For certain Toronto Blue Jays prospects, such as Trey Yesavage, it didn’t take long for them to ascend the minor league system and make it to the big leagues. But for some others, their path to the majors needs more time investment and patience to finally get to where they wanted.
That is exactly what has happened for the much-overlooked Blue Jays' prospect Chad Dallas. After being selected by Toronto in the early rounds (fourth-round, No. 121 overall) in the 2021 MLB Draft, Dallas is finally showing all positive signs of moving towards a potential MLB debut this season.
A former top prospect may finally overcome the obstacles to make it to the Blue Jays big league team
Playing for the Blue Jays’ Triple-A affiliate Buffalo Bisons to start the 2026 season, the 25-year-old right-handed pitcher has posted a 1.35 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, along with four walks and 15 strikeouts in just 13.1 innings pitched over four starts. As per Jon Morosi of MLB.com, he credited the Blue Jays’ player development staff in helping Dallas get to where he is today.
Credit to RHP Chad Dallas and the @BlueJays player development staff for the progress he has made since returning from Tommy John surgery.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) April 21, 2026
Dallas, 25, has a 1.35 ERA through 13-1/3 innings. As he builds up, he could be an option to start at the @MLB level later this season.
After all, it wasn’t too long ago when Dallas suffered a devastating elbow injury in 2024 that ended up requiring Tommy John surgery to fix. As a result, he would miss the entire 2025 season in his recovery from the procedure, ultimately halting his growth and development for a year.
Prior to his injury, Dallas was amidst the worst year of his professional baseball career in 2024 where he compiled a 2-4 record, 6.34 ERA, and 1.59 WHIP, giving up 43 earned runs including 10 home runs with 24 walks and 50 strikeouts in just 61 innings pitched over 14 starts with the Bisons. In doing so, he went from being ranked No. 15 in the Blue Jays top prospects list in 2024 to ultimately falling out of their top 30 by 2025, according to MLB Pipeline.
Added to his lengthy stint on the sidelines due to recovering from Tommy John surgery, many have overlooked and simply forgotten about him being a former top prospect in the Blue Jays organization as a result. But with his impressive start to his 2026 minor league campaign, Dallas has certainly caught the attention of the Blue Jays’ brass once again and as Morosi had also suggested, the right-hander could potentially play a role on their big league club later this year once he has built up his innings and strength.
But with the Blue Jays pitching staff decimated with injuries so far this season, it wouldn’t be surprising that the eventual MLB debut of Dallas could come a lot sooner than one would think.
