With the World Baseball Classic underway, a lot of regular, everyday big league players for the Blue Jays will be absent for the duration of the tournament.

This includes the likes of Vladimir Guerrero Jr, Kazuma Okamoto, Alejandro Kirk, Andres Gimenez, and Ernie Clement (amongst others). This also includes prospects and depth roster players, such as R.J. Schreck and Leo Jimenez, who are off representing Israel and Panama, respectively, opening the door for other names to have eyes on them this spring.Blue Jays: 3 prospects seizing the opportunity this spring with players away at the World Baseball Classic

While Spring Training does not quite tell the full story of a player, it can make fans excited about who’s coming soon in the pipeline for the organization and gives players a chance to impress the coaches while facing potentially tougher competition.

Here are three players taking full advantage of the opportunity.

Catching depth was always something fans were concerned about for the last few seasons after the Jays moved Gabriel Moreno and Danny Jansen.

While Alejandro Kirk and Tyler Heinemann are likely going to be the catching duo once again in 2026, waiting in the wings is Brandon Valenzuela, a 25-year-old switch-hitting catcher whom the Blue Jays acquired from the San Diego Padres last summer.

On paper, Valenzuela was viewed as a great defensive catcher with a great arm, but so far this spring, he has shown off his bat in an impressive way through seven spring training games.

With Kirk at the World Baseball Classic representing Team Mexico, the fellow countryman is 5 for 15 (.333) at the plate with a double and a pair of RBIs.

While it’s likely he stays as the third-string catcher and starts the season down with the Buffalo Bisons in Triple-A, Valenzuela can be viewed as a potential long-term backup option in 2027 and beyond, while also giving the Jays some depth this year should Kirk or Heineman land on the IL.

One of the biggest surprises prospect-wise this spring is Josh Kasevich.

The #13 prospect in the Blue Jays system has been smacking the baseball this spring, going 8 for 21 (.381) so far with a home run and three RBIs. He also hasn’t struck out and has totalled the most bases among infielders with 12.

Of his at-bats, Kasevich has only whiffed five times during Spring Training action and has looked solid at the plate. While Kasevich unfortunately had injuries throughout 2025, his 2024 was a great showing of what could be on the horizon after he posted an .815 OPS in 41 games with the Buffalo Bisons. His home run that he hit this spring, back against the Boston Red Sox, was an absolute bomb that went 416 feet to deep left field.

Given his position flexibility of playing second base, shortstop, and third base, he can move all around the infield and provide a solid glove in the field that the Blue Jays are very much valuing.

He will likely be with the Bisons to start the season like Valenzuela, but he is for sure a name that’s showing up on fans’ radars, and depth is crucial in a long season. While not on the 40-man roster yet, Kasevich is going to be someone who would force his way into the big leagues by the end of the season.

The number of infielders that the Blue Jays have acquired over the last couple of seasons means a name like Charles McAdoo could fall under the radar.

At just 24, he is still a name that’s developing his form, but came on strong in 2024 when he was with the Pittsburgh Pirates, before being traded later that summer for Isiah Kiner-Falefa.

McAdoo is someone who has been known more for his bat than his glove, and so far this spring, he’s been hitting .273 across 22 at-bats. With four RBIs, he is tied for the lead among all infielders along with Kazuma Okamoto. Power is McAdoo’s strong suit as he has hit a lot of balls hard this spring, including lacing a 96 MPH fastball down the left field line off the bat of Yankees reliever Fernando Cruz. In a league where the average fastball sits at 95-96 MPH, he can keep up with some of the hardest-throwing hitters in the game today.

In 121 games with Double-A New Hampshire, McAdoo hit 16 home runs and led the team with 45 RBIs in just under 500 plate appearances. While defense is not a key strength of his, it’s something that the organization can prioritize as he gets another season in the minor leagues, and he’s been holding his own so far in Dunedin.

While the infielder queue is log-jammed tight with several other names ahead of him, it does lead to a lot of competition, but having a strong spring in the batter’s box helps you a lot in the long run for the front office to have eyes on you.

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