The Blue Jays‘ 2024 draft class could end up being one of the team’s best in recent memory, especially after Trey Yesavage’s meteoric rise this past season. Second-rounder Khal Stephen broke out as a top prospect before being dealt in the one-for-one trade for Shane Bieber at the deadline, and third-rounder Johnny King already looks like one of the game’s top pitching prospects.

Most players from that class – both drafted and undrafted – have made their pro debuts by now. One player who hasn’t debuted yet is shortstop Owen Gregg, an undrafted signing from Oakville, Ontario, who missed the entire season due to injury. He was the only non-drafted free agent signing by the Blue Jays to come out of the high school ranks, as he was eager to start his pro career.

“I was talking to a couple of teams, and I was really interested. I was a really signable guy,” explained Gregg, speaking with Blue Jays Nation. “The Jays provided me with a great offer and one of the best overall offers. So I feel like that was the main reason why I decided to go with the Jays and start my pro career.”

The 18-year-old had the opportunity to play with the Canadian Junior National team in 2024 at the U-18 Pan-Am Games, a tournament that gave him significant exposure to college and pro scouts.

“I think it was huge for me and young Canadian baseball players. Just being around that kind of level of competition,” said Gregg. “It’s definitely the building blocks of starting out your career and kind of getting that exposure, being in front of pro scouts, college scouts, travelling down to the Latin countries, down to the U.S. and kind of competing for your country. So it’s definitely huge for Canadian baseball.”

Gregg played for the Fieldhouse Pirates (Burlington) in recent years, an elite travel ball team that helped get his name out there. Another alum of the Pirates program is Owen Caissie, a top prospect with the Chicago Cubs who made his major league debut at Rogers Centre last year.

“When I was really young, around the Pirates organization, I got to watch Caissie and watch the process of scouts coming to see him at Fieldhouse,” explained Gregg. “It was really interesting to watch how he went about his business. I’ve been around him for a couple of years now, and it’s always good to see him when he comes back home from Arizona in the wintertime.”

For a Canadian growing up in the Greater Toronto Area, getting the chance to sign with his hometown team was the best-case scenario for the middle infielder. He understands that it will take some time before he has the chance to play in his home city, as he’ll start his climb up the minor league ladder next spring.

“I was around the Rogers Centre for all the great moments they had growing up. I feel like just being around it so much really made me realize that this could be a serious opportunity and that this could be a dream come true. Obviously, there’s still a lot of work to get to Rogers Centre, but I’m taking a step in the right direction, and it’s been a great experience so far.”

Gregg was, like many high school players, signed as a shortstop. There are only so many players that make it through the minor league system at the position, increasing the odds that a position change could occur at some point.

Whether he stays at short long-term is still to be determined, but he understands that in the modern game, players who can be versatile can carry extra value.

“My goal is to be as versatile as possible and be able to play multiple positions along the infield or outfield, depending on where the team needs me or where they see me fit,” said Gregg. “I feel like that utility position is becoming more and more popular in the league. Just being able to be athletic and play multiple positions will help me for sure in the future.”

One of those players who showed how valuable the utility position can be is the Blue Jays’ Ernie Clement, who played in at least 15 games at every infield position in 2025. It’s therefore no surprise that Gregg has been looking at Clement as a possible model for his own game.

“I feel like as a hitter, I’m a kind of guy that likes to do a job for the team,” said Gregg. “I’ve been watching Ernie Clement a lot; he’s kind of a guy that’s been doing a job for the Jays both defensively and offensively. He’s a great guy that I kind of look up to and is always a team-first guy. I feel like moving forward in future seasons, I’ll definitely come into my own and have a great offensive season that is on par with how my defense has and will be.”

Despite signing with the Blue Jays after the 2024 draft, Gregg has yet to play any games in the organization after an injury cost him the entire 2025 season.

He spent the year rehabbing at the player development complex in Dunedin, a place where he was able to take some positives from, even though he was physically unable to play.

“I’m 100% healthy now. I went through the whole rehab process and honestly, it went really smoothly,” explained Gregg. “I got to learn a lot from some older guys that were in rehab, either recovering from Tommy John or other injuries. I learned a lot during that process. I got to work with a lot of special people and feel like it wasn’t just a year where I was away this season. I still got better, still got to get my reps in and learned a lot from all the guys that were in there and older and had more experience than me.”

One benefit to being around the complex was the ability to pick the brains of rehabbing players from different levels of the organization. Gregg was able to get acclimated with a fellow middle infielder who’s been regarded as one of the better hitting prospects in the organization.

“I was around Josh Kasevich when he was injured throughout this year. Obviously, many people know that he’s a hard worker, and I feel like I learned a great deal from him just with how he goes about his routines and how he goes about his day. He’s a pro about his work, and I couldn’t be happier to get to know him and be around him this year.”

The soon-to-be 19-year-old will look to put his injury behind him as he gets off to a quick start at one of the lower minor league levels in 2026. Despite being eager to get into games, Gregg is determined to trust the process and take things day by day.

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