Get To Know These New Jays Centre Top Prospects!

[Simon Li]

With some graduations and some breakouts, three new players have made their way onto the Jays Centre Top Prospects list.

#9 - Jonatan Clase, OF
Jonatan Clase initially signed with the Mariners as an international free agent in 2018, only earning $35,000 as a signing bonus, but he showcased he was worth much more than that. Clase started off his professional career hot, posting a 149 wRC+ with the Mariners' DSL team, before losing a year due to COVID. However, that didn't stop him from progressing, as he moved all the way to Double-A from Rookie ball in only three years. That included a 2023 season in which he stole 79 bases and hit 20 homers, showcasing his power-speed potential. He debuted in MLB last year after a solid performance in Triple-A, before getting sent back down after his first cup of coffee didn't go too well. The Jays then acquired Clase in a trade for setup man Yimi García, and he struggled in his short stint in Triple-A Buffalo before performing solidly in Toronto to end the year.

Early in 2025, Clase has had a strong start to the year, getting on base at a high clip and showing off his elite speed while also cutting down his strikeout rate slightly. He hasn't shown as much power as he usually does, with only four extra base hits on the year (and no homers), but if he continues to get on base at this rate, his speed can turn singles into doubles. The switch-hitting outfielder has displayed strong contact skills on the season to pair with good plate discipline. He also has an 86.2% zone-contact rate while not chasing much. Defensively, he's still a work in progress, as although his speed can make up for some bad routes, he still does struggle a bit with his reads and jumps. Atkins has called him MLB-ready, and he is in his final option year, so he'll need to establish himself as a contributor to the major league team by the end of the season. Still, the tools and skill set are there for Clase, and despite a crowded outfield, he has a good chance to earn a role.

#13 - Gage Stanifer, RHP
Gage Stanifer has been the biggest breakout pitching prospect for the Jays this season, which is very impressive for a 19th-round selection out of high school in the 2022 draft. Stanifer is big-bodied and athletic, standing 6-foot-3 with a 200-pound frame. However, he did not make the most of his athletic gifts early in his career, as he struggled with walks and only sat around 92-94 mph on his fastball. Yet, late last season, Stanifer started to gain some velocity, getting up to 94-95 mph on his fastball, despite still not being able to control it. His ERA averaged 6.33 in his first two professional seasons, and he was very much an unknown within the system.

This past offseason, Stanifer put in a lot of work, touching 100 mph in offseason workout videos. That carried over into the regular season, where he is sitting 95-97 mph with his sinker, which has a solid amount of ride and nearly 13 inches of arm side run. Stanifer has been very reliant on that pitch, for good reason, as it has been virtually unhittable in Single-A, with a .171 BA against, a 31.6% chase rate and a 32.3% whiff rate. He also mixes in a mid-80s "death-ball" slider, which averages nearly 43 inches of drop and, as of May 6, hasn't given up a hit yet. He rounds off his starter's arsenal with a split-change that he throws in the high 80s, and although he doesn't get many whiffs on it, he gets a bunch of weak contact with the pitch. Stanifer has a 0.50 ERA in 18 innings of work, with a 32.9% strikeout rate and an 11.0% walk rate.

Stanifer has been used only in relief so far and hasn't gone much farther than four innings in a game this season, so there's still a need to see how his stuff holds up over five innings or more. Once Trey Yesavage and Khal Stephen get the promotion to Vancouver, Stanifer should get the opportunity to do so. At only 21 years old, his stuff, arsenal, and build give a lot of hope that he can develop into a strong mid-rotation starter, but his command and more aggressive delivery may hold him back from reaching that ceiling.

#20 - Jace Bohrofen, OF
Jace Bohrofen is a big slugging lefty outfielder, signed out of Arkansas in the sixth round of the 2023 draft. He's shown a lot of power throughout his minor league career and just snuck onto the Jays Centre Top 20. Bohrofen has done nothing but hit since he joined the Jays organization, with a career .816 OPS and 26 home runs.

Bohrofen does pair that power ability with some strikeout concerns, though. He ran a worse-than-average strikeout rate of around 24% during his first two years in the minors, and that has increased to 35.0% in Double-A. His contact rate has dropped from 71.3% in High-A last season to a worrying 57.5% to start the year, but Bohrofen improved his contact rate year-over-year from his first season to his second, and the cold weather in New Hampshire could be a reason behind his lessened ability to make contact early in 2025.

Bohrofen leads New Hampshire in homers, so when he does make contact, it leads to good results for the most part. He also has strong plate discipline, walking over 10% of the time in all of the seasons that he's played, and he rarely chases. Defensively, Bohrofen can play center field adequately, as he came up as a center fielder out of college, but he is more suited to the corners. He's split time at all three outfield spots for New Hampshire. Bohrofen also had a slow start in Vancouver last season but ended up turning it around, so his power ability, a history of making more contact than he has shown so far, and his ability to adjust as a season progresses should allow for him to work as a strong-side platoon bat in the future, with a lower average but some extra-base hits.

Stats in article updated prior to games on May 6.

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[Brownie19]

I'd never heard of Gage Stanifer - now I have.  Thanks!