays Prospect Rankings (Full Article Links):

#30: OF Jonathan Davis    #29: OF Harold Ramirez    #28: OF Joshua Palacios 

#27: 1B/OF Ryan Noda    #26: SS Kevin Smith    #25: OF Roemon Fields                

#24: P Angel Perdomo    #23: C Reese McGuire     #22: OF Dwight Smith Jr. 

#21: P Jordan Romano    #20: P Jon Harris    #19: P Tim Mayza

#18: C Riley Adams    #17: P Thomas Pannone    #16: P Justin Maese

#15: C Hagen Danner   #14: C Max Pentecost    #13: 1B Rowdy Tellez

#12: P Eric Pardinho    #11: SS Richard Urena    #10: P Ryan Borucki

#9: P Sean Reid-Foley    #8: P T.J. Zeuch   #7: C Danny Jansen 

#6: SS Logan Warmoth #5: SS Lourdes Gurriel #4: P Nate Pearson

#3: OF Anthony Alford #2: SS Bo Bichette    #1: 3B Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

#30 – Jonathan Davis – OF

Jonathan Davis is a talented athlete that is looking to put his entire package together in professional baseball. The speedy outfielder just had a great showing in the Arizona Fall League. He drove in thirteen RBI and scored 15 runs. In case that was not enough, he also popped six doubles, a homer, and stole seven bags. Yes the AFL is a small sample size, but this is very encouraging for a guy that has not shown a ton to the Blue Jays brass and has the tools to be an MLB player some day.

Estimated 2018 starting point – Double-A – New Hampshire Fisher Cats
Original post by Craig Borden (@Craigers1221)

#29 – Harold Ramirez – OF

Many were excited to see Harold Ramirez come to the Blue Jays as part of the Francisco Liriano acquisition, but Ramirez has had difficulties staying on the field. He owns a mighty bat that could become very formidable at the dish if he can stay on the diamond. Prior to joining the Blue Jays, he batted .306 with 49 RBI and 17 doubles. He has some thunder in that bat but has yet to put it together in the Jays system. He batted .266 with six homers and 53 RBIs this past season with the Fisher Cats. He will look to lock in early this season and show he is ready for another challenge.

Estimated 2018 starting point – Double-A – New Hampshire Fisher Cats
Original post by Brendan Panikkar (@Panikkar37)

#28 – Joshua Palacios – OF

Joshua Palacios is a solid hitter but has yet to develop some pop that could make him a real standout. Palacios is very athletic and has all the tools that the Blue Jays have been drafting over the past few years. He is quick, plays solid defense, and has a smooth crisp swing. This past season was a tale of two extremes for Palacios. After having a dreadful start and batting .195, he found his stroke in the second half. He assembled a .328 batting average with 17 extra base hits in the latter half of the season. This also came with some more production as he raked in 25 RBI and stole 12 bags.

Estimated 2018 starting point – Single A+ – Dunedin Blue Jays
Original post by Craig Borden (@Craigers1221)

#27 – Ryan Noda 1B/OF

Ryan Noda was the 459th overall pick in the 2017 Draft and is already to start looking like a steal for the Blue Jays. After the Draft, he joined the Appalachian League with the Bluefield Blue Jays. Here he proceeded to turn everyone’s heads with an outstanding showing. The big lefty crushed the pitchers to the run of a .369 batting average with seven homers. He also showed an advanced approach at the plate as he took 59 walks in just 66 games. This made him one of the most difficult outs on the team which has allowed him to select good pitches to mash.

Estimated 2018 starting point – Single-A – Lansing Lugnuts
Original post by Clayton Richer (@ClaytonRicher)

#26 – Kevin Smith – SS

The Blue Jays 4th round selection of the 2017 Draft, Kevin Smith has already shown off some incredible talents. Smith posted a nice cool .271 batting average in 61 games with the Bluefield Blue Jays. He showed plenty of power coupled with some excellent speed as he legged out 25 doubles and muscled eight homers. He also drove in 43 RBI and scored 43 runs while stealing nine bases. Smith has an exciting bat but also needs to improve on the 70 strikeouts he amassed while playing in 61 games to reach his full potential.

Estimated 2018 starting point – Single-A – Lansing Lugnuts
Original post by Mark Colley (@markcolley)

#25 – Roemon Fields – OF

Roemon Field has been in the Blue Jays system since 2014. He had his best season in the organization this past year playing with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. In 103 games he batted .291 and showed the potential to be a decent leadoff man with his speed. He swiped 43 bags and was only caught 14 times. He was able to slash his way to a decent line at .291/.355/ .352 in a season that he would be named the Bisons MVP. Fields is in an odd position as there are a plethora of talented outfielders in the Jays system at the moment. He might be the odd man out when he might be deserving of an MLB opportunity.

Estimated 2018 starting point – Triple-A – Buffalo Bisons
Original post by Brendan Panikkar (@Panikkar37)

#24 – Angel Perdomo – P

After a solid season in 2016, Angel Perdomo followed up with a solid effort despite some issues with health. He only was able to pitch 75.1 innings after having a 127 inning season with the Lugnuts the season before. In those 75.1 innings, he showed why he should be considered a top prospect. He threw a 3.70 ERA with 65 strikeouts. It was a solid showing while fighting injuries. He has three great pitches that allow him to keep hitters off balance.

Estimated 2018 starting point – Double-A – New Hampshire Fisher Cats
Original post by Sam Bruce (@comm_Bruce)

#23 – Reese McGuire – C

Reese McGuire is part of a talented group of young catchers that the Blue Jays have been assembling in their Minor League system. He was acquired from the Pirates as part of the Liriano package and had his first full season within the Jays system. McGuire was only able to suit up for 45 games this past season, but made the best of it when he was on the diamond. He hit .278 with six homers and 20 RBI. He then played in the Dominican Winter League and in 18 games he collected 13 hits. Maybe this is the season he puts it all together in the Jays’ system.

Estimated 2018 starting point – Double-A – New Hampshire Fisher Cats
Original post by Kristen McKernan (@kmacandbaseball)

#22 – Dwight Smith Jr. – OF

Dwight Smith Jr. is fresh off a season in which he made his MLB debut. He continues to show why he is a possible outfield option for the Blue Jays as he continues to rise to each challenge he is presented. This past season with the Buffalo Bisons in Triple-A he batted .279 in 108 games and showed nice gap power with 21 doubles. He also picked up 10 hits in 27 at-bats with the Blue Jays. Smith is a big part of the plethora of outfield talent that the Jays have assembled over the past few seasons.

Estimated 2018 starting point – Triple-A – Buffalo Bisons
Original post by Clayton Richer (@ClaytonRicher)

#21 – Jordan Romano – P

The now Florida State League Champion Jorday Romano put together another solid season as he threw 138 innings of great baseball for the Dunedin Blue Jays. He owned a nice 3.39 ERA while punching out 138 batters. He also allowed just 54 walks and posted a 1.413 WHIP. The native Canadian is starting to turn some heads and is looking to build upon yet another impressive season since being drafted in 2014.

Estimated 2018 starting point – Double-A – New Hampshire Fisher Cats
Original post by Mark Colley (@markcolley)

#15 – Hagen Danner – C

This past season’s 2nd round Draft pick for the Blue Jays was the athletic catcher out of Huntington Beach High School. Hagen Danner is a versatile player that has plenty of solid tools to be a great professional baseball player. He was drafted as a catcher but also has the ability to possibly be a pitcher, and he played both positions in High School. He got his first taste of pro ball with the Bluefield Blue Jays of the Golf Coast League, and did not put much together at the plate in his first showing. He posted just a .160 batting average but found a way to drive in 20 RBI. He also had a pair of homers and five doubles. He will need to find a way to be more selective at the plate but has the talents to be a break out performer for the Jays Organization this season.

Estimated 2018 starting point – Single-A – Lansing Lugnuts
Original post by Mark Colley (@markcolley)

#14 –Max Pentecost – C/1B

The great swing of Max Pentecost has been shown off over the past few years, but his ability to stick at a position has been hurt by a list of injuries. Everyone seems to agree that Pentecost’s bat will carry in the Majors, but he is to young and athletic to be thrown into the DH position. Over this past season, he was able to resume catching after a shoulder injury. He caught in 20 regular season games and had nine in the Arizona Fall League. Pentecost has been consistently building on a solid base at the plate, but his value will skyrocket if he can stay healthy and show he can stick as a catcher.

Estimated 2018 starting point -Double-A – New Hampshire Fisher Cats
Original post by Craig Borden (@Craigers1221)

#13 – Rowdy Tellez – 1B

Prior to the 2017 season, everyone was ready to hand Rowdy Tellez the job at first base in Toronto. He was fresh off of a breakout season with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats and looked ready for a new challenge. Tellez did not make the team and struggled through his Triple-A debut. He managed just a .222 batting average and failed to show the power that had been present in Double A. He appeared overmatched and was having trouble adjusting to the new level. He still managed to drive in 56 RBI and popped 29 doubles. The talented swing is there and he’ll look to produce this season with a new level of experience.

Estimated 2018 starting point – Triple-A – Buffalo Bisons
Original post by Sam Bruce (@comm_Bruce)

#12 –Eric Pardinho – P

Last season the Blue Jays signed Eric Pardinho to a contract at the age of 16. The flame-throwing Brazilian ranked number five on MLB.com’s list of World Prospects this past season, and is now an International star. He is also now the face of Brazil baseball and is looking to take his first big steps in the Jays System. He has been clocked in the mid 90’s already with his fastball, and is known to have a plus curveball as well. The youngster will need to produce in the Minors but many are already guessing a 2020 season arrival.

Estimated 2018 starting point – Rookie short-season – Bluefield Blue Jays
Original post by Mark Colley (@markcolley)

#11 – Richard Urena – SS

After a quick audition with the Toronto Blue Jays, Richard Urena is on the cusp of bigger things. Urena had a solid season in the Minors despite a .241 batting average. He found a way to contribute in each of his 146 games either with the glove, or at the plate. He would drive in 64 RBIs on 37 doubles, four triples, and six homers. All this production earned him a September call-up in which he played great defense and showed that he was not far off from handling MLB pitchers. The 22-year-old middle infielder is an exciting player with tons of talent and is looking for his next challenge.

Estimated 2018 starting point – Triple-A – Buffalo Bisons
Original post by Mark Colley (@markcolley)

#10 – Ryan Borucki – P

Ryan Borucki turned everything up to eleven this past season and cruised through the Blue Jays Minor League system. After a solid start in Single A+ with the Dunedin Blue Jays, Borucki was promoted to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats and got even better in when challenged. He baffled Double-A hitters to a .842 WHIP. He had a 1.245 WHIP with the D-Jays just to put that in perspective. After tossing 46.1 innings with the Fisher Cats he was promoted again to get a spot start for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. In that start, he threw six innings and did not allow a hit while striking out six. Borucki has shown that he has put things together and could be a dark horse candidate for the big league rotation in the near future.

Estimated 2018 starting point -Double-A – New Hampshire Fisher Cats
Original post by Craig Borden (@Craigers1221)

#9 – Sean Reid-Foley – P

A monster 2016 season that solidified Sean Reid-Foley as a legitimate ace in the making for the Blue Jays. However, over this past season, Reid-Foley hit a speed bump with some issues in Double A. He watched his ERA climb to 5.04 as his workload increased to a new level of the system. Reid-Foley still poses all the right tools but needs to find a way to stay consistent on the hill and keep hitters guessing. His delivery and arm angle are deceptive enough that it can fool plenty of hitters when coupled with his hard fastball. Mixing in some good off-speed pitches will keep those hitters guessing as he gets back to dominating hitters.

Estimated 2018 starting point – Double-A – New Hampshire Fisher Cats
Original post by Victor Riancho (@VicRiancho)

#8 – T.J. Zeuch – P

After a full season in the Toronto Blue Jays Organization, T.J. Zeuch has cemented himself as one of the best arms in the system. The 2016 first round draft pick had nine short season starts and posted a 4.50 ERA. This past season Zeuch really showed off his tools. He threw 65.2 innings and posted a 3.56 ERA while striking out 51 batters. He has great movement on his pitches and pounds the strike zone efficiently. This was on full display in the Arizona Fall League as he baffled hitters that were two years older than him on average. Zeuch is a possible ace in the making and will be fun to watch this season.

Estimated 2018 starting point – Double-A – New Hampshire Fisher Cats
Original post by Clayton Richer (@ClaytonRicher)

#7 – Danny Jansen – P

One of the big standouts from the 2017 season was catcher Danny Jansen. The former 16th round draft pick in the 2013 draft hit on all cylinders this past season. After performing at all levels of the Toronto Blue Jays Organization over the past year, he is on the cusp of being a Major League catcher. His bat did most of the talking in 2017, when he posted a .323 batting average in 104 games. After starting the season in Dunedin with a video game like stat line, he jumped to Double and Triple-A throughout the season. In Buffalo, he played in 21 games and got better when the challenges should have been getting more difficult. He hit three homers and drove in 10 RBI while playing with the Bisons and is looking for the next challenge.

Estimated 2018 starting point -Triple-A – Buffalo Bisons
Original post by Craig Borden (@Craigers1221)

#6 – Logan Warmoth – SS

This past season’s first-round pick of the Blue Jays was Logan Warmoth. The talented shortstop out of North Carolina played well in his Pro Baseball debut with the Vancouver Canadians. He batted .306 in his first 39 games and was crazy productive. He was a big part of the Championship team and drove in 20 RBI and scored 18 of his own. He also popped 11 doubles, two triples, and a home run in his 49 hits. Warmoth could be on a quick path to the show as he is already 22 years old and displaying an advanced approach to the game in general.

Estimated 2018 starting point – Single A+ – Dunedin Blue Jays
Original post by Clayton Richer (@ClaytonRicher)

#5 – Lourdes Gurriel – SS

The brother of Yulieski Gurriel, Lourdes Gurriel was picked up by the Blue Jays as an International Free Agent out of Cuba. The Jays have great confidence in Gurriel to become a key cog in the future lineup in the middle of the big league diamond. He has all the right tools, and after fighting some injuries early on in 2017 he really settled in and showed why we should all be excited about the future.

He played with the Dunedin Blue Jays and the New Hampshire Fisher Cats and had some solid power numbers to finish his shortened season. He finished with 11 doubles, five homers, and 36 RBI in just 64 games. He really shined in the Arizona Fall League and posted a .291 batting average in 21 games. This went along with seven doubles, three homers, and 11 RBI. He will look to impress in an extended audition this Spring Training, but is most likely going to be with the Bisons this year and will be looking to show off all of his talents all around the diamond.

Estimated 2018 starting point – Triple-A – Buffalo Bisons
Original post by Chris Henderson (@Baseball4brains)

#4 – Nate Pearson – P

Many have gone on record over this past offseason to say that Nate Pearson might be one of the most electric arms to come through the Blue Jays System in a long time. This is high praise when we have had Aaron Sanchez, Marcus Stroman, and Roberto Osuna come up to the Jays over the past few seasons.

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Pearson was the Blue Jays 28th overall pick this past June and really stood out in his Pro Debut with the Canadians this past season. In his seven starts, he allowed just two runs in 19 innings. If that is not impressing you yet, he struck out twenty-four batters in those innings while walking just five. Still not impressed huh? He also allowed just seven hits. We hope you are now excited to see what Pearson can do this season with a full sample of work.

Estimated 2018 starting point – Single A+ – Dunedin Blue Jays
Original post by Clayton Richer (@ClaytonRicher)

#3 – Anthony Alford – OF

The former two-sport athlete has settled into a full-time baseball role and wow are we going to be happy he decided to play with the Blue Jays. Anthony Alford has everything you would want in his bag of baseball tricks. He has speed, he hits, plays solid defense, and is an all-around class act. He also showed off his athletic prowess this past season with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

He batted a mere .310 in 68 games with the club and was an all-around threat. He stole 18 bases along with 14 doubles and five home runs. This earned him a shot at the show, which was unfortunately cut short after getting his first Major League hit with a wrist injury. Alford is for real and is set up well for what could be a solid run in the Toronto outfield.

Estimated 2018 starting point – Triple-A – Buffalo Bisons
Original post by Kristen McKernan (@kmacandbaseball)

#2 – Bo Bichette - SS

The son of Dante Bichette was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2016 draft and has quickly jumped out of that shadow with monster numbers in the Minor Leagues. Bo Bichette has been the best hitter in all the levels he has played in thus far. Bo was named the Midwest League MVP this past season after dominating the league’s pitchers as a member of the Lansing Lugnuts.

This outlandish showing of talent earned him a chance to finish the season with the Dunedin Blue Jays and he proceeded to help push the team to a second-half Division Title and Championship. He hit .362 with a treasure trove of extra base hits in 110 games between both levels. He had 41 doubles, four triples, and 14 home runs. If that was not enough he posted 74 RBI and scored 88 runs while stealing 22 bases. Bo Bichette is the total package and definitely knows baseball.

Estimated 2018 starting point – Double-A – New Hampshire Fisher Cats
Original post by Brendan Panikkar (@Panikkar37)

#1 – Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – 3B

The second coming of Vlad the Impaler has all Toronto Blue Jays fans waiting eagerly with anticipation. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was signed as an International Free Agent in 2015, and has quickly risen through the ranks of the system. He raked alongside Bo Bichette this past season with the Lugnuts and D-Jays. He batted .323 with 13 home runs, 28 doubles, and 76 RBI. Baseball America has even gone on to rate Vlad’s hitting at an 80, a mark never before assigned. This is due to a great swing and a great eye at the plate. Vlad stuck out just 62 times in his 119 games this past season while walking 76 times at the age of just 18 years old. This advanced approach at the plate is going to make him a tough out for MLB pitchers sooner rather than later.

Estimated 2018 starting point – Double-A – New Hampshire Fisher Cats
Original post by Chris Henderson (@Baseball4brains)

Next: Fans are happy to believe in Sanchez again