Blue Jays: Who are the next crop of young outfielders?

The Toronto Blue Jays have a plethora of talented rookies poised to breakout at the major league level in 2020, however, the organization is lacking in top MLB ready outfield prospects.

Aside from Randal Grichuk and Lourdes Gurriel Jr., the Blue Jays outfield is somewhat of a mystery heading into 2020. The likes of Derek Fisher, Billy McKinney, and Teoscar Hernandez have all failed to consistently contribute on a regular basis when given the opportunity.

The Jays surprisingly locked up Randal Grichuk to a long-term deal so it is safe to assume he will be in the fold moving forward but even Grichuk has flaws in his game. The 28-year old is hitting .235 with 158 whiffs thus far this season to go along with his 30 round-trippers.

The Anthony Alford, Dalton Pompey, and Jonathan Davis ships all seem to have sailed as they are no longer viewed as up and comers.

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So, where does that the Blue Jays minor league ranks in terms of the next wave of young outfielders. They only six outfielders listed on their Top 30 prospects organizationally by MLB.com and one of those is Alford.

The top-ranked outfielder and presumably the next blue chipper poised to climb the ranks is Griffin Conine. The son of former major leaguer Jeff Conine is ranked 15th after a breakout campaign with the Lansing Lugnuts. The 22-year old hit .283 with 22 homers in 80 games this past season.

Conine rebounded nicely following a 50-game suspension after testing positive for a banned substance in the 2018 offseason.

Canadian speedster Dasan Brown is already ranked 18th after just being selected in the third round of the 2019 amateur draft. Brown spent 63 games in Rookie ball following the draft hitting .222 with six stolen bases in eight attempts. The soon to be 18-year old possesses tons of raw talent, however, he is a long way away from the majors.

Will Robertson is another 2019 draft pick ranked 19th organizationally after hitting .268 with six home runs in 61 games with the Vancouver Canadians in his first taste of pro ball. Much like Brown, Robertson will not be a factor for some time.

Chavez Young is hopeful his speed can take him to the next level after being ranked 21st. The Bahamas native spent last season with High-A Dunedin hitting .247 with 24 steals in 35 attempts. The former 39th round pick swiped 44 bags in 57 attempts with Lansing in 2018.

The final remaining outfield prospect on the Top 30 list is Tanner Morris who was also selected in the 2019 draft. Morris hit .246 with a pair of homers for the Canadians in 64 games.

Realistically, the Blue Jays may have to explore the trade route or free-agent market to fill their remaining outfield needs. With the exception of Conine, the Blue Jays do not have anyone in their minor league ranks remotely close to an MLB promotion.