Homegrown talent isn't seen much anymore, but when it does happen, there is something a little more special in the air during their major league debut. It's a wave of emotions for the player, their friends, and family, as well as the organization. 2025 will see the Rogers Centre explode with excitement and pure joy for Roden, a welcome fitting for the “homegrown” moniker. Let's look at how he got to this point and what he provides to his team on the baseball field. 

The Toronto Blue Jays scooped up Roden in the 3rd round of the 2022 MLB draft out of Creighton University. He only played two seasons there, as he got into just three games his freshman year. He was a career .383 hitter in college, his calling card at the time of the draft. He hit 14 home runs until his pro debut, showing more gap-to-gap power via his 32 doubles. Much development would be in store for the minor league coaches and Roden.

During his two years in the Blue Jays organization, he only missed out on playing in the Complex League. He has amassed a career .298 batting average, 27 home runs, and an OPS of .860. At each level, his wRC+ has never dipped below 133 (outside of his 25-game pro debut season). His walk and strikeout rates have followed suit in the consistency department, with his K/BB ratio never dropping below 0.85. That kind of ratio is rarely seen, especially at the higher levels. With Roden being a name to watch at spring training, let's look at what he does well and struggles with and where he can go from here. 

What's To Like?
Roden is far from the typical hitter you see in today's game. He hits from the left side of the plate and does it extremely well. The tool is a plus, with room for even more improvement (more on this later). He can control the bat through the zone and make not just a lot of contact but a ton of optimal contact. His contact rate at Triple-A Buffalo was 81.9% (88th percentile), and his in-zone contact rate came in at an eye-popping 92.3% (95th percentile). When he decides to take a swing at a pitch, he's going to make contact. To add to his hit tool, he displayed great plate discipline, only chasing pitches at a 24.1% clip (67th percentile) and having a strikeout rate of 14.3% (89th percentile). Even the secondary offerings from opposing pitchers didn't give him much trouble; he had a whiff rate of 25.8% compared to theirs (81st percentile). 

Looking at the rest of Roden's profile, you can see he doubles down on the high contact rates by making a ton of good-quality contact. His hard-hit rate was 36.6% at Triple-A Buffalo last year, slightly above average for the level (55th percentile). Having such high contact rates dilutes some of his exit velocity (EV) numbers, but they show he can hit the ball hard with the best of his peers. His max EV was very exciting at 112.2 mph (91st percentile), while the 90th-percentile exit velocity was above average at 103.2 mph (62nd percentile). He uses a robust rate of pulled fly balls (42.1%) and high exit velocities to produce his power, 16 home runs in 2024. 

What To Work On?
As good as Roden is with making contact, he has some aspects of his game that he needs to work on. If he can improve on some of these, he can take a giant leap forward in his profile and increase his potential major-league impact. The first is tackling his struggles with his swing and decision-making at the plate. Despite being a top-tier contact hitter, he can become an elite one if he can find a way to decrease his struggles with pitches down and out of the zone. Looking at his whiff rates by zone at Triple-A Buffalo, you can see the majority of his swings and misses come in those areas. 

Following this trail leads to his strikeout rates by zone and similar results. Down-and-in and down-and-away are the locations that resulted in his most strikeouts. Once he reaches the major league level, pitchers will relentlessly exploit these weaknesses until he can show he can handle those pitches better (whether it's laying off them more or making better contact). 

If Roden can adjust his approach or swing, it should also result in more favorable launch angles. In 2024, at Triple-A Buffalo, his average launch angle was eight degrees due to the larger rate of ground balls he put into play (48.5%). To take the next step towards being a legitimate major league contributor, he must decrease his ground ball rate to around 40%. This should increase his overall numbers and maybe even add extra power to his profile. 

What's Next?
Roden is one of the players to watch at spring training. He brings a dual threat of power and speed, something the Blue Jays are sorely lacking this year. Several positions are open for him to win a spot on the opening-day roster. Lucky for him and the Blue Jays, he can play any outfield position. If he can't parlay his hot stretch at the end of last season into a roster spot (.377/.457/.623, seven home runs, 13 doubles, and five stolen bases in his final 45 games), he will start back at Triple-A Buffalo. He is biding his time until a roster spot opens up, or he forces the front office's hand.