Toronto Blue Jays 2023 Season Preview: INF Addison Barger

As we bring in the new year and continue our journey towards Opening Day, it's time to start 2023 season previews for your Toronto Blue Jays.

In these pieces, we will utilize multiple reputable projection systems to sum up what each Blue Jays player on the 40-man roster is projected to do in the upcoming season. Here are some helpful links to learn more about the magic behind the scenes of these projections systems.

STEAMER projections

ZiPS projections

Without further ado, let's jump into the first entrant, No. 5 Blue Jays prospect (per Baseball America) Addison Barger.

The projections systems generally don't have much to say about the 23-year-old infielder, as he is not expected to play a huge role in 2023. After all, he has only played eight games at Triple-A.

STEAMER: 11 games, two HR, six RBI, .252/.307/.448, 92 wRC+

ZiPS: N/A

STEAMER only predicts that Barger will get a cup of coffee in the big leagues while ZiPS, interestingly enough, does not think he will even crack the big leagues in the upcoming season.

Make no mistake, though, Barger is well on his way to the big leagues, especially after two consecutive strong seasons in the minors.

Last year alone, Barger split time between three levels including A-ball, Double-A New Hampshire and Triple-A Dunedin, where he is widely expected to start the upcoming campaign.

In a total of 124 games last year, he he 33 doubles, 26 home runs and 91 RBI to go along with a cool .308 batting average.

On defense, Barger is a shortstop by trade but he's shown that he can play all four infield positions competently. His throwing arm has been a huge talking point amongst scouts around the league, suggesting that he will be an above-average third baseman down the line.

To me, Barger has a shot (albeit a small one) at making the big league club out of Spring Training depending on how he performs. With the relatively short amount of bench options available on the 40-man, there is certainly a scenario where he begins the year in the majors.