There are quite a few prospects who should be ready to help the Toronto Blue Jays in 2026.
The 2025 season saw several young players plug holes in the lineup, such as Addison Barger, Trey Yesavage, Mason Fluharty, and Braydon Fisher. Still relatively early into the off-season, the Jays are in on the top free agents, namely Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker, and Bo Bichette.
While the Jays likely won’t have a prospect/young player breakout like Barger or Yesavage (who is still technically a rookie), the Jays could end up leaning on a handful of prospects if injuries arise.
Let’s take a look at five prospects who could make their big league debut in 2026.
Brandon Valenzuela
The Blue Jays are fortunate to have a durable catcher in Alejandro Kirk. Sure, he’s had his stints on the injured list, including a short stint in the summer due to a concussion. But aside from a hip injury in 2021, Kirk has been healthy throughout his career. Their backup catcher, Tyler Heineman, also had a short stint on the injured list because of a concussion.
In both scenarios, the Jays called up Ali Sánchez. Well, if there is an injury to one of their catchers next season, Brandon Valenzuela will be the replacement, as he’s on the 40-man roster. Acquired for Will Wagner before the 2025 trade deadline, the Mexican catcher hit a career-best 15 home runs in 479 plate appearances last season for a 99 wRC+.
His numbers dipped once reaching the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, slashing just .207/.295/.370 with three home runs in 105 plate appearances, but Valenzuela is better known for his defence, throwing out just over a third of would-be stealers last season.
The 25-year-old is the backup catcher of the future, and it helps that he has some experience playing first base as well.
Riley Tirotta
It feels like Riley Tirotta will get his big league opportunity at some point. The 27-year-old broke out in 2024, slashing .247/.360/.425 with 15 home runs in 444 plate appearances between Single-A, Double-A, and Triple-A in 2024. Most of those plate appearances came with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, where he finished with 12 home runs and a 112 wRC+.
His tenure with the Bisons in 2025 was similar, as Tirotta slashed /.268/.359/.417 with 12 home runs in 463 plate appearances for a 112 wRC+. There are some swing and miss concerns, as the utility player had a 29.6 K% last season, funnily enough, he doesn’t chase outside the zone all that often.
Tirotta also has that positional versatility that the Blue Jays love. Last season, he played first base, third base, right field, and some left field. The 27-year-old even played a number of innings at both second base and shortstop.
Because of the power and positional versatility, he could be an option at some point in 2026.
Josh Kasevich
Josh Kasevich probably would’ve made his big league debut had he not spent most of the 2025 season on the injured list.
The 24-year-old shortstop had a good 2024 season between Double-A and Triple-A, slashing .296/.348/.385 with a career-best six home runs in 566 plate appearances. However, he started the season with and just couldn’t get healthy, going on three separate rehab assignments.
Finally, Kasevich returned to the Bisons in August, where he proceeded to slash .173/.272/.184 with no home runs in 114 plate appearances, well off the season he had in 2024. In the fall, he represented the Jays in the Arizona Fall League and slashed .255/.419/.255 with 17 walks and 11 strikeouts. The only downside is that Kasevich hit 14 singles and no extra-base hits.
If Kasevich avoids starting the season on the injured list and returns to his 2024 form, his strong defence and hitting ability could be of use to the Blue Jays in 2026.
RJ Schreck
RJ Schreck and Yohendrick Piñango will be two outfielders who’ll always be intertwined. Both were acquired at the 2024 trade deadline, Schreck from the Seattle Mariners for Justin Turner and Piñango from the Chicago Cubs for Nate Pearson. Post-trade, they both finished the season in Double-A, then began the 2025 season at the same level.
Both got off to a hot start, and both were promoted to the Bisons around the same. That’s where their path diverged a little bit, as Piñango was an average hitter (albeit a bit unlucky), while Schreck tore up the level when healthy.
In 234 plate appearances in Triple-A, Schreck slashed .242/.392/.435 with nine home runs in 234 plate appearances, with a 16.2 BB% and 20.9 K%. He has a good approach at the plate and is a solid defender. If Schreck hits like he did last season, he could earn a look on the Jays at some point in 2026. The same goes for Piñango.
Ricky Tiedemann
Formerly the Blue Jays’ top prospect, Ricky Tiedemann set the blueprint for what Trey Yesavage did in 2025. Tiedemann, a left-handed pitcher, had an incredible start to his professional career after the Jays drafted him in the third round of the 2021 draft. Between Single-A, High-A, and Double-A, Tiedemann had a 2.17 ERA and 2.51 FIP in 78.2 innings pitched, with a 38.9 K% and 9.6 BB% in 2022.
Unfortunately, he was hampered by injuries and poor command in 2023, but was still able to post a 2.12 FIP in 32 innings pitched in 2023 when he was in Double-A. Tiedemann’s 2024 season derailed quickly, as he made just eight starts and pitched just 17.1 innings pitched before needing Tommy John surgery.
The 23-year-old lefty didn’t pitch in 2025, but was nonetheless added to the Blue Jays’ 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. He’ll need to pitch well to get a look in the big leagues, but he’s a hard throwing lefty with excellent secondary pitches, it wouldn’t be a shock if he’s called up in September for the bullpen.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.