Checking in on the top Toronto Blue Jays prospects playing in Vancouver

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The Vancouver Canadians are the high-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. This means that many of the players that will eventually become Blue Jays will pass through Vancouver as they work their way through the Minor Leagues.

Until 2022, the Canadians were a Rookie Ball team, which meant that their season was a lot shorter, starting after the draft in June. The Canadians previously would mostly have college draftees play for the team, while moving on to full-season ball the following season.

Since becoming a high-A full season team, fans have had the chance to see many more of the team’s top prospects. The team currently boasts 9 of the team’s top 30 prospects, per MLB.com. This comes just one year after the organization’s top prospect, Ricky Tiedemann, pitched in Vancouver.

Now that we’re 19 games into the season, there has been enough of a sample size to check in on who has stood out the most for the club.

Let’s start with Cade Doughty, who appeared at #8 on MLB.com’s list. The infielder has batted just .208 thus far with an on base percentage of .295. However, he does have 3 home runs in just 53 at bats. Doughty’s bat is his calling card, as he’s expected to hit throughout the Minor Leagues. He’s a bit raw defensively, and will likely need to continue to work with coaches before advancing to AA.

Leading the club in hits is #12 prospect Gabriel Martinez, who is hitting .277 with a .304 on base percentage. He’s been making good contact, but with only 3 walks on the season, he could bring a bit more patience to his at bats. He also has yet to show much power this year, only hitting 1 home run.

A player who has flashed some serious on base ability is shortstop Josh Kasevitch. Hitting .271 with a .400 OBP, the former Oregon Duck has walked more than he’s struck out (9 to 8). Drafted in the 2nd round of last years draft, Kasevitch has yet to show much power just yet, with only 1 double and no home runs thus far.

Moving over to the pitching staff, all eyes were on Adam Macko to start the year, as the prize of the off-season Teoscar Hernandez trade has started two games for the Canadians. He pitched fine in his first start, before getting lit up in his second. It’s still way too early to look too far into these numbers, as Macko is one of the Blue Jays top pitching prospects (#9 per MLB.com). He recently sat down with Vancouver podcast dynamo Todd Hancock for an interview.

The most impressive starting pitcher so far for the Canadians has been righthander Chad Dallas, who sports a 2.18 ERA and 0.87 WHIP so far. He also had 31 strikeouts in just 20.2 innings pitched through 4 starts. The 2021 4th rounder wasn’t included on most prospect lists, but he may find himself with some hype if his early season numbers continue.

Finally, relief pitcher Connor Cooke needs to be mentioned, as his numbers have jumped off the page. The former Louisiana Ragin’ Cajun hasn’t allowed a run in 6 relief appearances, striking out a whopping 15 batters through 6.1 innings pitched. I was at a game earlier this year and watched as this guy routinely hit 100 mph with his fastball. He seems like he is going to be an electric bullpen arm for the Blue Jays before too long.

As you can see, there’s definitely some promising prospects to watch for the Canadians this year. Head out to Nat Bailey stadium and see these guys play before they reach the Major Leagues. You never know who is going to end up being the next big thing.

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