Blue Jays: Five Bold Predictions For The 2019 Season

4. Elvis Luciano stays on the MLB roster for the full season

By now, most Blue Jays fans should know about the 19-year-old Rule-5 draft pick who might beat Vlad. Jr to the big leagues. As it stands right now, Elvis Luciano is not necessarily guaranteed a roster spot on Opening Day.

If he makes it, it’ll be as a reliever, and there seem to be quite a few spots up for grabs. Ken Giles and Ryan Tepera are guaranteed spots while Tim Mayza has a clear advantage due to the lack of quality left-handed options in the pen. Luciano will have to battle Joe Biagini, Sam Gaviglio, David Phelps, Trent Thornton, David Paulino, and perhaps even Clayton Richard for the remaining 4-5 spots.

While it may seem like a long shot for a 19-year-old who last pitched in rookie-ball to make an MLB roster, based on Ross Atkins’ comments, it may not be a far-fetched idea.

"“THIS IS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY. TO ACQUIRE A YOUNG, POTENTIAL STARTING PITCHER THAT’S 19 YEARS OLD, THAT HAS ALL OF THE ATTRIBUTES TO PITCH IN THE MAJOR LEAGUES, IS NOT EASY TO DO. IT PRESENTED ITSELF AND WE HAVE THE ROSTER FLEXIBILITY TO DO IT.”"

The Blue Jays front office seems to be really high on the potential of Luciano, and based on Atkins’ “roster flexibility” comment, giving a 25-man roster spot to Luciano looks to very much be a possibility.

Furthermore, Luciano has impressed a lot of people so far in Spring Training with his maturity and poise, which further helps his case of pitching at the MLB level. With an already effective fastball-changeup combination, look for Luciano to pitch adequately as a low-leverage reliever while being sent down in 2020 to further his development as a starter.