Who is Michael Stefanic, the newest Blue Jays second baseman?

While we all anxiously await the Toronto Blue Jays' first big free agent signing or trade of the offseason, general manager Ross Atkins and Co. made a minor deal on Wednesday. The Blue Jays signed second baseman Michael Stefanic to a minor league contract for the 2025 season.

The agreement was made public by Stefanic's agent Nate Heisler of Klutch Sports with a congratulatory post on social media site X. Stefanic elected free agency after being outrighted off of the Los Angeles Angels' 40-man roster at the end of October.

Michael Stefanic, the newest Blue Jays second baseman, features a sharp eye at the plate and good contact skills

Stefanic, 28, had been in the Angels organization since signing as an undrafted free agent in 2018. After losing the 2020 season thanks to the pandemic, the Westmont College alum advanced to Triple-A in 2021, where he slashed .334/.408/.505 with 16 home runs and 54 RBI in 104 games.

He ranked in the Angels' Top 30 MLB Pipeline prospects in 2022, at No. 27, and slashed .314/.422/.425 in Triple-A, earning him his MLB debut.

In 90 career MLB games over parts of three seasons, Stefanic owns a .232/.317/.275 slash line with 14 RBI and 18 runs scored. Primarily a second baseman, he has appeared in nine games at third at the major league level.

While the right-handed infielder doesn't feature much power, with 31 career minor league home runs in 465 games, he has demonstrated a keen eye at the plate. He generated 172 walks to 133 strikeouts during his time in the Angels farm system. In 40 Triple-A games in 2024, he walked at a 10.4 percent clip with an 8.7 percent strikeout rate.

That approach and discipline carried over to the majors, although not quite at the same level. This past season, Stefanic slashed .218/.301/.255 with zero home runs and eight RBI in 124 plate appearances across 40 games for the Angels.

His 16.1 percent strikeout rate in 2024 stands out as an impressive mark compared to the MLB average of 22.6 percent. Obviously he doesn't qualify, but that rate would tie Stefanic with Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman, who ranked 23rd in the majors. Stefanic's 8.1 percent walk rate was right around the league average.

He chases outside the zone less than the MLB average and is selective at pitches he swings at in the zone, with a 53.4 percent zone swing rate compared to the league average of 66 percent in 2024. But when he does swing he usually makes contact, with a 96.7 percent zone contact rate this past season, while the league average was 85.2 percent.

The problem Stefanic faces is the rate at which he hits balls on the ground. With 58.4 percent of his balls in play being grounders and just 12.4 percent line drives this season, he had a hard time raising his average. He doesn't possess the natural power of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who can power ground balls through the infield for hits.

The Blue Jays still have a logjam on the infield, with plenty of players vying for playing time at second base in 2025, including Davis Schneider and top prospects Orelvis Martinez and Will Wagner. Those who don't make the major league roster out of spring training will join Stefanic in a glut of infielders waiting for their chance in Triple-A Buffalo.

More from Jays Journal