Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 26: Juaron Watts-Brown

Photo credit: okstate.com

Aug 29, 2024, 06:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 30, 2024, 19:16 EDT

The Toronto Blue Jays’ third-round pick from the 2023 draft made his professional debut in 2024.

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 26th-best prospect, Juaron Watts-Brown!

Getting to know Juaron Watts-Brown…

Position: Starting pitcher

Throws: Right

Born: February 23, 2002

Acquired: 3rd-round, 2023 draft (Blue Jays)

Previous ranking: 11

In 2023, Juaron Watts-Brown posted a 5.03 ERA in 82.1 innings pitched with Oklahoma State University, along with a 33 K% and a 12.8 BB%. The Blue Jays saw upside in the righty, picking him with their third-round pick.

Like many pitchers the Jays selected early in the draft, Watts-Brown didn’t make his season debut until the following season. In 2024, he started his professional career with the Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays, posting a 3.43 ERA and a 3.16 FIP in 57.2 innings pitched, along with a 30.3 K% and an 11.9 BB%.

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Doubleheader ✅ Double Win ✅ Watts-Brown was 🔥🔥

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2:15 AM · Jun 13, 2024

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In his final start with the Dunedin Blue Jays, Watts-Brown averaged 93.5 mph on the fastball, touching 95.3 mph. He also featured a cutter, changeup, a slider, and a curveball in that game.

The 22-year-old earned a promotion to High-A to begin July, and has a 5.27 ERA and 5.29 FIP in 41 innings pitched, along with a 27.6 K% and a 14.1 BB%. It’s worth noting that his last two starts have gone well, as he’s pitched two quality starts (12 innings) while giving up just three earned runs and striking out 15.

Watts-Brown ranked as MLB Pipeline’s 20th-best prospect in their mid-season ranking, noting that his curveball and slider are his best pitches, but he’ll need to add more muscle for a high velocity on his fastball. He has a good feel on the mound, but his fastball needs to develop further while he stays healthy on the mound.