The Toronto Blue Jays are a very top-heavy organization from a prospect perspective. They have some elite talent at the top of their rankings – JoJo Parker, Arjun Nimmala, Johnny King, and now Nolan Perry – and then a host of players that have either been given a chance to contribute in the big leagues (Sean Keys and Charles McAdoo) or will get a chance if the Jays sell at the deadline, such as Josh Kasevich, RJ Schreck, Javen Coleman, and a host of others.

The likes of Cole Carlon, Will Brick, and Ryan Cooney aren’t on the top prospect rankings list now, but the Jays had a smaller pool bonus to work with, so other than those three, the rankings list likely won’t change too much.

If the Jays truly do sell at the deadline, as many are expecting, there is a chance the club adds some premium prospect talent to the pool if they can sell high on the likes of Kevin Gausman, Daulton Varsho, and Shane Bieber. This will change the Jays’ farm system if the front office gets the job done properly. However, as fans have seen over time, just because a player isn’t on the top prospect list now doesn’t mean they aren’t potential contributors further down the line.

Here’s a quick list of some players you should know in the farm system playing in the Dominican Summer League that might not dominate the headlines, but should be getting some attention.

Signed by the Jays this past winter, infielder Sebastian Casanova is off to a roaring start in the Dominican Summer League. The 17-year-old has suited up in 36 games for the DSL Jays, and owns a .390/.465/.439 slash line with a .904 OPS across 123 at-bats. He’s not slugging the ball at a high clip – he has just five extra base hits with zero home runs – but he walks at a high clip (12.6%) and hits above his weight class with a 138 wRC+. Like most younger players, he’s a bit unpolished on the field (.929 fielding percentage through 161.2 innings at shortstop and two errors at second base through a limited sample), but he’s holding his own at the plate as a contact-type bat.

Toss in 19 stolen bases, which ranks sixth in the Jays system with over 20 fewer games than those around him, and Casanova is one player who could use his plus speed and contact approach to his advantage stateside next year.

Castellanos is no stranger to the DSL – he pitched 26.1 innings for the Jays there last year – but the 19-year-old is having a sophomore campaign that should see him make the next step in 2027 in Single-A baseball if there is a minor league season.

Across eight starts, Castellanos owns a 2.41 ERA and a 3.81 FIP through 41 innings of work. He’s held opponents to a .197 average and a .476 OPS during that time, allowing just one home run and 11 earned runs total. While he isn’t striking out opposing bats at a high clip (31 / 6.8 K/9), he’s attacking the strike zone and hasn’t walked a ton of batters, boasting a 1.54 BB/9 clip.

He’s a bit on the older side for the DSL, but the right-hander is showing the staff down there that he’s ready for the next step.

Signed by Toronto last year, this is Duarte’s second go-around in the DSL. He struggled to a 6.04 ERA across 44.2 innings and 12 outings last season, and this year, the Cuban product has found his edge in the rotation and built upon his struggles from his rookie campaign.

Through seven starts and 30 innings pitched, Duarte owns a 3.00 ERA and a 3.33 FIP with a 1.03 WHIP. He’s also struck out 25 batters compared to four walks, ranking second amongst all Jays pitchers (minimum 30 IP) in terms of K/BB with a 6.25 mark, sitting behind only Javen Coleman. Amongst that sample, Duarte leads the Jays’ farm system in BB/9 (1.20) while Castellanos ranks second (1.54) and has been an effective starter alongside Castellanos down in the Dominican.

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