It’s already been an offseason of significant investment in the long-term future for the Blue Jays, who have signed Dylan Cease, Tyler Rogers, Kazuma Okamoto and others. Thursday marked another step forward, as the club made a splash at the start of the 2026 international signing period.
Players who have cut their baseball teeth in the Dominican Republic have long been key contributors to Blue Jays clubs, and the team hopes it’s added another future centerpiece in that same vein, Michael Mesa. The No. 30 overall prospect in his class, per MLB Pipeline, the left-handed-hitting outfielder has been a standout performer while training with the renowned Jaime Ramos – a member of MLB’s Trainer Partnership Program – in San Cristóbal.
Working with a clean bat path and a good bit of loft in his swing, Mesa makes a ton of hard contact from the left side of the batter’s box. He showcases the type of “whippy” swing that evaluators often think could lead to even more extra-base prowess as he continues to refine his approach.
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A left-handed thrower, Mesa has a future in the outfield grass. He’s likely to slide off center field as his frame continues to fill out, but he’s known as a hard worker who maximizes his skill set while also fitting the prototypical all-around athlete mold. He’s not a burner on the basepaths, but he can glide when reaching his top speed and has the look of a possible 20/20 contributor as a big league regular if everything pans out.
The Blue Jays received $5,940,000 in pool money this year, one season removed from their pursuit of top international prospect Roki Sasaki.
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The club has agreed to terms with catcher Juan Caricote, who trains at Academia Prospectos CF in Valencia, Venezuela, and with Carlos Figueroa, a member of MLB’s Trainer Partnership Program. The left-handed-hitting backstop (who reportedly received a $1,847,500 bonus) landed just outside the Top 50 international prospects in this year’s class, drawing overwhelmingly positive reviews for his work behind the dish and his all-around makeup.
Last year’s pursuit of Sasaki notwithstanding, international prospects are almost always many years away from contributing at the big league level. Even Vladimir Guerrero Jr., a much-heralded gem of the 2015 class, took until ‘19 to make his mark in The Show. But continuing to add talent to the lower levels of the Minors is how successful franchises keep on churning out wins and banners.
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Toronto has enjoyed positive returns from its recent international signing classes, watching infielder Juan Sanchez (No. 18 prospect, 2025) and right-hander Silvano Hechavarria (No. 25, 2024) impress during their time in the Dominican Summer League to earn spots on the club’s Top 30 Prospects list. Three of Toronto’s top five prospects (JoJo Parker, Arjun Nimmala, Johnny King) have yet to reach the upper Minors but possess immense ceilings that could – alongside Mesa, Caricote and others – be part of that next wave making an impact for the Blue Jays down the line.
An international player is eligible to sign with a Major League team between Jan. 15 and Dec. 15. He must turn 16 before he signs and be 17 before Sept. 1 the following year.
That means players born between Sept. 1, 2008, and Aug. 31, 2009, will be eligible to sign in the current signing period. Players must be registered with Major League Baseball in advance to be eligible to sign.