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2 Blue Jays prospects earn nominations for Minor League year-end Awards
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Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Michael Coyle
Sep 22, 2026, 07:00 EDTUpdated: Sep 21, 2026, 22:30 EDT
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Two players in the Toronto Blue Jays’ farm system have been nominated for year-end awards. 
On Monday, Sean Keys was named the Blue Jays Baseball America Player of the Year. 
Keys opened the 2026 season in Double-A with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, and across 49 games, he batted .285 with 14 home runs, and 34 RBIs. The former 2024 fourth-rounder reached base at a .411 clip and produced a .581 slugging percentage before being promoted to Triple-A Buffalo on June 5. 
After joining the Bisons, Keys continued to impress as over 51 total games, he hit .303 with 14 home runs, and 46 RBIs. Keys slugged .622, reached base at a .422 clip, and for his efforts earned himself two promotions to the big-league level. 
During his first stint with the Blue Jays, Keys struggled mightily, highlighted by a .167 average with one home run and five RBIs. Keys struck out 13 times in 35 at-bats and was ultimately optioned as the 23-year-old was overmatched. 
Upon returning to Buffalo, Keys batted .358 over the month of August with seven home runs and 25 RBIs and was one of the Blue Jays’ additions when the rosters expanded to 28 on September 1. 
Since re-joining the Blue Jays, Keys has gone 4-for-15 with one home run and four RBIs. Keys’ at-bats have looked much more in control as he tries to build on what was a great year at the minor-league level. 
The other Blue Jays prospect to be nominated for an award was right-hander Nolan Perry. On Sunday, Perry was announced as one of three nominees for Minor League Breakout Player of the Year. 
After missing the entire 2025 season due to right elbow surgery, Perry opened the season in Single-A with the Dunedin Blue Jays. After five dominant outings in which Perry pitched to a 1.71 ERA with 32 strikeouts across 21 innings while holding opponents to a .114 average, he was promoted to High-A Vancouver on May 3. 
Listed as the Blue Jays’ No. 2-ranked prospect per MLB Pipeline, Perry ended up making seven starts with the Canadians and went 3-3 with a 3.23 ERA, and a 1.24 WHIP. The 23-year-old struck out 46 batters across 30.2 innings and was hit at a .237 clip. 
Perry didn’t stay in Vancouver for long as on June 30, he was assigned to Double-A New Hampshire to join the Fisher Cats. In nine starts to close out the 2026 campaign, the 2022 12th-round draft pick went 0-1 with a 2.32 ERA, and a 1.03 WHIP. Perry struck out 39 batters over 31 innings and held opponents to a paltry .163 average.
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