X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Toronto Blue Jays Top MLB Prospects for 2018 Dynasty Leagues

Today we are wrapping up the American League East with one of the most interesting farm systems in baseball in the Toronto Blue Jays. There might not be a farm system in baseball with a better top pairing than this one, especially for fantasy purposes. Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are two of the most elite up-and-coming fantasy prospects in baseball and should be owned already in most leagues.

The depth tapers off, but there is some solid talent in this farm system that make it an interesting one to follow. It probably ranks third in the American League East in terms of overall talent behind the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays.

This is the final team to be covered from the AL East. I have already covered the  Baltimore OriolesBoston Red SoxNew York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays. Later, I will delve into the AL Central. To read more about my prospect coverage, click here.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Toronto Blue Jays Top Prospects for Dynasty Leagues

Top Overall Talent: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Top Prospect to Debut in 2018: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

It takes a lot of talent and production for people to start asking seriously if an 18-year-old is already destined to join his father in the Hall of Fame. That is the case with Guerrero. The third baseman burst onto the scene in 2017, walking well more than he struck out while easily hitting over .300 and flashing extreme raw power. All this while playing at Class-A and Class-A Advanced, two levels well above someone of his age. Scouts are calling him one of the best pure hitters in the minors in several years and think that there is a chance Guerrero reaches the majors at age 19 due to his incredibly patient approach and impressive tools. Nothing should be put past Guerrero at this point and if you happen to have a chance to grab him in your dynasty league, do not pass the offer up.

Top Prospect who won’t debut in 2018: Bo Bichette

It’s difficult to have a better season than Bichette had in 2017. He slashed .362/.423/.565 with 14 home runs and 22 stolen bases in just 110 games. He walked at an 8.4 percent clip while only striking out 16.2 percent of the time. While Bichette did not impress as much as Guerrero in 2017, the son of former Colorado Rockie Dante Bichette demonstrated one of the most explosive bats in the minors that should translate into an annual .300-plus batting average. He also showed himself off to have above-average power and at least average speed. In most systems, Bichette would be viewed as one of the top prospects in baseball. Unfortunately for him, Guerrero might be the best pure hitter in the minors. Bichette could debut in 2018, but he will have to really dominate as he did in 2017. For some, that is easier said than done, but Bichette is an elite prospect with the chance to be one of the best hitters in the game in a few seasons.

Biggest Boom or Bust: Sean Reid-Foley

The stuff has never been a question with Reid-Foley. Scouts have always seen a pitcher who can mix and match one of the best repertoires in baseball against hitters and a guy who is just one tool away from becoming a future major-leaguer. Unfortunately for Reid-Foley, that missing tool has been control. His walk rates have typically been near 10 percent every year, and he often misses out over the plate which leads to him getting hit hard. He has missed plenty of bats through his minor-league career though and is still only 22. Reid-Foley could start to put it together and become a future No. 3 starter with strikeout upside. He just needs to locate better.

Biggest Sleeper: Logan Warmoth

Warmoth in college put up some of the better numbers from a shortstop in all of the 2017 season. That’s why by the end of the year, he was the highest drafted among them in a class that was admittedly weaker than it has been in past seasons. Warmoth slashed .349/.417/.569 with nine home runs and 18 stolen bases in his junior year at UNC en route to being drafted 22nd overall. Scouts aren’t entirely convinced his tools will translate to major-league production, and some just view him as a future glove-first shortstop who is best served as a utility player in the majors. But if Warmoth can start to hit for more power and maintain the speed he showed in college, he could be a solid sleeper shortstop to own.

 

Top Prospect Hitters

Best Power Hitter: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Most Likely to Hit over .300: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

As discussed earlier with Guerrero, he is perhaps the best pure hitter the minors have seen in many years. Not only did he hit .323 as an 18-year-old last season, but he walked 14.4 percent of the time to just an 11.8 percent strikeout rate. He also hit 13 home runs in 119 games, which might sound unimpressive until his age is factored into the numbers. Scouts project Guerrero to generate his well plus-plus raw power into 30-plus home runs on an annual basis with the chance for more. They also see him as a guy who should compete for batting titles moving forward. Guerrero is one of the game’s best young hitters and appears on track to be a middle-of-the-order bat for many years to come.

Best Burner on the Bases: Anthony Alford

Alford gets a bit lost in the Blue Jays’ shuffle these days due to Guerrero and Bichette, but he still offers several tools that are attractive from a fantasy standpoint. Most notably, he stands out as one of the fastest baserunners in the minors who could be a future 30-plus base-stealer. Alford has had to deal with injuries in the past couple seasons, but nonetheless has swiped 37 bags in 173 games over the past two years. The speed combined with a keen eye and ability to make consistent, hard contact should allow him to bat in front of Guerrero and Bichette for years to come.

 

Top Prospect Pitchers

Strikeout Machine: Nate Pearson

Pearson spent just 20 innings in professional baseball after he was drafted 28th overall in 2017, but it was a special 20 innings. He posted a 0.90 ERA with a 1.95 FIP and 36.6 percent strikeout rate. The 21-year-old right-hander flashed the explosive fastball with his average changeup and solid breaking pitches. He will need to develop those three pitches a bit more to stay on track as a starter, but the fastball should mean he will be able to miss plenty of bats moving forward. The question will just become whether those strikeouts are coming from the rotation or the bullpen.

Best Command: Ryan Borucki

The name of Borucki’s game for years has been control. His walk rate typically sits around 5 percent, and it has helped him find success in the minors. Borucki does not overwhelm hitters with his stuff, averaging a low-90s fastball with his changeup being his only plus pitch. That is why Borucki’s command and control have always been so important. He has needed to rely on it to avoid getting hit too hard by opposing hitters. It is for this reason he has a high floor and low ceiling. His control could carry him to a No. 4 or 5 spot in a rotation, but he is not likely to pitch much higher than that in a big-league rotation.

 

Top 10 Dynasty Prospects for the Toronto Blue Jays

1. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (3B/OF, A+)
ETA: 2018
One of the most advanced hitters for his age to ever play baseball, Guerrero has a limitless ceiling and should be owned in all dynasty leagues.

2. Bo Bichette (2B/SS, A+)
ETA: 2019
Bichette jumped out onto the scene in 2017 and looks like a future batting title contender with some solid power on the side. And with his future at either second or short, his bat is too potent to ignore in any dynasty league.

3. Anthony Alford (OF, MLB)
ETA: 2018
Once considered the top prospect in this system, Alford has since been passed over by a couple dynamic prospects, but Alford’s top-of-the-order profile should make him a valuable own down the road.

4. Danny Jansen (C, AAA)
ETA: 2018
Catchers always have extra value, and Jansen with his plus bat and average pop should make him a valuable fantasy prospect if he can eventually grab the starting catching job this season.

5. Nate Pearson (SP, A-)
ETA: 2020
Pearson has plenty of life to his fastball, but needs to improve his control and secondary offerings to avoid a future in the bullpen.

6. Logan Warmoth (SS, A-)
ETA: 2019
Warmoth does a little bit of everything well, but nothing great. He might run into a few home runs and steal some bags with a decent average, though his numbers will never jump out on the page. He could be a solid deep-league add or better if he starts to put up better numbers.

7. Lourdes Gurriel (2B/SS/3B, AA)
ETA: 2018
Gurriel can make plenty of contact, but hasn’t done much with the contact he’s made through the start of his pro career. He still has improvements to show for him to be more than a pinch hitter.

8. Ryan Borucki (SP, AAA)
ETA: 2018
The control specialist has a high floor and low ceiling as a back-of-the-rotation starter. He has to locate well to prevent his average repertoire from getting knocked around.

9. Richard Urena (SS, AA)
ETA: 2019
Urena has plenty of tools, but hasn’t done much with them. The 2018 season has to be the one he turns around before his stock takes a complete nosedive.

10. Max Pentecost (C, A+)
ETA: 2019
Injuries have hampered Pentecost’s career who should be in Jansen’s position right now, knocking on the door of a starting role. He still has a high ceiling, but now needs to fight Jansen for playing time.

 

Conclusion

This system would not grade well if not for the two at the top. But let’s face it, it’s never a bad thing to be a system with two of the game's elite prospects. Guerrero and Bichette both look like future All-Stars who will be among the best fantasy bats to own for many years to come, while Alford will give them a solid top-of-the-order presence to drive in on a consistent basis. This team also has solid catching depth, but not really any star prospect. Even Jansen is just solid, but probably not a future star.

Outside of Pearson, there aren’t any real future exciting arms to look for in this farm system. The moral of this story is: if you own Guerrero, Bichette or Alford, you’re set. If not, you should look in other farm systems before looking in this one.

 

More 2018 MLB Prospects Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Tyler Soderstrom

Returns to A's Lineup
Tyler Warren

Sidelined on Wednesday with Toe Injury
Jaylen Waddle

Questionable for Week 3 Against Buffalo
Joe Burrow

Bengals Not Closing the Door on Joe Burrow Returning This Year
CFB

LaNorris Sellers to Play Against Missouri?
Kyle Tucker

Progress has "Plateaued"
Isaac Paredes

has "Outside Chance" to Return This Weekend
CFB

Kaidon Salter Expected To Start for Colorado on Saturday
Willson Contreras

Goes on 10-Day Injured List, Done for Season
Justin Fields

Ruled Out for Week 3 Due to Concussion
Jayden Reed

Out Indefinitely After Foot and Shoulder Surgery
Washington Commanders

Preston Smith Signs With Commanders
Trey Jemison III

Joins Knicks on Two-Way Contract
Kevin McCullar Jr.

Signs New Two-Way Deal With Knicks
Matt Ryan

Returns to Knicks on Exhibit 10 Contract
New York Knicks

Alex Len Signs Exhibit 9 Deal With Knicks
Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Expected to Take on Larger Offensive Role With Hawks
Thomas Sorber

Undergoes Surgery
Dominic Canzone

Has Five-Hit, Three-Homer Game Tuesday
Cal Raleigh

Sets Single-Season Home Run Record for a Switch-Hitter
Jayden Reed

Undergoes Clavicle and Foot Surgeries, Out for Foreseeable Future
Bo Bichette

to Miss Rest of Regular Season
Zach Neto

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Hand Injury
Yordan Alvarez

Out on Tuesday, Dealing With "Significant" Ankle Sprain
Aaron Jones Sr.

Vikings Place Aaron Jones Sr. on Injured Reserve With Hamstring Injury
CFB

Diego Pavia Refutes Report of Seeking Seventh Collegiate Season
Christian Kirk

Expected to Return in Week 3
CFB

Diego Pavia Seeking Another Year of Eligibility
Tarik Skubal

on Track to Start Thursday
CFB

Kevorian Barnes Questionable Against SMU
Bo Bichette

has Short-Term Knee Injury, Could Return for Postseason
Tosan Evbuomwan

Joins Knicks
NBA

Kai Jones Links Up With EuroLeague Team
Bismack Biyombo

Returns to Spurs
Bones Hyland

Rejoins Timberwolves
Kobe Bufkin

Moves to Brooklyn
Trey Yesavage

Sets Franchise Strikeout Record On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

To Receive MRI For Sprained Left Ankle On Tuesday
Willson Contreras

Exits Early Monday With Right-Biceps Tightness
Yordan Alvarez

Exits With Ankle Sprain
Brock Bowers

Officially Active on Monday Night
Jauan Jennings

Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
CBJ

Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
Aaron Jones Sr.

Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
Diego Lopes

Returns To The Win Column
Jayden Daniels

' Week 3 Status in Doubt
Rob Font

Outclassed In The Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
David Martinez

Wins His Second UFC Fight
Jared Gordon

Suffers Brutal TKO Loss At Noche UFC 3
Rafa Garcia

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dealing with Wrist Injury
Dustin Stoltzfus

Drops A Decision At Noche UFC 3
Kelvin Gastelum

Gets Back In The Win Column
Diego Ferreira

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Alexander Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
Quang Le

Suffers First-Round Knockout
Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
Christopher Bell

Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
Alex Bowman

Falls Short of Advancing Through Cup Series Playoffs
Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
Corey Heim

Earns his First Career Cup Series Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Drops 28 Points in EuroBasket Finals
CFB

Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. Out for Season with Knee Injury
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
Bryce Eldridge

Giants to Promote Bryce Eldridge
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Progressing in Recovery
Jonathan Kuminga

Receives New Offer From Warriors
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Emil Heineman

Aiming to Take the "Next Step" This Season
Braeden Cootes

Good to Go for Camp
Ivan Fedotov

Blue Jackets Acquire Ivan Fedotov From Flyers
Garrett Crochet

Punches Out 12 in Win
Cole Ragans

to Return on Wednesday
George Kirby

Strikes Out 14 in Win
Quentin Grimes

Still Not Close to a New Contract Agreement
Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
Josh Berry

Finishes Last in All Three Round of 16 Races to Fail to Advance
CFB

Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
CFB

LaNorris Sellers Exits Game In Blowout Loss
CFB

DJ Lagway Tosses Five Interceptions In Loss
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
CFB

CJ Carr Remains Poised In Narrow Loss
CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
CFB

Arch Manning Struggles Against UTEP
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Ivan Demidov

Turning Heads in Rookie Camp
NHL

Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Corey Perry

Out 6-8 Weeks Following Surgery
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Dealing With a "Tweak"
BUF

Alexandar Georgiev Joins Sabres on One-Year Deal
Corey Perry

Injured During Pre-Camp Skate
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
CFB

Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Malcolm Brogdon

Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
Landry Shamet

Staying with the Knicks

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP