The Blue Jays’ farm system took a huge leap forward last year, with several promising prospects breaking through and contributing at different stages of the minor league ladder. The 2025 draft offers a number of intriguing prospects that will be worth monitoring early on this spring.

One of those pickups was non-drafted free agent signing Reece Wissinger, a six-foot-five pitcher from Iowa who played at Southeastern (FL) in the NAIA ranks. Every player develops at a different speed, making it possible to find successful baseball players at any level of college baseball.

Initially playing for Southeastern Community College (IA) in his hometown of West Burlington, Iowa, Wissinger spent his last three college seasons with Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida. He credits his SCC head coach for shaping him into the man and player he is today.

“The school kind of shaped me on and off the field,” said Wissinger, speaking with Blue Jays Nation. “Justin Schulte was an amazing guy, amazing coach. He knew everything on and off the field: how to be a good husband, a good brother. It was definitely a lot of hard work, but I had a lot of fun, and I got better with my craft. So, I think my time there was very well spent, and I enjoyed a lot of it.”

Wissinger had an unbelievable season as Southeastern’s closer in 2023, with the big right-hander posting a 0.86 ERA and 81 strikeouts over 41 2/3 innings pitched. After another season as the closer in 2024, his coaches decided to move him to the rotation, which presented a challenge he hadn’t experienced before. In 2025, he began the year with 32 straight scoreless innings and set the stage for what comes next.

“I was definitely excited about it. I was in school for six complete years, and the first five of them I was a closer,” explained Wissinger.” And then this past year, my coach was like, ‘All right, we’re going to make you a starter,’ and I was really excited for that competition. I’ve never been in that starter role or mentality, so it was kind of cool to kind of teach myself the way of being a starter. Learning how to work the pitches, work the count, and remembering who I’ve faced in the past. It was definitely a challenge, but I was excited for that challenge.”

“He is a very determined young man,” added Joseph R. Guzman, MLBPA Certified Agent with Empowerment Sports Group. “He was getting calls from teams late in round 10 in the draft this summer, but it didn’t come to fruition, although he was quick to sign with the Blue Jays as a free agent, towards the top of their list, for sure. The sky is the limit for him, as his command on the mound has always been outstanding.”

In between college seasons, Wissinger participated in several different summer leagues that allowed him to get seen by pro scouts. From 2021 to 2025, he participated in the Prospect League, Coastal Plain League, Cape Cod League, and Florida Collegiate Summer League.

The prestigious Cape Cod League presented the biggest opportunity for him to showcase his skills.

“With me coming from a smaller school, I didn’t think anybody really knew what NAIA was. I knew I belonged, but I was kind of nervous about it,” explained Wissinger, regarding his time in the Cape Cod League. “Hearing all these guys from like Vanderbilt, Clemson, all these big D1 schools, it was kind of nerve-wracking. But then we actually got the games started. They were watching my bullpens. I was watching their bullpens, and we were just having really good conversations. I really enjoyed how they took me in as one of them. So that was a really cool experience.”

Inking a deal with the Blue Jays was a dream come true for Wissinger, who battled for the opportunity over the last few years.

Signing a pro contract was the culmination of everything he had worked for in college.

“It was everything to me. All grace to God on his part. I was very excited. I got the call when I was at my fiancée’s parents’ house. Over the past few years, I thought I had an opportunity to get picked up, but nothing happened, and it just kept piling weight on my shoulders each year. So after hearing that call and signing the deal, everything lifted off me.”

Pitchers have the opportunity to reinvent themselves on the mound by tinkering with what pitches they throw, as well as how they throw them. Unsurprisingly, the 24-year-old’s arsenal has evolved over his time at Southeastern, especially after he transitioned to a starting role.

“Before I started this past year, I had a four-seam fastball and a slider. That was all I worked with. I had a curveball, but I never threw it,” explained Wissinger. “But then this past year, I added a change-up. I’ve always tried to throw one, but the way my arm motion is in my slot, it was hard for me to figure it out. So I finally messed with all my grips, and this past year as a starter, I had a four-seam fastball, a slider, and a change-up.”

Standing six-foot-five, the right-hander is conscious of using his length to his advantage. He can get on hitters quickly and has tinkered with his delivery to maximize his deception on the mound.

“I think with my arm angle, it really helps as a pitcher on the mound, no matter who you are. If you have really long limbs, your release is a lot closer than it is for smaller guys. So as a hitter, the ball gets on you so much quicker, and it’s really hard to pick up out of the air. I also think I hide the ball really well with my delivery with my glove hand.”

One of the most important aspects of any baseball player’s game is his ability to handle failure on the mound. You can have all the skills in the world, but if your mental game isn’t strong, there’s a good chance that you won’t realize your potential.

“When I first got into college athletics, my coaches would drill it in our brains that it was ‘next pitch mentality’,” said Wissinger. “It doesn’t matter about that last pitch. It does not matter if you gave up a home run or a double. All you can worry about is the next pitch and the next batter. I’ve really worked on how I process being on the mound, especially with being a closer. You can’t let that stuff get in your head, and it’ll just make your whole outing worse.”

It remains to be seen what kind of role Wissinger may settle into with the Blue Jays organization. Although he started games in his most recent college season, he could easily be put back into a relief role. Either way, he’ll be ready for whatever plans the team has for him.

“When I first got into draft camp, everyone only threw one inning. We would do scrimmages against the Detroit Tigers and just against each other. I would always throw around the fourth inning, so I don’t know if maybe I’m going to be a mid-relief guy or what’s going to happen. But, I mean, just give me the rock, and I’m ready to throw.”

As far as future goals, every player wants to reach the big leagues as quickly as possible. It’s easy for Blue Jays prospects to be inspired by the team’s run to the World Series last month. For Wissinger, the most important thing is trusting what got him here and taking things one day at a time.

“I’m going to go with the process. I would love to be like Trey Yesavage. I would love to do what he did, obviously. But, you know, there are a lot of steps. It’s a lot of hard work. I’m just excited to go through the process and hopefully make it to the big leagues one day.”

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