Blue Jays: Five prospects next in line for a promotion to the big leagues

Jordan Groshans – INF

While his name appeared in a few rumours this past trade deadline, the organization decided to keep Jordan Groshans, where he now ranks as the clubs #4 prospect.

After a slow start to the season, Groshans has hit his way up the club leaderboards and is now slashing .291/.367/.450 on the season with seven home runs, 40 RBI, and a .817 OPS. His glove is still a work in progress but his best position is at shortstop, where he sports a .960 fielding percentage with five errors through 43 games compared to his .863 fielding percentage at third base through 21 games.

His bat will be the main reason he makes the major leagues sooner rather than later and if he can hone in his skills defensively to bring up his fielding percentage at the hot corner, that may be his best route to the Blue Jays roster given current shortstop Bo Bichette does not appear to be moving any time soon. While Bo could be moved to second base in the future, if Groshans can find a rhythm at third, the Blue Jays could potentially resign Semien to have him continue to play second and bring Groshans up at third next season, keeping everyone intact and in the lineup.

Similar to Moreno, next season is potentially Groshan’s best opportunity, and a promotion to AAA to finish this year would bode well in a 2022 potential call-up. He will need to be added to the 40-man roster before he can be called up to the big league squad.

The Blue Jays currently own the 14th ranked prospect system in the major leagues, making one wonder who the next prospect to called up from the minor leagues will be.

Otto Lopez – UTIL

A bit of a surprising call-up earlier this month, Otto Lopez only appeared in one at-bat with the squad before getting sent back down to the minors.

In AA this season, Lopez was slashing .331/.398/.457 before being promoted to the Bisons on August 2nd. With the Blue Jays AAA affiliate, Lopez currently owns a .247/.330/.312 line with 10 RBI and a .641 OPS through 77 at-bats. He has been playing a variety of positions this season, primarily splitting his time between left field and second base since his promotion with a few trips to shortstop and center field since joining the Bisons. His ability to play various positions makes him a valuable asset as either a platoon player or utility role moving forward.

While Lopez did get called up to the big league club, everyone was aware that it wasn’t going to be a long-term move while multiple members of the roster were on the IL. He will need a little more fine-tuning in the minors before being able to try and carve out a permanent roster spot but he is well on his way. A strong spring next year could shoot him up the rankings but he will most likely begin the year in AAA unless the Blue Jays feel he can contribute off the bench or if the infield finds themselves on the injured list.

One thing to note is that Lopez is already on the 40-man roster, which is a major benefit compared to some of his minor league counterparts when it comes to being an option for the big league roster.

Hobie Harris – RHP

Drafted by the New York Yankees back in 2015, right-hander Hobie Harris was picked up by the Blue Jays off of waivers during the 2019/2020 off-season. He did not pitch in 2020 because of the minor league season being canceled but has been throwing well in AAA this year, pitching to a 3.03 ERA through 34 games with 15 walks, 43 strikeouts, and a 1.07 WHIP. He also has seven saves on the year and has limited opponents to a .180 average.

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Given that the club has already called up Bryan Baker and Nate Pearson when the active rosters expanded on September 1st, it is unlikely the Blue Jays will be adding Harris to the club this year. He is not on the 40-man roster, one of the biggest obstacles for him joining the club, but a strong spring next year could see the former Yankees prospect knocking on the major league door, with the prospect status starting to be lost on the 28-year-old.

Dany Jimenez – RHP

Another member in the Buffalo Bison’s bullpen, Dany Jimenez was sporting a 5.79 ERA by the end of May but has been on an absolute tear since the start of June, pitching to a 2.53 ERA in June, 2.25 ERA in July, and a clean 0.00 ERA in August. Through 32 appearances, the Dominican product has thrown to a 2.70 ERA with 22 walks, 59 strikeouts, and 1.28 WHIP while keeping opponents limited to a .187 average.

Jimenez is also not on the 40-man roster, meaning he would have to be added before any potential call-up. The right-hander will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft this off-season, a process that he has been exposed to twice and selected two years in a row, only to be returned later in the season from both the Giants (2020) and Athletics (2021). It will be interesting to see if the cub will add him prior to the Rule 5 Draft or expose him once again.

Honourable Mentions

Bowden Francis – RHP

Acquired in the Rowdy Tellez trade with the Milwaukee Brewers along with reliever Trevor Richards, right-hander starter Bowden Francis currently sports a 4.53 ERA through nine starts with 28 strikeouts.

Zach Logue – LHP

Drafted in 2017, southpaw Zach Logue started in AA but was promoted on June 12th to the Buffalo Bisons, where he has thrown to a 3.66 ERA through 13 outings, 12 of which were starts.

Samad Taylor – OF

Working his way through the Blue Jays farm system since being acquired from Cleveland back in 2017, Samad Taylor has worked his way up the prospect rankings after a strong 2021 campaign down in AA. Through 84 games, Taylor sports a .300/.391/.516 with 16 home runs, 52 RBI, and a .907 OPS with 29 stolen bases. Next year should see the prospect move up to AAA but a pretty Blue Jays outfield core may be one of his biggest obstacles to making the roster except in a bench role.