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Blue Jays 2026 end of season Prospect Countdown: No. 22 Carson Messina
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Photo credit: © John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Cynthia Ryley Delaney
Sep 24, 2026, 20:00 EDTUpdated: Sep 24, 2026, 19:42 EDT
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The Toronto Blue Jays have found success drafting prep pitching prospects in the latter round of the draft recently.
Gage Stanifer and Nolan Perry have emerged as two of the team’s best starting pitching prospects in the organization. Both players were selected in the latter rounds of the 2022 MLB Draft and could make their big league debut as soon as next season.
Another pitching prospect drafted out of high school in the latter rounds who has made a name for himself this past season is 20-year-old Carson Messina, who ranks as our 22nd-best Blue Jays’ prospect in our end of season top prospect countdown. If you miss who ranked 23rd, you can read about Victor Arias here.

Carson Messina

Position: Starting Pitcher
Throws: Right
Born: April 15th, 2006
Acquired: 12th round, 2024 MLB Draft
Previous ranking: Unranked
Messina was selected in the 12th round of the 2024 MLB draft and signed to a bonus of $550,000. He made his professional debut in 2025, but only pitched two innings before a season-ending injury.
It wasn’t until this past season where the 20-year-old broke out. Beginning his season with the Florida Complex League Blue Jays, Messina finished his five-game tenure with a 1.69 ERA and 3.05 FIP in 16 innings of work, along with a 33.9 K% and an 11.9 BB%. 
In mid-June, Messina joined the Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays. Across 14 starts, the 20-year-old had a 3.70 ERA and 4.84 FIP in 41.1 innings of work, with his BB% jumping to 17.9 percent and his strikeout rate dropping to 25.3 percent. There was some good, but his command issues dropped him down a bit in our rankings.
During his stint in Single-A, Messina’s fastball averaged 92.8 mph, but still managed to generate a 29.5 whiff percentage. That’s right in line with his other pitches, as his high-80s cutter finished with a 27.2 whiff percentage, and his mid-80s slider a 26.9 whiff percent. His put away pitch is a high-70s curveball, which had a 40 whiff percentage in Single-A last season. Messina also features a fringe changeup he rarely threw in Single-A.
While Messina’s fastball averaged in the mid-90s, he has reached 99 mph in the past. It’s not too surprising to see a dip in velocity after an injury and in a pitcher’s full professional season, but if he can get back to his hard-throwing ways, expect him to shoot up the minor league ladder and our top prospect countdown.
Cynthia Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, DFOEdmonton, and DFOCalgary. She can be followed on Twitter @CynthiaRDelaney.
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