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

16. Damiano Palmegiani- AAA (Previous Rank: 17)
24 y.o / RHH / 3B/1B

Palmegiani just keeps on hitting. He was good at Double-A, even better at Triple-A, and then very good in the Arizona Fall League. He makes his money on plus raw power and a feel for barreling the ball. Palmegiani mashes mistakes, clobbering them out of the yard typically to his pull-side. He's generally a patient hitter and when he's at his best he shows a consistent and strong approach at the plate. His strikeout rate ticked up to around 27% this year. It's the nature of his below average bat-to-ball skills, pull-heavy approach, and willingness to work deep into counts. Keeping that number in check will be of the utmost importance. Palmegiani has improved his defense at third base but he's limited there athletically and that's unlikely to change. If his future is at first base, he's in a sticky spot as a right-handed hitter. There's plenty of indication that Palmegiani is going to hit like a big leaguer and ultimately that will land him a role somewhere, even if it may end up being on the weak-side of a platoon.

15. Connor Cooke- AAA (Previous Rank: 13)
24 y.o / RHP / RP

Cooke is a strikeout artist who punched out more than 40% of the batters he faced in 2023. Most of the Ks came on his double plus slider. He can spin it past 3000 RPMs and it averages 17 inches of sweep. It's a downright disgusting offering that makes batters look silly with regularity. The slider is good enough that he's virtually a lock to have an MLB future. How high the ceiling goes is dependent on the rest of his arsenal and his command. Cooke's 94-95 MPH fastball plays above average thanks to the uphill angle he throws it at and its tunnel off his slider. He'll also mix in a pretty good changeup but his feel for that pitch is still inconsistent. Cooke maintained a good walk rate before he got to Triple-A but his command in general stands to improve. His slider is good enough to beat MLB hitters consistently but he's at his best when he's locating his pitches and keeping hitters guessing. That's the Connor Cooke that could be a leverage reliever.