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Blue Jays Nation’s 2026 Pre-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 31: Brandon Valenzuela
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Photo credit: © Nathan Ray Seebeck - Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Feb 8, 2026, 18:00 ESTUpdated: Feb 8, 2026, 03:16 EST
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The Toronto Blue Jays have a few notable catching prospects who have popped up in the farm system, including Brandon Valenzuela.
This is Blue Jays Nation’s bi-annual prospect ranking, where we’ll look at the top 35 prospects in the system in the month of February. As always, I’ll look at the player’s stats, what other publications have to say, as well as my own observations of the players. If you missed the 32nd-ranked prospect, you can read about Landen Maroudis here.

Getting to know Brandon Valenzuela…

Position: Catcher
Bats: Switch
Born: October 2nd, 2000
Acquired: Trade with Padres
Previous ranking: 37th
Right now, there are four catchers to monitor in the Jays farm system. Franklin Rojas didn’t make the list, while Juan Caricote and Edward Duran will rank higher in this list. Of the four catching prospects, Valenzuela is the most MLB-ready.
Back in 2018, the Mexican catcher signed for a bonus of $100,000 with the San Diego Padres. He had a few solid seasons out west, finishing the 2021 season with a 122 wRC+, and hitting a career-high 10 home runs in 2022, but the switch-hitter was always known as a glove-first catcher.
He got a cup of tea in Triple-A during the 2024 season, but mainly played the 2025 season in Double-A when he was in the Padres organization. There, he slashed .229/.313/.387 with 12 home runs in 374 plate appearances for a 105 wRC+. On July 31st, 2025, the Padres traded him to the Blue Jays in exchange for Will Wagner.
Finishing the 2025 season with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, Valenzuela hit three more home runs in 105 plate appearances while slashing .207/.295/.370. Overall, those 15 home runs set a new career-high, but his K% with the Jays jumped to 30.5%. Throughout his career, Valenzuela has tended to fare better on the right side of the plate.
Valenzuela tapping into his power more is beneficial, and he’s always been able to take a walk, but he’s a glove first catcher. He has a strong arm behind the plate, throwing out about 34% of would-be base stealers in 2025. Moreover, he’s a strong receiver and blocker.
After the season ended, Valenzuela was added to the Blue Jays 40-man roster, protecting him from the Rule 5 draft. Both Tyler Heineman and Alejandro Kirk missed a handful of games due to a concussion last season, with the Jays turning to Ali Sánchez as the backup catcher. If either catcher misses time, Valenzuela will earn his big league debut in 2026. He’s pretty much their backup catcher of the future.
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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