Blue Jays Make Intriguing Position Change With Top Prospect Sean Keys
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Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling reported Tuesday that Blue Jays manager John Schneider plans to have Sean Keys receive some work in left field with Triple-A Buffalo this week. Zwelling also noted that Keys is batting .351/.463/.675 with 12 extra-base hits over 20 games in August.
That raises the question of where he will slot in defensively. Toronto selected Keys in the fourth round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of Bucknell. He has primarily played first and third base professionally, but those positions have largely served as ways to keep his bat in the lineup. MLB Pipeline currently ranks him as the organization’s No. 6 prospect.
His offense has been excellent this season. The 23-year-old is hitting .294/.416/.598 across 96 games between Double-A and Triple-A, and his production has actually improved since moving up a level. Keys owns a 1.034 OPS in Triple-A compared with a .992 mark in Double-A.
With little left to prove offensively in the minors, the Blue Jays are right to explore where Keys can fit defensively, and left field might offer the quickest route to regular playing time.
Left Field Could Give Keys Another Path
The first position to eliminate is first base. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has not been his usual elite self this season, but putting “bench” and “Guerrero” in the same sentence could spark a media storm. His reputation, combined with Toronto’s massive 14-year investment, makes him virtually immovable from the position.
Third base is a more merit-based case. Kazuma Okamoto has played well this season and leads the team with 26 home runs. His batting average and walk rate leave something to be desired, but a player approaching 30 home runs is hardly the obvious candidate to lose at-bats to an unproven rookie.
Left field is far more open. Over the past week or so, Daz Cameron has been splitting time with Jesús Sánchez, who has either played left field or shifted to designated hitter when Myles Straw is in the lineup. That arrangement also limits Sánchez’s exposure in left field, where his minus-7 Outs Above Average ranks in the fourth percentile according to Statcast.
Combine those defensive limitations with Sánchez’s recent offensive struggles — a .176/.348/.294 line over his last seven games — and the case for experimenting with Keys becomes easier to make. He could eventually offer Toronto the left-handed power Sánchez is currently struggling to provide.
Straw could still shift into left field when Toronto wants more defense, while the Blue Jays could also use a platoon between Keys and Cameron to ease the rookie into the lineup. The arrangement could give Toronto another source of left-handed power during its playoff push while offering an early indication of whether Keys can handle a larger Major League role in 2027.
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Wesley Dixon is a sports writer focused on thoughtful analysis, roster-building angles, player development and feature-style storytelling. He has covered the Philadelphia 76ers and the NBA, with work centered on breaking down team direction, player fit and the larger stories behind the game. Wesley is a lifelong MLB fan, following multiple teams throughout the league. He is excited to bring that same detail-oriented approach to On SI.