MILWAUKEE -- Blue Jays fans have been waiting for that next duo of top prospects. There may never be another era like “Vladdy and Bo” when those two came up through the system, but in JoJo Parker and Juan Sanchez, there’s something worth watching down in Single-A again.
Sanchez has been transferred to Single-A Dunedin, a source told MLB.com, where the No. 7 prospect in the system will join No. 2 prospect Parker, who’s about to take the top spot when Trey Yesavage returns soon and finally graduates from prospect status. The club has not yet announced Sanchez’s promotion.
When Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette made that climb to the big leagues together from 2017 to ‘19, grainy videos from Lansing, Mich., or Manchester, N.H., dominated our feeds. Again, this isn’t touching that level, but with two young bats who each have exciting offensive upside sharing an infield together, it might bring back some familiar memories. This also represents the growth of the Blue Jays’ farm system, which peaked in the years of Vladdy and Bo, but has made some encouraging strides again in recent years.
Parker is off to a great start in Single-A, where he’s batting .257 with a home run and a .904 OPS over 10 games, which includes as many walks (10) as strikeouts. An extremely advanced hitter for his age, Parker was one of the top prep hitters in his class when the Blue Jays selected him eighth overall in the 2025 Draft, and he had a very strong camp this spring. Still just 19 and already advanced for his level, Parker could move quickly, but this first overlap with Sanchez will be a must-watch.
Sanchez is more raw than Parker as a prospect and still just 18, a $997,500 signee from the 2025 international period who hit .341 with eight homers and a 1.004 OPS over 56 games in the Dominican Summer League last year. Numbers from the DSL can be misleading at times, but the Blue Jays were extremely impressed by Sanchez’s maturity in the box and how he adapted to young pitchers trying to stay away from his power.
In Single-A, there’s still time to dream, and Sanchez’s long-term ceiling is as exciting as anyone’s in this organization, a rare combination of offensive talent and physical upside.
Now, at least for a little while, you’ll see Parker and Sanchez batting near the top of the Dunedin Blue Jays’ order, right alongside No. 15 prospect Blaine Bullard, who’s off to a great start of his own.
For all the time we spend breaking down player development, swing adjustments and plate approaches, the best approach to building a great farm system will always be a quantity of high-end talent. Some will hit, some just won’t. In Dunedin, the Blue Jays are beginning to build that quantity, and as we saw in the years of Guerrero and Bichette, elite young players can push one another to be greater. If you put the right personalities together, it can be a multiplier.
COMPLETE BLUE JAYS PROSPECT COVERAGE
The Dunedin Blue Jays play Thursday night at home at 6:30 p.m. ET against the Phillies’ Clearwater affiliate. After the big club plays its series finale in Milwaukee, you can catch a glimpse of the future on MiLB TV.