Blue Jays: Danny Thompson Jr. throws four hitless innings in Double-A debut
Photo credit: © Nathan Ray Seebeck - Imagn Images
Jun 17, 2026, 14:00 EDTUpdated: Jun 17, 2026, 19:05 EDT
Danny Thompson Jr. is one step closer to making the big leagues.
On Tuesday, the Toronto Blue Jays pitching prospect was officially promoted to the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, making his debut with them that same night. In his first start in the upper minors, Thompson Jr. threw four hitless innings, allowing a walk and striking out three.
That first walk came against the first Double-A batter he faced, before the runner was thrown out attempting to steal second, followed by a ground out and a strikeout. In the bottom of the second, Thompson Jr. got the first batter he faced to line out, but hit back-to-back batters with pitches. He then stranded both thanks to a flyout and a strikeout.
The 23-year-old’s first perfect Double-A inning was in the third, generating a line out, fly out, and ground out. Then in the third, staked to a 3-0 lead, Thompson Jr. struck out Matt Rudick for the second time in the game, followed by a fly out and ground out to end his evening.
Drafted in the eighth-round of the 2025 draft, Thompson Jr. has quickly become a breakout prospect in the system. Signed to a bonus of just $5,000, he posted a 0.66 ERA and 3.40 FIP in Single-A to end the season.
Thompson Jr. began the 2026 season with the High-A Vancouver Canadians, where he made nine starts in 12 appearances and pitched to a tune of a 3.80 ERA and 3.40 in 47.1 innings of work. The statistic that stood out was his strikeout rate, as Thompson Jr. ended his Canadians’ tenure with a 33.8 K%, albeit with a 11.9 BB% as well.
Over his 13 outings, Thompson Jr. had 71 strikeouts, third-most in the organization, and just behind former rotation mates Nolan Perry (74) and Daniel Guerra (73). Thompson Jr. is tied for the 34th-most strikeouts in all of the minor leagues this season.
If Thompson Jr. can find success in Double-A, expect him to rise up top prospect list, and position himself to make the big leagues in 2027 or 2028.
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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