Browsing: Blue

TORONTO — Shohei Ohtani was on a flight to Toronto this week. Unlike a frenzied December day nearly two years ago, the baseball world wasn’t scrambling to figure out why he was heading there.

In December 2023, speculation ran wild that Ohtani was about to sign with the Blue Jays, with reports circulating that he was flying to Toronto to put pen to paper. But he was not in fact heading north of the border, and he ultimately chose to sign with the Dodgers on a then-record 10-year, $700 million contract.

Flash forward, and his Dodgers are four wins away from becoming the first Major League team in a quarter century to win back-to-back World Series championships. The team that stands in their way is the one Ohtani spurned in free agency.

It still stings a tad for the Blue Jays, who felt good about their chances of signing the two-way superstar in the 2023-24 offseason after he left a meeting at the team’s spring complex in Dunedin, Fla., with a Blue Jays hat. His beloved dog, Decoy, was even wearing a dog jacket that was a present from the team.

Toronto has done just fine without Ohtani, given that the team has returned to the Fall Classic for the first time since 1993. But that image of Ohtani with team gear has stayed with the Blue Jays, and on the eve of Friday’s Game 1, manager John Schneider couldn’t resist getting a crack in.

“The Blue Jays hat that he took from us in our meeting, I hope he brought it back finally — and the jacket for Decoy,” Schneider said with a smile. “It’s like, give us our stuff back already. But he’s a great player.”

For his part, Ohtani sees no reason to return the gear.

“I plan to keep it because it was something that was a gift,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton.

Perhaps Ohtani repaid the favor in his own way. He left some presents of his own at Rogers Centre during Thursday night’s team workout, depositing balls in the outfield seats as he took batting practice on the field.

Ohtani typically prefers cage work over hitting on the field, but he took batting practice two days before his slump-busting three-homer game in Game 4 of the NL Championship Series — a jaw-dropping performance in which he also struck out 10 across six scoreless innings on the mound.

With a six-day layoff between the end of the NLCS and the start of the World Series, Ohtani is hopeful that he can keep his bat going with the change in routine. He declined to go into detail about how hitting on the field helps him. He wasn’t going to just give away every piece of information to the media — or perhaps, to any Blue Jays who may be searching for a competitive advantage.

“That’s a secret,” he said.

After all, once things are freely given, they can’t be taken back.

Source link

• Bradford Doolittle

  Close

  Bradford Doolittle

  ESPN Staff Writer

  • MLB writer and analyst for ESPN.com
  • Former NBA writer and analyst for ESPN.com
  • Been with ESPN since 2013

• David Schoenfield

  Close

  David Schoenfield

  ESPN Senior Writer

  • Covers MLB for ESPN.com
  • Former deputy editor of Page 2
  • Been with ESPN.com since 1995

Oct 23, 2025, 07:00 AM ET

When the 2025 World Series starts Friday night in Toronto, Shohei Ohtani will step to the plate for the first at-bat of the Fall Classic wearing the Los Angeles Dodgers uniform we’ve all become accustomed to seeing him in over the past two MLB seasons.

But there is another world, one not as far-fetched as you might think, where Ohtani could instead be toeing the rubber for Game 1 — and coming up to bat in the bottom of the first inning — for the Toronto Blue Jays instead.

Similarly, Roki Sasaki has changed Los Angeles’ postseason by emerging as the flamethrowing closer the Dodgers desperately needed to solidify a shaky bullpen this month. But in another world, also not that far removed, Sasaki could be playing the part of rookie sensation for the Blue Jays instead of facing them with games on the line.

How close were Ohtani and Sasaki to picking the Blue Jays over the Dodgers as their much-hyped free agent decisions played out? How did the two tense decision days — one that turned the entire internet into international flight trackers — go down? How good would the Blue Jays have been the past two seasons with Ohtani on their roster? And what would the Dodgers have done to counter if they had lost out on baseball’s two-way superstar?

Let’s dig in.

Jump to:

Ohtani timeline | Sasaki timeline | Jays with Ohtani | Dodgers’ Plan B?

Timeline of the Ohtani, Blue Jays deal that never happened

The jokes are now everywhere: Hey, Shohei Ohtani is finally getting on a plane to Toronto. The Dodgers actually played in Toronto in April 2024, but we get it: There was that frenzied Friday in December 2023 when everybody thought Ohtani was on a plane headed to Toronto to sign with the Blue Jays.

Editor’s Picks

2 Related

What happened that day, Friday, Dec. 8? First, a user on a social media site posted that Thursday evening that a private jet — tail number N616RH — was scheduled to fly from Southern California to Toronto on Friday morning. Somebody else discovered the same jet had been in Oakland when Ohtani had met with the San Francisco Giants. A baseball writer pointed out that Ohtani’s decision to sign with the Angels six years before had come on … Dec. 8.

It was all adding up. The Dodgers Nation fan site published a report saying Ohtani had chosen the Blue Jays. Then MLB Network reported that Ohtani was traveling to Toronto. With N616RH in the air, fans began assembling at the private terminal at Toronto’s Pearson Airport.

But it wasn’t Ohtani on the plane. It was “Shark Tank” judge Robert Herjavec. On Saturday, Ohtani posted his decision on Instagram: “I have decided to choose the Dodgers as my next team.” The rest is history.

Timeline of the Sasaki, Blue Jays deal that also never happened

Upon announcing he would be coming to the majors from Japan early in the 2024-25 offseason, Roki Sasaki immediately became the most coveted free agent available, thanks to his immense talent and the team-friendly conditions of his contract.

After meeting with several teams, Sasaki’s camp revealed that the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers and Giants had all been told they were out of the running — leaving three suitors as finalists: the San Diego Padres, the Dodgers and, surprisingly, the Blue Jays.

Best of the 2025 World Series

We’ve got it all covered as the Dodgers and Blue Jays battle for the title.

World Series preview: Who has edge? »
Ranking best World Series since 2000 »
World Series player rankings, best tools »
Ohtani’s greatness » | Springer’s run »

In the final days leading up to the decision, Sasaki reportedly visited Toronto and the Jays suddenly appeared to be a real player in what had previously seemed to be a race between the two NL West teams vying for his services.

The Blue Jays’ flames were further fanned when reports came out Jan. 17 that the Padres were also out, meaning Sasaki’s decision — much like Ohtani’s an offseason earlier — would come down to Los Angeles and Toronto. The Blue Jays even made a deal with the Cleveland Guardians taking on outfielder Myles Straw, and the $13.8 million remaining on Straw’s contract, to acquire an additional $2 million in international bonus space — presumably to use on Sasaki.

Then that evening — just as Ohtani had done 13 months prior — Sasaki announced via Instagram that he would be joining the Dodgers, and Toronto was left at the doorstep once again.

Simulating the last two seasons with Ohtani in Toronto

What if Shohei Ohtani had gone from the Angels to the Blue Jays — and was sharing a dugout with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. this October? Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images

There are a lot of choices to make when reimagining baseball history, especially when you’re talking about a transaction at the top of the hierarchy such as when Ohtani chose the Dodgers.

Once that domino fell, it set off a chain reaction that worked its way through most if not all of the majors. You can’t simply put the domino back upright, push it down the opposite direction and see how things follow.

So we’ll make a few choices, run some simulations and see where we are.

Dodgers: The L.A. part of this is more straightforward. Removing Ohtani from their mix the last two seasons would hurt them, because he produces at a level few other players can approach. But it’s not as if the Dodgers would have folded up their checkbook and gone home. They would have reallocated some portion of the funds they allotted for Ohtani to other players (see Dave’s possibilities in the next section).

For the sake of coming up with a revised Dodgers baseline, it’s better to avoid trying to guess how the Dodgers might have spent the money.

Best of Dodgers’ World Series run

L.A. is attempting to go back-to-back. Here are our must-read picks from the Dodgers’ playoff run.

How Dodgers’ rotation is dominating »
The greatness of Ohtani shines through »
Why Dodgers have looked unbeatable »
Inside Sasaki’s transformation to closer »

So let’s use a standard instead. The Dodgers’ competitive balance tax hit for Ohtani, per Cot’s Contracts, is estimated at $46 million per season. There’s a premium in there because of Ohtani’s stature — it’s actually hard to find a player to spend that much on — so let’s say they would have reallocated $40 million in terms of their luxury tax calculation to other resources. If we stick with the old standard of an average win purchased in free agency being valued at $8 million, we can estimate that the production from Dodgers’ Plan B player(s) would have been worth about five wins per season over the last two campaigns.

Per Baseball Reference, Ohtani produced 9.2 bWAR in 2024 for his work as a DH and 7.7 in 2025 for his pitching and hitting. So we’re going to reduce the Dodgers’ baseline by 4.2 wins in 2024 and 2.7 in 2025. My end-of-season simple power rating for L.A. in 2024 was 95.9, so we’ll take that down to 91.7. In 2025, I had them at 92.9, so we’re down to 90.2. These won’t be the precise numbers used in the simulations, as we’ve got to make sure the distribution of wins across the majors totals up to the 2,430 wins at stake in a big league season, but these numbers are close.

Blue Jays: The Toronto adjustment is a little more complicated in that we actually know what they did after they failed to land Ohtani. What we don’t know is what moves would not have occurred had they signed him, or the contract he ultimately would have gotten from Toronto. Let’s start with the financial part.

Luckily, we had Jeff Passan and Alden Gonzalez on the case, so we know that Ohtani reportedly presented other teams, including the Blue Jays, with the same terms he gave to the Dodgers and that Toronto agreed to them. So we can use that same $46 million as Toronto’s CBT number on the Jays’ balance sheet, though the ramifications for the Jays in that regard are different because of their lower overall payroll.

After Ohtani signed with the Dodgers, the Blue Jays signed three veteran free agent hitters: Isiah Kiner-Falefa (two years, $15 million), Kevin Kiermaier (one year, $10.5 million) and Justin Turner (one year, $13 million). The 2024 payout for those three was a combined $38.5 million, and it would take some additional belt tightening to get to Ohtani’s salary. The Jays’ Opening Day payroll was about $13 million over the first CBT threshold and $7 million below the second. So they could ax this trio, drop Ohtani into the payroll, and still likely stay under the second threshold, if that was a goal.

Best of Blue Jays’ World Series run

Toronto is in the Fall Classic for the first time since 1993. Here are our must-read picks from the Jays’ march through October.

George Springer, a modern Mr. October »
How Vlad Jr., Toronto bet on each other »
Relive Blue Jays’ ALCS Game 7 victory »

Kiner-Falefa, Kiermaier and Turner posted a combined 4.5 bWAR between them, and frankly, reconfiguring the Toronto depth chart to absorb their absences isn’t that hard. The difference between their production and Ohtani’s is a hefty 4.7 bWAR, so we’ll add that to Toronto’s 2024 baseline. Alas, the Jays weren’t very good in 2024, so adding that figure to their end-of-season power ranking (70.9) takes them up to only 75.6.

Working Ohtani’s $46 million onto Toronto’s 2025 payroll is more challenging. According to Cot’s, Toronto’s end-of-season CBT payroll was $28 million over the first threshold and $8 million over the second. Certainly, the Blue Jays would not have signed Anthony Santander if they had Ohtani in hand and, perhaps, knowing Ohtani could also pitch for them in 2025, perhaps they would not have sprung for Max Scherzer.

Even so, because Santander’s deal involved so much deferred money, we’re still talking about a tax payroll that’s something like another $17 million higher even after we drop Scherzer and Santander. But, hey, it’s not our money, so let’s do it. For the sake of this exercise, we won’t have Toronto pursue Sasaki after Ohtani becomes a Blue Jay.

There are other possible consequences that, for now, we’ll ignore. First of all, would the Blue Jays have been able to be as aggressive in extending Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a long-term deal if they knew Ohtani had the DH spot locked up for the next decade? Would George Springer’s bounce-back season been harmed by having to spend more time in the field? Worth thinking about.

But we’ll stick with the straightforward adjustments. Together, Scherzer (0.2 bWAR) and Santander (minus-1.0) were a net drag on the Blue Jays’ bottom line. Replacing them with Ohtani is a huge gain, though we’re cheating a bit by not doing more of a playing time redistribution. Scherzer was limited to 85 innings during the season, but Ohtani logged only 47. But Ohtani rolled up 727 plate appearances, dwarfing Santander’s 221. In other words, Ohtani would have also usurped at-bats from players such as Nathan Lukes, Addison Barger and Davis Schneider, just to start.

We’ll keep it simple and just add Ohtani’s 7.7 2025 bWAR to the Blue Jays’ bottom line. Toronto’s power rating was 90.1 at the end of the season, so we’re at an elite 97.8. Now we’re getting somewhere.

Let’s sim that out and see what happens.

2024: The actual Blue Jays went 74-88 with a run differential that suggested their record was in lockstep with their quality of play. The true talent level of the team was better than that, with or without Ohtani. Toronto won 89 games in 2023 and made the postseason. They’re in the World Series this year. Sometimes decent teams have bad seasons — take heart, Orioles fans! — and that was Toronto in 2024.

With Ohtani on board in our what-if world, the Blue Jays won the World Series in just three of 10,000 simulations. Maybe having Ohtani’s historic production on the roster would have boosted the rest of the squad, but we can’t know that for sure. They did make the playoffs about 7% of the time, so it was less hopeless than real life. Still, even with Ohtani, the 2024 Jays would have entered that offseason believing they had work to do.

As for the Dodgers, there is nowhere to go but down since, after all, they won the World Series. In the no-Ohtani world, the Dodgers’ reduced baseline got them into the playoffs in 73% of the sims. That seems low, but dropping them to a 90-win team or so puts them on a crowded tier in the big league landscape. The Dodgers still made the World Series 13% of the time and won the title 7% of the time, behind the now-heavily-favored Yankees (24%), Phillies and Astros (both 8%).

Finally, in our 10,000 resimulations of the 2024 season, the Dodgers played the Blue Jays in the World Series four times. Los Angeles won all four showdowns.

2025:One factor is Ohtani’s innings workload as it might have been for Toronto. We’re leaving his 7.7 bWAR as is, but you have to think the Blue Jays might have been somewhat more aggressive in ramping up his innings count, simply because they lack the ridiculous depth of the Dodgers’ staff. Still, adding his two-way punch to the roster and performance of the 2025 Blue Jays gives Toronto easily the top-rated baseline in our resimulated campaign.

That shows up in the end-of-season probabilities and would render Toronto as a solid favorite if it did end up meeting the Ohtani-less Dodgers in the World Series. Because L.A.’s regular season was, for the Dodgers, a bit lackluster, losing Ohtani doesn’t really move them down a tier as it did in the 2024 reimagining. But it certainly doesn’t help.

One-stop shop for 2025 MLB playoffs

We have everything you need to keep up with all the action this October. Schedule, bracket, more »

We can do a little bit more in direct comparison with the current season. The Blue Jays made the postseason in 92% of the simulations. In the actual postseason, Toronto started off with an 11% shot at winning it all, using this system of power rankings, behind Milwaukee and New York. With Ohtani, they won an MLB-high 15% of the simulations. Meanwhile, the Dodgers made the playoffs 71% of the time, similar to the 2024 resimulation, and won the Series around 6% of the time.

This method isn’t entirely fair to the 2025 Dodgers, whose true talent level is well above what they did in the regular season. That would be better reflected if I had used projections rather than the actual final standings. But the Dodgers did what they did, so don’t blame me. We’re seeing that true talent level in action this October.

As you expect, a Dodgers-Blue Jays World Series cropped up way more often in the 2025 sims — 277 times, altogether. In those matchups, the Blue Jays went 171-106 (61.7%). This is roughly the polar opposite of most of the Dodgers-favored World Series odds that are circulating right now. In my system, the reversal is almost exact: The Dodgers are winning 60.9% of the sims in most post-LCS analysis.

So if you want to know how different a Dodgers-Blue Jays World Series would look had Shohei been on that plane, that’s the bottom line: Exactly the opposite.

Five moves the Dodgers could have made if they didn’t land Ohtani

Could third baseman Matt Chapman have been part of the Dodgers’ Plan B had they missed out on Ohtani? Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

But what if Ohtani had been on that plane? While Brad’s simulations are best served by not playing the what-if game, we know L.A. would have done something — and knowing the Dodgers, likely something big. What might the Dodgers’ 2024-25 offseason have looked like without Ohtani? Where might that money have gone?

In our alternate universe, we have to remember how the 2023 season ended for the Dodgers: with the Diamondbacks sweeping the Dodgers in the NLDS after the Dodgers started an injured Clayton Kershaw (who got one out and allowed six runs); started Bobby Miller (who got five outs and allowed three runs); and started Lance Lynn (who had led the majors with 44 home runs allowed, got eight outs and allowed four home runs in the third inning).

The focus was on starting pitching, which is why after signing Ohtani the Dodgers traded for Tyler Glasnow and then signed Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Without Ohtani, however, here are five other moves that would have made sense (all these players were involved in transactions that happened after Dec. 9, 2024):

1. Trade for Dylan Cease

What really happened: The Padres acquired Cease from the Chicago White Sox

One reason the Dodgers signed Ohtani and Yamamoto was they were admittedly getting tired of trading prospects. Until this 2023-24 offseason, they had rarely dipped into the big-money free agency in the Andrew Friedman era (Freddie Freeman and Trevor Bauer had been the only $100 million free agents the Dodgers had signed).

They might have made an exception to trade for Cease. He’s the kind of pitcher the Dodgers love, with a big power arm. More importantly, coming off all the Dodgers’ injuries in 2023, Cease had made 32 starts in 2021, 32 in 2022 and 33 in 2023. Corbin Burnes was also traded after Ohtani had signed, but Cease had two years of control left versus just one for Burnes. Chris Sale also went from the Boston Red Sox to the Atlanta Braves and went on to win the Cy Young Award, but his proneness to injury would have scared off the Dodgers.

2. Sign Blake Snell — a year early

What really happened: Snell signed with the Giants for two years, $62 million

New ESPN and FOX One Bundle

Bundle ESPN and FOX One and unlock more sports for one unbeatable price. Get the World Series, college football, NBA, NHL and more. Get access

Snell was coming off a Cy Young Award with the Padres in 2023, his second, and was looking for a mega-contract. ESPN predicted six years and $150 million; MLB Trade Rumors predicted seven years and $200 million. The Philadelphia Phillies, Mets, Red Sox and Dodgers were considered the favorites to sign him, with many other teams in the mix.

That big offer never arrived, with teams worried about Snell’s inconsistency. His free agency lingered deep into spring training until he finally signed with the Giants just 10 days before the start of the season. His deal included an opt-out, which he exercised after a scintillating stretch run with the Giants (1.23 ERA over his final 14 starts). This time, the Dodgers decided they wanted him, and they signed him after the 2024 season.

3. Sign Josh Hader

What really happened: Hader signed with the Houston Astros for five years, $95 million

Might the Dodgers have gone after a reliever? The bullpen had been pretty good in 2023, ranking third in the majors in ERA, with Evan Phillips (2.05 ERA, 24 saves) and Brusdar Graterol (1.20 ERA, seven saves) leading the way. But the Dodgers had also relied on castoffs such as Ryan Brasier, Joe Kelly and Shelby Miller, so you could argue that an elite closer like Hader was a good fit. Plus, as the Dodgers showed in the 2024-25 offseason after spending $72 million on Tanner Scott, they are willing to spend big money on a closer.

4. Sign Jung Hoo Lee

What really happened: Lee signed with Giants for six years, $113 million

Lee was one of the top outfielders available in free agency, a star in Korea who projected as a leadoff hitter with a high average and good defense in center field. The Dodgers’ outfield in 2023 included David Peralta, who was 35, and James Outman, who had kind of a fluky good rookie season. The Dodgers did end up signing Teoscar Hernandez to a one-year deal, but when Mookie Betts initially moved to shortstop and Outman predictably floundered, they were playing Jason Heyward and had to trade for Tommy Edman. Lee would have been a fit for center field, although he hasn’t been as good as expected with the Giants, who overpaid by some $40 million-$50 million compared with the initial predictions, so maybe the Dodgers dodged a bad signing here.

5. Sign Matt Chapman

What really happened: Chapman signed with Giants for three years, $54 million

Max Muncy was coming off a 36-homer season in 2023, but he had hit .196 in 2022 and .212 in 2023. Plus, there is no Ohtani here, so the Dodgers could have signed Chapman and moved Muncy to the DH role or maybe even to second base, where Muncy had played a lot from 2019 to 2022 and was a position that had been a problem for the Dodgers in 2023 (Miguel Vargas started the most games there, with Betts eventually starting by the end of the season).

Source link

Oct 23, 2025, 06:31 PM ET

TORONTO — While most of baseball is saying hats off to Shohei Ohtani, Toronto manager John Schneider wants a cap back from the two-way star.

Before signing a $700 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Ohtani met with Blue Jays officials on Dec. 4, 2023, at the team’s spring training complex in Dunedin, Florida.

Ohtani will be the opening batter of the World Series, hitting leadoff for the defending champion Dodgers against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Friday night after his unprecedented performance at the plate and on the mound in the NL Championship Series.

“I hope he brought his hat, the Blue Jay hat that he took from us in our meeting. I hope he brought it back, finally,” Schneider said Thursday.

“And the jacket for Decoy,” he added, a reference to Ohtani’s dog, a Nederlandse kooikerhondje. “It’s like, give us our stuff back already.”

Editor’s Picks

2 Related

Ohtani helped lead the Dodgers to last year’s title, hitting .310 with 54 homers, 130 RBIs and 59 stolen bases.

Back to pitching in a limited role this season as he returned from elbow surgery, he batted .282 with 55 homers, 102 RBIs and 20 steals while going 1-1 with a 2.87 ERA in 14 starts, striking out 62 in 47 innings.

Last Friday, he homered three times while pitching six shutout innings and striking 10 against Milwaukee as the Dodgers completed a four-game sweep of the NL Championship Series.

Absent Ohtani, the Blue Jays had the finances to give first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. a $500 million, 14-year contract that starts next year, and he helped Toronto reach the World Series for the first time since 1993.

“He’s a great player,” Schneider said. “But that aside, I think that we have a great team and just an unbelievable cast of characters and players. I think things worked out the way they’re meant to work out.”

Schneider isn’t sure how close the Blue Jays came to signing Ohtani.

“When we met with him, you felt good about it, and you felt good about the feedback he was giving about our organization and opportunity here,” he said. “But you never really know what a player’s feeling in free agency, and there’s a lot of things that have to line up for them personally, too, so you can’t really think about what if. You think about the 26 [players] that we have.”

Source link

Oct 23, 2025, 01:56 PM ET

TORONTO — Blue Jays rookie Trey Yesavage will start Game 1 of the World Series on Friday against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers and Blake Snell, but a decision on activating shortstop Bo Bichette still officially has yet to be made.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Bichette, a two-time All-Star, has recovered from a sprained left knee that sidelined him for 1 1/2 months and may be activated for the World Series.

“We’re kind of coming right down to the wire with it,” Schneider said Thursday. “He’s feeling good, which is nice. Still a few more boxes to check.”

Editor’s Picks

2 Related

Yesavage, who made his major league debut on Sept. 15, will be making his fourth postseason start, giving the 22-year-old more postseason starts than career regular-season outings (3).

Schneider said Thursday he wasn’t ready to announce his Game 2 starter from among Kevin Gausman, Max Scherzer and Shane Bieber.

The Dodgers announced earlier this week that Snell would start Game 1 and Yoshinobu Yamamoto will follow in Game 2.

Selected 20th overall in last year’s amateur draft from East Carolina University, Yesavage began the season at Class A Dunedin, was promoted to High-A Vancouver on May 20, Double-A New Hampshire on June 12 and Triple-A Buffalo on Aug. 12.

He was 1-0 with a 3.21 ERA in three starts in September, striking out 16 in 14 innings, helped by a devastating splitter, with seven walks.

Yesavage beat the New York Yankees with 5 1/3 scoreless, hitless innings in Game 2 of the Division Series as he struck out 11, lost Game 2 of the AL Championship Series when he allowed five runs in four innings, then won Game 6 of the ALCS on Sunday when he gave up two runs in 5 2/3 innings.

He will be the first rookie to start Game 1 of the World Series since 2006, when Cardinals rookie Anthony Reyes started opposite Tigers rookie Justin Verlander.

Gausman threw 19 pitches in relief in Game 7 of the ALCS on Monday against Seattle, three days after he tossed 91 pitches in his Game 5 start.

“It made sense to hold Kevin for a day,” Schneider said, not committing to Gausman for Game 2 on Saturday or Game 3 on Monday at Dodger Stadium.

Bichette, a two-time AL hits leader, hasn’t played since he sprained his left knee in a Sept. 6 collision with Yankees catcher Austin Wells. He said Tuesday that he’d be ready for the World Series.

Schneider said Bichette, 27, could be at shortstop, designated hitter or even second base, where he last played in 2019 in the minor leagues.

“Continuing to make progress,” Schneider said. “He’s taking ground balls, running.”

Bichette was second in the major leagues to the Yankees’ Aaron Judge with a .311 batting average, hitting 18 homers with 94 RBIs in 139 games.

The Associated Press and ESPN Research contributed to this report.

Source link

Connor McDavid knows a thing or two about making the championship series.

And even though he isn’t yelling or throwing his remote at the TV, the Edmonton Oilers captain said he’s been locked in on the Toronto Blue Jays’ run to the World Series.

“It’s been really exciting. Really, really exciting to see them go on this run. Such an exciting Game 7, obviously a great hit there. So really excited about the World Series. I think all Canadians are,” said McDavid, who’s from Newmarket, Ont.

McDavid has led his Oilers to the Stanley Cup Final in each of the past two seasons, only to lose to the Florida Panthers both times.

But his more relevant experience might have come in February, when he represented Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off and scored the golden goal in overtime against the U.S.

McDavid likened this Blue Jays post-season to the Toronto Raptors’ 2019 title run, with both the lone Canadian teams in their leagues.

“It kinda brings the whole country together, which is special. That’s what sports is supposed to do, it’s supposed to bring people together, and it’s fun to see everybody come together to support the Jays and the amazing run they’ve been on,” he said.

Come February, McDavid will have the chance to do that himself as NHL players return to the Olympics for the 2026 Games in Italy. He is already among the first six players selected to the Canadian roster.

McDavid added that he didn’t play baseball growing up, but said he has immense respect for the athletes.

“The way they throw the ball it is incredible. Trying to square up a round bat on a round ball coming 100 m.p.h. has to be one of the hardest things to do in sports,” he said, per Jason Gregor of Daily Faceoff.

Game 1 of the World Series is set for Friday at Rogers Centre. Live coverage is available on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ with first pitch set for 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.

Source link

• 

  Kiley McDanielOct 22, 2025, 07:00 AM ET

  Close

  • ESPN MLB Insider
  • Kiley McDaniel covers MLB prospects, the MLB Draft and more, including trades and free agency.
  • Has worked for three MLB teams.

  Co-author of Author of ‘Future Value’

The Los Angeles Dodgers are the overwhelming favorites to win the 2025 World Series and become the first repeat champion in a quarter century.

That doesn’t mean they’ve cornered all the talent in this year’s Fall Classic.

In fact, the American League champion Toronto Blue Jays feature two of the top three players heading into the series and nearly half of our top 20.

Let’s dig into the stars — ranking the best of the series participants on how good I think they’ll be in this series and predicting who will take home some superlatives by the time the dust settles.

Top 20 players in the World Series

1. Shohei Ohtani, SP/DH, Dodgers

Ohtani put up a combined 9.4 WAR in the regular season and is a huge favorite to win the National League MVP again. Then, he one-upped himself with one of the greatest athletic performances of all time: six scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts and three home runs in the clinching game of the NL Championship Series.

2. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B, Blue Jays

Guerrero had a big regular season — 3.9 WAR despite the sixth-worst ball-in-play luck in the league — but has been white-hot in the playoffs, leading postseason players in most major offensive categories.

3. George Springer, DH, Blue Jays

Springer led the Jays in WAR in the regular season, has been very good this postseason and his iconic ALCS Game 7 homer will live on.

Editor’s Picks

2 Related

4. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, SP, Dodgers

All four of the Dodgers’ starting pitchers are on a heater, but Yamamoto was the best of the group in the regular season by a lot and one of the top five pitchers in baseball.

5. Blake Snell, SP, Dodgers

Snell missed the first two-thirds of the season with shoulder inflammation but came back looking as good as ever. He might be on the best run of his career right now, with a 0.86 ERA in three playoff starts and the second-best underlying numbers (xFIP and xERA) in the playoffs among starters, behind Detroit’s Tarik Skubal.

6. Mookie Betts, SS, Dodgers

Betts, a clear future Hall of Famer, is 33 years old and has lost the standout power from his peak years but is still an impact player.

7. Freddie Freeman, 1B, Dodgers

One of the most consistently elite hitters of this era, Freeman just keeps performing — and he has a history of coming up large in the playoffs.

8. Alejandro Kirk, C, Blue Jays

Kirk was quietly the second-best all-around catcher in the league this year behind Seattle’s Cal Raleigh, but isn’t a huge star since his value is largely driven by on-base skills and pitch framing.

9. Max Muncy, 3B, Dodgers

Muncy is surprisingly solid as a baserunner and a defensive third baseman, and he has always been a dangerous hitter.

10. Tyler Glasnow, SP, Dodgers

Glasnow’s walks crept up during the regular season and the playoffs, but he has been missing bats as always and is inducing weak contact during his current hot streak.

11. Will Smith, C, Dodgers

Smith hasn’t been very good offensively in the playoffs but had the third-best WAR amongst catchers in the majors this season, behind only Raleigh and Kirk.

How Vlad Jr., Blue Jays bet on each other

Just when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. seemed destined for free agency, Toronto made an offer he couldn’t refuse. Jorge Castillo »

12. Ernie Clement, 2B/3B, Blue Jays

Clement posted a quietly solid 3.2 WAR this season, driven mostly by contact and defense, but has gone to another level in the postseason, hitting .429 with almost no ball-in-play luck, due to his 4% strikeout rate. He’s on a heater, but the Dodgers’ staff is the type to possibly end that streak.

13. Daulton Varsho, CF, Blue Jays

Varsho is above average at basically everything on the baseball field but isn’t truly elite at much. He missed time with shoulder and hamstring issues this year but was on track for a career-best 4-ish WAR season.

14. Kevin Gausman, SP, Blue Jays

Gausman posted the 10th-best pitcher WAR in baseball this season but has one of the lowest fastball velocities of pitchers in that range and has been hit around in the playoffs, though his career playoff performances are close to his regular-season quality.

15. Tommy Edman, 2B, Dodgers

Edman is a good defender at almost any position but had the 12th-unluckiest ball-in-play outcomes this regular season. That luck has turned around in the playoffs.

Are the Dodgers unbeatable?

Here’s how they Dodgers unlocking their best selves when it matters most. Alden Gonzalez »

16. Trey Yesavage, SP, Blue Jays

Like Gausman, Yesavage’s splitter is his best secondary pitch, and he doesn’t have standout fastball velocity or breaking ball quality. That said, Yesavage’s splitter has been confounding hitters in his six career big league appearances, half of which have been in the playoffs.

17. Bo Bichette, SS, Blue Jays

It sounds like Bichette will be able to return to the Jays’ lineup for the World Series, but he has been out the past six weeks with a knee injury and it’s hard to know what he’ll look like in the short term.

18. Addison Barger, RF, Blue Jays

Barger is usable defensively at a number of positions and broke out this year to be an above-average hitter, mostly due to his power.

19. Andy Pages, CF, Dodgers

Pages hasn’t been terrible at the plate this postseason, but he was a standout hitter (.272 average, 24 homers) and defender (plus-7 runs in 117 starts in center field) in the regular season, en route to 4.0 WAR.

20. Teoscar Hernandez, RF, Dodgers

Hernandez hit for power in the regular season (25 homers) but didn’t draw many walks or stand out defensively. This postseason, he has been hitting for even more power on a rate basis, so he sneaks on this list.

Superlatives

Luke Hales/Getty Images

Fastest pitch of the World Series will be thrown by: Roki Sasaki

Sasaki narrowly wins this matchup with the hardest-thrown pitch among these teams in the playoffs at 100.8 mph, and he’s fresher than Louis Varland (100.7 mph) and can go more max effort than Ohtani (100.3 mph).

Others in the mix: Ohtani

Best breaking pitch will be: Emmet Sheehan’s slider

Sheehan’s slider was, per pitch thrown, the best pitch on the Dodgers’ staff this season. It doesn’t have a gaudy spin rate or crazy movement, but he throws it hard and hitters can’t seem to track it.

Others in the mix: Yariel Rodriguez’s slider, Braydon Fisher’s slider, Brendon Little’s curveball, Jack Dreyer’s slider, Glasnow’s curveball, Shane Bieber’s curveball

Best changeup/splitter will be: Yesavage’s splitter

One-stop shop for 2025 MLB playoffs

We have everything you need to keep up with all the action this October. Schedule, bracket, more »

Yesavage offers a unique combination of movement profile (his slider moves to his arm side), a very high arm slot, and short extension which brings his release even higher. Hitters haven’t seen something like this before. Then add in a killer splitter (which he barely threw at East Carolina, where he was last season) and hitters don’t know what to do.

Others in the mix: Yamamoto’s splitter, Gausman’s splitter, Snell’s changeup

Most whiffs will be thrown by: Snell

Snell has been red-hot in the postseason (I explain why here) and should get two starts, but there are a number of strong candidates for this.

Others in the mix: Yamamoto, Yesavage, Glasnow

Hardest hit ball in play will be hit by: Guerrero

The odds for this are as close to 50/50 as you can get. Guerrero (120.4) and Ohtani (120.0 mph) were second and third in max exit velo during the regular season behind Cincinnati’s Oneil Cruz (122.9). Ohtani has a slight edge in playoff max EV at 117.7 to Vlad’s 116.0. I’ll lean to Vlad because he has been running hotter at the plate and thus will get a few more chances to smoke one at a gaudy number, but Ohtani will be facing a weaker pitching staff, so this is still a coin flip.

Also in the mix: Ohtani

Highest sprint speed will be recorded by: Clement

The other main candidates are part-time players who might get only some chances to open it up on the bases, but I expect Clement to be on base often in the series.

Others in the mix: Hyeseong Kim, Edman, Myles Straw

The batter who will record the most hits: Guerrero

New ESPN and FOX One Bundle

Bundle ESPN and FOX One and unlock more sports for one unbeatable price. Get the World Series, college football, NBA, NHL and more. Get access

Clement (second in postseason hits with 18) might be held back a bit by the quality of the Dodgers’ pitchers while Guerrero (first in postseason hits with 19) also makes a ton of contact but gets the margin for error of having huge power, too.

Others in the mix: Clement, Nathan Lukes, Betts, Freeman, Springer

Best defender will be: Kirk

If you consider framing to be a part of defensive value (you definitely should) and also factor in positional difficulty (I think you should), then Kirk is the answer. He’ll be impacting roughly half of the pitches in the series and he was the second-best framer in the league behind San Francisco’s Patrick Bailey this regular season.

Others in the mix: Clement, Edman, Betts

Source link

Game 1 of the World Series on Friday is a chance for the Blue Jays to show off the refurbished Rogers Centre. Time had taken its toll on the futuristic building that opened as SkyDome, the first baseball stadium with a retractable roof, in 1989.

A $400 million (Canadian) renovation project completed in 2024 has once again turned Torontoâ€s baseball home into a state of the art facility.

So itâ€s easy to forget the franchiseâ€s humble beginnings at Exhibition Stadium, the outdoor venue that even former Blue Jays team president Paul Beeston once called “the worst stadium in sports.â€

The Blue Jays would become baseballâ€s model franchise in the early 1990s. But when they began play as an American League expansion team in 1977, they were far from it. And so was their home ballpark.

“Except for the people in the stands, there wasnâ€t one good thing about that stadium,†Rick Cerone said, laughing.

Cerone was the starting catcher in the first game in Blue Jays history, April 7, 1977, at Exhibition Stadium. The gametime temperature was 32 degrees and snow covered almost the entire playing field.

“The only thing you saw on the opening pitch was the dirt cutouts where the bases were,†Cerone recalled. “Everything else was covered in snow.â€

Torontoâ€s love for baseball was born that day in front of 44,649 fans packed into the converted football stadium on the shores of Lake Ontario. The fans turned out to watch the expansion Blue Jays struggle through 100-loss seasons in each of their first three years.

But the team would get better, winning 89 games in 1983, then winning 99 games and their first AL East division title in 1985.

But the playing conditions at the ballpark remained … questionable.

“It was windy and cold all the time,†said Buck Martinez, catcher on the â€85 team and currently a Blue Jays TV announcer. “In the summertime it was nice, but it just wasnâ€t a Major League ballpark.â€

Converted from a football field, home of the CFLâ€s Toronto Argonauts, Exhibition Stadiumâ€s baseball configuration had a temporary fence in right field, and a grandstand that ran from left field straight out beyond center field, rather than curving around the way a typical baseball stadium does. So some of the fans would be sitting as much as 800 feet from home plate facing the wrong direction.

“Iâ€m willing to bet there were 10-to-15,000 people who couldn’t even see the game because they were below the fence line in the outfield,†said former Blue Jays pitcher Tom Henke. “But they still came. It was amazing.â€

And because the artificial playing surface was built with a crown for proper drainage, the outfield sloped so severely that that hard-hit balls through the infield were almost destined to reach the fence.

The unusual playing surface made for some unusual sightlines for the players, too.

“I could barely see Lloyd Moseby in center field,†Martinez said. “I could only see half of his legs because of the way the field was sloped.â€

The real signature characteristic of Torontoâ€s first baseball stadium was the locale, the great outdoors. In other words, it was cold.

“Down the left-field line, there was a gap between what they called the north grandstand and the left-field bleachers,†Martinez recalled. “So the wind would come off Lake Ontario and go through that gap like a turbine pushing that wind across the field. Early in the season, late in the season, it was frigid.â€

The home team could get used to it, maybe. But the visiting players would suffer.

“Playing in Canada without the domes was challenging to say the least,†said former Expos and Orioles outfielder Ken Singleton. “You had every stitch of clothing in your locker on. To me it was just play the game, get it over with and maybe itâ€ll be warmer tomorrow.â€

“I can remember wearing my coat down in the bullpen until June because of the wind coming off the lake,†said Henke, Torontoâ€s All-Star closer who was told by his manager to not even bother going out to the bullpen until the seventh inning because it was so cold. “The dugouts had heaters, but the bullpen was just a bench sitting down the left-field line by a couple mounds.â€

Eventually the Blue Jays figured out they needed to embrace their home-field advantage. It took future Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox to set them straight early in 1985.

“I remember we were complaining so much about the conditions that Bobby Cox held a meeting and said, ‘You gotta stop complaining,â€â€ said former Jays outfielder Jesse Barfield. “‘Let the other guys complain. This is our home, so stop complaining and use it to our benefit.â€â€

Cold was just one element to deal with.

Fog delays were almost as common as rain delays, and when that fog rolled in, the fans werenâ€t the only ones who couldnâ€t see what was going on.

“We had a fog game, somebody hit a fly ball and it fell in because I couldnâ€t find it,†Singleton recalled. “We were leading at the time, and it was an official game, and when it fell in the second-base umpire, Don Denkinger, accused me of not catching the ball on purpose so they would stop the game and call it.â€

Seagulls would regularly converge on the stands to consume discarded hot dogs and popcorn. Dave Winfield famously nailed one of them while warming up between innings of a Yankees-Blue Jays game in 1983.

Cerone, by then playing for the Yankees, was the one playing catch with Winfield.

“For six innings we tried to hit one, and then Winnie finally did,†Cerone laughed. But it was a serious matter in Toronto, where Winfield was briefly taken into custody.

“They wouldnâ€t let us out of Canada until like 3 oâ€clock in the morning. Everybody on our team hated us,†Cerone recalled.

On the field, the Blue Jays of the mid-1980s became one of baseballâ€s best, and in 1989 they moved into their new digs called SkyDome.

“It was like they had gone to heaven,†Martinez said.

The fans agreed. The 1991 Blue Jays became the first team in Major League history to draw four million fans. Then they won back-to-back World Series in 1992-93.

And if it rains, theyâ€ll be able to close the roof and keep it dry.

Source link

After the Toronto Blue Jays won the American League pennant and booked their trip to the organizationâ€s first World Series in 32 years, Morgan Rielly made some comments that should give fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs some hope.

“Thereâ€s a small part of you that youâ€re envious of them. Youâ€re a bit jealous of what theyâ€re doing, just because of Toronto. You watch it firsthand, youâ€re obviously happy for them, itâ€s a great moment for the city, but we want to be able to do that and have a run like that.â€

Leafs fans should love to hear that this was a key takeaway from a core member of their team. You want your team inspired by what the Jays are doing.

Make no bones about it, what the Jays are doing isinspirational, and can provide some key pieces of guidance for this yearâ€s Leafs in terms what they need to do to have success.

Here are five takeaway lessons that should work as a crossover between the two Toronto clubs.

• 
• Real Kyper and Bourne

  Nick Kypreos and Justin Bourne talk all things hockey with some of the biggest names in the game. Watch live every weekday on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ — or listen live on Sportsnet 590 The FAN — from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET.

  Full episode

On May 23 of 2025, the Toronto Blue Jays had played 50 of their 162 regular season games. They lost 3-1 that day to the Tampa Bay Rays, which dropped their record to a dead even 25-25.

I spoke to some pretty knowledgeable baseball guys right around that time, and Iâ€ll be honest, they had the Jays dead to rights. They gave them just about no shot the rest of the way. They were simply not good enough, there was some buzz that Bo Bichette might get dealt, and it looked like it was all going to come crashing down.

Three months later, they finished 94-68 and won the AL East in a tiebreaker.

Like the Jays, the Leafs have some great core players capable of breaking games wide open. The Jays stuck with it, found some wins, a better energy and, in turn, an identity. Guys took advantage of the opportunities they got, and that allowed the Jays to add a couple players at the trade deadline, which made them better still. Thereâ€s no reason the Leafs couldnâ€t scuffle for a bit while searching for their own identity and find themselves in a much better place than how things feel today. Youâ€ve just gotta keep striving to get better every day.

About part of what I mentioned above…

You reward your depth with opportunities when they excel, and make them important

I got tired of talking about the Leafs being Team A and Team B in the past and, fortunately this year, the plan was to be more balanced. Nic Roy, Dakota Joshua, and Matias Maccelli were added. Easton Cowan has played a few games, Calle Jarnkrok got healthy, and it seemed like the Leafs would have more potential players to do what Bobby McMann has done – take a spot, excel, and force the team to elevate his status.

If you look at the Jays, theyâ€ve got some journeymen big leaguers who are thriving. Ernie Clement was waived by a bad team two years ago. Nathan Lukes spent about a decade in the minors. Itâ€s a pretty long list, actually. But those guys played well enough to get their confidence going, they earned more playing time, and they became essential to the capital-T Team.

If the Leafs, in the post-Marner era, are in fact going to be more balanced, they need to give a few of their own journeymen depth guys the chance to be important, and then itâ€s up to those guys to grab the opportunities. You donâ€t have to be what youâ€ve been in the past. Give Roy that chance. How about Lorentz gets some run higher in the lineup? Theyâ€ve got decent skill in their bottom-six, and donâ€t have to keep trying the same things.

As players establish themselves in the league they can still improve, fit a teamâ€s puzzle better, and sometimes thereâ€s still more juice to be squeezed.

Your best players gotta be your best players

That doesnâ€t mean every night, but it sure should be mostnights. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. won the ALCS MVP by being nearly impossible to deal with just about every time he stepped to the plate. He was rock solid in the field. The $150 million man, George Springer, hit the biggest dinger of them all.

This is a tale as old as time for the Leafs, but it doesnâ€t make it any less relevant. Yes, you can get big moments in the form of a base knock from Isiah Kiner-Falefa in the bottom of the seventh. Yes, Max Talbot can score two goals in Game 7 to pull Sidney Crosby through. The depth needs to be important.

But at the end of the day, guys like Matthews and Nylander need to be an absolute headache for opposing defences.

Want the ball, want the moment

You didnâ€t think weâ€d get through this without talking about the fire of Max Scherzer did you? Thatâ€s a guy right there who loves the game, wants to compete, and wants to go right at you. He wants to be in the biggest moments, so when he gets that chance, heâ€s ready to eat your heart out.

John Schneider told a story about texting Springer about his bad knee to check in on his availability for Game 7, and Springer told him to stop texting him because he was going to play regardless. They talked in person that day, and Springer told him to leave him alone. He was playing, and he wanted that moment.

Itâ€s about Kevin Gausman saying he couldnâ€t wait to get in Game 7, and Chris Bassitt ready to thrive in his big moment.

There have been some times when the Leafs came up against big moments, and absolutely shrunk. Theyâ€ve hesitated, theyâ€ve balked. Injuries are unfair and unpredictable, but thereâ€s no doubt theyâ€ve popped up at bad times.

Still, the Jays have done this without Bichette. Youâ€re allowed to win when a big player has to miss some time.

If youâ€re not playing for the big moments and winning, then why are you playing? And if the answer to why you are playing is something other than that whole “winning†thing, itâ€s probably not going to go great.

I mentioned that the Jays went from 25-25 to finishing 94-68. Theyâ€ve now won over 100 baseball games this year. Theyâ€ve come from behind more than any team in baseball, 51 times in total between the playoffs and regular season. Thatâ€s over half their wins where they were trailing at some point.

That to me is so much about energy and the “team” concept. When you fall behind, do you start to flag and pout and point fingers? Or do you stay resilient, dig in, and get ready to throw your next best punch?

The Leafs donâ€t have the offence to play bad and come from behind as easily without Marner, and so theyâ€re going to need more of a group effort that uses several skaters. It can be someone different every night, rather than putting all the pressure on a few guys.

At just 3-3-1, people are looking at the Toronto Maple Leafs and asking justifiable questions. Whatâ€s their identity? How are they trying to play? Heck, what are their lines?

The Jays were almost a third of the way into their season before they started to find some answers. The Leafs still arenâ€t even 10 per cent of the way through, and theyâ€re trying to figure things out, too.

But it is time to start finding some answers, whatever they are, so they can start to put forth a better version for themselves.

And if theyâ€re looking for a recipe, a shortcut to get a few of the answers theyâ€re so desperately seeking, it wouldnâ€t hurt for them to look across the street at the Blue Jays, and take a page from that very good neighbourâ€s book.

Source link

Image credit:
(Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB photos via Getty Images)

The Blue Jays’ roster entering the 2025 World Series is a fascinating melding of prospect power, shrewd acquisitions and some unlikely hidden gems.

Few prospect stars shined as bright Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who is fresh off an ALCS MVP, as he ascended the Blue Jays’ farm system. He’s one of eight Blue Jays players who once ranked as Top 100 Prospects, along with Bo Bichette, Alejandro Kirk, Andres Gimenez, George Springer, Daulton Varsho, Kevin Gausman and Jeff Hoffman. But there are others, like outfielder Nathan Lukes, who have emerged as useful contributors to Toronto’s playoff run who stayed far below the radar as he traveled through the minor leagues.

Below, we’ve compiled scouting reports on every Blue Jays player from when they ranked highest as a prospect. Simply clicking on each player’s name in the roster below will bring you to their scouting report. You can find the a corresponding post for the Dodgers here.

Please note that we’ve included Bo Bichette in Toronto’s projected World Series roster following Bichette’s comments that he expects to be ready to return to action.

BA has chronicled the game’s future and evaluated prospects for over 40 years. We dug into our archives for the scouting reports below, which we’ve kept free, but if you’d like to support our work and gain access to our Top 30 rankings, Top 100 Prospects and analysis, consider subscribing here.

Projected Toronto Blue Jays World Series Roster

• Alejandro Kirk, C
• Tyler Heineman, C
• Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B
• Ernie Clement, 2B/3B
• Bo Bichette, SS
• Andrés Giménez, SS
• Addison Barger, 3B/OF
• Isaiah Kiner-Falefa, 2B/3B
• George Springer, OF
• Daulton Varsho, OF
• Nathan Lukes, OF
• Myles Straw, OF
• Davis Schneider, OF
• Chris Bassitt, RHP
• Shane Bieber, RHP
• Seranthony Dominguez, RHP
• Braydon Fisher, RHP
• Mason Fluharty, LHP
• Kevin Gausman, RHP
• Jeff Hoffman, RHP
• Eric Lauer, LHP
• Brendon Little, LHP
• Yariel Rodriguez, RHP
• Max Scherzer, RHP
• Louis Varland, RHP
• Trey Yesavage, RHP

Alejandro Kirk, C

• How acquired:Signed by Blue Jays as international free agent, 2016
• Highest rank:No. 70 on 2021 Top 100
• What We Said:2021 Blue Jays Top 30 Prospects Scouting Report

Track Record:Itâ€s easy to overlook Kirk because of his squatty body type, but his track record of hitting continues to sparkle. Signed out of Mexico in 2016, Kirk reached high Class A in 2019 and spent most of 2020 at the alternate training site. He made the jump to Toronto in September and earned regular playing time down the stretch in the Blue Jays†playoff push.

Scouting Report: Built like a shorter Pablo Sandoval, Kirk matches Sandovalâ€s innate ability to barrel the baseball. He has short arms, a short swing and makes frequent contact, striking out just 10% of the time in 2019 and showing the bat control that translated in his brief big league callup. He has a small strike zone and stays disciplined within it, tracking pitches to drive fastballs and breaking pitches to all fields, especially fastballs at the top of the zone. He has average raw power that he accesses in games because of his ability to consistently find the sweet spot. Kirkâ€s detractors worry about his body and question his defensive skills behind the plate, while others think he receives well, does a solid job with blocking and works well with his pitchers. He has an average arm.

The Future: Kirk made a big jump to the majors at the end of the season, so more minor league time would be reasonable. Still, his performance catapulted him into the 2021 big league picture.

↑ Back to top

Tyler Heineman, C

• How acquired:Claimed off waivers from Red Sox, Sept. 2024.
• Highest rank:No. 30 on Astros 2013 Top 30
• What We Said:2013 Astros Top 30 Prospects Scouting Report

A baseball rat, Heineman has an uncle who played at Arizona State, while his brother Scott is a sophomore infielder for Oregon. Heineman’s UCLA career included two trips to the College World Series but he was a little-used backup in his first two seasons, when he caught Rob Rasmussen and two of the top three picks in the 2011 draft, Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer. In his lone season as a regular, Heineman’s grit, solid tools and surprising skills shined through, earning him a $125,000 bonus in the eighth round last June.

Scouts laud him for his toughness as he shakes off home-plate collisions, coaxes his pitchers to compete and handles his staff in a professional manner. He has solid catch-and-throw skills and threw out 41 percent of basestealers while helping Tri-City to the New York-Penn League finals. Heineman led the NY-P in batting (.358) while ranking second in on-base percentage (.452) and plate appearances per strikeout (19.4). He’s a switch-hitter with a contact approach and an excellent notion of the strike zone. He’s willing to take one for the team, getting hit by 27 pitches between college and pro ball last year, and he handles the bat well in hit-and-run and bunt situations. His power potential is limited and he’ll have to prove he can hit quality fastballs as he moves up the later. He runs well for a catcher and is a smart baserunner.

Even with modest offensive upside, Heineman fits as a fast-moving future backup, and added power could make him an eventual regular. He’ll open his first full pro season in low Class A.

↑ Back to top

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B

• How acquired:Signed by Blue Jays as international free agent, 2015.
• Highest rank:No. 1 on 2019 Top 100
• What We Said:2019 Blue Jays Top 30 Prospects Scouting Report

Track Record: Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero Sr. was one of the most dynamic players in baseball history, with a dazzling combination of power, speed, arm strength and ability to hit any pitch. Vlad Jr., who signed with the Blue Jays for $3.9 million at age 16 in 2015, doesn’t have his dad’s athleticism, but he has the hand-eye coordination, bat speed, power and strike-zone discipline to rival any hitter who has come along in years. Guerrero began 2018 by hitting a walk-off home run against the Cardinals in an exhibition game at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium, where his father began his major league career. He proceeded to lead the minors with a 1.073 OPS facing Double-A and Triple-A pitchers, becoming the Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year.

Scouting Report: Even as a 19-year-old, Guerrero looked like he belonged in the middle of a major league lineup. He is a potential superstar in the mold of Manny Ramirez, and it’s not out of the question that Guerrero could develop into an 80 hitter with 80 power. He has a preternatural ability to make hard contact and barrel any type of pitch in any area of the strike zone. He has a simple, powerful swing, unleashing fierce bat speed with a compact, efficient path to the ball. He rarely swings and misses and hammers the ball to all parts of the park. He also has phenomenal strike-zone discipline and rarely chases borderline pitches. As an amateur in the Dominican Republic, Guerrero was a heavyset outfielder with below-average speed and arm strength. After signing, he moved to third base, where his arm strength has improved to plus, giving him a chance to stick there–at least early in his career. Guerrero worked diligently to improve his defense in 2018, but he remains a large, stocky player with a lack of first-step quickness that limits his range. At some point, he might have to move to first base or even DH. Wherever he plays, his offensive production will make him an elite player.

The Future: Guerrero will be the favorite to win American League Rookie of the Year in 2019, and he might immediately rank among the top overall hitters in baseball. Vladimir Sr. won the AL MVP award in 2004, and Junior has the talent to be in plenty of MVP conversations over the next decade.

↑ Back to top

Ernie Clement, 2B/3B

• How acquired:Signed as MiLB free agent, March 2023.
• Highest rank:No. 18 on Guardians 2018 Top 30
• What We Said:2019 Guardians Top 30 Prospects Scouting Report

Track Record: Clement developed a reputation as a pure hitter during college. He was a career .306 hitter at Virginia, whiffed just 31 times in three seasons with the Cavaliers and in 2016 earned MVP honors in the Cape Cod League after leading the circuit in hits and stolen bases. His college success has translated to the professional ranks and Clement zipped through the lower levels of the minor leagues to reach Double-A Akron in his first full professional season.

Scouting Report: Clement embodies the notion that good things happen when you put the ball in play. He has an aggressive approach and an uncanny knack for putting the bat on the ball. He doesn’t walk much, but such is his bat control that this season he still walked more than he struck out (41 walks to 35 strikeouts). He has minimal power and instead sprays the ball all over the field and takes advantage of his plus speed to get on base. Clement was a versatile defender in college but in 2018 exclusively played shortstop. He has above-average instincts defensively and good hands. The biggest concern about his ability to stay at the position is his arm strength, which is fringy for a shortstop.

The Future: The Indians have toolsier shortstops than Clement and his future in Cleveland is still likely as a super-utility player, where his speed, instincts and bat-to-ball skills would play well. The early returns indicate Clement may still be able to be an everyday player. He’ll start 2019 back in Akron as the regular shortstop.

↑ Back to top

Bo Bichette, SS

• How Acquired: Drafted by Blue Jays in second round of 2016 MLB Draft.
• Highest Ranking:Ranked 8th on 2018 and 2019 Top 100
• What We Said: 2019 Blue Jays Top 30 Prospects Scouting Report

Track Record: As one of the youngest players in the Double-A Eastern League in 2018, Bichette drew praise for his offense and impressed on defense.

Scouting Report: Bichette has explosive bat speed and a rhythmic swing that generates a lot of torque. He swings hard–sometimes losing his balance–but he’s usually in-sync, on time and on plane. He starts his swing with an aggressive leg kick, though he shortens to a toe tap with two strikes. He drives the ball well to the middle of the field with average raw power, and he has the bat speed and strength projection to hit for above-average power in the future. Bichette has worked diligently on his conditioning and fielding and now projects as an average shortstop. He has good body control, quick footwork and ranges well up the middle. He has a tick above-average arm, though he gets tested on balls to his right. With a game built around aggression, Bichette carried that mentality onto the field and often would charge in on groundballs, but in 2018 he did a better job of staying back and making plays under control. He’s an average runner whose aggressiveness and reads helped him steal 32 bases.

The Future: Bichette is scheduled to open 2019 at Triple-A Buffalo, but he could be in the majors by the All-Star break. With a chance to develop into a plus-or-better hitter and stick at shortstop, plenty of All-Star games could be in his future.

↑ Back to top

Andrés Giménez, SS

• How acquired:Guardians traded 2B Andrés Giménez and RHP Nick Sandlin to Blue Jays for 1B Spencer Horwitz and OF Nick Mitchell, Dec. 2024.
• Highest rank:No. 30 on 2019 Top 100 Prospects
• What We Said:2019 Mets Top 30 Prospects Scouting Report

Track Record: Gimenez accelerated his timetable in 2018 by taming the pitcher-friendly high Class A Florida State League and moving to the Eastern League in late July. All told, Gimenez set career highs with six home runs, 29 doubles and 38 stolen bases. Scouts regarded him as one of the top talents in both the Florida State and Eastern leagues, and at the Futures Game he struck a 106.5 mph ground ball–albeit for a double play–that was hit harder than all but five other fair balls at the exhibition.

Scouting Report: Gimenez is proof positive that looks can be deceiving. His lean physique, baby face and smaller stature belie a quick-twitch athlete with well-rounded skills, a high baseball IQ and leadership qualities. Elite contact ability and a quick, loose lefthanded swing give him above-average–and possibly plus–hitting potential. A discerning batting eye will keep his walk rate and on-base percentage high. While Gimenez shows merely gap power now, he generates impressive torque with his hips, and as his body matures he will hit for average home run totals. He is an average runner who reads pitchers well and uses his knowledge of game situations to steal bases. Scouts project Gimenez as a plus defender at shortstop with a plus, accurate arm. A quick first step, sure hands and quick exchange from glove to hand make him a reliable defender. Intense focus and a strong work ethic tie the whole package together on both sides of the ball.

The Future: Gimenez has the ceiling of first-division shortstop, but the presence of Rosario in New York might push him to second base, a position he played sporadically until starting there the majority of the time in the 2018 Arizona Fall League. Gimenez should reach Triple-A Syracuse in 2019 and could receive a late-season callup with an eye toward regular big league work in 2020.

↑ Back to top

Addison Barger, 3B/OF

• How acquired:Drafted by Blue Jays in sixth round of 2018 MLB Draft.
• Highest rank:No. 4 on Blue Jays 2023 Top 30
• What We Said:2024 Blue Jays Top 30 Prospects Scouting Report

Track Record: Drafted in 2018, Barger spent most of 2019 on the restricted list before emerging with added power from the 2020 pandemic shutdown. He had a strong season in 2021 with Low-A Dunedin before breaking out in 2022 by hitting .308/.378/.555 across three levels and reaching Triple-A. Barger returned to Buffalo in 2023 and struggled initially before an April 28 trip to the injured list with elbow pain. After an examination found no structural damage, Barger returned to Buffalo on June 21 and hit .254/.358/.424 over the final 68 games. He showed improved plate discipline upon his return via rates of 19% strikeouts and nearly 14% walks.

Scouting Report: After showing a more aggressive approach and more in-game power in 2021 and 2022, Barger showed more patience in 2023 and a toned-down launch angle. This in turn produced a more consistent bat path, and he showed improvements in contact, in-zone contact and swing decisions. Barger traded some fly balls for line drives and ground balls, but he closed some of the holes in his swing. While he hit for less power in 2023, his underlying exit velocity data improved across the board, with his average exit velocity jumping more than 3 mph and his 90th percentile EV increasing by 2 mph to 106 mph. Barger is a fringe-average runner and not a threat to steal bases. In the field, he is unlikely to stick at shortstop full time, and he saw time in right field and at third base and second base in 2023. He has a plus arm that could work at a variety of positions, but itâ€s a matter of cleaning up some of his actions and footwork.

The Future: Barger is a versatile lefthanded hitter who has improved his hit tool while learning to play right field. He is a super-utility type with above-average hitting ability.

↑ Back to top

Isiah Kiner-Falefa, 2B/3B

• How acquired:Claimed off waivers from Pirates, Aug. 2025.
• Highest rank:Never ranked
• What We Said:2013 Draft Scouting Report

Kiner-Falefa was seen by a lot of scouts and crosscheckers as a teammate of outfielder Marcus Doi, who put himself on the map as a top prospect last summer. Kiner-Falefa finished his season on a high note by helping Mid-Pacific win a state championship. He has a thin, wiry build at 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds and stands out most for his defense. He wasn’t a consensus guy for teams in the fourth round, but is an above-average defender with soft hands, good footwork and solid-average arm strength. He makes contact, but needs to add some strength and profiles as a line drive, gap hitter at best. Kiner-Falefa is committed to San Jose State, but should sign after being selected in the fourth round.

↑ Back to top

George Springer, OF

• How acquired:Signed as free agent, Jan. 2021.
• Highest rank:No. 18 on 2014 Top 100
• What We Said:2014 Astros Top 30 Prospects Scouting Report

Springer has a fascinating family history, but since signing for $2.525 million as the 11th pick in the 2011 draft, he’s made his own name, including a strong run at a 40-40 season in 2013 in which he fell three home runs short of the feat. He goes to the plate looking for a pitch on the inner half that he can drive, and he succeeded frequently in doing so in 2013 as he advanced to Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Springer’s outstanding bat speed allows him to catch up to most anything, but his aggressive approach often leaves him out on his front foot when he faces quality offspeed stuff. Because his arm, speed, power and defense all rate as at least plus tools, Springer can be productive even as he strikes out excessively. A .299 career minor league hitter, he won’t approach that in the majors unless he starts lining pitches on the outer half to right field more often.

Though he’s not on the 40-man roster, Springer should earn a big league spot in Houston’s woeful outfield at some point in 2014. If he makes enough contact to hit .270 in the big leagues, he’s a perennial all-star. He has enough other tools to help a team win even if his swing-and-miss tendencies turn him into a .240 hitter.

↑ Back to top

Daulton Varsho, OF

• How acquired:Diamondbacks traded C Daulton Varsho to Blue Jays for OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and C Gabriel Moreno, Dec. 2022.
• Highest rank:No. 53 on 2020 Top 100 Prospects
• What We Said:2019 D-backs Top 30 Prospects Scouting Report

Track Record: After tearing up the Horizon League his junior year at Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Varsho, the son of big leaguer Gary Varsho, was taken 68th overall by the Diamondbacks in 2017. In his first full season as a pro, he jumped to a fast start for High Class A Visalia before needing surgery for a broken right hamate in June. He returned in August, and after a slow two and a half weeks, he hit like had before the injury over his final 10 games.

Scouting Report: Varsho has a compact swing, an aggressive-yet-mature approach and a knack for finding the barrel, with scouts seeing good extension that generates loft, giving him average power with the chance for more. There are still questions about his ability to stick at catcher, but he did win over some converts in 2018. He’s athletic and energetic behind the plate, and his quick transfer and throwing accuracy make up for average-at-best arm strength. Some scouts say his receiving can occasionally appear raw. He’s the rare catcher who also is an above-average to plus runner.

The Future: Even those unsure if Varsho can catch believe he’ll be a big leaguer, saying that his athleticism should allow him to handle second base or the outfield, with some saying the Diamondbacks could use him at multiple positions the way the Dodgers have with Austin Barnes.

↑ Back to top

Nathan Lukes, OF

• How acquired:Signed as MiLB free agent, Nov. 2021.
• Highest rank:Never ranked
• What We Said:2015 Draft Scouting Report

A lefthanded-hitting corner bat, Lukes’ best tool is his bat; he’s the career hits leader at Sacramento State. He’s a former walk-on whose older brother also player for the Hornets as a pitcher. He runs above-average and has a solid-average arm, and pro clubs likely will try him in center field. He played right for the Hornets, whose home field is notoriously difficult in right field. His 5-foot-11, 180-pound frame generates solid gap power and he has an easy swing that he repeats. He controls the strike zone well, walking more than he struck out as a junior, and his bat stays in the hitting zone a long time.

↑ Back to top

Myles Straw, OF

• How acquired: Guardians traded CF Myles Straw, cash and international bonus pool allotment to Toronto Blue Jays for cash considerations.
• Highest rank:No. 15 on Astros 2019 Top 30
• What We Said:2019 Astros Top 30 Prospects Scouting Report

Track Record: Straw and Rays prospect Nate Lowe formed an exceptional combination at St. John’s River (Fla.) JC. As a pro, Straw has stood out for his blazing speed and ability to hit for average. He led the minors in batting in 2016, when he hit .358, and led the minors in 2018 with 70 steals. He earned his first big league promotion in September and a spot on the Astros’ Division Series roster as a pinch-runner.

Scouting Report: Straw’s opposite-field approach rarely makes him a threat to hit the ball over an outfielder’s head. That approach has worked so far, and he’s steadily drawn walks despite lacking the power to frighten pitchers who are behind in counts. Straw handles velocity and doesn’t get the bat knocked out of his hands despite his bottom-of-the-scale power, projecting as an above-average hitter. His 70-grade speed helps him beat out infield hits and makes him a threat to steal anytime a base is open. He can play all three outfield spots in part thanks to a plus-plus arm. In center field, he’s an above-average defender excellent coming in on balls, but he needs his speed to make up for slower reads on balls over his head.

The Future: Straw’s lack of power limits him, but his speed, arm, defense and bat control give him a shot to be a useful big leaguer. He’ll head to spring training with a shot to make the Astros’ roster.

↑ Back to top

Davis Schneider, OF

• How acquired:Drafted by Blue Jays in 28th round of 2017 MLB Draft.
• Highest rank:No. 8 on Blue Jays 2024 Top 30
• What We Said:2024 Blue Jays Top 30 Prospects Scouting Report

Track Record: Signed in the 28th round for $50,000 in 2017, Schneider has been one of the best underdog stories in recent memory. The Blue Jays left him exposed to the Rule 5 draft after the 2021 and 2022 seasons despite above-average offensive performances in consecutive seasons. He began 2023 at Triple-A Buffalo, where he hit .275/.416/.553 with 21 home runs in 87 games. He earned a callup to Toronto on Aug. 4 and hit a home run off James Paxton in his first major league at-bat. Schneider hit .276/.404/.603 with eight home runs in 35 games. He made Torontoâ€s postseason roster but did not appear in a game.

Scouting Report: Undersized and somewhat positionless, Schneider is a bat-first player with an advanced plate approach. His bat-to-ball skills are fringy due to a longer swing with a steeper bat path. His advanced approach at the plate and ability to discern balls from strikes limits his exposure to pitches outside the zone. Schneider struggles with offspeed pitches and curveballs but does damage against fastballs and different slider types. He has above-average power potential despite just average exit velocities due to his excellent launch angles that allow him to get the most out of his power. He showed the ability to get to his power consistently in his brief MLB debut. Schneider is a fringe-average runner who isnâ€t much of a threat to steal a base. In the field, Schneider is a well below-average defender at second base with a below-average arm. He saw some time in left field, but Schneiderâ€s best long-term position is DH.

The Future: Schneider is an above-average hitter with a three-true-outcomes profile. He can carve out a role as a bat-driven second-division regular.

↑ Back to top

Chris Bassitt, RHP

• How acquired:Signed as free agent, Dec. 2022.
• Highest rank:No. 6 on A’s 2015 Top 30
• What We Said:2015 A’s Top 30 Prospects Scouting Report

The Athletics acquired Bassitt from the White Sox in December’s Jeff Samardzija trade, the third close-to-ready starting pitcher Oakland acquired in the offseason. He’s somewhat similar to ex-Blue Jays Kendall Graveman and Sean Nolin in that he was an under-the-radar prospect who had seen big league time in September 2014.

Bassitt is a late-bloomer who burst on the amateur scene as a fourth-year junior in 2011 and was drafted as a reliever. The White Sox put him in the rotation in 2012 and his command actually improved, and a broken right hand at Double-A Birmingham in 2014 couldn’t keep him from reaching the major leagues by season’s end. Bassitt pushed his fastball up as hard as 96 mph even in a starting role, and it has solid life down in the zone. While he throws consistent strikes, he doesn’t command the fastball enough for him to be a frontline starter. He’s focused on a slider over a curve as his breaking ball, and it gives him an average second pitch. White Sox officials believed it would play up in the bullpen to make him a potential setup reliever. His changeup remains fringe-average but has some sink as well.

Bassitt impressed again in the Arizona Fall League in a relief role, but the Athletics will give him a chance to win a spot at the back of their revamped 2015 rotation.

↑ Back to top

Shane Bieber, RHP

• How acquired:Guardians traded RHP Shane Bieber to Blue Jays for RHP Khal Stephen, July 2025.
• Highest rank:No. 5 on Guardians’ 2018 Top 30
• What We Said:2018 Guardians Top 30 Prospects Scouting Report

Bieber took over as UC Santa Barbara’s ace in 2016 and led the Gauchos to their first-ever appearance in the College World Series. He made a smooth transition to the minor leagues and excelled in his first full professional season, reaching Double-A Akron almost exactly a year after his pro debut.

Bieber came into pro ball with a reputation as relying more on his command than his stuff to succeed. He has continued to show above-average control as a professional and his 0.5 walks per nine innings in 2017 led all full-season minor leaguers. He’s one of those rare players whose control and command are big league ready from day one. But Bieber is starting to outgrow the command-and-control label, as his stuff made a jump in 2017. His fastball, which sat around 90 mph at UCSB, now sits 92-94 and touched 96 mph. His curveball got sharper and more consistent, developing into his best secondary pitch. He also throws a slider and changeup, which both can be average offerings. He has a clean, easy delivery and has shown he can handle a heavy workload–his 173.1 innings led all minor leaguers in 2017.

Bieber made one of the biggest jumps in 2017 of any player in the Indians’ system and now profiles as a potential mid-rotation starter. He will advance to Triple-A Columbus in 2018 and could pitch his way into the big league mix.

↑ Back to top

Seranthony Dominguez, RHP

• How acquired:Orioles traded RHP Seranthony Domínguez and cash to Blue Jays for RHP Juaron Watts-Brown, July 2025.
• Highest rank:No. 12 on Phillies 2018 Top 30
• What We Said:2018 Phillies Top 30 Prospects Scouting Report

On pure upside, Dominguez could rank higher on this list, but arm problems have slowed his progress and created more risk to his profile. He showed one of the most electric arms early in the high Class A Florida State League season in 2017, but in mid-May he went on the disabled list with shoulder tightness and missed two months.

When he returned, some scouts thought he looked gassed, while others thought he looked tentative coming back from rehab. At his best, Dominguez overpowers hitters with a fastball that sits at 94-96 mph with late movement and reaches 99. His fastball command improved in 2017 and he showed the ability to locate that pitch down in the strike zone early in the season. His slider took a step forward, and while it still flattens out on him at times, it’s often an above-average pitch that misses bats. He’s a four-pitch guy with an average curveball and a changeup that flashes as another above-average offering at times.

Dominguez has the stuff to be a mid-rotation starter, but he’s 23 and his career-high workload is 76 innings, so his durability is a question mark and he could be a better fit as a late-inning reliever. Double-A Reading is his next step in 2018.

↑ Back to top

Braydon Fisher, RHP

• How acquired:Signed as MiLB free agent, Nov. 2024.
• Highest rank:No. 259 on 2018 Top 500 Draft Prospects
• What We Said:2018 Draft Scouting Report

Fisher is another Texas prep arm who has done a lot to help himself this spring. A well-built 6-foot-4, 180-pound righthander, Fisher has seen his velocity tick up during his senior season. After topping out at 91-92 mph in showcases last summer, he’s touched 96 this spring. The Lamar signee now sits 92-96 mph at his best with a slurvy breaking ball and a developing changeup.

Mason Fluharty, LHP

• How acquired:Drafted by Blue Jays in fifth round of 2022 MLB Draft.
• Highest rank:No. 27 on Blue Jays 2024 Top 30
• What We Said:2024 Blue Jays Top 30 Prospects Scouting Report

Track Record: Fluharty spent three seasons in Libertyâ€s bullpen, steadily improving with each season. He made the third most appearances in the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2022 and was drafted by the Blue Jays in the fifth round that year. Fluharty debuted with High-A Vancouver post-draft and made 10 appearances. He returned to Vancouver to begin 2023 and earned a promotion to Double-A New Hampshire on May 23. Fluharty make 36 appearances for the Fisher Cats, recording four saves.

Scouting Report: Fluharty did not start a game in college and is locked into a relief role in pro ball. He mixes three pitches. Fluhartyâ€s primary pitch is a nasty mid-80s sweeper with ride and on average a foot of sweep. He shows excellent command of the pitch and drives a high rate of swings-and-misses. Fluhartyâ€s second pitch is a cutter at 89-91 mph that functions like a fastball. With good command of the pitch, he misses bats in and out of the zone. He throws a four-seam fastball that sits 90-92 mph, but itâ€s a clear third pitch. Fluharty is a funky relief prospect with good command of his arsenal.

The Future: Fluharty is a slider-first reliever who could handle middle-inning relief or situational usage.

↑ Back to top

Kevin Gausman, RHP

• How acquired:Signed as free agent, Dec. 2021.
• Highest rank:No. 20 on 2014 Top 100
• What We Said:2014 Orioles Top 30 Prospects Scouting Report

Scouting Report: Gausman’s two premium pitches and developing third option give him No. 2 starter upside. His plus-plus fastball sits at 94-96 mph and touches 98, and he mixes in a sinking low-90s two-seamer to induce groundouts. His 84-86 mph changeup is an easy plus pitch, and some scouts ranked it among the best they’ve seen at the amateur level. Gausman threw both a 76-79 mph curveball and an 82-86 mph slider that blended together in college. His diving slider flashes more swing-and-miss potential and showed significant improvement during instructional league. A premium athlete with a live body, he has a smooth, high-leg kick delivery that helps him stay over the rubber. His aptitude and intelligence help set him apart.

The Future: Dylan Bundy and Gausman give the Orioles one of the minors’ best 1-2 pitching punches. After making a playoff appearance for Bowie, Gausman might return to Double-A to open his first full pro season. He could reach Baltimore before the end of the season.

↑ Back to top

Jeff Hoffman, RHP

• How acquired:Signed as free agent, Jan. 2025.
• Highest rank:No. 36 on 2017 Top 100
• What We Said:2017 Rockies Top 30 Prospects Scouting Report

The key player among the three prospects the Blue Jays sent to the Rockies for shortstop Troy Tulowitzki in a 2015 deadline deal, Hoffman was Toronto’s first pick–ninth overall–in 2014. He had Tommy John surgery shortly before that draft, delaying his pro debut to 2015. He steadily climbed the minor league ladder and made his big league debut in September 2016. Hoffman showed signs of fatigue when he debuted with the Rockies, and he surpassed 150 innings for the first time.

During the season he showed a live fastball with sinking life that sits in the 93-96 mph range and reaches 99. Hoffman has an excellent plus curveball but tends to rely on it too much. His slider is a nice secondary breaking pitch, and his changeup is solid. His strikeout rate jumped significantly in the minors, but to keep that up in the big leagues, he has to take better ownership of the inner part of the plate and use any on his four pitches without hesitation.

Hoffman has a chance to earn a rotation spot in Denver for 2017. With his power and pitch mix, Hoffman should grow in a solid mid-rotation starter with an inner confidence that bodes well for his success at Coors Field.

↑ Back to top

Eric Lauer, LHP

• How acquired:Signed as MiLB free agent, Dec. 2024.
• Highest rank:No. 12 on Padres 2018 Top 30
• What We Said:2018 Padres Top 30 Prospects Scouting Report

As Kent State junior, Lauer recorded an 0.68 ERA that was the lowest in Division I since 1979. The Padres drafted him that year with the last of their three first-round picks, No. 25 overall, and signed him for $2 million. Lauer battled through fatigue in his first full season, but still delivered 122.2 innings and finished strong at Double-A.

Lauer is a classic pitchability lefty who relies on mixing and locating his pitches. His fastball ranges from 87-94 mph and he sits 89-91, slowing it down and speeding it up depending on the situation. His fastball has some sneakiness to it and he isn’t afraid to pitch inside, making for uncomfortable at-bats even with below-average velocity. Lauer’s main secondary is an above-average 84-85 mph changeup he sells with identical arm speed. His fringy 82-86 mph slider lacks bite, but he places it effectively on the back foot of righthanded hitters for a usable third pitch. His below-average 75-76 mph curveball is loopy and rolls into the strike zone.

Lauer isn’t flashy, but shows enough pitchability and control to potentially survive as a No. 5 starter. He’ll head to Triple-A El Paso in 2018.

↑ Back to top

Brendon Little, LHP

• How acquired:Acquired from Cubs for cash considerations, Nov. 2023.
• Highest rank:No. 7 on Cubs 2018 Top 30
• What We Said:2019 Cubs Top 30 Prospects Scouting Report

Track Record: After pitching just four innings as a freshman at North Carolina, Little transferred to the State JC of Florida after wowing evaluators in the Cape Cod League. His draft stock shot up as a result, and the Cubs gave him $2.2 million to turn professional. He struggled at short-season Eugene after being drafted, then spent all of 2018 at low Class A South Bend proving surprisingly hittable for a pitcher with excellent stuff.

Scouting Report: Little’s biggest appeal still comes from his fastball, which sits in the low 90s and can touch up to 95 when he needs a strikeout. He couples it with a future plus curveball in the mid-70s with 12-to-6 break as well as a changeup that is fringe-average now but could get to average because of the conviction with which it’s thrown. The biggest issue now is getting Little to repeat his delivery, which so far has cost him enough control to serve up four walks per nine innings.

The Future: After a full year at South Bend, Little should move up to high Class A Myrtle Beach in 2019. He has the ceiling of a back-end starter.

↑ Back to top

Yariel Rodriguez, RHP

• How acquired:Signed as free agent, 2024
• Highest rank:Ineligible to rank
• What We Said:International Professional Scouting Report

Track Record: Rodriguez was a soft-tossing starter with an 87-90 mph fastball in Cubaâ€s Serie Nacional before blossoming with a move to Japan. His stuff increased markedly over three seasons with Chunichi and he emerged as one of NPBâ€s top setup men with a 1.15 ERA in 56 appearances in 2022. He returned to starting for Cuba in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and delivered a pair of solid outings to raise his profile as a starter. He did not return to Chunichi for the regular season and spent the year training in preparation for a move to MLB.

Scouting Report:Rodriguez is an aggressive power pitcher whose stuff and performance keep improving. His four-seam fastball is now a plus pitch that sits 94-96 mph and touches 100 with natural cut. He also has a 93-96 mph two-seamer with hard armside run. Rodriguezâ€s main secondary pitch is an above-average, 83-86 mph slider with vertical bite and solid depth. He primarily throws his fastballs and slider and is able to dominate with them. Rodriguez lacks touch on his softer offerings. He has inconsistent feel for his fringy splitter and below-average curveball and rarely throws them. Rodriguez is a volatile, highly emotional pitcher prone to overthrowing and struggles to throttle down. He has an effortful delivery and arm action and fringy control overall.

The Future: Rodriguez will get a chance to start, but his arsenal and demeanor fit best in relief. He projects to be a hard-throwing but inconsistent No. 5 starter or seventh-inning setup man.

↑ Back to top

Max Scherzer, RHP

• How acquired:Signed as free agent, 2025.
• Highest rank:No. 66 on 2008 Top 100
• What We Said:2008 D-backs Top 30 Prospects Scouting Report

The 11th overall pick in 2006, Scherzer pitched for the independent Fort Worth Cats and held out before he would have re-entered the draft pool. Though he projected as no more than a mid-first-rounder the second time around, Arizona gave him a $3 million bonus, $4.3 million in guaranteed money and another $1.5 million in easily reachable incentives.

Scherzer’s fastball can overmatch batters, arriving in the mid-90s with sinking action at its best. His slider also can be a plus pitch, though he’s working on its command and plane. Some scouts who saw Scherzer as a starter at midseason wondered what the fuss was about. His fastball sat at 89-93 mph range, and his overall stuff, command, feel and delivery all drew questions. Then they saw him relieving in the Arizona Fall League and he was a different pitcher, touching 98 mph.

Arizona’s official opinion is that Scherzer is a starter. If he continues in the rotation, he’ll likely open 2008 back in Double-A. If he moves to the bullpen, he could provide immediate help in the big leagues and has the pure stuff to eventually close games.

↑ Back to top

Louis Varland, RHP

• How acquired:Twins traded RHP Louis Varland and 1B Ty France to Blue Jays for LF Alan Roden and LHP Kendry Rojas, July 2025.
• Highest rank:No. 9 on Twins 2023 Top 30
• What We Said:2024 Twins Top 30 Prospects Scouting Report

Track Record: When he made his MLB debut against the Yankees on Sept. 7, Varland became the first player in Division II Concordia (Minn.) history to reach the big leagues. His biggest competition for that honor was his older brother. Gus Varland, a fellow alum of the St. Paul school, pitched in Double-A in 2022, but Louie reached the majors first. Louie Varland is a scouting and development success story as a 15th-round pick in 2019 who has steadily gotten better each year as a pro.

Scouting Report: Varland draws raves for his willingness to work and his ability to absorb and process instruction. When Varland arrived at Concordia, he generally sat in the mid 80s. These days he throws nearly 10 mph harder, with a fastball that sits 93-95 mph and touches 98 thanks to plenty of time in the weight room. He’s also steadily developed his secondary offerings. Early in his pro career, Varland developed an average changeup. Now his slider has improved from well below-average to average. He has added sweep to it, making it more of a swing-and-miss pitch. He has started to throw a fringe-average 88-90 mph cutter. It’s important, because while his slider is a chase pitch, his cutter is something he consistently throws for strikes. It enhances his slider’s effectiveness because now he can steal a strike if hitters read spin and lay off his cutter. Varland doesn’t have a true plus pitch, but he generates deception from a slightly closed delivery and has plus control.

The Future: Varland is the next in what has been a long line of Twins’ crafty righthanders. He projects as a back-of-the-rotation starter who should compete for a big league job in spring training.

↑ Back to top

Trey Yesavage, RHP

• How acquired:Drafted by Blue Jays in first round of 2024 MLB Draft.
• Highest rank:No. 2 on Blue Jays 2025 Top 30
• What We Said:2025 Blue Jays Top 30 Prospects Scouting Report

Track Record: Yesavage spent his freshman season in the East Carolina bullpen before moving to the rotation as a sophomore. As a junior, he ascended to the role of staff ace, making 15 starts and pitching to a 2.02 ERA, the lowest of any Division I starter. Late in the 2024 season, Yesavage suffered a partially collapsed lung due to an off-the-field medical procedure and missed the American Athletic Conference Tournament. He returned to pitch in regionals, facing off against Wake Forestâ€s Chase Burns. Yesavage allowed one run in 7.1 innings to outduel Burns. Yesavage fell to the Blue Jays at No. 20 overall on draft day because of some teams†concerns with his medicals. He signed for a slightly overslot $4.175 million bonus and did not debut following the draft.

Scouting Report: Yesavage has prototype starter size, the ability to repeat his mechanics and a mix of average-or-better offerings. He was a reliable innings-eater in college with above-average command. Yesavage has a short windup, with a short stride to the plate that creates little-to-no extension. He delivers the ball from an over-the-top slot with good arm speed. Despite his lack of extension, it hasnâ€t hurt how his fastball has played. The pitch sits 93-95 mph and touches 97 with elite induced vertical break and late armside run. Opposing batters hit just .198 against his fastball in 2024. Yesavageâ€s primary secondary is a slider he uses predominantly in right-on-right matchups. His slider sits 86-87 and touches 90 with heavy gyro action. His primary secondary weapon against lefties is a low-to-mid-80s splitter with excellent vertical and velocity separation off his fastball. Yesavage also mixes a low-80s downer curveball, but itâ€s a clear fourth pitch.

The Future: Yesavage should move fast. He possesses mid-rotation upside, most likely as a high-end No. 4.

↑ Back to top

Source link

The NHL and NBA teams adjusted the start times for several games in the coming days to avoid going head-to-head with the Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Leafs†home game on Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres will start at 5 p.m. ET (Sportsnet, Sportsnet+) instead of 7 p.m., the NHL club announced Wednesday.

Also, the Leafs†game on Tuesday against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Arena will start at 6:15 p.m. ET instead of 6 p.m.

The Leafs†game in Buffalo on Friday will move up a half hour to 7 p.m. ET from 7:30 p.m. (Sportsnet ONE, Sportsnet+).

Meanwhile, the Raptors†home opener on Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks will start at 6:30 p.m. ET instead of 7:30 p.m. The same game-time switch is happening for next Wednesdayâ€s home game against the Houston Rockets.

The Blue Jays host the Los Angeles Dodgers in Games 1 and 2 of the World Series just down the street at Rogers Centre on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. ET. Games 3-5 of the World Series are in Los Angeles next Monday to Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET. All World Series games are on Sportsnet.

The Leafs and Raptors say they will show the Blue Jays games on the Scotiabank Arena videoboard following their home games.

“Toronto sports fans are undeniably some of the most passionate fans in the world, and we are proud to have the cityâ€s teams come together and give these fans an opportunity to experience a significant moment in our cityâ€s and nationâ€s history,†MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley said in a statement.

“Each of these game time changes are quite complicated and represent the cooperation of many stakeholders, including the respective leagues, coaches and players of the Leafs, Raptors and opposing teams and broadcasters. We are grateful to them all for their assistance as we work to make this a very special moment for Toronto fans as we come together to support the Blue Jays.â€

Previously, the Leafs moved a home game up two hours to 2 p.m. on Thanksgiving (Oct. 13) to avoid a conflict with Game 2 of the ALCS at Rogers Centre.

The Leafs†home opener on Oct. 8 took place during the Blue Jays†ALDS-clinching win over the Yankees in New York. Toronto fans let out huge cheers several times during the Leafs game when good things were happening for the Jays.

Source link