A Closer Look at Ty Southisene and Brett Bateman

The Toronto Blue Jays were swinging deals at the deadline, and one of those was trading Kevin Gausman out of Canada in exchange for some Chicago Cubs farmhands. The Jays got prospects Ty Southisene (the Cubs' former No. 13 prospect, per MLB Pipeline) and Brett Bateman (No. 21) in the trade. Let’s take a closer look at what those two bring to the table and why the Jays wanted them in exchange for a 14-year MLB veteran like Gausman. 

Who Is Ty Southisene?

Ty Southisene is arguably the headliner of the Jays’ return package, nestling in as their No. 17 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. The 21-year-old shortstop prospect is on the smaller side, holding a 5-foot-7, 170-pound frame. He was originally a fourth-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, as the Cubs selected him for his high baseball IQ and ability to flash a promising hit tool with plenty of speed.

Southisene got to work in 2025, playing 90 of his 91 games with the Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans. For someone who has to make up for a 20-grade power tool, Southisene found ways to do just about everything else. He logged 36 runs batted in and managed to accumulate eight extra-base hits (six doubles, two triples) in his first year of professional baseball.

A Closer Look

Taking a closer look at Southisene, he simply possesses elite hand-eye coordination. The middle infielder’s 21.2 percent whiff rate at High-A with the Cubs this year was in the 86th percentile, and he was striking out only 12.7 percent of the time (97th percentile), per Prospect Savant. He’s more of a one- or two-tool player, but if those tools (hit, run) are elite, he could glide up the Jays’ minor league ladder. 

Maturity and Blistering Speed

Southisene is starting with the High-A Vancouver Canadians, and he’ll bring a remarkable sense of plate discipline with him. The rising shortstop tallied 63 walks to 59 punchouts in 2025, and his 41 walks to 37 punchouts this year in the Cubs' system show that Southisene is one of the stingiest swingers in the lower levels of affiliate ball.

Toronto’s newest prospect slashed .305/.425/.372 (.797 OPS) in 66 contests this year between Single and High A, and his speed has been on full display from day one. On one hand, his quickness allows him to be one of the more rangey prospects out there. On the other hand, he logged 12 errors and had just a .937 fielding percentage through 57 games at the shortstop position.

His run tool, listed at a 55-grade, may be due for an upgrade soon. The speedy middle infielder had 72 stolen bases in 157 professional games with Chicago. Fellow speedsters like Chandler Simpson have shown that there’s still an everyday starting spot for someone who can rely on quickness, but Southisene has a long way to go before those big league conversations can formulate. 

Welcome, Brett Bateman!

Brett Bateman is slightly below Southisene on MLB Pipeline's ranking, but he is the more polished of the two prospects. The 24-year-old outfielder is 5-foot-10 and weighs 170 pounds. The lefty was an eighth-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, as the Cubs selected him out of the University of Minnesota. 

Bateman is another speed-first prospect, earning a 70-grade run tool, but his power is a bit more prevalent than the aforementioned Southisene's. Bateman has 83 stolen bags in 315 games in the Cubs' org, but his career-high .851 OPS this season at Triple-A Iowa shows that he can be more than just a runner. 

The Gophers alum has developed “doubles power” this year, peppering the gaps with a career-best 18 doubles across 82 contests. He notched a pair of triples and had three home runs for the Iowa Cubs before this trade took place. 

Diving Deeper

Above all else, this is someone who can also make for a stingy at-bat. Similar to Southisene, Bateman walks a ton (17.5%, 92nd percentile per Prospect Savant). He’s earned 60 walks to just 66 strikeouts this year, and his 218 free passes to 253 punchouts have held around that ratio for all four years of his professional career. 

Bateman also has a remarkable sense for the strike zone, with a zone contact percentage of 85.71 percent. He ranks below the league average in 90th percentile exit velocity, barrel percentage and hard-hit rate, but much like Southisene, the chase rate (20.8 percent, 86th percentile) and whiff rate (16.4 percent, 89th percentile) are impossible to ignore for someone who is on the doorstep of the major leagues this year.

Speed for the Future

The Blue Jays have landed two players with similar profiles, but they play different positions. Southisene is a minor league speedster who could break into the big leagues in a couple of years, while Bateman’s plate discipline and raw speed could get him into the show by the end of this year.

Interested in learning more about the Toronto Blue Jays' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!