The next generation of Blue Jays' prospects to watch in the 2025 Arizona Fall League

Toronto Blue Jays fans who may need a break from the MLB postseason will have an opportunity to follow less stressful baseball this month. Eight Toronto Blue Jays prospects are hoping to make their marks on the field as they play in the Arizona Fall League.

The AFL, Major League Baseball's offseason development league for the top prospects from each organization, started play this past week. Each team sends eight prospects to one of the six AFL teams, for a short season that runs until mid-November. Linked up with the Glendale Desert Dogs, the Blue Jays have sent shortstop Josh Kasevich, catcher Edward Duran, infielder Cutter Coffey, left-handed pitcher Kai Peterson and right-handed pitchers Angel Bastardo, Alex Amalfi, Yondrei Rojas, and Chay Yeager.

Eight Blue Jays prospects are hoping to make a name for themselves in the Arizona Fall League

Blue Jays minor-league field coordinator Eric Duncan will manage the Glendale team. AFL games can be viewed online at MLB.com.

Typically, the AFL draws some of the top young talent, and this year is no different. Kasevich is ranked as MLB.com's number 12 prospect in the Blue Jays system, while Duran is seen as number 13 and Toronto's top catching prospect. Coffey is ranked number 27, while Bastardo comes in at number 29.

A few of the Blue Jays prospects are worth keeping an eye on during the AFL season. Kasevich, who spent time in Triple A with Buffalo where he dealt with a back injury for most of the season, is Rule 5 eligible this offseason. If he's not on the 40-man roster by the Rule 5 Draft, the Blue Jays could lose him to another team. The AFL will be a good chance for Kasevich to show Toronto what kind of player he could be. That's likely needed, after Kasevich struggled in Buffalo, posting a .428 OPS with the Bisons.

Coffey is another player who could see his stock rise with a good showing in the AFL. Acquired in 2024 as part of the Danny Jansen trade, Coffey slashed .273/.359/.427 with a .786 OPS in 99 games with High-A Vancouver. For his efforts, Coffey was recognized by the Canadians as Offensive Player of the Year.

Coffey has shown some pop (14 home runs in 61 games before trade in 2024, 11 home runs in 2025) and has been learning to play second and third base. He runs well, and because he was a pitcher before the 2022 Draft, has a strong arm.

Other guys to keep an eye on include Amalfi, an undrafted free agent from a Division III college. He overhauled his mechanics and developed confidence, winning a Northwest League Pitcher of the Month Award in July 2024. He posted a 4.41 ERA in 34 games with Double-A New Hampshire. Also, Duran, seen as a defense-first catcher, hit .275 with a .767 OPS between Low-A Dunedin and High-A Vancouver.

So far, Glendale has just played three games, after heavy rains washed out this weekend's slate. The Desert Dogs (1-2) have seen a good start from Coffey, who is 6 for 13 with a double, three runs, one RBI and a walk.

Kasevich is just 2 for 11, but has drawn four walks and scored two runs.
Duran has only appeared in one game, hitting two doubles, driving in a run and drawing a walk. Amalfi is the only pitcher who has thrown more than an inning so far, allowing three runs and five hits with two strikeouts over three innings. Bastardo is still on the Blue Jays 60-day Injured List, as he was for the 2025 MLB season recovering from Tommy John surgery.

The AFL season runs until Nov. 12 with the playoffs starting on Nov. 13. The championship game is slated for Nov. 15. The league's home run derby will be held Nov. 8 with the annual "fall stars" game set for Nov. 9.