Jays Journal's Top 30 Blue Jays Prospects - 2024 Midseason Update

8. Kendry Rojas- A+ (Previous Rank: 8)
21 y.o / LHP / SP

Rojas has been out since the beginning April with a shoulder issue. He recently began a rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League and his stuff looked typical for him. This was his profile to enter the year as he has made just 2 starts with Vancouver.

The off-season lets you step back and evaluate a player's season out of the moment and it has left me asking myself "why not Kendry Rojas?". A quick glance at his stats and he seems quite average but there's plenty of underlying promise. Despite a pedestrian strikeout rate, his overall swinging strike rate was well above average at 16% (and is a higher correlation to MLB level stuff). He has consistently added velocity every year and still has the prototypical pitching frame for more. If he can maintain the 94 MPH he opened 2023 with, his riding fastball would be a plus pitch. He can cut it to keep it off barrels and it's already getting above average swing and miss with less than ideal command. His slider is his main put-a-way pitch. It features tough two-plane break and he can use it all over the zone. His changeup is his clear third pitch but he sells it well and it got great results this year. Rojas is still ironing out many of the finer details of pitching, holding back his overall numbers. His walk rate was solid for a pitcher at Single-A but his control can come and go inning to inning. He also has difficulty commanding his pitches for called strikes and stands to improve his sequencing. There's a logical leap for Rojas to take in 2024 which would have him projecting as a middle of the rotation arm.