Since being optioned to triple-A Buffalo on May 7, outfielder Alan Roden has taken off at the plate with the Bisons, getting back to the standout prospect that earned him an opportunity with the Toronto Blue Jays coming out of spring training.

In 10 games since joining triple-A, Roden has reached base safely in each contest, hitting a stellar .386/.460/.682 with a trio of home runs and nine RBIs across 50 plate appearances, accounting for a 203 wRC+ (100 league average). Of the 17 hits he’s recorded, 12 have produced an exit velocity of at least 95 m.p.h., including 10 at 100 m.p.h. or higher.

The 25-year-old’s latest missile came during Tuesday’s afternoon affair versus the Lehigh Valley IronPigs — the Philadelphia Phillies’ triple-A affiliate — as he led off the game with a first-inning, 105.2-m.p.h. solo blast that travelled an estimated 383 feet down the right-field foul line.

Roden added a double in the fifth inning — 97 m.p.h. off the bat — while finishing the game 2-for-3 with two extra-base hits and a pair of walks. Buffalo ultimately fell 5-4 to Lehigh Valley in a game started by right-hander CJ Van Eyk, who tossed five innings, allowing three runs on five hits and a trio of walks while striking out three in his triple-A debut.

This is the Alan Roden that the Blue Jays witnessed this past spring. He’s back to hitting with purpose, squaring balls up for line drives (17.9 per cent), creating hard contact (43.6 per cent) and making quality swing decisions.

Those areas proved troublesome during the left-handed-hitting outfielder’s 28-game sample size in the majors earlier this season, particularly his plate discipline, as he struck out 18 times and only earned five walks. Additionally, he offered at pitches outside the strike zone nearly a third of the time, registering a 32.5-per-cent chase rate — just over four per cent above the league average.

While Roden has compiled an even smaller sample size since returning to Buffalo, he’s produced more walks (six) than strikeouts (five) thus far, swinging and missing just 16 per cent of the time. His next step will likely be cutting down his chase rate, which currently sits at 32.1 per cent.

Even so, the 2022 third-round selection has certainly positioned himself as a strong candidate to earn another shot with the Blue Jays later this season. He isn’t alone in that regard, though.

Davis Schneider has also been red-hot at the plate recently, crushing four home runs and driving in nine while slashing .250/.346/.568 with a 137 wRC+ over his last 11 games. The 26-year-old has improved his swing decisions, too, recording six walks to his 11 strikeouts in that span.

Joey Loperfido is another Blue Jays prospect whose offensive results have been trending upward, hitting .316/.386/.481 with seven extra-base hits — including three home runs — and a 137 wRC+ across his previous 21 contests. Like Schneider, he’s also displayed positive signs with his plate discipline, posting encouraging walk (eight per cent) and strikeout rates (15.9 per cent).

The biggest concern that Toronto faces by promoting any of these three is creating consistent at-bats, especially for Roden and Loperfido, both of whom would benefit from continuing to play regularly at triple-A rather than occupying part-time big-league roles. And it’d likely be challenging to create sufficient playing time given how valuable Nathan Lukes and Daulton Varsho — a pair of fellow left-handed-hitting outfielders — have been in recent weeks.

As for Schneider, who hits from the right side, he may have the clearest pathway of any triple-A hitter to rejoin the Blue Jays’ roster in the short term. However, the team might opt to provide switch-hitting rookie Jonatan Clase a bit more runway before potentially making a switch.