Blue Jays Sign International Amateur Free Agent Tomoya Kinjo

[Leo Morgenstern]

According to reporter Francys Romero, the Toronto Blue Jays recently signed Tomoya Kinjo, an international amateur free agent from Japan. The right-hander trained in the Dominican Republic and previously played in the Shikoku Island League Plus, an independent professional league in Japan. At 23 years old, Kinjo is on the older side for an international amateur signing, but Romero notes he reaches 98 mph on his fastball – that's eye-catching at any age.

Indeed, according to Yakyu Cosmopolitan, Kinjo has set a goal to reach 165 kmh (103 mph), and he's documenting his progress on social media. He has already hit the 100 mph milestone in this endeavor. Obviously, there's more to pitching than velocity, but the appeal of an amateur who can already hit triple digits is just as clear.

Yakyu Cosmopolitan also notes that Kinjo entered the NPB draft in both 2024 and '25 but was not selected in either year. In other words, he's not going to be a top prospect – at least not right away (and maybe not ever). He's a notable lottery ticket, but he's still a lottery ticket.

Kinjo joins many new Blue Jays prospects in the international class of 2026, highlighted by catcher Juan Caricote and outfielders Michael Mesa and Aneudi Severino. Romero did not provide details about Kinjo's signing bonus.

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