TSN s top 50 Blue Jays prospects: 11-30
TSN s Scott Mitchell digs into the farm system to rank the top 50 Blue Jays prospects in a series of three pieces. Up today are names 11 through 30 with the top 10 arriving on Thursday. Blue Jays Top 50 Prospects , TSN
By: Scott Mitchell
TORONTO After kicking things off with the back end of the list yesterday, we move to the meat of the top 50 prospects in the Jays system and the group that’s one breakout season away from moving into the top 10.
This area is highlighted by a number of potential breakout arms, something the club would desperately love to see happen, as well as a talented group of shortstops that should stay up the middle.
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Franco spent 2020 at the alternate site and then played just five games for Escogido in the Dominican Winter League before he was shut down due to biceps soreness, which had clearly effected his throwing, as he short-hopped several throws to first base on routine plays. It’s not expected to be a long-term issue, and Franco himself wanted to rest and return to action for Escogido (the left side of los Leones infield would have been him and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.), but the Rays prevented it as a precaution. I suppose there’s some chance that this issue, combined with the presence of other good shortstops in the org like Willy Adames and Taylor Walls (assuming either or both aren’t traded) creates a heightened chance that Franco debuts in the big leagues as a second baseman, but even if we knew that was going to be the case, he’d still easily be the best prospect in baseball.
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After a healthy 2019, albeit one during which he was asked to work just four innings per start, Pearson once again had an injury hiccup in 2020. This time his malady, described as right elbow tightness, was actually arm-related after he had previously dealt with an intercostal strain and a fractured ulna caused by a comebacker. The Blue Jays shut him down for about a month, and when Pearson returned he did so as a reliever. Upon coming back, his fastball velocity was not only intact but he threw harder than he did as a starter before he was shut down (he averaged 99 mph after “only” throwing 96 as a starter). After just one post-injury regular season outing, Pearson came out of the bullpen in the final game of Toronto’s Wild Card round loss to the Rays, and absolutely paved over Tampa Bay hitters who had just shelled Hyun Jin Ryu. The question the industry hoped Pearson would answer in 2020 was, “Can this guy hold upper-90s cheese all year, every fifth day, as a
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