CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Even after trading several of the organization’s top prospects away to fuel their World Series run, the Blue Jays’ farm system jumped to No. 15 in MLB Pipeline’s rankings this spring.
That’s a nod to this group’s strides in pitching development, and while Trey Yesavage is the posterboy for that, there’s more coming.
You need to know: INF Juan Sanchez (No. 7)
If there is one player on this Top 30 list who could truly pop and turn themselves into a star, it’s Sanchez. By the end of this season, he could easily be within the Blue Jays’ top five and pushing for a spot on Top 100 lists league-wide.
In the ninth inning Saturday, Sanchez launched a bases-clearing double off the wall in left-center, a glimpse of his incredible upside.
“He’s physical. The first time I saw him, I was surprised with just how physical he was,” said Joe Sclafani, the Blue Jays’ director of player development. “He’s got the broad shoulders and he’s starting to fill in a bit. He has a bigger frame, but he’s still a dynamic athlete with the way he moves. Everything is athletic, and he’s built a lot of confidence.”
All of that physicality needs to be matched with an approach, though, and it has been. Down in the Dominican Summer League, where the strike zone can be generous, Sanchez showed real maturity when opponents tried to pitch around him, quickly recognizing him as the biggest threat in that lineup. Over 56 games, Sanchez hit .341 with eight home runs and a 1.004 OPS.
Expect Sanchez to hang around Dunedin and open the year in the Florida Complex League, but he could force his way to Single-A Dunedin quickly. The buzz around Sanchez in Blue Jays camp is difficult to overstate.
A 2027 rotation candidate? Gage Stanifer (No. 6)
Still just 22 and headed to Double-A New Hampshire, Stanifer is facing a crucial season and could easily position himself as a legitimate option by the end of 2026. With Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, Max Scherzer and Eric Lauer all free agents after this season, that could be extremely valuable.
Saturday, Stanifer put on a show. Over three innings of no-hit ball with four strikeouts, Stanifer touched 97.4 mph, which feels like it gets on hitters even harder due to his short, quick arm action.
There’s a lot to be excited about here. Stanifer was overshadowed at times in 2025 by Yesavage, who Stanifer pitched behind in Single-A and High-A Vancouver, but he can be a headliner in his own right.
A reliever is coming: LHP Javen Coleman (No. 23)
A 16th-round pick in 2023, Coleman has quickly become one of the likeliest prospects from this Top 30 group to have a shot at the big leagues. That’s largely because he’s a true reliever, so we can skip past the “will he start?” conversation entirely. Saturday, he pitched one scoreless frame with a strikeout.
The Blue Jays have done well developing lefties like Tim Mayza, Brendon Little and Mason Fluharty. Coleman, who likely spends much of this season in Double-A, feels like he could be next in line.
Alejandro Kirk’s future backup? C Brandon Valenzuela (No. 24)
Backup catchers in the big leagues need to do one thing very well. For many, that’s defense, which is Valenzuela’s ticket to the big leagues.
Valenzuela made a spectacular throw to cut down an attempted delayed steal in the fourth inning with perfect placement on the bag. Managing a pitching staff is the part of “defense” we’re not able to see in such obvious ways, but Valenzuela’s throwing arm fits in the big leagues already. He’s also flashed a little more pop this spring at the plate, so he could easily force the Blue Jays to make a decision at some point in 2026.
Next up in the Top 30: RHP Austin Cates
Cates, who started Saturday’s game, will likely soon find himself ranked. The 22-year-old allowed a pair of home runs, but ended the day stronger than he started it and flashed a few of the reasons he’s been gaining momentum lately.
Cates’ splitter is the main attraction and misses plenty of bats, but he touched 94.9 mph with his fastball and filled the zone (16 of 17 fastballs were strikes). The Blue Jays need some new waves of pitching prospects to develop, much like Stanifer has over the past couple of seasons, and Cates is one of this organization’s best bets.