4 surprising Blue Jays prospects who will shine at spring training 

With MLB spring training fast approaching in less than a month for the Toronto Blue Jays, it comes that time of year again where the players battle it out for potential spots on the 26-man Opening Day roster. Among the competition for various roles and positions on the ballclub will include established veterans, as well as inspiring rookie prospects.

In the case for the Jays’ top prospects, who could be in for a surprising spring that could force the Jays’ hand? Here, we will take a closer examination of four players that will do their best to impress this spring training. (Current prospect rankings based on Jays Journal’s updated 2024 top prospects list.)

Hagen Danner (No. 23 Prospect)

Selected by the Jays in the second round of the 2017 MLB Draft, Hagen Danner was originally a catcher by trade, but has been converted into a pitcher in recent years. It was quite the season last year for the right-handed reliever when he pitched to a solid 3.66 ERA and 1.04 WHIP across three minor league levels. More impressively, he held his own during his time with the Jays’ Triple-A affiliate Buffalo Bisons, as he posted a 3.81 ERA and 0.95 WHIP with 35 strikeouts in 28.1 innings of work. 

In doing so, Danner earned a promotion to the major leagues in August and had an unforgettable debut in more ways than one. In the ninth inning of a game against the Cubs on Aug. 11, he retired the first batter he faced and collected the commemorative game ball for his personal historical feat. However, immediately after, he had to leave the game due to a left oblique strain, promptly ending his debut outing. To make matters worse, it turned into a season-ending injury, and essentially wiped out the rest of his 2023 year.

There’s no doubt Danner will want some redemption, as he will be hungry to show the Jays’ brass once again that he can be a solid option in the bullpen for the 2024 season. As a result, look for Danner to be at his absolute best right out of the gate in spring training to regain his opportunity that he mercifully lost last season due to unforeseen circumstances.

Spencer Horwitz (No. 17 Prospect)

After spending four promising seasons in the Jays’ minor league system previously, Spencer Horwitz finally got his chance to shine with the big league club in 2023. Horwitz put together a strong year at Buffalo where he batted a stellar .337 with a .945 OPS, along with 61 runs scored, 30 doubles, 10 home runs, 72 RBI, 9 stolen bases, 78 walks and just 72 strikeouts over 107 games played. His tremendous accomplishments was recognized as it earned him team MVP honours at the end of the season. 

More importantly, his breakout season in Buffalo earned him a 15-game cameo with the Jays last season and he certainly did not look out of place when called upon. Horwitz compiled a .256 batting average with a .726 OPS, 5 runs scored, 1 home run and 7 RBI in his two short stints with the ballclub. He showed that he could make good contact at the major league level and looks primed to join the big show in 2024.

Some will believe that the recent signing of veteran Justin Turner, who likely will be taking on mainly the designated hitter role, will push Horwitz out of a role this upcoming season with the Jays. However, Horwitz is still due for a huge spring for many reasons. First of all, he does not want to spend any more time in the minors and show that he belongs with the big boys. Secondly, as a left-handed power bat, he could potentially complement Turner’s right-handed mashing in a platoon role at DH, as well as provide a solid late-game pinch hitting option off the bench. Finally, if the Jays do decide to keep Turner permanently as the team’s sole designated hitter, then by showcasing himself in spring training, Horwitz can attract potential suitors that can finally give him a starting role in the majors. So he certainly has nothing to lose but to just be at his best this spring.

Orelvis Martinez (No. 3 Prospect)

Finally, we have one of the Jays’ best positional prospects in the organization in Orelvis Martinez. Martinez had an unorthodox season in 2023 that saw him going from one of the worst hitters in the minors to a huge breakout year in the end.

When he began the season in Double-A New Hampshire, he had a disastrous April in which he hit below .100 while being an “all-or-nothing” player at the plate. Either he was going to be an out, or he would hit a home run in the rare occasions when he connected. Somehow, he managed to turn his season completely around with the right adjustments. In doing so, what was once thought was going to be a tremendous regression year for Martinez became a prosperous one instead. Things progressed so well that he even earned a promotion to Triple-A Buffalo near the end of the season. Overall for his 2023 minor league year, Martinez finished with a decent .243 average and an .835 OPS, along with 70 runs scored, 25 doubles, 28 home runs, 94 RBI and a career-best 67 walks in 125 games played. His bat is no doubt MLB-ready, equipped with huge power and run production potential.

With Turner’s signing, it appears less likely that we will be seeing a Jays’ reunion with Matt Chapman now. That being said, Turner does not appear to be a wise choice to deploy at third base for this coming season, considering his huge regression in defence on the field. Just last season, he committed 3 errors on just 19 chances along with a -3 DRS in just seven games played at the hot corner, and certainly he isn’t getting any younger at age 39. In addition, the proposition of the committee usage of Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Cavan Biggio and Santiago Espinal at third seems risky, as the Jays would get solid defence, but they would be lucky if the three could even provide half the offensive output that Chapman provided from the position.

As a result, Martinez will be motivated to perform well this spring to convince the Jays he instead could be a viable internal option at the hot corner to help solidly fill the role for the 2024 season. With the Jays needing as many potent bats in the lineup as possible after their struggles in 2023, Martinez’s arrival time in the MLB may actually come sooner than expected.