Blue Jay Nation’s Pre-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 47: Irv Carter
6 months ago
If we’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that high school drafted players, especially pitchers, take time to develop.
This is Blue Jays Nation’s annual pre-season list, in which I’ll take a look at the top 50 prospects in the organization. We’ll look at the player’s stats, my observations, and other publications’ scouting reports if available.
Let’s take a look at Irv Carter.
Getting to know Irv Carter…
Position: Starting pitcher
Throws: Right
Born: October 9, 2002
Acquired: 5th-round pick, 2021 draft (Blue Jays)
2023 Team: Single-A Dunedin
Previous Ranking: 39
The 21-year-old was selected in the 2021 draft and the Blue Jays gave him an overslot bonus of $850,000 to lure him away from the University of Miami. He started his professional career with the Florida Complex League, posting a 5.88 ERA and a 5.49 FIP in 33.2 innings pitched, along with an impressive 29.2 K% and a 7.6 BB%.
Toronto liked what they saw despite the high ERA and FIP, and promoted Carter to Single-A that same season. With the Dunedin Blue Jays, he posted a 4.50 ERA and a 5.09 FIP in 14 innings pitched, while his K% declined to 18.3%.
It was an okay first season in the Blue Jays organization, but the 2023 season was a struggle for the Florida-native. Carter pitched entirely with the Dunedin Blue Jays, and posted an 8.60 ERA and an 8.34 FIP in 37.2 innings pitched. The 21-year-old’s K% declined even further to 15.5%, while his BB% ballooned to 16%.
Carter has been compared to Marcus Stroman, which is never a bad thing as the former Blue Jay just signed a deal worth $37 million. Unfortunately for Carter so far in his career, he’s had trouble keeping the ball on the ground as he’s given up 19 home runs in just 85.1 innings pitched. Last season, he had a home run rate per nine innings (HR/9) of 2.15, just barely surpassing the 2.14 HR/9 he had in the FCL.
Still, Carter’s future is what excites the scouts and Blue Jays alike. Carter stands at 6’4”, 210 lbs and has already touched the mid-90s, but just a tick below 92 mph with his two fastballs in 2023. Still, scouts believe that there is some projectability in his frame, which in turn, could see him average in the mid-90s in the future. To pair with the fastball, Carter has a changeup and slider/
Carter has fallen off most lists in recent years as he spent the 2023 season either struggling in Single-A or injured, but still just 21 years old, his time as a prospect is far from done.
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