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Lázaro Estrada ranks as Blue Jays Nation’s 22nd-best prospect in 2025 mid-season update
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Photo credit: © Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Sep 2, 2025, 15:00 EDTUpdated: Sep 2, 2025, 10:55 EDT
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Lázaro Estrada is a starting pitching depth option for the Toronto Blue Jays.
This is Blue Jays Nation’s annual mid-season prospect list, where we’ll take a look at the 50 best prospects in the Toronto Blue Jays organization. I’ll look at the player’s stats, what other publications have to say, as well as my own observations of the players.
Estrada percolated in the lower minors for quite some time, partially due to injury, before quickly ascending the Blue Jays’ minor league ladder in 2024. Because of this, the 26-year-old Cuban ranks as our 22nd-best prospect. If you missed our 23rd-best prospect, you can read about Eddinson Paulino here.

Getting to know Lázaro Estrada…

Position: Starting pitcher
Throws: Right
Born: April 24th, 1999
Acquired: 2018 International Free Agency
Previous ranking: 34th (2025 pre-season)
Estrada, a right-handed pitcher from Cuba, signed with the Blue Jays in the 2018 International Free Agency period for an undisclosed bonus. He made his debut the same season, starting all 14 games he appeared in and authoring a 2.06 ERA and 2.48 FIP in 70 innings pitched. The 2019 season was also spent in rookie ball, where he had a 5.85 ERA and 5.54 FIP in 47.2 innings pitched.
Then began Estrada’s long stint in Single-A. Aside from four innings in High-A in 2021 and a rehab assignment in the FCL in 2022, the righty spent most of the next three seasons with the Dunedin Blue Jays. In 2021, he had a 3.31 ERA and 3.86 FIP in 16.1 innings. In 2022, he pitched just 15.1 innings with a 2.93 ERA and 2.15 FIP. He finally returned to full health in 2023, where he had a 2.83 ERA and FIP in 76.1 innings pitched, starting just nine of the 28 games he appeared in. Moreover, he struck out 33.3% of the batters he faced.
Estrada began the 2024 season with the D-Jays, albeit on a rehab stint. After four and two-thirds in Single-A, Estrada finally became a regular in High-A, where he had a 1.96 ERA and 3.24 FIP in 41.1 innings pitched, with a 32.7 K% and 7.4 BB%. He was so good that he finished his season with the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, authoring a 4.47 ERA and 3.42 FIP in 52.1 innings pitched.
The Blue Jays re-signed Estrada in September 2024, and he began the season in Triple-A with the Buffalo Bisons. Over his 22 appearances, he’s made 20 starts with a 6.06 ERA and 5.04 FIP in 87.2 innings pitched, with a 22.6 K% and 8 BB%. That said, the Blue Jays selected Estrada’s contract, and he’s made appearances with the big league team.
His first was on July 5th, where he pitched four innings of one-run ball, striking out four en route to a Blue Jays victory. Estrada’s second outing came on July 29th in a doubleheader, where he gave up six earned runs, while striking out six in three and one-third innings. Overall, Estrada has an 8.59 ERA and 5.18 FIP in 7.1 innings pitched in the big leagues.
Estrada ranked as MLB Pipeline’s 22nd-best prospect in their mid-season update. He sits in the low-90s with the fastball, featuring a curveball, slider, and splitter as his secondary pitches. Estrada’s curveball is incredibly spinny, but like his fastball, is given a 50-grade by Pipeline. The righty’s best pitch is his slider, while his splitter is slightly below average. Estrada has average command.
Time will tell if Estrada will earn another call-up in 2025, but he could feature in the Blue Jays’ rotation plans in 2026.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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