Eight Notable Blue Jays Prospects Under 20 Years Old

[Daniel Labude]

Forget about all those ancient prospects who are old enough to drink and drive and vote (not at the same time, though).

With the Jays Centre Toronto Blue Jays Top 20 Prospects list completed, it is time to take a deeper look at the farm system as a whole. Today we will be getting to know a bunch of names, some lesser known and some not ranked as high. But all have potential and are just beginning their minor league careers. These are the teenage prospects under 20 years old that every Blue Jays fan should get to know now. 

1: Arjun Nimmala, SS, 19, Vancouver Canadians
Nimmala is a hot topic for this coming season, as he is one of the Blue Jays’ top prospects. He came in at #1 in our Jays Centre prospect rankings and you can read his scouting report and breakdown here. I won't spend too much time on him, but it is worth noting that he is still very raw and with every plate appearance he can keep getting better. Experience is what will drive him closer to his potential. He has some insane raw power and it has already begun showing up in games last season, as well as this spring training. The issue he has is strikeouts. Despite the potential, he must improve his plate skills and contact rates. That will propel him into star prospect territory.

2: Johnny King, SP, 18, FCL Blue Jays
King is another highly touted prospect coming into the 2025 season. He was drafted in the third round of the 2024 draft. He also came in at #14 on our Jays Centre prospect list. You can check out his breakdown in more depth here. He is a tall lefty starting pitcher who can bring the heat on his fastball, and he has a delivery very reminiscent of Ricky Tiedemann. The pitch mix for King is slightly different than Tiedemann, but he has the makings of the next top-end pitching prospect for the Blue Jays if everything works out for him. 

 

3: Enmanuel Bonilla, 19, CF, FCL Blue Jays
Bonilla has been a bit of an enigma in his short minor league career for the Blue Jays. He came in at #17 in the Jays Centre prospect rankings. You can check out his scouting report and breakdown here. There are some good signs coming out of spring training for Bonilla. He is bigger and stronger, which looks to have greatly improved his swing speed. This will better help him unlock his power potential at the plate. Like Nimmala though, he must figure out how to strike out less. A 35.5% strikeout rate last season in the Complex League is pretty eye opening in a negative way, but something that a young teenage prospect can improve on and make changes to fix. This could be a big year if he can strike out less and improve his contact rates. 

 

4: Andres Arias, 18, RF, FCL Blue Jays
Arias is a very big prospect already in stature, as he is listed at 6-foot-4 and 180 pounds. He has a very good frame and huge power projection with the bat. As a 17-year-old, he missed most of the Dominican Summer League with an injury. He came back and made up for lost time with 16 games played. He hit .309/.441/.418, with an OPS of .859. He hits the ball hard and has a good feel for putting the bat on the ball, even at this young age. He had a strikeout rate of 21.7% and a walk rate of 15.9%. He also racked up six doubles in those 16 games. Expect him to begin the 2025 season in the Complex League. When his natural, already plus raw power starts to translate into game power, watch out. He will become one of the more intriguing and dynamic prospects in the Blue Jays farm system. 

 

5: Cristopher Polanco, 17, SS, DSL Blue Jays
Polanco was signed this past January as part of the J15 class. He is from Bayaguana, Dominican Republic, and was the Blue Jays top international J15 signing this year. He came in ranked 22nd by MLB Pipeline for this class. According to scouting reports, he is a natural hitter with the quick-twitch athleticism at the plate you love to see for someone so young. His bat speed already stands out and could be a plus in the future. He has a smaller frame at the moment and there isn't a lot of projection in that area unless he continues to grow. With his feel to hit and bat speed, he could become a household name in the prospect world sooner rather than later. 

 

6: Juarlin Soto, 2B, 18, FCL Blue Jays
Soto, who hails from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, was signed in the 2024 J15 international class. He is listed at 6-foot and 170 pounds. He spent last season in the DSL with mixed results. He hit .250/.428/.316, with no home runs and six doubles. His on-base ability was fueled by a 21.9% walk rate. He ran a strikeout rate of 21.4%. He has a good feel for hitting from the left side of the plate. He has a short, compact swing and uses his hands very well in a smooth motion. As he gets older, he has the potential to add strength and power to his profile. He already uses an all fields approach and frequently hits line drives (25%). He should make his stateside debut this year in the Complex League.

7: Carson Messina, SP, 18, FCL Blue Jays
Messina was selected in the 12th round of the 2024 draft. He already stands out on the mound, as he is 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds. There may not be much projection left in his frame, but he gets the most out of it already. His fastball has a wide range of velocities but has topped out in the upper 90s at 97 mph. If he can consistently run the fastball up there velocity-wise, he will be a starting pitcher to watch this year. He has a big curveball that is his best secondary pitch. A third pitch that he can rely on will be his biggest area of needed improvement, along with controlling the strike zone. His command can get wild at times and the biggest rise for him could come if he can consistently start throwing strikes.

 

8: Juan Sanchez, SS, 17, DSL Blue Jays
Sanchez was signed out of Cotui, Dominican Republic, and stands 6-foot-3, while already weighing 200 pounds. His big frame likely results in moving off of shortstop, but he is a solid fielder right now with a big arm. His size really offers a good projection for future power and possible current in-game power when he debuts, likely in the DSL. Scouts have indicated that his hit tool has more questions than some other J15 signings, but the potential is there for a big, power-hitting shortstop and a player you should get to know now as he works his way stateside. 

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[Brock Beauchamp]

Incredible write-up, Daniel!