Top 5 Blue Jays prospects

Written by Compose.ly Staff

The Toronto Blue Jays had an impressive 92-win 2022 season that, while ending heartbreakingly, provided fans with much hope for the future. The Jays led the American League in overall hits and batting average while coming second in total runs.

With a solid young core, the Blue Jays are already in a strong position to establish themselves as genuine contenders for next year's World Series.

Internal reinforcements could be on the way, as Toronto's farm system currently has a handful of promising prospects, many of whom fit ideally with Toronto's needs for the upcoming season and beyond. Below are five candidates who are best-suited to MLB success down the road.

1. Gabriel Moreno, Catcher

Even with Danny Jansen injured for good chunks of the season, Toronto's catcher situation was a strength throughout 2022 due in large part to Alejandro Kirk’s emergence. The Blue Jays have an embarrassment of riches behind the plate, with one of baseball’s top prospects in Gabriel Moreno ready to take on a larger role.

After working his way up through the minors since 2017, Moreno managed to appear in 24 games with the Blue Jays in 2022, making his MLB debut on June 11. Moreno displayed MLB-readiness at the plate in his limited action, slashing .308/.338/.369.

2. Ricky Tiedemann, Left-Handed Pitcher

One area Toronto is desperate to improve in 2023 is its pitching depth. The Blue Jays currently have two open pitching spots to fill, and Ricky Tiedemann's incredible season showed precisely the type of arm the Jays need.

He ended the season in double-A, tallying a 2.17 ERA and 117 strikeouts across three levels of minor-league play. Additionally, Tiedemann was named Toronto's 2022 Minor League Player of the Year.

3. Orelvis Martinez, Shortstop/Third Baseman

Martinez's athleticism initially drew him the second-largest contract of the minor leagues back in 2018. Since then, he's shown his worth.

At only 20 years old, Martinez put up 30 home runs in 106 games in his 2022 season — the second-highest of all double-A hitters.

While there are still some concerns over his streaky batting average and high strikeout rate, Martinez would bring additional power hitting to the Jays’ roster down the road.

4. Brandon Barriera, Left-Handed Pitcher

The Blue Jays drafted the 18-year-old in July 2022. The young lefty showcased his raw talent during the combine, with a fastball clocking in at 96 mph.

While his path to MLB still has many more stops, Barriera remains one of Toronto's top prospects

5. Yosver Zulueta, Right-Handed Pitcher

Yosver Zululeta took control of the 2022 season, where he ended the season in triple-A. Throughout the year, he displayed a large arsenal of pitch types and made a serious argument for why the Blue Jays should call him up in 2023.

The Cuban-born pitcher ended the season with a combined 3.72 ERA.

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