5 current (and former) Blue Jays prospects that have fallen from grace

Toronto Blue Jays v Minnesota Twins - Orelvis Martinez
Toronto Blue Jays v Minnesota Twins - Orelvis Martinez / Brace Hemmelgarn/GettyImages
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Orelvis Martinez

The Jays signed international prospect Orelvis Martinez out of the Dominican Republic back in 2018 to a $3.5 million deal. He has been a mainstay in being a highly ranked prospect in the Jays system since 2020, ranking in the top six ever since. Martinez had a breakout year in 2021 with the Jays Single-A affiliate Dunedin Blue Jays, but some struggles began to surface after being promoted to High-A affiliate Vancouver Canadians.

The struggles and flaws continued as Martinez moved up to Double-A in 2022, as he was beginning to develop into a “three true outcomes” hitter, similar to what former MLB players Adam Dunn and Mark Reynolds were notorious for. His power numbers were there, with 30 home runs and 76 RBI in just 118 games, but he was striking out at a high rate (over 32%) and hitting close to the Mendoza line. He has gotten off to an even worse start for 2023, currently hitting .093 with four home runs and 15 RBI with 20 strikeouts in just 75 at-bats.

Despite still currently ranked in the top five for Blue Jays prospects, Martinez may no longer be a sure bet to make the major leagues ahead of schedule. He was once projected to be the Jays third baseman of the future, but unless he starts working on getting his hitting approach and mechanics fixed, it may be a tough road ahead for him to even crack the Triple-A affiliate Buffalo Bisons roster.