How Did the Blue Jays' Prospects Fare in the Arizona Fall League?

[Bryan Jaeger]

The Arizona Fall League has concluded, and the Toronto Blue Jays had several representatives who participated in the campaign. The league has six teams, and every MLB team sends at least seven top prospects to its affiliated club. The Blue Jays' prospects played for the Glendale Desert Dogs, who finished 11-16 and were eliminated during the play-in round of the playoffs.

The AFL is, unofficially, the culmination of the minor league season, allowing teams to assess how their prospects perform against high-level competition. Thirty-three of the 80 players in the 2025 MLB All-Star Game once played in the AFL, with 10 of the 20 players in the starting lineups among them. Here's how the Blue Jays' prospects performed this year.

*All prospect rankings from Jays Centre and MLB Pipeline

Josh Kasevich - SS (JC No. 11, MLB Pipeline No. 12 prospect)
Kasevich finished the 2024 season in Triple-A Buffalo, hitting .325/.382/.433 with a .815 OPS in 173 plate appearances for the affiliate. He likely held hopes of an MLB in 2025, but he aggravated a preexisting lower back injury, causing him to miss a majority of the season. His rehab stints in the rookie and Single-A affiliates were successful, as he hit a combined .368/.478/.395 with an .873 OPS.

Yet, after being activated from the 60-day injury list on August 15, Kasevich struggled in his Triple-A Buffalo return, slashing .173/.272/.184 with a .456 OPS in 114 plate appearances. The Jays Centre No. 11 prospect performed slightly better in the AFL, where he hit .255/.419/.255 with a .674 OPS and drew 17 walks compared to 11 strikeouts in 74 plate appearances.

His .327 weighted on-base average (wOBA), an advanced metric that measures a hitter's total offensive value, ranked in the 36th percentile among all hitters in the AFL, meaning it was lower than that of most players in the league. Despite a 92.4 mph average exit velocity — ranked in the 80th percentile, indicating above-average power off the bat — his strength and discipline at the plate have not yet translated to home run power.

Kasevich is eligible for this winter's Rule 5 draft, which means that to protect him, the Blue Jays would need to add him to the 40-man roster. His injury likely complicates that decision and will presumably keep him off the roster. Even though his in-game power production is low, his on-base and defensive skills at a prime position could increase his chances of being selected by another team. That said, if he doesn't get selected and the Blue Jays don't re-sign Bo Bichette this offseason, Kasevich may have a shot at making his MLB debut in 2026.

Cutter Coffey - 3B (MLB Pipeline No. 27 prospect)
Coffey came over in the trade package that sent Danny Jansen to the Boston Red Sox at the 2024 trade deadline. He struggled with High-A Vancouver after the trade, hitting .185/.309/.272 with a .581 OPS. He spent this season still in High-A, but had far more success (.273/.359/.427 with .786 OPS). His 11 home runs, 68 runs, and 62 knocked in over 440 plate appearances earned him the Canadians' Offensive Player of the Year Award. Coffey has drawn comparisons to a right-handed Addison Barger from within the organization.

The 21-year-old was one of the top performers in the AFL. He slashed .354/.447/.462 with a .909 OPS and a .404 wOBA. This wOBA placed him in the 77th percentile among AFL players (meaning he performed better than 77% of them). However, his .108 isolated power (ISO, a measure of raw power) was slightly below average, at the 43rd percentile, and his 86.5 mph average exit velocity (23rd percentile) was among the lowest in the AFL. He's not eligible for the Rule 5 draft until the 2026 offseason, which means he will continue to develop his skills in the minors. He doesn't need to be added to the 40-man roster until next winter. With his success this season in High A, Coffey may start next season with Double-A New Hampshire.

Edward Duran - C (MLB Pipeline No. 13 prospect)
Duran came over at the 2022 trade deadline in a package that also included Anthony Bass and Zach Pop, which the Blue Jays received in exchange for sending Jordan Groshans to the Miami Marlins. His skill set is described as that of a defense-first catcher and a contact hitter. Over his five minor league seasons, he has never hit more than eight home runs, which he achieved this season across a combined 431 plate appearances in Single and High A.

Duran struggled in the AFL, hitting .152/.263/.394 with a .657 OPS over 38 plate appearances. His .242 isolated power (ISO) ranked in the 87th percentile among AFL hitters, higher than that of any of his fellow Blue Jays prospects. However, the catcher's .286 wOBA (26th percentile) and his 83.5 mph average exit velocity (20th percentile) ranked among the lowest in the league, underscoring his offensive struggles compared to his peers. Duran is Rule 5 eligible this winter, but it's unlikely that he will be protected (by being added to the 40-man roster) or selected in the draft.

Alex Amalfi - RHP
Amalfi spent his first three seasons in the minor leagues in Single-A and High-A affiliates, where he started five of the 64 games he pitched in. He continued in the bullpen this season with Double-A New Hampshire before getting moved to the starting rotation in August. He posted a combined 4.41 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and a 100:47 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 87 2/3 innings, but he was slightly more successful as a starter, posting a 3.86 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in 11 starts.

The right-hander was likely sent to the AFL to get more starts against tougher competition, but he struggled in his five AFL outings, posting a 9.95 ERA, 2.37 WHIP, and allowing batters to hit .321 off of him. His 8.8 percent strikeout percentage, which ranked in the fifth percentile, and 19.1 percent walk percentage (27th percentile) ranked among the worst marks in the league, indicating below-average strikeout ability and worse-than-average control compared to his peers. Amalfi is Rule 5 eligible this winter, but his lack of recent success will likely keep him from being selected.

Angel Bastardo - RHP (MLB Pipeline No. 29 prospect)
Bastardo, a Rule 5 draft pick by the Blue Jays in 2024, missed 2025 after Tommy John surgery. Before his injury, he posted a 4.76 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and a 357:145 strikeout-to-walk ratio over five minor league seasons. Though added to the AFL roster to get some work this year, he did not pitch. Due to his Rule 5 status and time on the injured list, he must be active for the Jays for at least 90 days in 2026 or be offered back to the Red Sox.

Kai Peterson - LHP
Peterson has only played two minor league seasons, but he excelled this year. In High A, he had a 2.74 ERA and 1.22 WHIP over 42 23/3 innings in relief. He earned a promotion to Double A on August 14. However, his success didn't translate. He only threw 7 2/3 innings, but had a 4.70 ERA and 2.09 WHIP. His addition to the AFL roster was likely to provide him with more experience against tougher competition.

The 23-year-old continued to struggle in the AFL. He threw 7 1/3 innings, posting a 7.59 ERA and 2.18 WHIP, allowing batters to hit .276 off of him. Peterson struggled with control, walking eight batters. He is considered an off-speed pitcher, primarily throwing a changeup, slider, and sinker; however, his maximum velocity of 93.3 mph (14th percentile) was one of the slowest in the AFL. He becomes Rule 5 eligible after the 2026 season, so the Blue Jays have another season to evaluate their young lefty.

Yondrei Rojas - RHP
Rojas struggled from 2022 through 2024 at the rookie level and in Single A. He never posted an ERA under 4.30. However, he flipped a switch this season and was outstanding. He had his best season as a minor leaguer in 2025 while in High A and Double A. The righty posted a 1.43 ERA combined between the two levels across 37 2/3 innings with a 0.88 WHIP, a 47:11 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and a .167 opponents’ batting average.

Rojas became one of the Blue Jays' more notable pitching prospects during the season. However, in his first time facing tougher competition in the AFL, Rojas struggled. He pitched 2 1/3 innings, posting a 30.86 ERA with a 2:2 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 3.00 WHIP, allowing hitters to bat .385 off him. The righty is Rule 5 eligible and would have likely been added to the 40-man roster to be protected if it weren’t for his poor AFL performance. His dominant minor league stats may still appeal to teams, but his AFL struggles provide essential context for his (lack of) readiness.

Chay Yeager - RHP
Yeager thrived in High A this season, posting a 1.77 ERA with a 43:13 strikeout-to-walk ratio while holding batters to a .126 average against him over 35 2/3 innings. His promotion to Double A was less successful, as he posted a 4.50 ERA and was hit harder, allowing a .269 batting average against him. However, he still maintained an impressive 21:7 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

His struggles carried over to the AFL, where he has posted a 9.00 ERA over nine innings. His control was an issue, as shown by his 7:7 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and he allowed three home runs. His strikeout rate (22nd percentile) and walk rate (45th percentile, about league average) were on the lower end of the league ranks. However, his 98.1 mph max velocity ranked among the fastest in the AFL. He becomes Rule 5 eligible after the 2026 season.

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