Blue Jays: Pitching prospects looking to bounce back in 2022

Joey Murray

Coming into the 2022 campaign ranked as the Blue Jays #25 prospect, right-hander Joey Murray had the potential to make his debut last year before an elbow injury limited him to just 0.2 innings in the Florida Complex League. Murray would spend the season battling the injury and would finish out the year down in Dunedin with the club in the fall, getting some much-needed reps on the mound.

A starter for most of his professional career, it will be interesting to see if the club decides to keep him in the rotation or if they take Murray and his elite spin to the bullpen given the current rotation scenario and the recent elbow injury. Murray is also eligible to be selected if/when the Rule 5 Draft takes place once the lockout is over and is one of the prime candidates to be selected amongst the other Blue Jays eligible prospects. The front office is probably hoping that both he and Pardinho can squeak by given the recent injury issues but the risk to be selected is quite high for Murray considering he has some experience at the higher levels in the Minor Leagues.

Murray could make his MLB debut this season if he stays healthy and can find that elite spin that put him on fans radar and helped him amass a combined 11.5 K/9 in the minors, but whether he will remain in a Blue Jays uniform or be picked up in the Rule 5 Draft has yet to be determined.