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Blue Jays: A few “under the radar” prospects to keep an eye on (Part 1)

By Tyson Shushkewich |
LAKELAND, FLORIDA - MARCH 04: Joey Murray #73 of the Toronto Blue Jays throws a pitch during the fourth inning against the Detroit Tigers during a spring training game at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium on March 04, 2021 in Lakeland, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
LAKELAND, FLORIDA - MARCH 04: Joey Murray #73 of the Toronto Blue Jays throws a pitch during the fourth inning against the Detroit Tigers during a spring training game at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium on March 04, 2021 in Lakeland, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
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The Toronto Blue Jays boast a very stacked farm system, ranked 7th in all of baseball by MLB.com and featuring four players on the top 100 prospect list in Nate Pearson (#10), Austin Martin (#18), Jordan Groshans (#38), and Simeon Woods-Richardson (#77).

While the popular names like Alek Manoah, Gabriel Moreno, and the group mentioned above will get plenty of attention this season, the Blue Jays also boast a few prospects that fans should start to recognize in the organization, flying “under the radar” and potentially making an impact on the major league roster in the near future.

Joey Murray

Drafted by the Blue Jays in the 8th round of the 2018 draft, right-hander Joey Murray has been a key piece in every starting rotation he has pitched in while working his way to the major league stage.

Throwing to a 2.60 ERA in 40 appearances (31 starts) and 163.0 innings of work, Murray is a strikeout wizard, mowing down 208 batters to the tune of 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings ratio. In 2019 alone, the Ohio native struck out 169 opponents across three different leagues, using a fastball with elite spin and a curveball that gets hitters to swing a miss when they’re looking off-speed, with a slider and a changeup to complete the arsenal.

While he is currently not on the 40 man roster, Murray is expected to be stretched out as a starter and will be heading to AAA after yesterday’s roster announcement. Even though the Jays are going to attempt to make him a starter, a route in the bullpen could be his ticket to the major leagues this season, especially with all the injuries befalling the Blue Jays pitching corps over the recent weeks. He is currently ranked as the Blue Jays #17 prospect. 

Hagen Danner

Drafted out of Huntington Beach High School in the second round of the 2017 amateur draft, Hagen Danner has spent the past three seasons in the Blue Jays farm system as a position player but will change course this year and head to the mound for the first time since his high school days.

Spending time as a catcher and first baseman while a member of the Jays, Danner was also widely considered to be a potential pitching option when drafted back in 2017, with scouts wondering how the organization was going to utilize him in the minor league system. After 146 games and 580 plate appearances, Danner would slash .191/.280/.353 with 16 home runs and 33 RBI and advance as far as Class A ball with the Lansing Lugnuts back in 2019.

Whether the decision was made by the organization or by the player to switch roles, it will be interesting to see how he will fair with the High-A Vancouver Canadians and if he will be used as a starter or as a reliever.

While in high school, the right-hander was able to hit 93-95 MPH with his fastball and seemed to have the ability to pitch well in his senior year, going 63.1 innings on his way to an 11-2 record while striking out 92 and throwing to a 1.22 ERA. Hopefully, that past success can find its way back to him in 2021 and we will have to see if Danner can make his way up the farm system in a somewhat new position.

DUNEDIN, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 27: Rawlings spring training baseballs rest in the dugout of the Minnesota Twins during the spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark on February 27, 2020 in Dunedin, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
DUNEDIN, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 27: Rawlings spring training baseballs rest in the dugout of the Minnesota Twins during the spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark on February 27, 2020 in Dunedin, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /

Jackson Rees

Undrafted out of the University of Hawaii, relief pitcher Jackson Rees would eventually sign with the Blue Jays to a minor league contract back in 2018. While the right-hander would struggle in his first professional season, Rees would absolutely dominate opposing batters in 2019 on his way to earning numerous awards including MiLB.com Organizational All-Star and MiLB.com Staff Choice for Best Relief Pitcher.

In 39 appearances in 2019, Rees would craft a 0.73 ERA across two different A leagues, finishing the season with 88 strikeouts, 15 walks, nine saves, and a 0.892 WHIP over 61.2 innings of work. While the 2020 minor league season was cancelled due to COVID-19, the California native would be invited to the Jays Spring Training camp earlier this year, appearing in two games and would not allow a hit or an earned run while striking out four through two innings of work.

Rees will be heading to the Buffalo Bisons in AAA as per yesterday’s roster announcement and could see some opportunities to close games once again this season. He is not on the 40 man roster as of right now, but more injuries to the Blue Jays bullpen and a strong start to the season could see the righty go from undrafted to major league baseball player in just four years time.

Yosver Zulueta

While one could argue that Yosver Zulueta is not really considered an “under the radar” prospect given how much coverage he had this Spring Training, there is a good to fair chance that not many Blue Jays fans knew who the Cuban native was before the start of this season.

Spending three seasons in the Cuban National Series (CNS) since the age of 18, Zulueta signed with the Blue Jays back in 2019 as an international free agent and would have to undergo Tommy John surgery before even throwing an inning for his new ball club. While the right-hander is now healthy, he was roughed up in the two appearances he had during Spring Training earlier this year, giving up two earned runs and two walks over two innings of work while also striking out two batters.

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What makes Zulueta an intriguing prospect to watch is that he has the potential to climb through the farm system very quickly given his previous experience in Cuba and his arsenal of pitches. The righty has the ability to both start and pitch in relief and has a cannon of a fastball that can reach the high 90’s, complimented with an assortment of offspeed pitches that keep batters guessing in the box. Zulueta will begin the season with the Low-A Dunedin Blue Jays and I wouldn’t be surprised if you hear his name creep up the prospect rankings (currently ranked #21) and the Blue Jays farm system as the season progresses.

Eric Pardinho

Another international free agent signing, pitcher Eric Pardinho has had his fair share of setbacks over the past few seasons.

Making his professional debut back in 2018 at just 17 years old, the right-hander was performing well at every level he was slotted in at, crafting a 2.57 ERA over 19 appearances (18 starts) with 99 strikeouts, 32 walks, and a 1.129 WHIP over 87.2 innings across Rookie and A ball. Towards the end of the season, he would be placed on the injured list as he was experiencing soreness in his elbow, an injury that would lead to the Brazillian prospect requiring Tommy John surgery and sidelining him for the non-existent 2020 minor league season.

While the prospect has been sharing his progress on social media, Pardinho is still a few weeks away from being ready to go and will most likely being heading to A ball once he his healthy. Considering Pardinho was once a top-rated prospect in the Jays organization, the injury has seen him slide down to #14 on the internal rankings.

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Once healthy, if right-hander can return to the same form he had prior to being placed on the injured list, he should easily find himself heading to AA New Hampshire by the end of the season and possibly knocking on the major league door sometime next season (if all goes well).

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