The arrival of the offseason means that it's time to rank stuff. Already this winter, we've sized up the 60 best free agents, both on an overall and positional basis. There's no law that prevents us from ranking minor-league players in addition to their big-league counterparts. As such, we're going to spend the winter evaluating every team's farm system.
The lack of a minor-league season makes that more of a challenge this year. It doesn't help that some teams opted against sharing video and data from their alternate-site camps with the rest of the league. As such, we've opted against overthinking this. Our rankings will essentially be the same as they were last winter with a few changes. First, we'll exclude anyone who graduated by exhausting their rookie eligibility; second, we'll replace them with draftees or other worthy prospects; and third, and lastly, we'll present the information in a new format.
In every article in this series, you'll find a team's top five prospects as well as five others we felt like including, either because of their promise or some other reason. For those top five prospects, you'll find a quick summation of their pros (their saving grace, if one will) and their cons (their fault line), as well as beefier report and our attempt to peg their "likeliest outcome."
These rankings were compiled by talking to industry folks -- scouts, analysts, and other evaluators -- and include a touch of our own evaluative biases. Remember, that this is more of an art than a science, and that the write-ups matter more than the rankings themselves.
Now, let's get on to the top five prospects in the Toronto Blue Jays system.
1. Austin Martin, CF/INF
Age (as of 4/1/2021): 22
Height/Weight: 6-foot-0, 185 pounds
Acquired: No. 5 pick in the 2020 draft (Vanderbilt)
Highest level: NCAA
Saving grace: Well-rounded game
Fault line: Defensive questions
Scouting report: Martin entered the summer ranked as our No. 1 prospect in the draft thanks to his broad skill set. He has a mature approach at the plate and quality bat-to-ball skills that made him the toughest hitter in a power conference to strike out. Additionally, Martin's exit velocities suggest there might be above-average raw power in his bat to tap into. He runs well and runs smart, and he's a versatile defender -- at least in the sense that he can stand-in at short, second, third, and in center. The latter might be his permanent landing spot, though it would fit with the modern era if the Blue Jays have Martin play a little bit of everywhere.
Likeliest outcome: Multi-dimensional contributor, somewhere
2. Jordan Groshans, SS/3B
Age (as of 4/1/2021): 21
Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 205 pounds
Acquired: No. 12 pick in the 2018 draft (Magnolia High School, Texas)
Highest level: A-ball
Saving grace: Offensive upside
Fault line: Inexperience
Scouting report: Groshans hasn't had much of a chance to strut his stuff since being drafted. He's appeared in 71 professional games, missing a chunk of time because of a foot injury. The Blue Jays have primarily played Groshans at short so far, though he's expected to slide to the hot corner before he reaches maturation. That shouldn't be an issue, provided he's able to tap into his above-average offensive potential, including his well-above-average raw pop.
Likeliest outcome: Starting third baseman
3. Alek Manoah, RHP
Age (as of 4/1/2021): 23
Height/Weight: 6-foot-6, 260 pounds
Acquired: No. 11 pick in the 2019 draft (West Virginia)
Highest level: Low-A
Saving grace: Fastball, slider
Fault line: Command, changeup
Scouting report: Manoah is a large right-hander who looks the part of an innings eater. He has a good fastball-slider combination, and his changeup has shown some promise as well. Manoah doesn't have the most aesthetically pleasing delivery, which threatens to leave him with subpar command. There's some relief risk here -- Manoah spent most of his freshman and sophomore years in the bullpen at WVU -- but he's made enough strides since the start of 2018 that, for now anyway, it feels all right to project him as a starting pitcher.
Likeliest outcome: Mid-rotation starter
4. Simeon Woods-Richardson, RHP
Age (as of 4/1/2021): 20
Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 210 pounds
Acquired: Part of the Marcus Stroman trade (Mets)
Highest level: High-A
Saving grace: Fastball, breaking ball
Fault line: Command, changeup
Scouting report: Woods-Richardson was the top piece in the Marcus Stroman payout. He's an athletic right-hander with a good fastball-breaker combination. He needs to work on his changeup and his command, as do most pitchers his age, but there's mid-rotation potential here.
Likeliest outcome: Mid-rotation starter
5. Eric Pardinho, RHP
Age (as of 4/1/2021): 20
Height/Weight: 5-foot-10, 155 pounds
Acquired: International amateur free-agent signing (Brazil)
Highest level: A-ball
Saving grace: Youth
Fault line: Upside
Scouting report: Pardinho put himself on scouting radars during the 2016 World Baseball Classic qualifiers, when he pumped mid-90s gas for Brazil. At the time, it seemed like he might be destined for stardom. That no longer appears to be the case. Pardinho has been limited to 19 regular-season appearances over the last three years because of the pandemic and various injuries. He underwent Tommy John surgery in the spring, and it's to be seen how that'll impact his mostly average arsenal.
Likeliest outcome: Back-end starter
Five others to know
- Adam Kloffenstein, RHP
Only two players from Magnolia High School in Texas have been drafted since 2010. Both, coincidentally, were selected by the Blue Jays in 2018: the aforementioned Groshans, and Kloffenstein, who is a big sinkerballer whose refinement could permit him to start.
- C.J. Van Eyk, RHP
Van Eyk's inconsistency caused him to slip to the second round despite frequently showing first-round stuff. At his best, he has three above-average offerings and looks like an above-average big-league starter. If the Blue Jays can help him become consistently less inconsistent, then he could prove to be one of the better values in the draft.
Kirk drew inquiries at the deadline before later making his big-league debut and performing well over a nine-game stint. He's a short, thick backstop who seldom strikes out and who has a good feel for contact. He's likely to become a Twitter sensation, a la Willians Astudillo.
- Miguel Hiraldo, INF
Hiraldo has primarily played shortstop during his professional career. The expectation is that he'll end up sliding elsewhere, either to second or third. He has the offensive potential to make it work thanks to his bat speed and feel for contact. Hiraldo could end up being a regular.
- Orelvis Martinez, SS
Martinez remains one to watch in the lower levels of the Toronto system. He's a 19-year-old shortstop (at least for the time being) with above-average power potential.
