Blue Jays infield prospect showing off the tools that could get him to The Show

Making good and consistent contact is one way to get a team's attention, especially if that team is known for putting the ball in play.

So far, that's exactly what Toronto Blue Jays prospect Josh Kasevich is doing. The 25-year-old infielder is currently 8-for-23 with four runs, a home run, two walks and no strikeouts in 23 plate appearances this spring (through Sunday, Mar. 8). But what's been impressive this spring, is that Kasevich has swung and missed just five times in the 39 swings he's taken.

It may be a small sample size — and all preseason numbers should be taken with a grain of salt anyway — but the fact Kasevich is making consistent contact can't be ignored. And that could help Kasevich get back on track after an injury-filled 2025 season.

Infield prospect Kasevich has been making good contact so far this spring

Kasevich, a 2022 second-round pick from the University of Oregon, entered Spring Training as a non-roster invitee. However, he was still one of the players many wanted to keep an eye on, especially now since some players have left their teams to play in the World Baseball Classic. The 13th ranked prospect in the Toronto system, Kasevich hit .325 and posted an .815 OPS in 41 games with Triple-A Buffalo in 2024. But back and wrist injuries derailed his 2025 season, and he finished with a .456 OPS in 114 plate appearances with Buffalo.

Kasevich played in the Arizona Fall League, hoping to salvage the year. He didn't record an extra-base hit in 17 games and 74 plate appearances in the AFL, but Kasevich did draw 17 walks. He hit .255 with a .419 on-base percentage.

In the 11 games he's appeared in this spring, Kasevich is hitting .381 with a .435 on-base percentage and a 1.006 OPS. His home run came Feb. 22 in Fort Myers against the Boston Red Sox, a two-run shot he crushed 419 feet to left center field. There have been questions about Kasevich's power, so this is very good to see.

Aside from the consistent contact Kasevich has been making, there are subtle signs the power may be coming around too. In Saturday's 1-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies, Kasevich went 0 for 2, but swung and missed just once out of the five pitches he saw.

In the third inning, Kasevich crushed a 96 mph four-seam fastball in his first at-bat with a 100.8 mph exit velocity, but it was caught 395 feet away in center field. In his second at-bat in the fifth, he took a called strike and then hit a grounder to short that was 99.2 mph off of his bat. That groundout was off an 86 mph slider, meaning Kasevich was able to hit it hard despite the difference in speed from the fastball he hit earlier.

On Sunday, Kasevich went 1-for-3, including reaching base on a fielding error. But his big at-bat came in the bottom of the fourth when he launched a 95.2 mph four-seam fastball to center field. The ball came off his bat at 105.1 mph and it scored a run to put Toronto up 5-0 over Detroit. The Ball was sent 392 feet and hit the very top of the wall, with Kasevich narrowly missing a home run.

Kasevich can play second or third base, as well as shortstop, which is helpful for the Blue Jays after the departure of Bo Bichette. Kasevich's defense is something the Blue Jays are very high on, as his intangibles. The Blue Jays are said to view Kasevich as a "model teammate" and "natural leader by example."

Kasevich isn't on the 40-man roster, and he wasn't taken this past offseason in the Rule 5 Draft. The high contact rate will have to continue and he'll have to show some more power, but it wouldn't be surprising to see Kasevich in Toronto sometime this summer.