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Blue Jays: Looking at what would be a successful season for Brandon Barriera
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Photo credit: © Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Mar 11, 2026, 17:00 EDTUpdated: Mar 11, 2026, 16:04 EDT
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The last three drafts have been kind to the Toronto Blue Jays.
Their top three prospects, Arjun Nimmala, Trey Yesavage, and JoJo Parker were all first round picks. Overall, those three drafts are looking strong, but they missed a big chance to strengthen their farm system with the 2022 draft.
Due to Robbie Ray and Marcus Semien going off in 2021, the Jays were able to give both of them a qualifying offer, which turned into the 77th and 78th overall picks. The Jays selected Tucker Toman and Cade Doughty with those picks, while Roman Anthony went 79th overall. Oof.
Josh Kasevich, their second-rounder in that draft, looks like he could find his way on the big league roster in 2026. Alan Roden and Mason Fluharty have already made their big league debuts, while 19th-rounder Gage Stanifer is one of the Blue Jays’ top prospects.
But what about their first rounder? Well, 23rd overall pick Brandon Barriera has had a rough go of things since turning professional. In 2023, he mainly pitched in Single-A, where he made six starts with a 4.42 ERA and 3.26 FIP in 18.1 innings pitched. He pitched 20.1 innings that season, which stands as a career-high in a single season.
In his first outing of 2024, a season where by most accounts, he looked great, Barriera suffered an elbow injury and required Tommy John surgery. That ended his season, and he made just five starts in 2025 before a fractured forearm derailed his season.
Some publications still consider the 22-year-old lefty a top prospect. In their pre-season rankings, MLB Pipeline ranked him as the 22nd-best Blue Jays prospect, and it’s not hard to see why as the potential is still there. The fastball sits 96-98 mph, great velocity for a lefty. Add in the fact that he has an above-average slider and an average changeup, and there’s potential to be at least a middle-of-the-rotation starter.
But what does a successful season look like for the lefty? Well for starters, he has to stay healthy. If he can’t pitch a significant number of innings this season, that’ll be four seasons of what essentially boils down to missed development.
He’ll also have to show the promise that he had entering the 2024 season. The potential is still there, but at a certain point, he’ll need to perform. After just 27.1 innings of professional ball, it’s likely that Barriera will begin his season with the Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays.
There’s a chance we see Barriera reach the High-A Vancouver Canadians at some point in 2026 if he pitches well, but staying healthy is the number one concern.
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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