Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 17: Riley Tirotta

Photo credit: Niall O'Donahoe - CSPlusBaseball

Sep 10, 2024, 08:00 EDTUpdated: Sep 10, 2024, 08:46 EDT

Every year, there’s always a position player prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays’ system who ends up finding something in his game that elevates him to our top prospect list. That is the type of player we’ll look at today.

This is Blue Jays Nation’s annual Mid-Season top prospect list, where we’ll look at the 35 best prospects in the Blue Jays system. We’ll look at the player’s stats, my observations, and other publication’s scouting reports if available.

Let’s take a look at our 17th-best prospect, Riley Tirotta!

Getting to know Riley Tirotta…

Position: Infielder

Bats: Right

Born: August 21, 1998

Acquired: 12th-round, 2021 draft

Previous ranking: Not ranked

In 2021, Spencer Horwitz became one of my top prospects in the Jays organization thanks to his hit tool. The following year, Addison Barger tore up all three levels he appeared in, and Davis Schneider couldn’t stop hitting home runs in 2023. This year, it was Riley Tirotta who took a big leap.

Selected in the 12th-round of the 2021 draft, Tirotta made his organizational debut shortly after, slashing .305/.429/.389 with one home run in 119 plate appearances. He spent the majority of his 2022 season with the Vancouver Canadians, where he slashed .219/.314/.368 in 283 plate appearances, along with an 11.7 BB% and a 32.2 K%.

Ryley Delaney

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@TirottaR (Riley Tirotta) sends it deep for a three run bomb! It gives the Canadians a 4-1 lead! #BlueJays #NextLevel

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3:12 AM · Aug 13, 2022

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Tirotta started 2023 with the Canadians once again, slashing .303/.411/.539 with three home runs in 107 plate appearances, along with a 14 BB% and a 28 K%, earning the call-up to Double-A New Hampshire. There, he slashed .213/.327/.373 with eight homers in 269 plate appearances, along with a 13.8 BB% and a 28.6 K% for a 95 wRC+.

Looking at year by year with all levels involved, Tirotta’s best season by wRC+ was in 2021, which as you recall only saw him play the final month and a bit. The 2022 season was rough, and Tirotta struggled upon reaching Double-A in 2023.

Well, in 2024, Tirotta started his season on a rehab assignment with the Dunedin Blue Jays, where he slashed .235/.552/.471 with a home run in 29 plate appearances. After the rehab assignment finished, the 26-year-old headed to Double-A, where he slashed .286/.438/.464 with two home runs in 73 plate appearances, along with a 21.9 BB% and a 26 K%.

Finally, he reached Triple-A, where he’s been the majority of his season. With the Buffalo Bisons, the infielder is slashing .241/.369/.434 with 12 home runs in 301 plate appearances, along with a 14 BB% and a 26.9 K%. While he’s cooled off considerably since the start of August (57 wRC+) the power improvement along with his hit tool has taken a leap.

Buffalo Bisons

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RILEY TIROTTA GRAND SLAM!

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1:12 AM · Aug 29, 2024

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Tirotta has always had a good eye at the plate, but he’s unlocked more power this season and has been able to hit for a better average than in prior seasons. He is also versatile, playing first base, second base, third base, left field, and right field, but hasn’t played second base in 2024.

It’ll be interesting to see how the 26-year-old’s 2025 season goes as he’ll likely start the year in Buffalo.