Blue Jays Pitching Prospect Earns High Praise From MLB Insiders After 2025 Season

Toronto's own is receiving plenty of compliments after his breakout season.

Oct 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA;Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider at press conference during game five of the 2025 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Toronto Blue Jays have plenty to be excited about within their organization, and that doesn't just include their current roster but their farm system as well. They haven't necessarily been known for their pitching staff in the minor leagues, but that all changed in 2025.

The easiest one to point at is Trey Yesavage who worked his way through the whole system to make his debut into the majors and then make rookie history once stepping into the playoffs. However, this story isn't about Yesavage and what his arm can do, but Gage Stanifer instead.

A trio of MLB insiders (Johnathan Mayo, Jim Callis and Sam Dykstra) just came out with their list of breakout prospects, one for each ballclub. Stanifer was listed for Toronto as he struggled in his first two seasons, posting a pair of ERA's over 6.30.

However, this season was an entirely different story as Stanifer finished the year in Single A Dunedin, where he tallied up the fifth-most strikeouts in the minor leagues this year (161) and also dropped his ERA to 2.89, rightfully earning the praise that he is receiving right now.

Brief Look at Stanifer's Career Thus Far

Stanifer completed last year's campaign while being only 21 years old as he just barely turned 22. The Blue Jays drafted him straight out of high school in the 2022 June Amateur draft and he has been getting better and better (clearly).

With the success that Stanifer had in 2025, particularly the end of the year, it would be hard to believe that he won't keep rising through the ranks, and it never hurts to have another starter in their back pocket.

Gage Stanifer put his name firmly on the radar amongst the better pitching prospects in all of baseball in 2025

110 IP/16 GS
(A/A+/AA)

2.86 ERA/2.70 ERA/3.11 xFIP
0.33 HR/9
35.5 K%/12.8 BB%
45% GB rate
31.6% CSW
.182 opponents BA

His 35.5% K rate was the highest in ALL of… pic.twitter.com/o8SwfMRki7

— Damon (@Damon98_) November 8, 2025

In the league he finished the year in (Single A), he pitched 26 full innings, posting a 0.69 ERA while striking out 38 and a 0.85 WHIP.

Yesavage set an unfathomable bar for the Blue Jays minor league pitchers, but nobody should expect a pitcher to do what he did as he is truly one of kind. What Stanifer has done is shown grit, determination and mental toughness to bounce back from a tough start to his debut in professional baseball.

Toronto should be ecstatic about the way Stanifer is progressing and even though he hasn't made his debut yet to the majors that day might be sooner than later. He simply needs to keep the ball rolling from the success he found in 2025.

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