This Blue Jays Pitching Prospect Still Has Intriguing Stuff After Injuries

The Toronto Blue Jays are hoping to get a full season out of this young prospect who hasn’t had the chance to show what he can truly do.

A Toronto Blue Jays cap and uniform sit on a table before a press conference. | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Hawkish Toronto Blue Jays prospect watchers know the name. They just haven’t seen him pitch much.

Brandon Barriera is the No. 24 prospect in the Blue Jays’ system. Toronto selected him in the first round of the 2022 MLB draft out of American Heritage High School in Plantation, Fla. Selected No. 23 overall, he signed his bonus deal and headed to the Blue Jay’s minor league system.

Things got off track quickly due to injuries. He missed time after his 2023 minor league debut with elbow and biceps injuries. He returned in 2024 only to suffer an elbow injury that required hybrid Tommy John and internal brace procedure. He got back last season only to miss time after he suffered a fracture bone in his forearm.

But there is still runway for Barriera to make it to the Majors. And a key data point that reveals he has great stuff even with the injuries.

Brandon Barriera’s Key Stat

Brandon Barriera has only thrown 27.1 innings since he was selected in the first round of the 2022 draft 😬

But his three-pitch mix continues to show intriguing traits.

Will he be a breakout prospect for Toronto in 2026?⤵️https://t.co/D56TtWOGAT pic.twitter.com/M2KvdVvkav

— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) January 8, 2026

Recently, Baseball America (subscription required) posted a piece that highlighted a breakout pitching prospect that doesn’t look like one on paper. The concept was to dig in and find prospects that have a key metric that could lead to success.

The publication focused on the limited data due to his injuries and found something intriguing. He throws three different pitchers and primarily uses a cutter and a slider. Both have traits that lead to the Majors one day.

First, the cutter averages 93 mph on the radar. But it induces what Baseball America described as an “above-average whiff rate” of 32%. It’s considered one of the best cutters in the minor leagues. The slider also earned mention for its spin rate, even though it only hits 86 mph. It generates nearly 2,700 rpm, per the data, indicating it has the traits of a plus pitch.

Now, it’s all about whether he can stay on the field. The long list of injuries has limited him to just 13 starts in three years, with an 0-3 record and a 6.59 ERA. He’s pitched 27.1 innings, with 32 strikeouts and 18 walks. He’s never pitcher higher than Class-A Dunedin. But intriguingly, his career opponent batting average backs up how good his stuff really could be — .163.

There is now a pipeline of pitching talent starting to surface in the Majors. Trey Yesavage’s incredible postseason performance raised the stakes for every pitching prospect in the organization, including Ricky Tiedemann and Johnny King, who are Top 5 prospects per MLB Pipeline. Whether Barriera joins them will take time to figure out. But he clearly has the stuff to get there.