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Blue Jays minor leaguers will get a chance to shine in Spring Training during the World Baseball Classic
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Photo credit: © Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Aidan Sinclair
Feb 24, 2026, 14:00 ESTUpdated: Feb 24, 2026, 07:16 EST
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Baseball is back, and the Blue Jays are looking to defend their Golden Grapefruit.
A key takeaway from the first few Spring Training games is that the majority of the Major League-calibre hitters on the team have been in the lineup, receiving significant playing time. This comes because the entire infield will be representing their respective countries at the World Baseball Classic, which begins on March 5th. Vladimir Guerrero Jr (Dominican Republic), Kazuma Okamoto (Japan), Andres Gimenez (Venezuela), Ernie Clement (United States), and Alejandro Kirk (Mexico) are all participating in this year’s WBC. 
Other notable Minor Leaguers and fringe MLB players include Leo Jimenez (Panama), Yariel Rodriguez (Cuba), Adam Macko (Canada), and RJ Schreck (Israel). Come March 5th, playing time will become disposable to many depth pieces fighting for MLB playing time or some time in the spotlight to showcase their talents. The current 40-man roster lists Jimenez and newly added Ben Cowles as the backup infield options, with Davis Schneider and Addison Barger able to fill into second and third base roles, respectively, if needed. 
This begs the question: who could make the most of the extended opportunity to play in Spring Training and force their way onto the Major League roster? The Jays invited seven non-roster infielders to Spring Training this season, many of whom will become regulars towards the middle of March with a valuable chance to showcase their talent.
Below, I’ve listed some of the names to watch this Spring: either players who may have a chance at cracking the Jays’ roster or make strides in their Minor League development. 
Sean Keys 
Keys, who will be 23 in May, was drafted in the fourth round of the 2024 draft and presents power from the left side, hitting 19 home runs in 119 games with A+ in Vancouver a season ago.
His slashline didn’t necessarily reflect his underlying batted ball metrics, as he posted solid line drive (19.7%) and contact (78.2%) rates in 2025. Playing in the Jays’ first Spring Training game on Saturday, he showcased his power potential, hitting a home run 358 feet to right field. Though he won’t be a name on the Jays’ radar for 2026, he is a prospect to watch going forward, and we could see some more home runs for Keys in the coming weeks. 
Riley Tirotta 
Tirotta has established himself as a formidable Minor League player, winning the internal MVP Award for the Buffalo Bisons in 2025.
His slashline of .268/.359/.417/.775 paired with 12 home runs and a 112 WRC+ in 2025 were all some of the better marks on the Bisons’ roster a year ago, and at age 27, it appears Tirotta is ready to compete at the highest level. In 2025, the Major League average for line drive percentage and hard hit rate were 23.9% and 40.9%, respectively. Tirotta managed a 22.6% line drive percentage and 37.3% hard hit rate a year ago, with a solid 112.6 mph max exit velocity.
His offensive profile alone justifies a role on the Jays’ bench as a replacement infielder, and when paired with the fact that he played every single position in the infield for the Bisons a season ago, excluding catcher, he brings extreme versatile value. Look for Tirotta to make a name for himself during Spring Training. 
Josh Kasevish 
Similar to Tirotta, Kasevich has been a utility player much of his Minor League career, playing SS, 3B, and 2B most recently in the Arizona Fall League.
2025 was a struggle health-wise for the now 25-year-old as he dealt with back issues, keeping him to just 29 games of action with Triple-A Buffalo. Looking back to his most recent healthy season, 2024, he slashed .325/.382/.433/.815 with a 120 WRC+ for the Bisons, playing the majority of his innings at SS.
In the early games of 2026 Spring Training, Kasevich has already gone deep and could become a bench option for the Jays if he continues to perform offensively. 
Arjun Nimmala 
Nimmala will be entering just his 20-year-old season in 2026, and he spent the entirety of his 2025 campaign with High-A in Vancouver. After bursting onto the scene in 2024 with 17 home runs in 91 games between rookie ball and Low-A with Dunedin, Nimmala took a step back in 2025, slashing .224/.313/.381/.694 with just 13 home runs in 120 games played. His WRC+ dropped to 92 after sitting at 126 cumulatively in 2024, and his line drive percentage fell to 15.4% after being at 22.5% a season ago.
According to the most recent MLB prospect rankings, Nimmala ranks 3rd in the Blue Jays system, and 2026 will be a huge step towards his development. With the entire MLB infield gone for the WBC, Nimmala is likely to see plenty of playing time at SS, setting him up for a successful summer. 
Other non-roster infielders invited to Spring Training include: Josh Rivera, Cutter Coffey, and Charles McAdoo, though they find themselves either lower in the Jays’ prospect pecking order or are unlikely to see MLB playing time in 2026. In recent years, Leo Jimenez has seemingly been the default infield depth piece in the event of an injury or poor performance, though he has struggled to a .207 AVG and 80 OPS+ through 81 games of MLB action, and could see his role diminished even further if guys like Tirotta or Kasevich impress this Spring. Look for the Jays to potentially make adjustments to their infield depth options with increased playing time for intriguing prospects. 

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