Blue Jays: Which prospects are next in line to debut this season?

On Saturday, fans got to see the Blue Jays’ top prospect and #4 ranked player by MLB Pipeline, Gabriel Moreno.

He was called up for the Detroit Tigers weekend series with Danny Jansen back on the IL and caught Kevin Gausman in his debut while also going 1 for 4 at the plate with one strikeout. He also technically threw out Victor Reyes in the first inning when he tried to take second base, however, he was safe at the bag as Bo Bichette dropped the ball, resulting in an E6 but Moreno still earned the caught stealing stat. He followed that performance by going 0-3 with a walk while catching Ross Stripling yesterday.

With Moreno now getting his feet wet at the big league level, I decided to take a look at who might be next in line amongst the Blue Jays prospects for their MLB debut sometime this season. Some players are featured on the top prospect list while others are having a solid campaign in the higher levels of the Minor Leagues, with each player trying to force management’s hand to bring them up should the need arise at the big league level via injury, trade, or poor performance.

Adrian Hernandez – RHP

The Blue Jays #18th ranked prospect, right-hander Adrian Hernandez is having a great season down in AAA. After three outings in AA, the Jays moved Hernandez to Buffalo and he has been outstanding all year, posting a 1.10 ERA through 15 appearances. The Mexico product has been with the Jays since 2018 and he has really cemented himself in the Bisons bullpen this year, pitching late in ballgames and earning five saves on the season so far. Hernandez did not allow an earned until his 11th game and boasts a 12.7 K/9 on the year so far.

With Gabriel Moreno making his MLB debut this past weekend, which Blue Jays prospect is next in line for a big-league promotion this season?

Considering how well he is doing on the mound, it might be time for the Blue Jays to consider putting him into promotion consideration if a member of the relief corps starts to struggle or finds themselves on the IL. He has some competition for roster spots against Julian Merryweather and Trent Thornton, but sooner or later, it will be time to give him a chance in the big leagues (once he is given a 40-man roster spot).