Blue Jays: There’s a ton of MiLB infield talent beyond Vlad and Bo

Orelvis Martinez- SS

Signed last year

If you haven’t heard of Orelvis Martinez, that’s probably because he’s still just 17 years old and hasn’t played a professional game in the Blue Jays organization yet. However, his name was in the headlines last year when the Jays spent 3.51 million on a bonus to sign him.

He’s said to have already flashed strong hitting skills with a lot of raw power and bat speed, and projects to be a plus hitter at some point in the future. Whether or not he can stick at shortstop in the long term remains to be seen, but at such a young age that’s a question that will be answered at a later date.

More from Jays Journal

• Matt Chapman has been exactly what the Blue Jays needed
• Blue Jays: The goalposts are moving in the right direction
• Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays advance to the Championship Series
• Blue Jays: Comparisons for Alek Manoah’s Second Season
• Blue Jays: Adam Cimber, the unlikely decision King

For now, it looks like the Blue Jays will have yet another wave of strong shortstop prospects, and Martinez could be a very good one indeed.

Miguel Hiraldo– SS

.300/.362/.435, 22 doubles, 2 home runs, 18 stolen bases in 253 at bats

Like Martinez, Hiraldo was also signed as an international free agent last year, agreeing to come to Toronto as well. He was able to get into the system in short order, and quickly showed fans and scouts why the Blue Jays had brought yet another shortstop into the organization.

He’s still pretty raw, but that’s to be expected when you’re playing at just 17 years old (he turned 18 in September). He’ll have plenty of time to develop in the minor leagues though, and if he continues to show an ability to hit for power and for average, while displaying more than adequate defensive skills, the Blue Jays could have yet another strong option for down the line.

Believe it or not there are others I considered adding to the list here as well such as Logan Warmoth, Leonardo Jimenez, the newly acquired Ronny Brito, Santiago Espinal, and more. I didn’t even bother talking about likely big leaguers like Reese McGuire or Richard Urena either, and there’s of course a lot of talent in the group that includes Gurriel Jr., Jansen, Guerrero Jr., and Bichette.

The point is, the Blue Jays should have plenty of home grown talent to choose from when it comes to building their infield(s) of the future. Each prospect will have to progress and prove they can handle the highest level, but with the amount of elite talent kicking around, there’s a good chance it’ll work out in the Blue Jays’ favour one way or another.