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.
After almost nine years in Toronto's organization,Leo Jiménez is heading to Miami. Jiménez made a valiant effort to break camp with the Blue Jays, but ultimately, he failed to make the Opening Day roster. As he was out of options, the team had no choice but to designate him for assignment.
On Sunday, the Marlins decided to take a chance on the 24-year-old infielder, sending a 23-year-old infielder (and $250,000 of international bonus pool money) to the Blue Jays in return. Miami selected Dub Gleed in the ninth round of the 2024 draft, and he made his affiliated debut in 2025. He rose through the Marlins' system quickly, finishing his season with one game at Triple-A Jacksonville. The corner infielder walked almost as often as he struck out, helping him post a 124 wRC+ across four levels.
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