For Addison Barger, adaptability is the name of the game.

Every time the 23-year-old third baseman/shortstop earned a promotion in 2022, he hit the ground running. In fact, he was arguably the best hitting prospect in the Blue Jays organization.
But first, let’s look at the criteria.
<h1>Brennan’s criteria:</h1>
Instead of writing this out every time I did for the mid-season Top 60, I’ll copy and paste my criteria for how I rank and scout these players.
There are many factors that determine a top prospect. The eye test is the biggest driver in determining a top prospect, but proximity to the majors, ceiling, and floor is also important. Moreover, statistics are another key ingredient, as everything works together to give you numbers.
As for the grades, it’s important to remember that they are relative to the league in which they play. A kid from Dunedin is not going to have a 50-grade hit tool if he were placed in the big leagues. But relative to the league in which he plays, a .300 hitter is eligible to have that grade.
For these prospects, I’ll be reviewing their background, numbers in the minors, pitch mix (if they’re a pitcher), and giving a scouting report (if feasible, rookie league guys are difficult).
Let’s jump in!
<h1>Addison Barger‘s career so far:</h1>
The 23-year-old shortstop/third baseman was selected in the sixth round of the 2018 draft. He spent his first season with their rookie league team, posting a .194/.318/.322 slash line with three homers, an 11.7 BB%, and a 17.8 K% in 214 plate appearances. This led to an 88 wRC+.
Barger started the 2019 season with the rookie advanced team, only appearing in 58 plate appearances before being placed on the restricted list.
He had a little bit of a breakout with the Low-A Dunedin Blue Jays in 2021, where he slashed .249/.334/.492 with 18 homers in 374 plate appearances. While his 120 wRC+ was great, he had a 32.9 K%, the highest of his career.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
uhhhhhh, I&#39;m pretty sure <a href="https://twitter.com/AddisonBarger?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AddisonBarger</a> (Addison Barger) just left the stadium.
That&#8230; I&#39;m in shock.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlueJays?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlueJays</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NextLevel?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NextLevel</a> <a href="https://t.co/opZPDIL7EM">pic.twitter.com/opZPDIL7EM</a>
&mdash; Brennan Delaney (@Brennan_L_D) <a href="https://twitter.com/Brennan_L_D/status/1560085291007975427?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
With that being said, Barger made significant changes for the 2022 season. He started with the High-A Vancouver Canadians, slashing .300/.366/.558 with 14 homers in just 292 plate  appearances for a 149 wRC+. He also dropped his K% to 26%, and his walk rate of 8.6% was relatively good as well.
He earned a promotion to the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, where he slashed .313/.384/.528 with nine homers in 198 plate appearances for a 147 wRC+ at the level. His K% dropped further to 25.3%, while his BB% increased to 9.1%.
Barger earned a late-season promotion to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, where he slashed .355/.444/.677 with three homers in just 36 plate appearances. It was obviously a small sample size, but he had a 192 wRC+ and an even 13.9% BB% and K%.
<h1>Scouting report:</h1>
<blockquote>Muscular frame with built legs and broad shoulders, there is some remaining room for projection. He has a quick, fluid swing with no length, which allows him to hit for both average and power. There is a little bit of swing and miss in his game, but he took great strides in reducing that in 2022. He has a strong arm that will allow him to stick to the left side of the infield. Like many young shortstops, he tends to rush plays, leading to errors. However, this is something that could be ironed out with experience. He is an average runner.</blockquote>
<h1>Grades:</h1>
Hit: 55
Power: 60
Run: 50
Arm: 55
Field: 50
Overall: 55
<h1>Where he’ll start in 2023:</h1>
Barger will likely start the season with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, as he only had 36 plate appearances with the team in 2022. The 23-year-old was added to the 40-man roster in November, meaning he could be an option for the Blue Jays at some point in 2023. In fact, if he has a good spring training, there is a chance he will make the roster to start the season.
To progress to the next step, Barger will have to continue to limit the strikeouts, while continuing to hit for both average and power.  An improvement on the defensive end, particularly shortstop will also go a long way to boost his chances of appearing on the Blue Jays roster in 2023.
<h1>What’s next:</h1>
Ricky Tiedemann,  obviously. In fact, he was going to rank as Blue Jays Nation’s best prospect even before the Gabriel Moreno trade.
<h1>In case you missed it:</h1>
<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-prospects-50-46">Blue Jays Nation&#8217;s 2023 Preseason Top 50: Prospects # 50-46</a>
<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-prospects-45-41">Blue Jays Nation’s 2023 Preseason Top 50: Prospects # 45-41</a>
<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-prospects-40-36">Blue Jays Nation’s 2023 Preseason Top 50: Prospects # 40-36</a>
<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-prospects-35-31">Blue Jays Nation’s 2023 Preseason Top 50: Prospects # 35-31</a>
<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-prospects-30-26">Blue Jays Nation’s 2023 Preseason Top 50: Prospects # 30-26</a>
<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-25-jimmy-robbins">Blue Jays Nation’s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #25 Jimmy Robbins</a>
<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-24-tanner-morris">Blue Jays Nation’s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #24 Tanner Morris</a>
<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-23-zach-britton">Blue Jays Nation’s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #23 Zach Britton</a>
<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-22-davis-schneider">Blue Jays Nation’s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #22 Davis Schneider</a>
<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-21-leo-jimenez">Blue Jays Nation’s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #21 Leo Jimenez</a>
<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-20-enmanuel-bonilla">Blue Jays Nation’s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #20 Enmanuel Bonilla</a>
<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-19-alex-de-jesus">Blue Jays Nation’s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #19 Alex De Jesus</a>
<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-18-adrian-pinto">Blue Jays Nation’s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #18 Adrian Pinto</a>
<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-17-hayden-juenger">Blue Jays Nation’s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #17 Hayden Juenger</a>
<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-16-rainer-nunez">Blue Jays Nation’s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #16 Rainer Núñez</a>
<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-15-josh-kasevich">Blue Jays Nation&#8217;s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #15 Josh Kasevich</a>
<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-14-adam-macko">Blue Jays Nation&#8217;s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #14 Adam Macko</a>
<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-13-cade-doughty">Blue Jays Nation&#8217;s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #13 Cade Doughty</a>
<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-12-otto-lopez">Blue Jays Nation&#8217;s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #12 Otto López</a>
<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-11-dahian-santos">Blue Jays Nation&#8217;s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #11 Dahian Santos</a>
<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-10-damiano-palmegiani">Blue Jays Nation&#8217;s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #10 Damiano Palmegiani</a>
<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-9-sem-robberse">Blue Jays Nation&#8217;s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #9 Sem Robberse</a>
<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-8-gabriel-martinez">Blue Jays Nation&#8217;s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #8 Gabriel Martinez</a>
<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-7-tucker-toman">Blue Jays Nation&#8217;s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #7 Tucker Toman</a>
<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-6-spencer-horwitz">Blue Jays Nation&#8217;s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #6 Spencer Horwitz</a>
<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-5-yosver-zulueta">Blue Jays Nation&#8217;s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #5 Yosver Zulueta</a>
<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-4-orelvis-martinez">Blue Jays Nation&#8217;s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #4 Orelvis Martinez</a>
<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-3-brandon-barriera">Blue Jays Nation&#8217;s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #3 Brandon Barriera</a>
As always, you can follow me on Twitter and Instagram @Brennan_L_D.
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For Addison Barger, adaptability is the name of the game.



Every time the 23-year-old third baseman/shortstop earned a promotion in 2022, he hit the ground running. In fact, he was arguably the best hitting prospect in the Blue Jays organization.

But first, let’s look at the criteria.
<h1>Brennan’s criteria:</h1>
Instead of writing this out every time I did for the mid-season Top 60, I’ll copy and paste my criteria for how I rank and scout these players.

There are many factors that determine a top prospect. The eye test is the biggest driver in determining a top prospect, but proximity to the majors, ceiling, and floor is also important. Moreover, statistics are another key ingredient, as everything works together to give you numbers.

As for the grades, it’s important to remember that they are relative to the league in which they play. A kid from Dunedin is not going to have a 50-grade hit tool if he were placed in the big leagues. But relative to the league in which he plays, a .300 hitter is eligible to have that grade.

For these prospects, I’ll be reviewing their background, numbers in the minors, pitch mix (if they’re a pitcher), and giving a scouting report (if feasible, rookie league guys are difficult).

Let’s jump in!
<h1>Addison Barger‘s career so far:</h1>
The 23-year-old shortstop/third baseman was selected in the sixth round of the 2018 draft. He spent his first season with their rookie league team, posting a .194/.318/.322 slash line with three homers, an 11.7 BB%, and a 17.8 K% in 214 plate appearances. This led to an 88 wRC+.

Barger started the 2019 season with the rookie advanced team, only appearing in 58 plate appearances before being placed on the restricted list.

He had a little bit of a breakout with the Low-A Dunedin Blue Jays in 2021, where he slashed .249/.334/.492 with 18 homers in 374 plate appearances. While his 120 wRC+ was great, he had a 32.9 K%, the highest of his career.

https://twitter.com/Brennan_L_D/status/1560085291007975427

With that being said, Barger made significant changes for the 2022 season. He started with the High-A Vancouver Canadians, slashing .300/.366/.558 with 14 homers in just 292 plate  appearances for a 149 wRC+. He also dropped his K% to 26%, and his walk rate of 8.6% was relatively good as well.

He earned a promotion to the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, where he slashed .313/.384/.528 with nine homers in 198 plate appearances for a 147 wRC+ at the level. His K% dropped further to 25.3%, while his BB% increased to 9.1%.

Barger earned a late-season promotion to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, where he slashed .355/.444/.677 with three homers in just 36 plate appearances. It was obviously a small sample size, but he had a 192 wRC+ and an even 13.9% BB% and K%.
<h1>Scouting report:</h1>
<blockquote>Muscular frame with built legs and broad shoulders, there is some remaining room for projection. He has a quick, fluid swing with no length, which allows him to hit for both average and power. There is a little bit of swing and miss in his game, but he took great strides in reducing that in 2022. He has a strong arm that will allow him to stick to the left side of the infield. Like many young shortstops, he tends to rush plays, leading to errors. However, this is something that could be ironed out with experience. He is an average runner.</blockquote>
<h1>Grades:</h1>
Hit: 55

Power: 60

Run: 50

Arm: 55

Field: 50

Overall: 55
<h1>Where he’ll start in 2023:</h1>
Barger will likely start the season with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, as he only had 36 plate appearances with the team in 2022. The 23-year-old was added to the 40-man roster in November, meaning he could be an option for the Blue Jays at some point in 2023. In fact, if he has a good spring training, there is a chance he will make the roster to start the season.

To progress to the next step, Barger will have to continue to limit the strikeouts, while continuing to hit for both average and power.  An improvement on the defensive end, particularly shortstop will also go a long way to boost his chances of appearing on the Blue Jays roster in 2023.
<h1>What’s next:</h1>
Ricky Tiedemann,  obviously. In fact, he was going to rank as Blue Jays Nation’s best prospect even before the Gabriel Moreno trade.
<h1>In case you missed it:</h1>
<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-prospects-50-46">Blue Jays Nation's 2023 Preseason Top 50: Prospects # 50-46</a>

<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-prospects-45-41">Blue Jays Nation’s 2023 Preseason Top 50: Prospects # 45-41</a>

<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-prospects-40-36">Blue Jays Nation’s 2023 Preseason Top 50: Prospects # 40-36</a>

<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-prospects-35-31">Blue Jays Nation’s 2023 Preseason Top 50: Prospects # 35-31</a>

<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-prospects-30-26">Blue Jays Nation’s 2023 Preseason Top 50: Prospects # 30-26</a>

<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-25-jimmy-robbins">Blue Jays Nation’s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #25 Jimmy Robbins</a>

<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-24-tanner-morris">Blue Jays Nation’s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #24 Tanner Morris</a>

<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-23-zach-britton">Blue Jays Nation’s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #23 Zach Britton</a>

<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-22-davis-schneider">Blue Jays Nation’s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #22 Davis Schneider</a>

<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-21-leo-jimenez">Blue Jays Nation’s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #21 Leo Jimenez</a>

<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-20-enmanuel-bonilla">Blue Jays Nation’s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #20 Enmanuel Bonilla</a>

<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-19-alex-de-jesus">Blue Jays Nation’s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #19 Alex De Jesus</a>

<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-18-adrian-pinto">Blue Jays Nation’s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #18 Adrian Pinto</a>

<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-17-hayden-juenger">Blue Jays Nation’s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #17 Hayden Juenger</a>

<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-16-rainer-nunez">Blue Jays Nation’s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #16 Rainer Núñez</a>

<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-15-josh-kasevich">Blue Jays Nation's 2023 Preseason Top 50: #15 Josh Kasevich</a>

<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-14-adam-macko">Blue Jays Nation's 2023 Preseason Top 50: #14 Adam Macko</a>

<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-13-cade-doughty">Blue Jays Nation's 2023 Preseason Top 50: #13 Cade Doughty</a>

<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-12-otto-lopez">Blue Jays Nation's 2023 Preseason Top 50: #12 Otto López</a>

<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-11-dahian-santos">Blue Jays Nation's 2023 Preseason Top 50: #11 Dahian Santos</a>

<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-10-damiano-palmegiani">Blue Jays Nation's 2023 Preseason Top 50: #10 Damiano Palmegiani</a>

<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-9-sem-robberse">Blue Jays Nation's 2023 Preseason Top 50: #9 Sem Robberse</a>

<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-8-gabriel-martinez">Blue Jays Nation's 2023 Preseason Top 50: #8 Gabriel Martinez</a>

<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-7-tucker-toman">Blue Jays Nation's 2023 Preseason Top 50: #7 Tucker Toman</a>

<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-6-spencer-horwitz">Blue Jays Nation's 2023 Preseason Top 50: #6 Spencer Horwitz</a>

<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-5-yosver-zulueta">Blue Jays Nation's 2023 Preseason Top 50: #5 Yosver Zulueta</a>

<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-4-orelvis-martinez">Blue Jays Nation's 2023 Preseason Top 50: #4 Orelvis Martinez</a>

<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-nations-2023-preseason-top-50-3-brandon-barriera">Blue Jays Nation's 2023 Preseason Top 50: #3 Brandon Barriera</a>

As always, you can follow me on Twitter and Instagram @Brennan_L_D.

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Blue Jays Nation’s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #2 Addison Barger

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