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How the 5 Blue Jays 2026 UDFAs fared in their professional debuts

Photo credit: © Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

By Michael Coyle

Oct 4, 2026, 07:00 EDTUpdated: Oct 3, 2026, 16:58 EDT

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Following the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft in which the Toronto Blue Jays made 20 selections, they signed eight undrafted free agents to bring in more talent to their organization.

Of the eight players they signed, five of them including Reese Bassinger, Dax Dathe, Ryan Franden, Gavin Seebold, and Isaac Williams made their professional debuts.

Here is a look at how all five of these players fared during their first stint in professional baseball.

Reese Bassinger

After spending three seasons in the NCAA, Bassinger impressed upon being assigned to Single-A Dunedin. Across nine games, Bassinger recorded a 2.19 ERA and 0.89 WHIP.

The 23-year-old recorded two saves in both his opportunities and struck out 14 batters across 12.1 innings pitched while limiting opponents to a .208 average.

Dax Dathe

Dathe joined the Blue Jays organization after four seasons in the NCAA and was the one player who spent time at two levels. Dathe opened with Dunedin and pitched to a 3.52 ERA and 1.57 WHIP. Dathe struck out 15 batters and recorded two saves across 7.2 innings before being promoted to High-A Vancouver on August 24.

Upon joining the Canadians, Dathe appeared in three games and turned in a 1.93 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. The 25-year-old struck out nine batters over 4.2 innings and held opponents to a .176 average.

Ryan Franden

Of the two UDFAs the Blue Jays signed that were position players, Franden was the lone player to make his debut. Over 20 games with Dunedin, Franden batted .197 with one home run and four RBIs. Franden stole one base and produced a .279 on-base percentage.

During Franden’s time in the NCAA, he worked as a utility infielder and the 23-year-old carried that over to the Blue Jays organization. Franden saw time at first base, second base and third base and committed only one error.

Gavin Seebold

After four seasons in the NCAA, Seebold was assigned to Dunedin and got into seven games to close out the 2026 campaign. During that span, Seebold picked up two saves, posted an ERA of 1.00 and a WHIP of 0.67.

Seebold struck out an impressive 18 batters across nine innings and held opponents to a .156 average.

Isaac Williams

Williams closed out his fourth season in the NCAA at the University of Oklahoma before being assigned to Dunedin. In seven games, Williams went 1-0 with a 5.68 ERA and a 0.87 WHIP.

The 22-year-old right-hander struck out 18 batters across 12.2 innings pitched, picked up two holds and held opponents to a .136 average.

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