We’ve reached the gap between the end of spring training and opening day. The Jays don’t play until Friday night. To fill that gap, we’re going to run our annual top 40 prospect ranking this week, with two editions per day from now through Thursday. We’ll take opening weekend off and come back on Monday to count down the top 8. Without further ado…
40. Brandon Barriera, LHP, Age 22 (DOB: 3/4/2004), Grade 35, 2025: 14th
Brandon Barriera’s trajectory has been mostly downwards since he was selected 23rd overall back in 2022. He showed up to camp the next summer visibly out of shape and had a thoroughly disappointing first pro season that ended early due to elbow soreness. He cleaned up his conditioning, and reports out of camp in 2024 were good. That lasted just 1.1 innings into the regular season before he went down with elbow issues again, this time requiring Tommy John surgery. He made it back in June of last summer and pitched 5.2 extremely messy innings before going down yet again, this time with a fractured ulna. It’s been a rough ride.
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So why is he still here? Because in the brief flashes we’ve gotten the stuff that made him a first round pick still appears to be there. He touched 99mph with his four seamer in his good outings last summer, and has apparently been regularly showing 98 in camp this summer. He has actually shifted to his cutter as his primary weapon, though. It’s a plus pitch that sits in the mid 90s. His slider is also plus, and he’s shown some feel for a change that could be average or a little better. His command was rough last year, but that’s often the last thing to come back after TJ and he never got to get himself established. There’s hope that it can get to fringe average because he’s a good athlete with a reasonably clean delivery.
Injuries and lost reps point to Barriera’s future being in the bullpen, if his body can stand up to even that workload. The upside is such that we can’t quite quit him, but he’ll really need to log a few innings in 2026 or it’s likely that his career just never gets off the runway.
39. Chay Yeager, RHP, Age 23 (DOB: 9/11/2002), Grade 35, 2025: NR
Yeager was the Jays 12th round pick out of Paso Hernando Community College in 2023. He threw 8.1 innings that season, somewhat unusual for a drafted pitcher, looking good against A ball competition. He scuffled a bit at A+ Vancouver the next season, walking nearly as many batters as he struck out (41:33 in 54.0 innings) and posting a 5.50 ERA. He came into camp throwing much harder in 2025, and the results followed. In his second go-round in Vancouver, he struck out more batters in 35.2 innings (43) than he had in 54 innings the year before while bringing his walks under control. That earned him a promotion to AA, where he punched out 21 against 7 walks in 20.0 innings. Overall, his season finished with a 2.75 ERA and more than three strikeouts per walk.
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Yeager has added velocity since signing and now sits 96-97 and touches 99 with good vertical carry. His other pitch used to be a slider in the mid 80s, but he’s firmed it up into a cutter-ish pitch that sits in the low 90s and makes hitters look bad. In his AA time, his 15.9% swinging strike rate was in the 92nd percentile for pitchers with 20+ innings at that level. It’s a pure one inning reliever look, with two pitches and solidly below average command, but both offerings can be plus and he gets enough of the zone often enough to let them play. The upside is limited, as repertoire depth and the lack of command or a 70+ grade pitch probably keep him from being a true closer, but he needs minimal additional development to fill his likely eventual role as a 7th inning guy.
38. Franklin Rojas, C, Age 19 (DOB: 3/20/2007), Grade 35, 2025: NR
Rojas signed for just under $1m as part of the 2024 International Free Agent class. Prior to signing he was described as the top catchers in that year’s class, with a solid build and strength for a 16 year old, sound swing, and plus baseball IQ. Scouts project him to stick behind the plate as a solid average receiver with an above average arm.
At 5’10” and already looking physically mature, it’s unlikely that Rojas will ever have more than 45 grade raw power and right now his in-game production is well below that. A switch hitter, his swings both produce a lot of pulled fly balls, so as he develops that fringe power should actualize in games.
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Rojas chased aggressively in 2024, swinging and missing at a high rate because he was so often out of the zone. He repeated the Domincan Summer League this past year and his swing and contact numbers were much better. He’s produced at a better than league average clip both years, and looks ready for the American complex this summer.
Rojas’ upside is capped by his limited offense, but if he can continue to make contact at an above average rate and refine his now decent plate discipline, he could profile as league average on both sides of the ball. Given the offensive bar at catcher, that’s an above average everyday player. More likely he fits eventually as a backup who can get on base enough not to be a major liability in the 9 spot.
37. Carson Messina, Age 19 (DOB: 4/15/2006), Grade 35, 2025: 39th
Messina was a major over slot singing in 2004, getting $550,000 in the 12th round to buy him out of a commitment to his home state school of South Carolina (his older brother Cole went in the third round to the Rockies in that same draft). He was shut down after the draft. In 2025, he was assigned to the complex, where he made one appearance before again being shut down for the season with elbow inflammation. He was reportedly throwing again by the end of last season and looks to have avoided surgery for now.
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Messina is a stocky 6’2”, 225lbs. He pitches with a deep drop and drive delivery and a 3/4 arm slot that gives him a low release point and a tough angle to the plate. The fastball sits 93-94 but plays above average due to heavy arm side run. He throws two breaking balls, a cutter-like slider that drew some future plus-plus grades before he was drafted and a low-80s downer curveball that apparently looked better in his limited work last season. He has a fringy change-up that needs development. His command is below average right now, and at draft time he was evaluated as needing work to clean up his mechanics, but if he’s able to do that he has the foundations of a #4 starter.
This is basically a placeholder ranking for Messina. His bonus and draft reports suggest considerable upside, and the stuff appeared to be as advertised in the limited looks scouts got last season. We’ll get our first real looks at him as a pro in 2026. If he’s been able to begin moving his development forward in spite of last season’s injury, he has the potential to move quickly up this list.
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