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Blue Jays prospect Brandon Barriera promoted to High-A Vancouver
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Photo credit: MLB.com
Michael Coyle
Aug 23, 2026, 13:51 EDTUpdated: Aug 23, 2026, 13:53 EDT
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Brandon Barriera is heading west. 
On Sunday, a day after throwing four shutout innings with Single-A Dunedin, it was announced that Barriera was promoted from Single-A to High-A to join the Vancouver Canadians. 
A former first-round draft pick of the Toronto Blue Jays during the 2022 draft, Barriera entered the 2026 season having thrown only 27.1 professional innings due to various ailments, including Tommy John surgery in April 2024. 
With only 5.2 innings pitched in 2025, Barriera needed to prove something this season. Through 13 starts this year with Dunedin, Barriera is 0-3 with a 4.22 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP. The left-hander has struck out 33 batters across his 32 innings pitched, and has held opponents to a .248 average.
While those numbers might not initially jump off the page at you, Barriera has been lights out since the calendar flipped to August. In his four starts, Barriera has thrown 13.2 innings, and has yet to allow a run. The 22-year-old has struck out 16 batters, and held opponents to a .136 average during that span. 
Barriera’s good run has lowered his ERA from 6.43 to 4.22 in August and heads to Vancouver at a time when he’s throwing the ball the best in his professional career. Rule 5 eligible this offseason, Barriera is unlikely to be selected due to his limited experience, but as we’ve seen with Spencer Miles this season, betting on a pitcher’s upside can sometimes lead to success. 
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