Names of Blue Jays prospects confirmed to play in Arizona Fall League this year

Eight Blue Jays prospects are expected to play next month in the Arizona Fall League, Major League Baseball's offseason development league for the top prospects from each organization.

According to Shi Davidi and Arden Zwelling of Rogers Sportsnet, pitchers TJ Brock, Lazaro Estrada, Ryan Jennings, Johnathan Lavallee, and Kendry Rojas are expected to play this fall in the AFL. Position players Eddinson Paulino, Adrian Pinto, and Peyton Williams will also be taking the field.

The AFL draws some of the best young talent from each of the MLB teams' minor-league systems. A few of the expected Blue Jays prospects are on the Jays Journal Top 30 Prospects list, including Brock (ranked number 22), Estrada (17), and Rojas (8). MLB.com has Rojas and Paulino ranked in its top 30 prospects list for the Toronto organization, as well. Williams was named as a Northwest League All-Star for his season with Toronto's High-A team, the Vancouver Canadians.

Rojas was the Blue Jays prospect MLB.com wanted to see the most in the AFL, when the outlet recently listed the player they most wanted to see from each MLB team. Rojas missed time with a shoulder injury, so the AFL provided a chance to make up that time, while showing off his "above-average" fastball and slider, MLB.com said.

One Blue Jays affiliate will be well represented in the AFL. Six of the expected prospects spent time this season with Vancouver. Rojas, Estrada, Lavallee, Williams, Pinto, and Jennings all appeared in the Northwest League during the C's repeat title run, which ended just short of the goal. Brock spent most of the season with the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, while Paulino split time between New Hampshire, Low-A Dunedin, and the Boston Red Sox organization. Paulino was acquired in the Danny Jansen trade in July.

There are six teams in the AFL, each one affiliated with five MLB teams. The Blue Jays will send their prospects to play for the Scottsdale Scorpions, which went 15-14 and finished in third place last year. The other five teams are the Mesa Solar Sox, Salt River Rafters, Glendale Desert Dogs, Peoria Javelinas and Surprise Saguaros, the 2023 AFL champions. The Blue Jays were linked up with Surprise last season.

Each team sends seven prospects, (four of which are pitchers) but numbers can fluctuate depending on AFL or MLB team need. Teams field 35-player rosters and play a 30-game schedule until mid-November. The second- and third-place finishers play a one-game semifinal, the winner of which plays the first-place team in a championship game. The AFL season also includes a "fall stars" game and home run derby in November. Last season, Damiano Palmegiani of the Buffalo Bisons, the Blue Jays' Triple-A affiliate, was the derby runner up to Kala'i Rosario of the Minnesota Twins.

The 2024 AFL season begins Oct. 7. The championship game is Nov. 16.

There are some other Blue Jays who may play offseason baseball. Keegan Matheson of MLB.com said, according to Toronto manager John Schneider, a few of the younger players have spoken about playing winter ball. Those Jays include Leo Jimenez, Luis De Los Santos, and Steward Berroa.