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Notable starting pitchers that missed out on Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Top 35 Prospect list
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Photo credit: Michigan Photography
Ryley Delaney
Aug 18, 2024, 10:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 18, 2024, 10:37 EDT
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Since Ross Atkins and Mark Shapiro took over, the Blue Jays have had trouble developing their own starting pitching, with Alek Manoah being the only one with any kind of success. However, there are quite a few high-ceiling starters on the Top 35 Prospect list, as well as numerous notable starters that didn’t make the cut.
Prior to the list itself, we’ll look at notable players who missed the list in five separate articles. Thus far, we’ve looked at the catchers, the infielders, and the outfielders. In this article, we’ll look at the starting pitchers who missed the cut. It’ll be a mix of players that fell off the list, as well as other starters worth keeping an eye on.
Let’s dig in!

Nolan Perry

Nolan Perry was selected in the 12th-round of the 2022 draft out of high school, and made his debut with the Jays organization the following season. In 2023 with the Florida Complex League Jays, Perry posted a 7.28 ERA and a 4.05 FIP in 38.1 innings pitched, along with a 28.3 K% and an 8.9 BB%.
The 20-year-old righty reached the “A” levels this season, pitching for the Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays. So far, he has a 2.93 ERA and a 4.24 FIP in 46 innings pitched, along with a 27.5 K% and an 18.8 BB%.

Gage Stanifer

Gage Stanifer was also selected in the 2022 draft (19th-round) out of high school. The 20-year-old has followed a similar path to Perry, making his debut in 2023 with the FCL Jays and posting a 6.33 ERA and a 4.42 FIP in 42.2 innings pitched, along with a 24.4 K% and an 11.9 BB%.
Unlike Perry, the right-handed pitcher’s numbers are more inflated in 2024, posting a 6.30 ERA and a 5.22 FIP in 50 innings pitched with the Dunedin Blue Jays. His K% decreased to 21.6% while his BB% increased to 16.9%.

Ryan Jennings

Hey look, another 2022 draft pick, as Ryan Jennings was selected in the fourth-round of the same draft. After a brief tenure in Single-A during the 2022 season, Jennings made his full-season debut in 2023 between Single-A and High-A, posting a 3.98 ERA and a 3.52 FIP in 43 innings pitched, along with a 30.9 K% and a 9.6 BB%.
Between High-A and Double-A, Jennings has improved, posting a 2.01 ERA and a 3.38  in 53.2 innings pitched, along with a 25.7 K% and an 8.8 BB%. While he isn’t a highly-touted starter by any means, he definitely has back-end-of-the-rotation ceiling written all over him.

Sann Omosako

Toronto has always done a fine job at finding Brazilian pitching – look no further than Eric Pardinho. Sann Omosako didn’t have the fanfare that Pardinho did when he signed, but the 18-year-old righty has had two terrific seasons in the Dominican Summer League.
Last season, Omosako posted a 2.61 ERA and a 3.93 FIP in 20.2 innings pitched, starting five of the eight games he appeared in. Moreover, he had a 19.3 K% and a 3.6 BB% for a 15.7 K-BB%.
Omosako has improved in 2023 at the same level, posting a 2.44 ERA and a 3.76 FIP in 55.1 innings pitched (nine starts in 11 appearances). Somehow, his BB% has gotten even lower, dropping it to 1.8%, while his K% improved to 21.2%.

Lazaro Estrada

Ladies and gentlemen, Lazaro Estrada has finally made it past Single-A. It took a while for Estrada to make his mark in the Jays system, but 2023 saw him post a 2.83 ERA and FIP in 76.1 innings pitched with the Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays.
Briefly starting the 2024 season there on a rehab assignment, Estrada finally became a full-time member of the High-A Vancouver Canadians. In total, the 25-year-old righty posted a 1.96 ERA and a 3.19 FIP in 41.1 innings pitched, along with a 32.7 K% and a 7.4 BB%.
He earned a promotion to Double-A New Hampshire, where he has a 4.01 ERA and a 3.64 FIP in 33.2 innings pitched, or seven starts. Moreover, Estrada has a 20.6 K% and a 9.2 BB%. Featuring a fastball, slider, and curveball as his primary weapons, he’s a starter to watch the next few seasons.

Silvano Hechavarría

The Blue Jays signed Silvano Hechavarría in early June 2024 to a signing bonus of $215,000. In his first season with the organization, he has posted a 2.05 ERA and a 3.55 FIP in 44 innings pitched, along with a 29 K% and an 8 BB%.
According to Francys Romero, the 21-year-old righty has a fastball that sits in the mid-90s and touches 97 mph. Moreover, he has a changeup and slider as his secondary pitches. I wouldn’t be surprised if he quickly moves up the minor league ladder in 2025 like the prospect we’ll look at next did back in 2022.

Rafael Sánchez

Like Hechavarría, Rafael Sánchez is a Cuban right-hander who signed past his 20th birthday. In his first season in the organization, Sánchez posted a 3.20 ERA and 3.05 FIP in 59 innings pitched between the DSL, FCL, and Single-A for a successful debut season.
The following season, he accumulated 114 innings, posting a 4.26 ERA and a 3.89 FIP, along with a 24.7 K% and a 5.8 BB% between Single-A and High-A. There was only one pitcher who pitched more innings in the organization, we’ll get to him later though.
Once again, Sánchez has put together good results with a 3.46 ERA and a 2.76 FIP, along with logging the second-most innings in the organization with 96.1. His K% between High-A and Double-A has improved as well, hitting 25.6%, while his BB% sits at a respectable 6.9%.
With a good 2025 season, Sánchez could have a shot at earning a spot on the Toronto Blue Jays.

Jackson Wentworth

Toronto selected Jackson in the fifth-round of the 2024 draft, with the 22-year-old righty celebrating his birthday on August 8. He’s yet to make his professional debut, but last season with Kansas State University, Wentworth posted a 4.24 ERA in 87 innings pitched, along with a 31.5 K% and a 7.4 BB%.
Wentworth ranked as MLB Pipeline’s 164th-best draft prospect available, featuring a plus slider and changeup, as well as an average fastball and cutter. The heater averages 92-94 mph and touches 96 mph.

Austin Cates

Austin Cates is another starter the Blue Jays drafted in the 2024 draft, selecting the 21-year-old righty from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Cates only pitched one season in the NCAA for one season, posting a 4.08 ERA in 90.1 innings pitched, along with a 3.9 BB% and a 27.9 K%.
Cates’ best pitch is his splitter, described by FSS Plus’ Joe Doyle as one of the best splitters in the class. Moreover, he has a low-90 fastball and a slider that he’ll use against right-handed batters.

Troy Guthrie

It’s always interesting when the Blue Jays pick a high school pitcher on the third day of the draft. Just like the 2022 draft, they picked up two pitchers in rounds 11-20, picking Troy Guthrie in the 11th round.
The 18-year-old righty features a low 90s fastball, a slider with sweep, a curveball, and a changeup. Like most pitchers that the Blue Jays draft, Guthrie likely won’t make his debut until the following season.

Chad Dallas

Moving to starting pitchers that ranked in our Top 50 Preseason Prospect list, Chad Dallas’ 2024 season has been hampered by injury.
After a “meh” 2022 season in his professional debut, Dallas dominated High-A to start 2023, posting a 2.03 ERA and a 2.88 FIP in 26.2 innings pitched with a 36.3 K% and an 11.8 BB%. He found success in Double-A as well, finishing the level with a 4.10 ERA and a 4.41 FIP in 96.2 innings pitched, along with a 25.8 K% and an 8.9 BB%.
Seen as a potential depth starter if the Jays needed him in 2024, Dallas struggled to begin the 2024 season in Triple-A. Through his first eight starts, he had a 6.63 ERA and a 6.85 FIP in 38 innings pitched, along with a 15.3 K% and a 9.3 BB% before an injury sidelined him for about a month.
Dallas returned to Buffalo’s roster on June 20, where he had a 5.87 ERA and a 3.20 FIP in 23 innings pitched, along with a 22.4 K% and a 7.1 BB%. He’s currently on the 7-Day Injured List. His 123.1 innings pitched in 2023 was the most among Blue Jays pitchers in the minor leagues.
In Blue Jays Nation’s Top 50 Preseason Prospect list, the right-handed pitcher ranked as our 20th-best prospect.

CJ Van Eyk

Selected in the second round of the 2020 draft, CJ Van Eyk has had a very stop/start type of career. He pitched all of 2021 with the Vancouver Canadians, before requiring Tommy John and missing the entirety of the 2022 season. The 25-year-old returned in 2023 and was solid between the FCL, Single-A, and Double-A, before pitching in the Arizona Fall League.
However, the 2024 season in Double-A has been a rough one for Van Eyk. This season, he has a 6.33 ERA and a 4.77 FIP in 81 innings pitched, along with an 18.4 K% and a 9 BB%. After a stretch of good baseball from June 27 to August 4 where he had a 3.45 ERA and 4.49 FIP in 31.1 innings pitched, he has come out of the bullpen the past two outings.
Now, that could be because he’s approaching his inning limit and the Jays want to test him out in the pen, a full-time move, or something else. Who knows? Either way, it’s something worth monitoring.
Coming into the season, Van Eyk was our 23rd-best prospect on the Top 50 Preseason Prospect list.

Connor O’Halloran

Mississauga-native Connor O’Halloran was selected in the fifth round of the 2023 draft and had a successful start to his 2024 season with the Dunedin Blue Jays. In 37.1 innings pitched, he had a 3.13 ERA and a 4 FIP, along with a 28.7 K% and an 8.3 BB%.
However, the 21-year-old left-hander has struggled upon reaching High-A, where he has a 7.69 ERA and a 5.80 FIP in 50.1 innings pitched, along with an 18.7 K% and a 12.3 BB%. Since joining the Canadians in late May, he’s only thrown one scoreless outing.
Prior to the start of the 2024 season, O’Halloran ranked as our 31st-best prospect.

Michael Dominguez

Michael Dominguez was selected in the 15th round of the 2019 draft out of high school and had a great season in 2023. Between High-A and Double-A, the righty had a 3.87 ERA and a 5.63 FIP in 102.1 innings pitched, along with a high K% of 28% and a high BB% of 16.8%.
In 17 starts with the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats in 2024, Dominguez has a 4.80 ERA and a 5.69 FIP in 75 innings pitched. The high strikeout rate has plummeted to 20.4%, while his BB% has improved slightly, as the 24-year-old has a 13 BB%.
There’s a lot of relief risk in Dominguez, but his slider is a joy to watch paired with his mid-90s heater. In our 2024 Top 50 Preseason Prospect list, Dominguez ranked 32nd.

Trent Palmer

Trent Palmer and CJ Van Eyk have had similar trajectories in their careers. Both were drafted in the five-round 2020 draft (Palmer in the third round), and both underwent Tommy John surgery, returning to game action around the same time. Palmer and Van Eyk each won the 2023 Arizona Fall League title with the Surprise Saguaros. In fact, Palmer and Van Eyk piggybacked their starts together early in the 2024 season with the Fisher Cats.
Unfortunately, Palmer has missed time with injury, pitching just 20 innings in 2024 with a 9.45 ERA and a 5.38 FIP, along with a higher BB% (18.2%) than K% (15.2%). Palmer went on the 7-day Injured List at the end of May and made a rehab appearance on Saturday with Dunedin, pitching an inning and two-thirds while giving up three earned runs and three walks.
As always, you can follow me on Twitter @Ryley_L_D.

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