The Blue Jays Nation countdown for the Top 20 Canadian baseball prospects heading into the 2025 campaign is underway. Next, we’ll look at a Mets prospect who has dealt with injury issues for the past two seasons, yet still possesses long-term potential.

Hometown: Heidelberg, Ont.

Organization: New York Mets

Position: Right-handed pitcher

Acquired: 2nd round, 2021 Draft (NYM)

The Mets drafted Ziegler in the 2nd round back in 2021, handing him a below-slot $900,000 signing bonus. Growing up in Kitchener and playing his high school ball with the Great Lake Canadians, the right-hander gained exposure after spending a year at TNXL Academy in Florida as an 18-year-old. This experience with the Ducks got him in front of more scouts and ultimately helped him land in the second round.

His first season in the Mets organization showed his immense potential, racking up 70 strikeouts in 46 2/3 innings across 16 starts for single-A St. Lucie in 2022. The strikeout stuff was accompanied by some wildness, registering a 6.8 BB/9 in the process. Bicep tendinitis ended that 2022 season prematurely, which was unfortunately only the beginning of the injury issues that would follow.

The six-foot starting pitcher has taken the mound just three times in the past two years. Before the 2023 season, he underwent surgery to remove bone spurs in his elbow before later tearing his quad while rehabbing the elbow injury.

After just two starts in 2024 with high-A Brooklyn – including a dazzling four-inning, nine-strikeout game where he didn’t allow a baserunner – he was shut down and ultimately required Tommy John surgery. Since the surgery took place in April, he should be able to take the mound at some point during the 2025 season.

MLB Pipeline had Ziegler as high as 10th on their Mets’ top 30 prospect list in 2023 but the recent injuries had him fall off in this year’s installment. While there’s no doubt that the 22-year-old has a long way to go to get to the Major Leagues, staying healthy in the coming years should allow him to work his way up the organizational ladder quickly, especially if he can reel in the command and continue striking out opposing hitters similar to his 2022 numbers.

The hype around Ziegler has undoubtedly quieted after his injury-riddled seasons, but he wouldn’t be on this list if he didn’t have an electric arm.

His strikeout numbers were fueled by his mid-90s fastball and low-80s curveball, with both having the potential of being plus pitches. Opponents hit just .032 against his curveball in his 2022 season. He also throws a splitter, but it is a pitch that is much more of a work in progress compared to his hook.

Arm trouble tends to have a way of slowing down the progress of pitchers, or turning starting pitchers into relievers. Blue Jays fans know all too well how Tommy John Surgery can derail an otherwise promising career or have major impacts on the season outlook for the squad.

However, it is more and more likely that pitchers can make a full recovery these days, even if they are sidelined for 12-18 months. The Jays have multiple prospects who are rehabbing significant arm injuries at the moment.

Until Ziegler returns to the mound and stays injury-free, it’s hard to know whether he will regain the hype that made him a second-round pick. The strikeout numbers show that he has the chance to be a quality starting pitcher down the road, but a high-leverage bullpen role may be more of a realistic outcome at the end of the day.

Fully recovering from his injury will obviously be the primary focus for Ziegler and the Mets to start 2025.

The team will undoubtedly be cautious with him, ramping him up slowly and not allowing him to go too deep into games. We should see him return to high-A during the second half of the season, where he’ll look to regain his top prospect status heading into 2026.

#20- Jeremy Pilon