DUNEDIN, Fla. -- The conversations we’re having around the Blue Jays’ farm system have shifted drastically over the past couple of years.
In the years that have passed since Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette came up the ladder representing the next great hope in Toronto, this system had struggled at times to develop impactful starters alongside them.
Now, that’s changing.
From Trey Yesavage -- who looks like a superstar in the making -- to trades, this system is finding ways to help the big league club win, which is the point of it all.
With our new Blue Jays Top 30 prospects list now updated for 2026, here are five thoughts on where the system stands:
1. Farm system rankings are only a snapshot of today
You won’t find the Blue Jays ranked as a top-five system anywhere, but you also won’t find many organizations that have traded from the top of their system as effectively. You can look back to trades like José Berríos and Matt Chapman, but last year alone offers up its own examples.
COMPLETE BLUE JAYS PROSPECT COVERAGE
In 2025, the Blue Jays dealt righty Khal Stephen (then the club’s No. 5 prospect), lefty Kendry Rojas (No. 6), righty Juaron Watts-Brown (No. 10) and homegrown outfielder Alan Roden in trades to acquire Shane Bieber, Louis Varland and Seranthony Domínguez. If those pitchers were still with the Blue Jays, you’d see this system cracking the top 10, at the very least, but all of these deals serviced the big league club. That’s a farm system’s job, and this player development group has done an excellent job at giving its front office ammunition to use on the trade market.
2. Juan Sanchez (No. 7) might be next up
The Blue Jays are very high on Sanchez, and they should be. He’s a gifted young player with a big frame and huge power potential, but it’s his mature approach to the game that has people so excited. Prospect lists are full of young players who eventually struggle to put their incredible tools together, but Sanchez feels different. Outside of the top tiers with JoJo Parker, Arjun Nimmala and Johnny King, Sanchez is the easy answer for a prospect who could explode in 2026.
3. Jake Cook (No. 11) might be your new favorite prospect
He’s fast. We’re talking really, really fast. Cook blew up the MLB Draft Combine, and did that while dealing with quad issues. The 2025 third-rounder is the best athlete in the system and is still loaded with upside after switching from pitching to hitting at Southern Mississippi. There’s a difference between a fast guy and a true base stealer, but the Blue Jays want Cook to run wild on the bases while they work on his approach. The gap between his ceiling and floor is massive, but if we’re ranking prospects by how “fun” they could be, this is your No. 1.
4. Remember the name: Josh Kasevich (No. 13)
I’ve learned over the years that if Ross Atkins, Mark Shapiro or player development staff keep mentioning the same name, over and over, you listen.
Kasevich looks great in camp after injuries torpedoed his 2025 season, and is driving the ball harder to complement his rock-solid defense. There are a lot of people in the organization who see a big leaguer in Kasevich, and soon.
5. Stars matter, but so do the quieter stories
There’s a financial aspect to player development that we don’t talk about enough. Yes, developing the odd Yesavage or Guerrero is the goal, but there’s also value in the Blue Jays developing players like Addison Barger, Mason Fluharty or even Braydon Fisher, who they acquired from the Dodgers and turned into a solid reliever in a flash.
For every Fluharty or Fisher the Blue Jays can develop in the bullpen, they save themselves $4 million or $7 million on the open market, where they’d be left to plug holes with veterans. When a team is pressing up against CBT thresholds and spending at record highs, it’s more important than ever to offset that with a steady stream of prospects who can help balance the books on the other end.
This is why lefty Javen Coleman ranks No. 23. Yes, he’s a strict reliever, but he could be the next in that line. This is also why catcher Brandon Valenzuela ranks right behind him at No. 24. Yes, he profiles more as a glove-first backup in the big leagues, but that’s a problem solved for years behind Alejandro Kirk without spending money on a thin market, which is incredibly valuable.