Blue Jays Farm System Featuring Better Balance Following MLB Draft

The Toronto Blue Jays farm system received a much-needed upgrade in one area via the 2025 MLB Draft.

Purvis' Jojo Parker (1) winds the ball during the MHSAA class 6A baseball championships against West Lauderdale at Trustmark Park in Pearl, Miss., Friday, June 2, 2023. | Hannah Mattix/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK

Coming into the 2025 season, the Toronto Blue Jays had to like where their farm system was heading.

While still middle-of-the-road in most rankings, it was a group on the rise thanks in part to a trio of pitchers selected in the first three rounds of the 2024 MLB Draft: Trey Yesavage, Khal Stephen and Johnny King.

When taking into account some of the other arms already in the system, such as Ricky Tiedemann, Jake Bloss, Kendry Rojas and Brandon Barriera, it is easy to see why the organization is so excited about the team’s future on the mound.

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If only the Blue Jays could figure out a way to keep their top prospects healthy, then they would really be in business.

With so many prized arms, it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that Toronto was on the lookout for some high-upside positional players to balance out their farm system with.

Shortstop Arjun Nimmala, their No. 1 ranked prospect, was the only non-pitcher in their top 10 based on some rankings coming into the year.

That is no longer the case, with the Blue Jays selecting star prep shortstop JoJo Parker out of Purvis High School in Purvis, Miss., with the No. 8 overall pick.

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He is now the No. 2 ranked prospect in the system behind Nimmala and the team did a wonderful job adding more positional players to the mix who just missed out on being top 10 in the organization.

“The Jays had a pitching-heavy top of the farm system entering the 2025 draft and landed a number of position players. Parker slots into the MLB top 100 and Jake Cook, Tim Piasentin and Blaine Bullard are all just outside of this team list,” wrote Kiley McDaniel of ESPN in his farm system updates post-draft.

It would not be a surprise to see Toronto dip into some of that pitching depth to acquire players to address needs at the Major League level.

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The Blue Jays are in a position to be aggressive buyers ahead of the MLB trade deadline with a record of 55-41, holding the top spot in the American League East, two games ahead of the New York Yankees.

Controllable starting pitching and left field are currently the team’s most pressing needs at the Big League level.

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