Angel Bastardo ranks as Blue Jays Nation’s 38th-best prospect in 2025 mid-season update
Photo credit: © Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Aug 23, 2025, 08:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 23, 2025, 04:30 EDT
Remember when the Toronto Blue Jays selected Angel Bastardo in the Rule 5 draft?
This is Blue Jays Nation’s annual mid-season prospect list, where we’ll take a look at the 50 best prospects in the Toronto Blue Jays organization. I’ll look at the player’s stats, what other publications have to say, as well as my own observations of the players.
Bastardo has yet to pitch anywhere in the Blue Jays system, but he ranks as our 38th-best prospect in the mid-season update. If you missed the last article, our 39th-best prospect is Cristopher Polanco.
Getting to know Angel Bastardo…
Position: Starting pitcher
Throws: Right
Born: June 18, 2002
Acquired: 2024 Rule 5 Draft
Previous Ranking: Unranked
Bastardo, from Morón, Venezuela, was signed for $35,000 during the 2019 International Free Agency by the Boston Red Sox. He made his debut that season, starting 12 games where he had a 3.71 ERA and 3.32 FIP in 51 innings pitched with the Red Sox’s Dominican Summer League team.
Due to the pandemic, Bastardo didn’t pitch in a competitive game in 2020, but returned to action with the Red Sox’s Florida Complex League team. That season, he had a 6.67 ERA and 3.58 FIP in 29.2 innings pitched, starting six of the 10 games he appeared in.
The 2021 season saw Bastardo spend the entire season in Single-A, where he had a 4.50 ERA and 4.16 FIP in 82 innings pitched, starting all 22 games he appeared in. Moreover, the right-handed pitcher struck out 23.4% of the batters he faced, but his BB% ballooned to 12.4%.
Most of Bastardo’s 2023 season was with the Red Sox’s High-A team, where he posted a 4.62 ERA and 3.82 FIP in 103.1 innings pitched, with a career-best 31.8 K% and 10.5 BB%. Toward the end of the season, the Venezuelan native made his Double-A debut, where he had a 5.06 ERA and 6.34 FIP in 16 innings pitched over three starts.
Bastardo began the 2024 season with the Red Sox’s Double-A team, pitching 45.1 innings with a 5.36 ERA and 4.28 FIP in 10 starts. However, he went under the knife with Tommy John surgery in July and hasn’t pitched since. During the Winter Meetings, the Blue Jays selected Bastardo with the sixth pick in the Rule 5 draft.
In MLB Pipeline’s mid-season update, Bastardo ranked as the Blue Jays’ 30th-best prospect. His fastball sits in the mid-90s, but touches as high as 97 mph as a starter. It’s considered an average pitch, as are his curveball and slider, with his best pitch being his changeup. Bastardo has shown command issues over the past few seasons, which is a little worrisome.
When Bastardo will be back is unknown, but as the season wears down, it’s looking increasingly likely that he could factor into their 2026 plans. Due to being picked in the Rule 5 draft, Bastardo would have to spend the entirety of the 2026 season on the Blue Jays’ roster. If he is optioned or DFA’ed, the Red Sox have the chance to bring him back.
It’ll be interesting to see what they do with Bastardo in the off-season, but the potential is there.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.