The Toronto Blue Jays continued their tendency to get high numbers of young players considered for top prospect lists as MLB.com released their Top 100 with five Blue Jays on the list including, as we already knew, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at the number-one position.
Joining Guerrero are Bo Bichette at #11, Danny Jansen at #65, Nate Pearson at #76 and Eric Pardinho at #98, just squeaking in.
MLB.com praised Bichette’s improvements on the defensive side of the ball and noted his all-around game in which he stole 32 bases, using his “exceptional baserunning instincts.”
MLB.com projects that Danny Jansen is going to be an “above-average hitter” thanks to his “level swing that stays in the zone for an extended period of time.”
They note that Nate Pearson features the best fastball and slider in the Blue Jays’ system and he’s showed a feel for both the curveball and changeup. They write that “few pitching prospects in the Minors can match Pearson’s high ceiling, and he can move closer to reaching it with a healthy campaign in 2019.”
About the 18-year-old Pardinho, MLB.com writes that he’s got a 60-grade fastball that sits in the low-90s with late life and a 60-grade curveball that’s his best offspeed pitch while showing at least big-league average potential for the slider and changup.
Additionally, MLB.com also released their list of prospects with the best tools with Guerrero topping two categories (Best Hitter with an unprecedented 80-grade and Best Power with a 70-grade). Nate Pearson was “also in the running” for best fastball as they’ve assigned him a 65-grade.
While, again, prospects don’t always work out, the sheer number and diversity of players that the Blue Jays are landing on these lists shows how strong the system is overall. While there is a lack of good outfielders at the higher levels of the system (there are a few lower down who are interesting), on the infield, behind the plate and on the mound, the Blue Jays have a wealth of minor league talent looking to break through in the next couple of seasons.
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