Watch Blue Jays Prospect Sean Keys Hit First Home Run Since Buffalo Promotion
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A professional baseball player will go through a lot of firsts. First game, first hit, first loss, etc. The list is endless, and each is as important to check off as the last, but one thing that isn't talked about enough is the firsts that happen well before ever stepping foot onto a major league field.
Rising through the ranks of an organization's pipeline is something that doesn't happen all at once, as it is a slow, hard-fought process that each guy claws at. So, when the Toronto Blue Jays promoted one of their best position players to Triple-A, it was checking off another first.
But infielder Sean Keys cares maybe less about getting to Buffalo and more about taking advantage of the opportunity that he has earned. Keys has only been with the Bisons for fewer than 10 games, but his power has been passed on from Double-A.
447FT 🤯
— Buffalo Bisons (@BuffaloBisons) June 14, 2026
SEAN KEYS WITH HIS FIRST TRIPLE-A HOME RUN!! pic.twitter.com/PlVNuCyPNC
Keys left New Hampshire with a .581 slugging percentage and an OPS creeping up on 1.000. So, it naturally was going to cool off as he faced tougher pitchers. But it didn't take long for him to cross off another milestone as he went yard for first time in Triple-A.
Sunday afternoon, the Bisons were taking on the Syracuse Mets and found themselves down 2-1 early. With two outs on the board and a teammate on first, Keys won a nine-pitch at-bat, resulting in a near 450-foot moonshot on a 96MPH fastball to take the lead.
The game wouldn't finish playing out as it was called a 4-3 Bisons victory in seven innings, led by that homer from Keys' early homer.
Get to Know Sean Keys
Keys spent three years playing collegiate ball at Bucknell University which is somewhat unheard of these days as so many will only stay a year or two, if they go at all, but clearly his approach is working for him.
Between leagues in the minors, Keys has spent plenty of time playing both third and first base, but has been primarily a third baseman the entirety of his life. It wasn't until joining Toronto's organization back in 2024, which kick-started his career, that he started suiting up at first.
This is a guy who could see his debut much sooner than later if he keeps progressing the way that he is, and that doesn't necessarily mean it will be with the Blue Jays, as his stock value is continuing to rise.
Meaning, he could be on the chopping block when the trade deadline comes around next month, but only time will tell.
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Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.