Newcomers dominate Blue Jays updated top prospects list

Draft picks and recent additions can be found all over the new MLB Pipeline Top 30 prospect list for the Toronto Blue Jays. At the top of the list, to nobodies surprise, is pitcher Trey Yesavage, whose meteoric rise through the minors continued with his recent callup to Triple-A Buffalo. He is the No. 1 ranked Toronto prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. Rounding out the top three are a pair of shortstops; Toronto's 2025 first-round pick JoJo Parker is No. 2 overall, and Toronto's 2023 first-round pick Arjun Nimmala is No. 3.

All three players also cracked MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects, which is one better than the Blue Jays fared a year ago when pitcher Ricky Tiedemann and infielder Orelvis Martinez were the only players who did so. Yesavage was ranked as MLB's 26th best prospect, followed by Parker (41) and Nimmala (51).

Newcomers dominate Blue Jays updated top prospects list

About a third of the list is made up of players added from the 2025 MLB Draft and two offseason moves. Adding that much quality talent in a short amount of time is ideal for an organization trying to improve its farm system quickly.

Along with Parker, fellow draftees who made the Top 30 list include OF Jake Cook (ranked 11th), OF Blaine Bullard (15), pitcher Micah Bucknam (17), 3B Tim Piasentin (21) and pitcher Jared Spencer (24). Early reviews say the Blue Jays did well with these picks, but there are some comparisons that aren't going to 'wow' Jays fans.

In addition to the draft picks, the Blue Jays made two moves in the offseason that affect the Top 30 list. Rule 5 draftee and pitcher Angel Bastardo came in at number 30 as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. International free agent signing Juan Sanchez, a 17-year-old infielder from the Dominican Republic, was ranked number 19. Sanchez has been making a name for himself in Rookie-level ball this season, his first in professional baseball.

Another chunk of the Top 30 list includes players the Blue Jays acquired at the 2024 trade deadline. Outfielder Yohendrick Pinango (No. 7 on the Top 30), acquired from the Chicago Cubs for Nate Pearson, has had a strong year that continued with his promotion to Buffalo.

Rounding out the 2024 trade deadline group of ranked prospects are pitcher Jake Bloss (No. 8), outfielder RJ Schreck (10) and infielder Charles McAdoo (16). Bloss, who is out for the season, came to the Blue Jays from Houston in the Yusei Kikuchi deal, while Schreck was acquired from Seattle in the Justin Turner trade. McAdoo was picked up from Pittsburgh for Isiah Kiner-Falefa.

But it's not all good news when it comes to the new prospects ranking. Martinez dropped to No. 12, likely of the result of his suspension last year and the so-so year he's having in Buffalo with an OPS of .658. Pitchers Brandon Barriera (dropped from No. 4 to No. 25), Landen Maroudis (No. 12 to No. 29)
and Adam Macko (No. 9 to No. 23) all saw their stocks drop, likely because of injuries. Macko recovered from a knee injury in time to make 10 starts in Triple A, although his ERA is close to 6.

If there is anything to take away from the updated Top 30 prospects list, it's that the Blue Jays are at least trying to improve the farm system while maintaining a competitive team at the big league level. There has been progress, and there could be some real upside with some of these players, but development takes time.