Toronto Blue Jays

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 3B OFP: 70 Likely: 60 ETA: Late 2018 or early 2019 1 Born: 03/16/99 Age: 19 Bats: R Throws: R Height: 6'1" Weight: 200 Origin: International Free Agent, 2015 YEAR TEAM LVL AGE PA R 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB CS AVG/OBP/SLG TAv VORP BABIP BRR FRAA WARP PF 2016 BLU RK 17 276 32 12 3 8 46 33 35 15 5 .271/.359/.449 .291 19.2 .283 1.5 3B(50) -10.7 0.8 108 2017 LNS A 18 318 53 21 1 7 45 40 34 6 2 .316/.409/.480 .311 26.8 .336 0.8 3B(61) -2.6 2.5 110 2017 DUN A+ 18 209 31 7 1 6 31 36 28 2 2 .333/.450/.494 .322 16.9 .365 -2.4 3B(41) -1.5 1.6 108 2018 TOR MLB 19 450 54 20 1 13 53 47 92 1 0 .249/.332/.403 .258 6.9 .289 -1.1 3B -5 -0.1 105 2019 TOR MLB 20 445 63 20 1 17 61 51 87 1 0 .270/.359/.464 .278 19.3 .305 -1.0 3B -6 1.5 105 Breakout: 0% Improve: 16% Collapse: 4% Attrition: 17% MLB: 33% Comparables: Jurickson Profar, Carlos Correa, Mike Trout

The Good: Guerrero might have the best offensive profile in the minors at this point, as he tore through both Low-A and High-A at the tender age of 18. He demonstrates elite bat-to-ball ability, showcasing phenomenal hand-eye coordination and wrist strength. He is capable of driving a ball in any part of the zone, or even outside of it. He pairs the bat with plus-plus raw power, and although the tool plays down in games due a contact-oriented swing, he is still more than capable of hitting his fair share of home runs. However, before drawing comparisons to his father, take note that Vladito also displays a batting eye well beyond his years. His plate discipline was among the best in the minors last year, as he walked more than he struck out at both levels. Guerrero also possesses an above-average arm that fits comfortably at third base. The Bad: Guerrero is charitably listed at 210 pounds, but in reality he carries a fair bit more weight. The body is already high maintenance at 18, and it’s not hard to envision health and fitness becoming a problem as he ages. Although he played all of 2017 at the hot corner, his defense at the position is inconsistent and raw. He’ll flash decent athleticism and reflexes, but he has stiff hands and limited range. He might be able to make it work at the position given time, but it seems likely that the bat and body force him across the diamond before long. He is only a fringe-average runner at present and will likely lose a step (or more) as he enters his twenties. The Risks: Despite having not reached the upper minors, Guerrero seems very likely to hit in the majors, making him safer than most prospects. His risks mainly come from a limited ceiling due to defense and long-term question marks about how his body will develop. —Emmett Rosenbaum Ben Carsley’s Fantasy Take: Having the best offensive profile in the minors makes you a pretty good dynasty prospect, it turns out. We usually try to write more for the better prospects, but with Vladito there’s no need to overthink it. Expect a decade-plus of top-ten first baseman finishes, and consider any years of third base eligibility as added bonuses.

Bo Bichette SS OFP: 70 Likely: 55 ETA: 2019 2 Born: 03/05/98 Age: 20 Bats: R Throws: R Height: 6'0" Weight: 200 Origin: Round 2, 2016 Draft (#66 overall) YEAR TEAM LVL AGE PA R 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB CS AVG/OBP/SLG TAv VORP BABIP BRR FRAA WARP PF 2016 BLJ RK 18 91 21 9 2 4 36 6 17 3 0 .427/.451/.732 .423 19.5 .484 -0.4 SS(16) 1.7, 2B(6) 0.3 2.2 98 2017 LNS A 19 317 60 32 3 10 51 28 55 12 3 .384/.448/.623 .363 48.4 .452 3.0 SS(51) 0.2, 2B(14) 0.3 5.1 110 2017 DUN A+ 19 182 28 9 1 4 23 14 26 10 4 .323/.379/.463 .292 12.4 .360 -0.2 SS(35) -0.3 1.3 107 2018 TOR MLB 20 450 57 24 1 15 56 27 107 8 3 .264/.313/.434 .260 10.4 .322 -0.1 SS 2 1.0 105 2019 TOR MLB 21 376 49 22 0 14 51 25 90 7 2 .276/.330/.465 .267 15.1 .333 0.1 SS 2 1.9 105 Breakout: 14% Improve: 31% Collapse: 0% Attrition: 13% MLB: 33% Comparables: Xander Bogaerts, Addison Russell, Alen Hanson

The Good: Bichette, like his teammate Guerrero, torched two leagues last season to put him in discussion for one of the top prospects in baseball. The hit tool improved by leaps and bounds from what I projected for it out of high school, with it now potentially being his loudest tool, which is scary considering his other tools. The raw power is 70, and it isn’t just 5

335 FUTURES GUIDE 2018 o’clock power—the power plays in games, as Bichette uses the whole field to dish out punishment. The arm is plus (or better in some cases), allowing it to play all over the infield. A better runner than you would think, Bichette gets out of the box quickly, forcing infielders to make quick decisions. The Bad: The arm plays all over the infield, even if you aren’t sure where he plays long-term. While he wouldn’t be bad at the six, it wouldn’t be flashy and would be frustrating to watch over time. His footwork is inconsistent, his throws tend to sail high, and he doesn’t always make the best decisions. It is more likely he plays at either third base or second base, depending on organizational need. The hit tool still has question marks, especially as pitchers sequence him better and exploit his holes. While not a free-swinger, he isn’t exactly known for his plate discipline. The Risks: Not a lot. We still need to see him against Double-A arms. There’s still some uncertainty about where he plays on the dirt. Prima donna attitude, plate discipline questions. —Steve Givarz Ben Carsley’s Fantasy Take: Yes, please. Bichette isn’t yet the top-ten overall dynasty prospect that some people are treating him as, but he’s not far off. The hope is he at least sticks at the six for a few years early in his career, but even if that’s not the case he’d have top-7 upside at second or third base. There is still some risk here, but the potential for a solid-to-good average, 25 homers, and a handful of steals make Bichette well worth the gamble.

Anthony Alford CF OFP: 60 Likely: 50 ETA: Debuted in 2017 3 Born: 07/20/94 Age: 23 Bats: R Throws: R Height: 6'1" Weight: 215 Origin: Round 3, 2012 Draft (#112 overall) YEAR TEAM LVL AGE PA R 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB CS AVG/OBP/SLG TAv VORP BABIP BRR FRAA WARP PF 2015 LNS A 20 232 49 14 1 1 16 39 60 12 1 .293/.418/.394 .287 19.7 .419 6.5 CF(47) -3.7 1.7 111 2015 DUN A+ 20 255 42 11 6 3 19 28 49 15 6 .302/.380/.444 .299 21.3 .374 4.1 CF(55) 0.4 2.4 112 2016 DUN A+ 21 401 53 17 2 9 44 53 117 18 6 .236/.344/.378 .261 15.0 .327 2.3 CF(84) 2.6, LF(6) 1.7 2.0 109 2017 TOR MLB 22 8 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 .125/.125/.250 .139 -0.8 .200 0.0 LF(3) -0.2, RF(2) 0.0 -0.1 105 2017 DUN A+ 22 22 1 0 0 0 2 0 8 1 0 .143/.182/.143 .126 -2.2 .231 0.4 CF(3) -0.2 -0.2 103 2017 NHP AA 22 289 41 14 0 5 24 35 45 18 3 .310/.406/.429 .303 21.9 .360 2.5 CF(32) 5.1, LF(13) 1.1 2.9 101 2017 BUF AAA 22 13 1 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 .333/.385/.417 .269 0.9 .400 0.5 LF(2) 0.2, RF(1) 1.0 0.2 101 2018 TOR MLB 23 60 7 3 0 1 6 6 17 2 0 .226/.317/.340 .242 0.7 .313 0.2 RF 0, LF 0 0.1 105 2019 TOR MLB 24 349 42 15 1 8 37 39 100 11 3 .232/.326/.375 .244 3.7 .314 1.2 RF 0, LF 2 0.6 105 Breakout: 1% Improve: 19% Collapse: 5% Attrition: 13% MLB: 40% Comparables: Brian Goodwin, Dexter Fowler, Trayvon Robinson

The Good: Up-the-middle tools in abundance: Alford has them. He’s a plus runner with a potential plus glove in center. He’s built like a spread option quarterback, which he was. There is premium athleticism here. You can also throw plus hit on the profile if you are so inclined, and you can’t quibble with the approach regardless. The swing is geared for the opposite field, but if that ever changes it sure feels like there will be plus power to the pull side. If not, well, the athletic tools are so good it might not matter. The Bad: Alford just can’t stay on the field. He has topped out at 107 games played in his pro career. In 2016 it was concussion issues. Last year it was hamate issues. It has always been something, ever since he focused full-time on baseball. He has never hit for power despite a body built to hit 20 bombs. The Risks: The tools and baseball skills are all there. It is just a matter of staying healthy for Alford. So, high, I guess. Ben Carsley’s Fantasy Take: Alford is a prime prospect fatigue candidate—we’ve heard about him for quite a while now, and you can bet that some less savvy owners are growing impatient. Alford still has the upside of a speed-based OF3 if healthy, and although that’s a big if, it’s probably worth seeing whether the Alford owner in your league is willing to sell low. He’ll be an easy top-101 guy once more.

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Nate Pearson RHP OFP: 55 Likely: 45 ETA: 2020 4 Born: 08/20/96 Age: 21 Bats: R Throws: R Height: 6'6" Weight: 245 Origin: Round 1, 2017 Draft (#28 overall) YEAR TEAM LVL AGE W L SV G GS IP H HR BB/9 K/9 K GB% BABIP WHIP ERA DRA WARP PF 2017 BLJ RK 20 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0.0 18.0 2 50% .500 1.00 0.00 2.88 0.0 103 2017 VAN A- 20 0 0 0 7 7 19 6 0 2.4 11.4 24 40% .158 0.58 0.95 2.40 0.6 103 2018 TOR MLB 21 2 3 0 9 9 33² 34 9 3.9 9.8 37 36% .287 1.45 5.82 6.10 -0.1 105 2019 TOR MLB 22 5 8 0 30 30 183² 175 45 3.6 10.3 211 36% .278 1.36 5.41 5.67 0.0 105 Breakout: 8% Improve: 10% Collapse: 1% Attrition: 8% MLB: 11% Comparables: Jordan Walden, Jhoulys Chacin, Miguel Almonte

The Good: This is a big fastball from a big, BIG dude, one that was sitting upper-90s, clearing triple digits, and even touching 102 in games. Oh yeah, Pearson throws strikes with that as well, making him a very tough guy to square up. Later in the year, the consistency of his off-speed improved dramatically. The curveball was sharper at 81-84, looking like a future plus offering. The change was high 80s/low 90s, showing good velo separation and feel for the offering. This is a big, durable frame who has worked hard to get his body in good shape, so while this leaves him without much projection, he looks the part of a durable workhorse. The Bad: The delivery isn’t the smoothest, with everyone’s favorite head whack and a lack of consistency due to all the momentum he generates. These are fixable, but it may take a while. While the fastball is fast, it can get flat and is more hittable than you might think. In longer starts the velo is “only” 94-96, instead of the 80 fastball he showed last summer. The off-speed is still pretty inconsistent and only flashes instead of sits. The Risks: Hittable fastball, inconsistency of off-speed, Year 1 in development. Ben Carsley’s Fantasy Take: You wish there was less risk of Pearson ending up in the bullpen, of course, but for a guy who has absolutely no buzz in dynasty circles right now, Pearson has a decent upside. He’s not in the top 101 discussion yet, but he’d be in the top half of that big, meaty group of 20 or 30 potential SP5/6s that occupies the next 100.

Logan Warmoth SS OFP: 55 Likely: 45 ETA: Late 2019 5 Born: 09/06/95 Age: 22 Bats: R Throws: R Height: 6'0" Weight: 190 Origin: Round 1, 2017 Draft (#22 overall) YEAR TEAM LVL AGE PA R 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB CS AVG/OBP/SLG TAv VORP BABIP BRR FRAA WARP PF 2017 BLJ RK 21 23 3 0 0 1 3 1 2 1 0 .273/.304/.409 .285 2.1 .263 0.4 SS(5) -0.8 0.1 96 2017 VAN A- 21 174 18 11 2 1 20 7 33 5 2 .306/.356/.419 .293 12.3 .378 -0.5 SS(35) 0.7 1.3 98 2018 TOR MLB 22 450 42 18 1 9 43 19 127 3 1 .208/.249/.319 .203 -4.6 .274 -0.6 SS 2 -0.6 105 2019 TOR MLB 23 241 25 10 1 6 25 12 67 2 1 .219/.266/.351 .212 -4.5 .281 -0.3 SS 1 -0.4 105 Breakout: 1% Improve: 5% Collapse: 2% Attrition: 7% MLB: 8% Comparables: Chris Valaika, Argenis Diaz, Orlando Calixte

The Good: Warmoth is a very polished, well-rounded middle-infield prospect who has a history of performing in a major conference. There’s potential for a plus hit tool, and he continued to hit for average in his pro debut after doing so in college. His defensive actions are solid, his arm is accurate, and he has a chance to stay at shortstop up the ladder. He’s a sneaky good baserunner despite not being a burner down the lines. In general, he gets a lot of good marks for instincts and skills that coagulate to cause the profile to play up more than it otherwise might. The Bad: Notice that we mostly avoided discussing the actual tools above. There are a lot of numbers within a half-grade of average in the profile. There just isn’t much elite physicality here; no obvious standout carrying physical tool presents itself, which means he’ll have to hit some or really pick it. He’s only in the “probably” bucket for long-term role as a shortstop and could end up at second or third. The Risks: Hit-tool-reliant middle-infield profiles are riskier than they look; take a peek at just how quickly Kevin Newman fell apart if you want to see how it can go bad. Of course, Scott Kingery is the bird on the other shoulder pointing out the positive risk. It can go a lot of ways as a pro, even if it seems like there’s a high floor out of the draft. —Jarrett Seidler Ben Carsley’s Fantasy Take: Warmoth has some value because the odds indicate he’ll stick at shortstop and, as a college bat, he likely won’t take forever to reach the majors. The offensive upside is rather modest, though, meaning Warmoth needs to keep hitting as he climbs the ladder if wants to earn a dynasty ranking commensurate with his 70-grade name.

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Danny Jansen C OFP: 55 Likely: 45 ETA: 2018 6 Born: 04/15/95 Age: 23 Bats: R Throws: R Height: 6'2" Weight: 225 Origin: Round 16, 2013 Draft (#475 overall) YEAR TEAM LVL AGE PA R 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB CS AVG/OBP/SLG TAv VORP BABIP BRR FRAA WARP PF 2015 BLJ RK 20 23 4 1 0 1 3 2 5 0 0 .238/.304/.429 .264 0.8 .267 -0.2 C(5) 0.0 0.1 105 2015 LNS A 20 184 19 8 0 4 27 19 22 2 0 .206/.299/.331 .255 8.0 .213 0.8 C(46) 2.0 1.1 110 2016 BLJ RK 21 11 0 0 0 0 2 1 2 0 0 .222/.364/.222 .317 1.3 .286 0.2 C(2) 0.0 0.1 97 2016 DUN A+ 21 217 18 7 0 1 23 22 40 7 1 .218/.313/.271 .223 0.6 .268 -0.2 C(50) -1.3 -0.1 109 2017 DUN A+ 22 136 19 6 0 5 18 8 14 0 0 .369/.422/.541 .351 17.0 .385 -0.7 C(25) -2.0 1.6 104 2017 NHP AA 22 210 23 15 1 2 20 22 19 1 0 .291/.378/.419 .296 15.4 .311 -1.4 C(50) -3.3 1.5 104 2017 BUF AAA 22 78 8 4 1 3 10 11 7 0 0 .328/.423/.552 .348 11.2 .333 -0.1 C(21) -0.5 1.1 92 2018 TOR MLB 23 250 27 12 1 7 30 22 47 1 0 .250/.328/.409 .252 9.9 .284 -0.3 C -9 0.1 105 2019 TOR MLB 24 307 39 15 1 10 37 28 59 1 0 .247/.326/.413 .256 8.3 .280 -0.6 C -7 0.1 105 Breakout: 4% Improve: 28% Collapse: 6% Attrition: 22% MLB: 48% Comparables: Kevin Plawecki, Russell Martin, Hank Conger

The Good: Jansen had one of the more impressive breakouts anywhere in the minors in 2017, hitting his way up from an organizational catcher who pitchers liked to a legitimate top catching prospect. He has always gotten high marks for defense, especially in receiving and pitcher-handling. Before the 2017 season he received much-needed vision correction, and recovered from lingering wrist and hand injuries. All of a sudden, he started seeing the ball at the plate much better, and showing impressive bat-to-ball ability and plate discipline. He jumped two levels and was added to the 40-man after the season; having jumped Reese McGuire and Max Pentecost on the organizational depth chart, he’s now only a Russell Martin injury or a Luke Maile release away from “The Show.” The Bad: This is not only the first year he has really hit anywhere, it’s the first year he was even handling a full-time playing load; he was perilously close to being tagged a minor-league backup organizational catcher type. The power is somewhat limited. There aren’t any obvious standout physical tools here, which limits the upside some. He’s just good at baseball. The Risks: Sometimes these sorts of breakouts, even when they have an obvious narrative reason, don’t always stick. Whenever you’re talking about a guy who hit an empty .218 at High-A in 2016 and didn’t show any signs that a huge breakout was coming, it’s possible he’ll give some of the gains back. Even still, getting on the 40-man with his defensive skills probably leaves a long career as a third catcher even if most if the offense poofs. —Jarrett Seidler Ben Carsley’s Fantasy Take: Your guess is as good as ours. If the swing changes are real, Jansen is a catcher who can hit in the upper minors—that’s a big deal. If it was a fluke, he’s useless for our purposes.

Sean Reid-Foley RHP OFP: 55 Likely: 45 ETA: Late 2018 or 2019 7 Born: 08/30/95 Age: 22 Bats: R Throws: R Height: 6'3" Weight: 220 Origin: Round 2, 2014 Draft (#49 overall) YEAR TEAM LVL AGE W L SV G GS IP H HR BB/9 K/9 K GB% BABIP WHIP ERA DRA WARP PF 2015 DUN A+ 19 1 5 0 8 8 32² 25 1 6.6 9.6 35 45% .279 1.50 5.23 7.91 -1.1 113 2015 LNS A 19 3 5 0 17 17 63¹ 57 3 6.1 12.8 90 46% .355 1.58 3.69 2.37 2.1 111 2016 LNS A 20 4 3 0 11 11 58 43 2 3.4 9.2 59 52% .277 1.12 2.95 3.24 1.3 105 2016 DUN A+ 20 6 2 0 10 10 57¹ 35 2 2.5 11.1 71 49% .254 0.89 2.67 1.04 2.9 107 2017 NHP AA 21 10 11 0 27 27 132² 145 22 3.6 8.3 122 42% .318 1.49 5.09 5.01 0.2 104 2018 TOR MLB 22 6 9 0 24 24 109² 114 24 4.2 9.5 116 42% .308 1.51 5.55 5.81 -0.1 105 2019 TOR MLB 23 5 7 0 20 20 117¹ 121 25 4.4 9.4 123 42% .304 1.53 5.61 5.87 -0.2 105 Breakout: 12% Improve: 16% Collapse: 6% Attrition: 15% MLB: 24% Comparables: Michael Stutes, Tony Sipp, Carson Fulmer

The Good: The fastball is still a good pitch for him, sitting 91-94 and touching 97 with quality sinking action. The curve and slider still flash. He’s still built like a horse and I suppose projectable, although that word starts to lose importance once you’re a bad Double-A pitcher. The Bad: You’ll note a lot of “still” up there, because there isn’t anything new and good to say here. Double-A provides a good test for most pitching prospects, and Reid-Foley failed miserably, making none of the progressions in command or secondary stuff he would’ve needed to survive. He was dreadful, gave up long balls by the bushel despite both a scouting and prior statistical profile that pointed the other way, and got shelled out of games early enough that getting something resembling a full look wasn’t always easy. Nothing about the underlying profile changed, but that’s a problem when you’re dealing with a projectable prep pitcher that’s failing to project.

338 - Toronto Blue Jays www.baseballprospectus.com

The Risks: We’re still projecting him a bit, even on the likely outcome. If the change doesn’t come around, the command doesn’t improve at all, and neither breaking ball sharpens, he’ll be an up-and-down arm instead of a long-term member of a major-league staff. —Jarrett Seidler Ben Carsley’s Fantasy Take: I’d actually have some interest in Reid-Foley if he does stick in the rotation someday, but we can’t be sure that’s going to happen yet. He’d probably sneak in a top 200 for me because I like him more than I like most guys with his profile due to the remaining upside, but there’s no need to go crazy.

Ryan Borucki LHP OFP: 50 Likely: 45 ETA: 2018 8 Born: 03/31/94 Age: 24 Bats: L Throws: L Height: 6'4" Weight: 175 Origin: Round 15, 2012 Draft (#475 overall) YEAR TEAM LVL AGE W L SV G GS IP H HR BB/9 K/9 K GB% BABIP WHIP ERA DRA WARP PF 2015 BLJ RK 21 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0.0 9.0 1 33% .333 1.00 0.00 2.89 0.0 101 2015 VAN A- 21 0 1 0 2 2 4² 6 0 5.8 11.6 6 43% .429 1.93 3.86 3.81 0.1 109 2016 DUN A+ 22 1 4 0 6 6 20 40 10 5.4 4.5 10 48% .395 2.60 14.40 13.11 -1.7 107 2016 LNS A 22 10 4 0 20 20 115² 105 1 2.0 8.3 107 51% .322 1.13 2.41 2.32 3.8 105 2017 DUN A+ 23 6 5 0 19 18 98 95 5 2.5 10.0 109 52% .342 1.24 3.58 1.89 3.9 103 2017 NHP AA 23 2 3 0 7 7 46¹ 31 2 1.6 8.2 42 58% .236 0.84 1.94 1.48 2.0 101 2017 BUF AAA 23 0 0 0 1 1 6 6 0 1.5 9.0 6 50% .375 1.17 0.00 3.08 0.2 91 2018 TOR MLB 24 2 3 0 12 7 40 43 8 3.8 8.3 37 45% .299 1.51 5.28 5.70 -0.1 105 2019 TOR MLB 25 7 10 0 26 26 156² 169 32 3.7 8.3 145 45% .305 1.48 5.52 5.77 -0.1 105 Breakout: 14% Improve: 27% Collapse: 13% Attrition: 34% MLB: 46% Comparables: Adam Morgan, Erick Fedde, Edwin Escobar

The Good: When healthy, Borucki checks off a lot of boxes. He has projection, left-handedness, athleticism, and two high- quality pitches. The fastball is a plus-to-better offering, sitting 93-95 mph, touching 96 in starts. He controls the offering well, throwing it away to right-handed hitters and going under the hands of lefties. The change is arguably the most effective offering, though. At 80-81, it acts almost as a split-finger, showing large velo separation and late drop. He is comfortable throwing it to both sides, in fastball counts or when he needs a punchout. The Bad: The important part from up there is “when healthy.” Borucki had Tommy John in 2012, missing all of that season and 2013. He missed most of 2015 with various elbow and shoulder injuries as well. Although he is wiry and “projectable,” he is already 24 years old, so he probably won’t be growing that much more. There is a slider here, but it is a below-average offering, coming in at 78-81 with large early break. Although it can flash average, it flashes less often than it sits. You are worried about a left-hander who will struggle to throw a breaking ball to left-handed hitters. The Risks: Ability to stay healthy, lack of a quality breaking ball against left-handers, older-ish arm. There is a lot more in here if he can stay healthy. —Steve Givarz Ben Carsley’s Fantasy Take: Too many injuries and too modest an upside. Goodnight, sweet prince.

T.J. Zeuch RHP OFP: 50 Likely: 45 ETA: Mid-2019 9 Born: 08/01/95 Age: 22 Bats: R Throws: R Height: 6'7" Weight: 225 Origin: Round 1, 2016 Draft (#21 overall) YEAR TEAM LVL AGE W L SV G GS IP H HR BB/9 K/9 K GB% BABIP WHIP ERA DRA WARP PF 2016 BLJ RK 20 0 0 0 1 1 3 0 0 0.0 6.0 2 100% .000 0.00 0.00 3.12 0.1 93 2016 VAN A- 20 0 1 0 6 6 23 21 1 2.0 8.6 22 70% .317 1.13 3.52 2.40 0.8 99 2016 LNS A 20 0 1 0 2 2 8 10 1 2.2 15.8 14 65% .474 1.50 9.00 1.91 0.3 103 2017 BLJ RK 21 0 2 0 3 3 7 9 1 2.6 6.4 5 60% .333 1.57 5.14 4.14 0.1 94 2017 DUN A+ 21 3 4 0 12 11 58² 63 3 2.6 7.1 46 64% .312 1.36 3.38 2.51 1.9 103 2018 TOR MLB 22 3 4 0 12 12 51¹ 58 10 3.7 8.0 45 53% .315 1.55 5.55 5.81 -0.1 105 2019 TOR MLB 23 6 9 0 27 27 165 178 31 3.4 8.4 154 53% .309 1.46 5.17 5.41 0.4 105 Breakout: 7% Improve: 9% Collapse: 2% Attrition: 12% MLB: 13% Comparables: Felix Doubront, Max Povse, Nik Turley

The Good: The tall righty has a solid if unspectacular repertoire and repeats his delivery just well enough to command it despite his long levers. The foundation is a sinking plus fastball (91-93 mph) with late two-plane life that produces weak contact and high ground-ball rates. When on, the pitch is especially effective against righties. He pairs it with both a curve and slider, the former of which projects as the better pitch, generating hard 11-to-5 break when he stays on top of it. The 60 fastball and 55 curveball, plus his size and athleticism, are good building blocks for the rotation. Zeuch will need to continue developing his secondary pitches, particularly the cambio that currently flashes average but is inconsistent.

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The Bad: Zeuch has enough command, but it will always be a challenge for him to consistently hit his spots, particularly with his secondary offerings. I’m bullish on a 60/55/50 FB/CB/CH future repertoire (and below-average slider), but when the command goes, Zeuch not only walks batters but leaves pitches up and out over the plate. Overall, this limits his ultimate ceiling. The Risks: It’s really just the command profile. If he repeats, he’s a rotation guy. If he doesn’t he’ll head to the ’pen. Ben Carsley’s Fantasy Take: Like a more boring Reid-Foley with a lower floor, so pass.

Lourdes Gurriel IF/LF OFP: 50 Likely: 40 ETA: Late 2018 10 Born: 10/19/93 Age: 24 Bats: R Throws: R Height: 6'2" Weight: 185 Origin: International Free Agent, 2016 YEAR TEAM LVL AGE PA R 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB CS AVG/OBP/SLG TAv VORP BABIP BRR FRAA WARP PF 2017 DUN A+ 23 69 6 1 0 1 8 2 13 1 0 .197/.217/.258 .182 -3.3 .226 0.3 SS(11) -0.2, 2B(1) 0.1 -0.4 102 2017 NHP AA 23 185 20 10 0 4 28 10 30 2 0 .241/.286/.371 .247 4.1 .266 1.2 2B(22) 1.5, SS(17) 0.9 0.7 103 2018 TOR MLB 24 450 46 21 1 12 49 22 103 1 0 .233/.276/.374 .227 1.4 .277 -0.9 2B 3, SS 0 0.1 105 2019 TOR MLB 25 269 31 13 0 8 31 16 63 1 0 .242/.292/.398 .236 1.4 .290 -0.5 2B 2, SS 0 0.3 105 Breakout: 3% Improve: 13% Collapse: 6% Attrition: 24% MLB: 32% Comparables: T.J. Rivera, Diory Hernandez, Trevor Plouffe

The Good: The lithe Cuban is a bat-first prospect with a smooth, line-drive swing that leads to frequent contact. There is appeal as a potential platoon or solid hitting bench bat with some defensive versatility. The Bad: Gurriel’s minimal lower-half engagement deadens his power and lessens the quality of contact, particularly to the opposite field. Defensively, he split time between second base and shortstop in 2017, but his footwork and quickness are stretched in the middle infield, which pushes him to a tweener profile, as he lacks the power to profile as a regular at third base or left field (where he played some in Cuba). The Risks: Low. While Gurriel may not have flashed the upside in the pros that got him eight figures, his defensive flexibility and contact ability should get him major-league time in short order. —John Eshelman The Next Ten (in alphabetical order)

Jonathan Harris RHP Born: 10/16/93 Age: 24 Bats: R Throws: R Height: 6'4" Weight: 175 Origin: Round 1, 2015 Draft (#29 overall) YEAR TEAM LVL AGE W L SV G GS IP H HR BB/9 K/9 K GB% BABIP WHIP ERA DRA WARP PF 2015 VAN A- 21 0 5 0 12 11 36 48 1 5.2 8.0 32 43% .388 1.92 6.75 6.47 -0.5 102 2016 LNS A 22 8 2 0 16 16 84² 74 1 2.6 7.8 73 50% .296 1.16 2.23 4.21 0.8 106 2016 DUN A+ 22 3 2 0 8 8 45 37 2 2.8 5.2 26 51% .252 1.13 3.60 4.70 0.4 104 2017 NHP AA 23 7 11 0 26 26 143 169 20 3.0 7.1 113 46% .327 1.51 5.41 4.61 0.9 105 2018 TOR MLB 24 6 10 0 23 23 117² 141 29 3.8 7.3 96 42% .312 1.62 6.29 6.61 -1.2 105 2019 TOR MLB 25 4 7 0 16 16 93² 106 22 3.7 7.9 82 42% .303 1.53 5.99 6.29 -0.5 105 Breakout: 6% Improve: 13% Collapse: 3% Attrition: 12% MLB: 15% Comparables: Samuel Gaviglio, Mark Leiter, Yohan Flande

Harris is a generic Double-A college dude starter. He maybe shouldn’t be. He’s a four-pitch arm that is less than the sum of the stuff. The fastball is a 55 if you just look at the radar gun, but once you factor in his below-average command, it plays more like average or even fringe-average. All three of his secondaries can flash average on the right day, but the slider is too often flat, the curve is pretty when going well but too often misplaced, and the change is too often firm. Like Reid-Foley, he wasn’t fooling anyone at Double-A last season, and attempts to rework his delivery midseason didn’t help matters a ton. There’s still a chance for a fourth starter here, and he’ll get a shot to blow the fastball and curve out in relief before all is said and done, but this isn’t exactly what you want from a polished college arm. —Jarrett Seidler

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Zachary Jackson RHP Born: 12/25/94 Age: 23 Bats: R Throws: R Height: 6'4" Weight: 215 Origin: Round 3, 2016 Draft (#102 overall) YEAR TEAM LVL AGE W L SV G GS IP H HR BB/9 K/9 K GB% BABIP WHIP ERA DRA WARP PF 2016 BLJ RK 21 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0.0 0.0 0 33% .333 1.00 0.00 4.19 0.0 100 2016 VAN A- 21 1 1 0 13 0 17² 13 0 6.1 11.7 23 51% .317 1.42 3.57 3.67 0.2 100 2017 LNS A 22 1 0 1 15 0 20 13 2 3.6 11.2 25 44% .239 1.05 3.15 2.84 0.5 100 2017 DUN A+ 22 1 2 4 27 0 31 19 0 5.2 12.5 43 47% .279 1.19 2.03 2.67 0.8 100 2018 TOR MLB 23 2 1 1 34 0 36 35 7 5.1 10.6 42 42% .310 1.53 5.13 5.36 0.0 105 2019 TOR MLB 24 2 1 1 37 0 46¹ 42 8 4.7 10.6 55 42% .296 1.44 4.94 5.16 0.1 105 Breakout: 5% Improve: 6% Collapse: 1% Attrition: 3% MLB: 7% Comparables: Ben Heller, Keith Butler, Ryan Verdugo

Popped in the third round of the 2016 draft, Jackson was initially a starter at Arkansas but has flourished following a transition to the bullpen. He has a large 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame with premium arm strength and a unique breaker. This is a mid-to-high-80s curveball with extreme, hard depth and action. From Jackson’s high-three-quarters slot it has true 12-to-6 shape and hard action, almost like a slider. This is a plus offering—it has shown even better for me at times—but his lack of control makes it inconsistent. When the fastball is on, it can be a truly unhittable pitch. The fastball velocity is hard as well, coming in 93-96 mph and touching 97, although it can be a bit true, and when not located properly it gets hit hard. Jackson offers some intrigue as a multi-inning reliever, given that most of his appearances lasted more than one inning. There are some concerns: a lack of consistency with his messy delivery, a lack of command at times, a hittable fastball. These don’t ignore the fact that Jackson still offers plenty of intrigue and is a potential fast-mover. —Steve Givarz

Justin Maese RHP Born: 10/24/96 Age: 21 Bats: R Throws: R Height: 6'3" Weight: 190 Origin: Round 3, 2015 Draft (#91 overall) YEAR TEAM LVL AGE W L SV G GS IP H HR BB/9 K/9 K GB% BABIP WHIP ERA DRA WARP PF 2015 BLJ RK 18 5 0 0 8 4 35² 32 0 1.5 4.8 19 68% .271 1.07 1.01 2.94 1.1 96 2016 VAN A- 19 2 2 0 5 5 26¹ 20 1 0.3 6.8 20 68% .241 0.80 2.05 2.27 0.9 99 2016 LNS A 19 2 4 0 10 10 56¹ 59 2 2.2 7.0 44 57% .331 1.30 3.36 2.97 1.4 106 2017 BLJ RK 20 0 0 0 3 3 9 13 1 1.0 9.0 9 57% .414 1.56 5.00 2.04 0.4 88 2017 LNS A 20 5 3 0 12 12 70² 78 3 3.3 7.6 60 55% .341 1.47 4.84 3.26 1.7 109 2018 TOR MLB 21 3 5 0 12 12 65² 80 16 3.9 7.1 52 50% .318 1.65 6.22 6.54 -0.6 105 2019 TOR MLB 22 7 11 0 26 26 155² 184 37 3.5 7.5 129 50% .313 1.57 5.96 6.27 -0.9 105 Breakout: 5% Improve: 5% Collapse: 1% Attrition: 3% MLB: 7% Comparables: Jose Urena, Kyle Ryan, Raul Alcantara

Another owner of a big fastball, Maese pumps it in up to the mid-90s from a tough three-quarters arm slot and pairs it with a pitch right on the slider/cutter continuum that we’ve graded as a potential plus offering in the past. He needs work on the changeup, and combining that with the arm slot and typical young pitcher command woes, he’s often projected as a likely future reliever. His 2017 was troubled by a shoulder injury that lingered, with a few trips on and off the DL in the summer months, which further solidifies the reliever tag. Check back once games start to see whether he’s healthy and what it looks like. —Jarrett Seidler

Tim Mayza LHP Born: 01/15/92 Age: 26 Bats: L Throws: L Height: 6'3" Weight: 220 Origin: Round 12, 2013 Draft (#355 overall) YEAR TEAM LVL AGE W L SV G GS IP H HR BB/9 K/9 K GB% BABIP WHIP ERA DRA WARP PF 2015 LNS A 23 3 2 3 26 1 55² 49 0 4.4 10.0 62 52% .333 1.37 3.07 2.88 1.3 114 2016 NHP AA 24 1 3 0 14 0 15¹ 16 0 8.8 7.6 13 61% .348 2.02 4.11 8.58 -0.7 100 2016 DUN A+ 24 2 0 4 28 0 48² 36 1 2.8 9.6 52 56% .267 1.05 1.66 2.53 1.4 100 2017 NHP AA 25 1 1 4 29 0 33¹ 32 5 4.1 11.3 42 42% .325 1.41 4.59 2.70 0.8 100 2017 BUF AAA 25 1 1 0 11 0 19¹ 16 0 3.3 7.4 16 33% .276 1.19 0.93 4.70 0.1 100 2017 TOR MLB 25 1 0 0 19 0 17 24 3 2.1 14.3 27 42% .467 1.65 6.88 3.97 0.2 104 2018 TOR MLB 26 1 1 0 24 0 24 26 5 4.5 9.0 25 45% .304 1.56 5.35 5.44 0.0 105 2019 TOR MLB 27 2 1 0 38 0 40² 43 7 4.2 9.2 42 45% .313 1.51 5.05 5.28 0.0 105 Breakout: 18% Improve: 19% Collapse: 13% Attrition: 21% MLB: 38% Comparables: Scott Maine, Juan Minaya, Chris Leroux

Velocity is everywhere now. We yawn at a lefty sitting 93-97 mph. We probably shouldn’t. Mayza is a bit older than you’d like and seems more hittable than he should be, but he also touches the high-90s and has a 90-mph slider—as a lefty. His stuff misses bats. We’ve written a lot in this space about reliever prospects. God knows we will write a lot more before we are done. Mayza is a potential 7/7 reliever. He pitches with his left hand. Yes, the command profile is an issue. We are jaded. We should not be this jaded.

Toronto Blue Jays - 341 FUTURES GUIDE 2018

Reese McGuire C Born: 03/02/95 Age: 23 Bats: L Throws: R Height: 5'11" Weight: 215 Origin: Round 1, 2013 Draft (#14 overall) YEAR TEAM LVL AGE PA R 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB CS AVG/OBP/SLG TAv VORP BABIP BRR FRAA WARP PF 2015 BRD A+ 20 412 32 15 0 0 34 26 39 14 7 .254/.301/.294 .228 2.8 .280 -0.8 C(90) -0.2 0.3 99 2016 ALT AA 21 304 29 16 2 1 37 29 26 4 4 .259/.337/.346 .251 8.5 .282 -1.8 C(73) 3.0 1.2 108 2016 NHP AA 21 61 5 2 0 0 5 7 8 2 2 .226/.328/.264 .205 -0.2 .267 0.7 C(13) -7.3 -0.8 114 2017 BLJ RK 22 26 4 2 0 0 7 3 1 0 1 .409/.462/.500 .336 3.1 .409 -0.3 C(4) 0.0 0.3 90 2017 DUN A+ 22 13 1 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 0 .250/.308/.333 .226 -0.1 .300 -0.2 C(3) 0.1 0.0 111 2017 NHP AA 22 136 19 5 1 6 20 16 19 2 1 .278/.366/.496 .312 11.3 .283 -1.9 C(32) 4.8 1.7 103 2018 TOR MLB 23 250 26 12 1 6 27 20 43 3 2 .243/.309/.379 .230 3.8 .271 -0.5 C -5 -0.1 105 2019 TOR MLB 24 229 27 11 0 6 25 19 39 2 2 .245/.311/.386 .238 1.8 .272 -0.4 C -3 -0.1 105 Breakout: 4% Improve: 19% Collapse: 2% Attrition: 17% MLB: 28% Comparables: Ramon Cabrera, Steve Clevenger, Josh Thole

Okay, so McGuire’s not a top-101 guy anymore and hasn’t been for a few years now. He didn’t even make the next ten for the site. He had to wait until Connor Greene and Edward Olivares were shipped out. Part of this is the bat has never developed, and part of it is he missed a large chunk of the season after knee surgery. Despite being surpassed by Danny Jansen this year, McGuire is still an excellent defensive catcher, and the bat even showed some signs of life in his brief return to Double-A late in the season. He just turned 23, and while it’s unlikely he’s more than a backup in the majors, he was once a top-101 guy for a reason.

Casey Meisner RHP Born: 05/22/95 Age: 23 Bats: R Throws: R Height: 6'7" Weight: 190 Origin: Round 3, 2013 Draft (#84 overall) YEAR TEAM LVL AGE W L SV G GS IP H HR BB/9 K/9 K GB% BABIP WHIP ERA DRA WARP PF 2015 SAV A 20 7 2 0 12 12 76 59 6 2.2 7.8 66 46% .256 1.03 2.13 3.06 1.9 95 2015 SLU A+ 20 3 2 0 6 6 35 35 4 3.6 5.9 23 49% .282 1.40 2.83 4.83 0.1 103 2015 STO A+ 20 3 1 0 7 7 32¹ 27 1 1.9 6.7 24 28% .265 1.05 2.78 8.85 -1.5 98 2016 STO A+ 21 1 14 1 28 19 117 126 12 4.5 7.7 100 37% .325 1.58 4.85 8.47 -4.1 94 2017 STO A+ 22 6 5 0 16 12 74² 73 9 2.4 9.6 80 34% .320 1.25 3.98 5.12 0.1 101 2017 MID AA 22 4 4 0 12 12 59 55 4 4.1 5.6 37 35% .282 1.39 4.12 8.18 -2.1 108 2018 OAK MLB 23 6 9 0 21 21 109¹ 118 28 3.8 8.6 105 36% .295 1.49 6.11 6.42 -0.9 106 2019 OAK MLB 24 4 6 0 14 14 84¹ 85 21 3.5 9.8 92 36% .294 1.39 5.62 5.90 -0.2 106 Breakout: 10% Improve: 12% Collapse: 1% Attrition: 12% MLB: 15% Comparables: Dan Altavilla, Hansel Robles, Carlos Rosa

Signed in July 2016 for $15,000 Medrano had a velocity bump after signing and got a lot of buzz around the Dunedin complex. At 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, Medrano is already somewhat physical but still offers a moderate amount of projection. The fastball comes from a smooth, clean arm action with above-average arm speed. It came in at 91-94 mph, touching 95, but he lacked feel for the zone with it, causing it to play down from its pure velocity. You can project for improved gains based on the smoothness of his delivery and more repetitions. The slider showed hard action with quality depth and action, but as with the heater he struggled with the feel, and it played below its effectiveness. Despite lacking a changeup, this is still a 19-year- old with a promising fastball/slider offering, so he could be an intriguing starter prospect or a “fastball/slider guy reliever.” —Steve Givarz

Thomas Pannone LHP Born: 04/28/94 Age: 24 Bats: L Throws: L Height: 6'0" Weight: 195 Origin: Round 9, 2013 Draft (#261 overall) YEAR TEAM LVL AGE W L SV G GS IP H HR BB/9 K/9 K GB% BABIP WHIP ERA DRA WARP PF 2015 LKC A 21 7 6 0 27 20 116¹ 98 12 2.9 9.3 120 45% .288 1.16 4.02 3.44 2.3 100 2016 LKC A 22 5 5 0 17 17 89¹ 73 7 2.5 8.5 84 39% .269 1.10 3.02 3.49 1.7 103 2016 LYN A+ 22 3 0 0 8 7 43² 31 1 3.3 7.8 38 40% .254 1.08 1.65 3.83 0.8 101 2017 LYN A+ 23 2 0 0 5 5 27² 10 0 2.3 12.7 39 48% .212 0.61 0.00 2.03 1.0 93 2017 AKR AA 23 6 1 0 14 14 82¹ 67 5 2.3 8.9 81 37% .281 1.07 2.62 2.77 2.4 99 2017 NHP AA 23 1 2 0 6 6 34² 31 9 2.1 7.5 29 38% .232 1.12 3.63 2.80 1.0 105 2018 TOR MLB 24 2 2 0 14 5 35 36 9 3.5 8.9 35 38% .291 1.41 5.69 6.03 -0.2 105 2019 TOR MLB 25 6 7 0 54 17 139 140 34 3.5 9.2 142 38% .286 1.39 5.74 6.03 -0.6 105 Breakout: 10% Improve: 24% Collapse: 12% Attrition: 26% MLB: 41% Comparables: John Ely, Yohan Pino, Josh Smith

I generally look askance at the overage soft-tossing lefty that posts good baseball-card stats. I like Pannone, though, and he’s a bit overqualified as a dude that only got added to a team top 20 after that Blue Jays made some offseason trades. He’s exactly what you’d expect: a 6-foot lefty with a bit of deception from a slight crossfire delivery, an upper-80s

342 - Toronto Blue Jays www.baseballprospectus.com fastball—touching 92—that he commands all right, and two potentially average secondaries in the curve and the change. He works quickly, mixes all his pitches, and even has a good pickoff move. Pannone’s curve is advanced enough that there’s a LOOGY fallback. The upside is only fifth starter or swingman, and I see Pannones all across the Eastern League, but for whatever reason this one is a guy I think might start in the big leagues here and there.

Max Pentecost C Born: 03/10/93 Age: 25 Bats: R Throws: R Height: 6'2" Weight: 191 Origin: Round 1, 2014 Draft (#11 overall) YEAR TEAM LVL AGE PA R 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB CS AVG/OBP/SLG TAv VORP BABIP BRR FRAA WARP PF 2016 LNS A 23 267 36 15 3 7 34 21 51 4 2 .314/.375/.490 .317 19.0 .370 1.5 2.1 105 2016 DUN A+ 23 52 6 2 0 3 7 3 17 1 1 .245/.288/.469 .258 0.3 .310 -0.2 0.0 108 2017 BLJ RK 24 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000/.000/.000 -.029 -0.6 .000 0.0 C(1) 0.0 -0.1 81 2017 DUN A+ 24 314 34 14 2 9 54 23 62 0 1 .276/.332/.434 .277 9.9 .323 -1.5 1B(22) 0.8, C(19) -0.3 1.1 107 2018 TOR MLB 25 250 27 11 1 9 33 16 68 0 0 .238/.290/.415 .236 2.0 .293 -0.4 C 0, 1B 0 0.1 105 2019 TOR MLB 26 264 32 12 1 10 33 19 72 0 0 .233/.291/.409 .239 2.1 .287 -0.6 C -1 0.2 105 Breakout: 3% Improve: 5% Collapse: 2% Attrition: 7% MLB: 9% Comparables: Rhyne Hughes, Brock Peterson, Ben Paulsen

Everyone likes a good redemption story. Pentecost struggled with terrible shoulder injuries after being drafted 11th overall in 2014, missing the entire 2015 season, and only being able to DH in 2016. He was still more a DH than anything else in 2017, but he got into 20 games behind the plate and 22 at first base, and most importantly he was healthy while doing so, even picking up extra playing time in the Arizona Fall League. He has hit reasonably well at the A-ball levels the past two years considering everything else going on, although realistically he was old for the levels. We’re mostly mentioning him here because it has the makings of a nice story, and the underlying hitting and receiving tools seem mostly unaffected by his long layoff. We’ll learn a lot more about whether there’s a future here in 2018, as he’ll get a shot to both hit upper-level pitching and hold up under a larger catching load. —Jarrett Seidler

Rowdy Tellez 1B Born: 03/16/95 Age: 23 Bats: L Throws: L Height: 6'4" Weight: 220 Origin: Round 30, 2013 Draft (#895 overall) YEAR TEAM LVL AGE PA R 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB CS AVG/OBP/SLG TAv VORP BABIP BRR FRAA WARP PF 2015 LNS A 20 299 36 19 0 7 49 24 56 2 2 .296/.351/.444 .290 7.7 .346 -4.4 1B(51) 1.9 1.0 111 2015 DUN A+ 20 148 17 5 0 7 28 14 28 3 0 .275/.338/.473 .275 4.2 .293 0.6 1B(24) 0.6 0.5 110 2016 NHP AA 21 514 71 29 2 23 81 63 92 4 3 .297/.387/.530 .310 29.7 .324 -0.9 1B(101) -4.9 2.7 109 2017 BUF AAA 22 501 45 29 1 6 56 47 94 6 1 .222/.295/.333 .229 -12.6 .264 -0.6 1B(115) 1.8 -1.0 95 2018 TOR MLB 23 62 8 3 0 2 8 6 14 0 0 .236/.311/.400 .250 0.5 .283 -0.1 1B 0 0.0 105 2019 TOR MLB 24 386 51 21 0 16 52 37 92 1 0 .246/.323/.445 .258 6.6 .288 -0.8 1B -1 0.7 105 Breakout: 10% Improve: 22% Collapse: 7% Attrition: 20% MLB: 34% Comparables: Max Kepler, Chris Parmelee, Mike Carp

When Large Adult Sons don’t hit, it can get a little ugly. Formerly a personal favorite as a power-hitting first-base prospect, Tellez has always had more name and fantasy value than real prospect value because of limitations on his defense, athleticism, and hit tool (a grooved swing can only take you so far), and he cratered in his first shot at Triple-A. We’ll stipulate that he played the entire season at 22 and had moved somewhat quickly before that, and if we gave up on every player we liked who bombed out at one level while moving up quickly, we’d have given up on a lot of future stars. There’s still real raw power here that has shown up in games before, and at least he’s left-handed and in the DH league so those sorts of avenues are open to him. But this isn’t the easiest profile in the world to stick in the majors with these days—25-dinger power is no longer a carrying tool this far over on the defensive spectrum—and Tellez needs to consolidate things in 2018 to get back on track. —Jarrett Seidler

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Richard Urena SS Born: 02/26/96 Age: 22 Bats: B Throws: R Height: 6'0" Weight: 185 Origin: International Free Agent, 2012 YEAR TEAM LVL AGE PA R 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB CS AVG/OBP/SLG TAv VORP BABIP BRR FRAA WARP PF 2015 DUN A+ 19 128 9 3 1 1 8 3 26 3 1 .250/.268/.315 .228 0.9 .309 0.0 SS(30) -2.8 -0.2 108 2015 LNS A 19 408 62 13 4 15 58 13 84 5 5 .266/.289/.438 .254 15.7 .299 1.9 SS(90) -9.6 0.7 111 2016 DUN A+ 20 431 52 18 7 8 41 25 64 9 6 .305/.351/.447 .266 17.0 .346 -1.3 SS(79) -0.1 1.7 109 2016 NHP AA 20 132 14 6 5 0 18 4 19 0 2 .266/.282/.395 .256 5.3 .306 0.7 SS(29) -0.7 0.5 112 2017 NHP AA 21 551 44 36 3 5 60 30 100 0 1 .247/.286/.359 .237 6.1 .294 -1.9 SS(106) -4.6, 2B(11) 0.2 0.2 103 2017 TOR MLB 21 75 6 4 0 1 4 6 28 1 0 .206/.270/.309 .207 0.4 .333 1.4 SS(20) -2.0, 2B(1) 0.1 -0.2 109 2018 TOR MLB 22 29 3 1 0 1 3 1 7 0 0 .222/.250/.370 .216 -0.1 .284 0.0 SS 0 -0.1 105 2019 TOR MLB 23 327 36 16 3 9 38 15 82 1 1 .241/.279/.403 .232 0.5 .294 -0.4 SS -4 -0.4 105 Breakout: 2% Improve: 15% Collapse: 3% Attrition: 11% MLB: 21% Comparables: Chris Nelson, Yairo Munoz, Danny Santana

Urena received a late-season look in the majors after an up-and-down 2017 with Double-A New Hampshire. His approach at the plate is rather inconsistent; he’ll often chase pitches out of the zone, and he doesn’t walk all that often. The 22-year- old switch-hitter still shows better power from the left side of the plate and has above-average bat speed. But that power is relatively limited, and if the hit tool ends up being a pedestrian 45, he’ll have to be an outstanding defender to stick on a roster. Luckily for Urena, he shows above-average range and has a plus arm that could stick at shortstop. He got some late- season looks at second base in Double-A but was primarily at shortstop after being recalled to Toronto in September. His struggles in the field come when he tries to rush a throw, but he’s proving to be a better fielder than in years past. However, at this point, with not much left to project at the plate and another guy in the organization (Bichette) looking like a potential option at short, Urena’s stock has taken a hit over the last year. He’ll look to rebuild that stock a bit in 2018, likely at Triple-A. —Victor Filoromo Friends in Low Places

Felipe Castaneda, RHP, Complex-Level GCL

Signed in November 2016, Castaneda was one of the youngest players to appear with the GCL squad, playing all of last season at age 17. Castaneda is still frail, offering a lot of projection given his age and the ease of his delivery. His go-to pitch is his changeup, which is odd to say for someone who turned 18 in January. We are usually talking about some form of “snapdragon,” “hard slurve,” or “hard breaker” at that age rather than a changeup. This poses an interesting conundrum. The change is good, though, coming in at 81-83. He shows impressive feel and comfort with the pitch, using it to strike out both lefties and righties. He even shows advanced sequencing with it, throwing it in fastball counts, which easily fooled hitters who sold out for the fastball. The problem is there isn’t much of a breaking ball here—there is a “curve,” but it is currently in the nascent stage of development. The fastball is a fringe-average offering at present, not the plus heater you would like to see at this stage. There is hope that in the future he can throw a cutter—maybe it will eventually be a slider—and the body can improve physically, which can improve his velocity across the board. —Steve Givarz A Second Opinion Is Vladimir Guerrero Jr. an OFP 80? We’ve broken the seal this season on ranking position players as 8s. Such a lofty ranking was previously the near-sole domain of Lucas Giolito when he was actually good, but we’ve already crowned Ronald Acuña as an 8 in our Braves list, and we might’ve also done so with Gleyber Torres had he remained prospect-eligible without missing the second-half of the season with an elbow injury. We’re tagging Vladito as a 7 here, though, and given that he’s right there with Acuña, that might be low. Essentially, Vlad is being dinged because he’ll probably move from third to first, given his large frame and less-than- worldbeating defensive abilities. I think that’s a reasonable projection to make, although he’s sneakily athletic and he throws well enough that it’s not a sure shot. What I think is a sure shot is that this dude is a unique hitter for his age. Playing the entire season at 18 years old, he hit for big average at both levels of full-season A-ball while walking more than he struck out, with the type of polish you just don’t see at his age. He only hit for moderate power, but almost everyone agrees he projects to plus-plus power or even better, and it’s hard to imagine he won’t tap into it with that quality of approach and natural hitting ability. We rightly marvel at what Acuña did relative to his own age, but remember that Guerrero is about 16 months younger than Acuña, and he’ll start 2018 at Double-A.

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Here’s the other thing: We project in the explanation of the grade that Vlad would be a .300/.400/.500 first baseman. Let’s say that really is the projection; I would argue that is an 80 OFP. That’s basically Anthony Rizzo’s average year, or Paul Goldschmidt with a touch less power, like he’d probably have in a less power-friendly environment than Arizona. Those guys are pretty close to 8s if not actually so—your mileage may vary on what actually constitutes an 8, but they’re absolute stars and the best first basemen in the game. If you give Guerrero any sort of further power upside or third-base ability past that, which I think are both plausible, although not slam dunks, the case becomes even clearer: This could be one of the best players in baseball. —Jarrett Seidler Top Talents 25 and Under (born 4/1/92 or later)

1. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 2. Roberto Osuna 3. Bo Bichette 4. Aaron Sanchez 5. Anthony Alford 6. Nate Pearson 7. Logan Warmoth 8. Danny Jansen 9. Sean Reid-Foley

The Blue Jays were one of baseball’s oldest teams in 2017, with an average age of 29.7, so it shouldn’t be overly surprising that their 25U list is more prospect than major leaguers. Ross Atkins and Mark Shapiro’s work to get younger and more athletic has borne plenty of fruit on the farm, but the big-league club is still a little barren. That said, there is still plenty of room both at the top and the bottom of the list for discussion involving players who have lost their rookie eligibility. One of the toughest calls was where to place Roberto Osuna. In an argument for the top spot, we have a 23-year-old closer who just put up the best season of his career by peripherals with 2.1 WARP and a 46.6 DRA- versus teenage prospects with a combined zero games above High-A. On the other side, Osuna is only a reliever, while Guerrero and Bichette, although young, are still considered two of the better prospects in all of baseball. In the end, the decision fell in the middle. Guerrero holds down the top spot for the combination of the elite ceiling and the higher floor with his bat. Even if he moves across the diamond, he should still provide more value than Osuna. But the young closer still comes in at the no. 2 spot. Although his ERA was elevated, Osuna’s DRA was the fourth lowest in baseball among all pitchers and third among relievers—even if we drop the qualifying threshold as low as 15 innings pitched. With the way baseball is changing in both use and valuation of relievers, a pitcher at the head of the class has tremendous worth and needs to be ranked accordingly. As for Bichette, the slight concerns about his hit tool against better pitching combined with the defensive questions slide him just below Osuna into the no. 3 spot. While Osuna was tough to place, things were even more difficult when it came to last year’s no. 1, who lost much of the season due to recurring blister problems. The biggest concern with Aaron Sanchez isn’t just the repeated issues, which eventually led to a torn ligament in his finger and ended his season, but that he also performed poorly even when he was able to take the mound—his 6.96 DRA in 36 innings was nearly double his 2016 figure. The sample size is small enough that it could be somewhat forgiven if he were clear of the injury issues, but with his health still in question and the other risks already present from his jump in workload in 2016, it was just too difficult to rank the former AL ERA-leader higher than fourth. There were no hard choices from five to ten, but had the list gone to 11 (like everything should, really) there is room for debate. Last year’s number five player, Dalton Pompey, and 2017 trade deadline acquisition, Teoscar Hernández, are both eligible for this list but no longer prospect-eligible. While Pompey eliminated himself from consideration with his lost season, there was an interesting battle between Hernández and Ryan Borucki (the no. 9 prospect) for the next man up. Hernández wowed the club and fans alike with a September performance that saw him smash eight home runs and post a TAv of .302 with a .602 slugging percentage. At the same time, he also struck out in 37.9 percent of his plate appearances. Both the power and the contact issues are real, but he’s ready to help out in the major leagues right now as, at worst, a

Toronto Blue Jays - 345 FUTURES GUIDE 2018 platoon player with speed and the ability to cover all three outfield spots in a pinch. That floor, combined with the upside for a little more, earns the former Astros’ prospect the edge over Borucki, whose health concerns and the lack of a breaking ball push him off even a Spinal Tap-sized list. —Joshua Howsam

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