There's a famous name atop the Blue Jays' four-man class on MLBPipeline.com's 2017 Top 100 Prospects list, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. earning the No. 34 spot on the annual preseason list. The club's other representatives on the list are right-hander Sean Reid-Foley at No. 64, outfielder Anthony Alford at No. 70 and shortstop Richard Urena at No. 94.
The annual ranking of MLB's Top 100 prospects is assembled by MLBPipeline.com Draft and prospect experts Jonathan Mayo, Jim Callis and Mike Rosenbaum, who compile input from industry sources, including scouts and scouting directors. It is based on analysis of players' skill sets, upsides, proximity to the Majors and potential immediate impact to their teams. Only players with rookie status entering the 2017 season are eligible for the list. Players who were at least 23 years old when they signed and played in leagues deemed to be professional (Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Cuba) are not eligible.
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• MLB Pipeline's 2017 Top 100 Prospects list
Guerrero Jr. may soon be known as much more than the son of a future Hall of Famer. The 17-year-old was one of the top talents available during the 2015 international signing period. He demonstrated why in Rookie ball, with advanced power (eight home runs), plate discipline (33 walks against 35 strikeouts) and speed (15 steals). He debuts on MLBPipeline.com's overall prospects list after going unranked at midseason.
Reid-Foley, 21, rose 12 spots from his midseason ranking after impressing at Class A Advanced Dunedin. Toronto's second round Draft pick in 2014, Reid-Foley went 6-2 with a 2.67 ERA in 10 starts after his callup, while showing his signature swing-and-miss stuff (11.1 strikeouts per nine innings) as well as much improved control. After walking 6.3 batters per nine innings in his first professional season, Reid-Foley sliced that number to 2.5 across two levels in '16.
Alford, 22, rose 16 spots from his midseason ranking despite an injury-plagued year at Dunedin. A former college football player, scouts love Alford's athleticism and see his ceiling as a top-of-the-order hitter and a plus outfielder. But his football career cut into his early development -- his first full Minor League season came three years after he was drafted. Alford hit .236/.344/.378 with 117 strikeouts in 92 games in 2016, but he missed time due to knee and head injuries.
Sliding down 20 spots is shortstop Urena, who earned a promotion to Double-A New Hampshire in 2016 but struggled there. The athletic switch-hitter is the organization's former No. 1 prospect, though he still projects as an important piece of Toronto's future. He'll have to display more of the plate discipline he had at Dunedin (.351 OBP in 97 games) than at New Hampshire (.282 OBP in 30 games) before he advances further in the system.