Brian Labude Jays Centre Contributor Posted March 31 Posted March 31 Jays Centre is counting down the top 20 prospects in the Toronto Blue Jays organization. Check out prior entries in the series here: No. 20 to 16 No. 15 to 11 No. 10 No. 9 No. 8 We are well into our coverage of Jays Centre’s top 20 prospects now. We have gone through #20-16, #15-11, #10, #9, #8 and now we reach #7 on our list, Juan Sanchez. He is a prospect that has gained an insane amount of attention, notoriety, and a boost in national rankings this past offseason. Let's get to know him a little more and see what he does well, what he needs to work on, and what the future may hold for this up-and-coming phenom. No. 7: SS/3B Juan Sanchez (DSL Blue Jays Red) PA H 2B 3B HR OPS wRC+ K% BB% 253 73 16 4 8 1.004 156 17.4% 10.3% In January of 2025, Sanchez signed with the Toronto Blue Jays for $1,000,000 as a shortstop out of Cotui, Dominican Republic. He began his professional career that same year, playing in the Dominican Summer League (DSL) on the Blue Jays Red squad. He played in 56 games and quickly separated himself as one of the best players on the field down on the island. For the season, he slashed .341/.439/.564, hit eight home runs, 16 doubles, and four triples, and swiped four bags. His plate discipline was about average for the league, as he had a strikeout rate of 17.4% and a walk rate of 10.3%. Yet, his wRC+ of 156 showed his overall production at the plate was anything but average. His final month was truly remarkable, as he slashed .423/.483/.712 across 14 games. After such a dominant performance in 2025, Sanchez was ready to come stateside and become a household name for Toronto Blue Jays fans. He did just that during the Spring Breakout game against the Philadelphia Phillies’ prospects, in which he laced a bases-clearing double into the left-center field gap. It came off the bat with an exit velocity of 105.6 mph, a sign of things to come for this budding star prospect. What To Like Sanchez has a lot going for him, but one of his biggest tools is his power. He stands 6-foot-3 and is listed at 180 pounds. This gives ample projection for his future power output, and when coupled with his current numbers, you get a prospect with the potential to hit 30-40 home runs. He hit eight home runs in 2025 in the DSL, while adding 16 doubles and even four triples. He looks to have good pull-side power already, with a 44.8% fly ball rate and a 55.8% pull rate. What has driven his prospect status through the roof has been his hit tool. He hit .341 as a 17-year-old in the DSL, and on the backfields during spring training, he continued to have success with the bat. His power and hit tool will drive his value through the roof and provide him a very solid floor in his attempt to reach his astronomical ceiling. What To Work On Being very young still, just 18-years-old, Sanchez has a lot to work on. One of the biggest aspects of his game that could use improvement is his potential swing-and-miss concerns. Despite an absurd .341 batting average in 2025, he was just around league average with his strikeout rate of 17.4%. Coming stateside in 2026, he could see this number creep up, which will ultimately lead to his hit tool dropping down some in response to more whiffs. Being less reliant on a pull-side profile could help to ensure he doesn't have any regression or a step backward with regard to his hit tool. In 2025, he hit 44.2% of his balls in play to center and right field. If he can boost that number up to around 50% while maintaining his power, he could soar onto top 50 prospect lists and even into the top three of our Jays Centre prospect rankings. What's Next Sanchez has made the move stateside from the Dominican Republic and is on the verge of his debut at either Rookie ball in the Florida Complex League or at Single-A Dunedin. It is more likely that he will debut in Rookie ball, but with a hot start, he could be promoted to Single-A Dunedin rather quickly. Don't be shocked to see him end the year on nationally renowned top 50 prospect lists, if he can maintain similar production to his 2025 numbers from the DSL. View full article
JoJo Parker Dunedin Blue Jays - A SS On Tuesday, Parker was just 1-for-5, but the one hit was his first professional home run. Explore JoJo Parker News >
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