Is Riley Tirotta the Solution to the Blue Jays' Power Problem?

The Blue Jays have struggled all season with their power output, hitting only 22 homers on the season, which is good for second-last in the league. They’re also sixth worst in barrel percentage at 7.2%, and eighth worst in xSLG as of May 2. Obviously, some of this is due to the slow start from Anthony Santander, Bo Bichette, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the home run department, but the Jays are tailored more to a contact-heavy approach, which trades off whiffs for weak contact, as detailed by JaysCentre editor Leo Morgenstern.

Enter Riley Tirotta. The 26-year old corner infielder has been one of the most productive bats in the Jays' minor league system over the past two years and has sneakily improved year over year to little fanfare. Tirotta was a late bloomer, getting drafted by the Blue Jays as a college senior out of Dayton in the 12th round of the 2021 MLB Draft with a signing bonus of $125,000. He bounced around from Low-A ball to Double-A from 2021-2023 before going on a ridiculous hot streak in 2024 where he went from Low-A all the way to Triple-A Buffalo, slashing .302/.464/.591 for a 185 wRC+ in 196 PAs from April 13th to June 29th. He slowed down as the season progressed, but still ended up with a 126 wRC+ on the season in 444 plate appearances and was a cool developmental story for the Blue Jays last season.

Tirotta got 26 PAs in spring training and did not perform well at all, striking out 50% of the time while hitting under the Mendoza line, which resulted in a wRC+ of -3. However, one thing stood out: he swings the bat really hard. According to the limited data available in spring, Tirotta was one of the top 15 hitters in bat speed, just 0.4 mph slower than some dude called Aaron Judge, and slightly above top prospect Orelvis Martinez. The Jays are currently the team with the slowest bat speed according to Baseball Savant, so Tirotta could immediately help change that outlook.

(Via Eno Sarris)

Once the regular season started, though, Tirotta carried over his success from 2024 and has been one of the hottest hitters for the Buffalo Bisons, slashing .278/.391/.519 with a 15.6 BB% to a 32.8 K%. He’s been so impressive that beat writers Keegan Matheson and Ben Nicholson-Smith have both discussed Tirotta as a potential call-up to the majors to help with the lack of power from their infielders, especially as Orelvis Martinez, Will Wagner, and Davis Schneider have struggled to start the season.

Tirotta’s Statcast data is one of the most red pages you’ll see down in Triple-A (courtesy of TJStats), showcasing an extremely patient approach despite a lot of whiffs and strikeouts, though his batted ball metrics are outstanding.

Tirotta’s approach varies heavily from the Jays' current approach, and he would be a welcome addition in order to inject some power into the lineup. Some things that are preventing Tirotta from getting the call as of now are that he isn’t on the 40-man roster, and his best defensive home is likely first base, despite starting more games at the hot corner in Triple-A. Obviously, that position is fully occupied by Vladdy, who plays practically every day. Still with seven outfielders currently on the Jays 26-man roster, Tirotta could be utilized as a backup to Ernie Clement and Guerrero Jr., and could maybe add some juice to the lineup with swings like this one.

Obviously, a fast-rising, post-hype older prospect isn't going to solve all that woes Toronto. But as a means to getting better in-house production, the Blue Jays could take a chance on the 26-year-old slugger.

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!