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Looking Blue Jays prospects eligible for the 2026 Rule 5 Draft
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Photo credit: © Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Aug 24, 2026, 19:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 24, 2026, 18:47 EDT
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Come late November, the Toronto Blue Jays will need to make some tough decisions.
Barring the (very likely) lockout, the annual Rule 5 draft is right around the corner. Last year, the Jays found one of their high-leverage relievers, Spencer Miles, in the Rule 5 draft. However, there’ll be a handful of notable prospects who’ll need to be added to the 40-man roster to protect them from the draft.
That’s easier said than done, of course. While the Jays are currently at the 40-man limit, there are nine players currently on the 60-day injured list. During the season, it temporarily removes them from the 40-man roster, but there’s no injured list in the off-season, meaning they have to be re-added.
Of course, other moves can occur as well, such as trades and expiring contracts, but the Jays already have an impending roster crunch, and that’s without needing to add a few Rule 5 eligible players.
There are six players currently on MLB Pipeline’s top 30 Blue Jays’ prospect list who are Rule 5 eligible. Nolan Perry is a lock to be added, as the 22-year-old righty has had an incredible season coming off Tommy John surgery.
He’s one of four high school players the Blue Jays selected in 2022 who will be Rule 5 eligible. Gage Stanifer is another pitching prospect who ranks in MLB Pipeline’s top 30 prospect list. The stuff is great, but he’s struggled with command in Double-A and has recently moved to the bullpen. That said, the Jays still see him as a starter in the long-run.
Tucker Toman was selected 77th overall in that draft and is having a breakout season. His numbers in Double-A aren’t as noteworthy as they were in High-A, but he is a noteworthy player even if he doesn’t rank on Pipeline’s top 30 Blue Jays’ prospect list.
Despite being selected in the first round in 2022, Brandon Barriera has a low probability of being selected in the Rule 5 draft given his injury history. The southpaw no longer ranks as a top 30 Blue Jays’ prospect according to Pipeline.
Josh Kasevich was also drafted in the 2022 draft, but this will be his second off-season of Rule 5 eligibility. College-drafted players hit Rule 5 eligibility one season earlier, meaning that college players selected in the 2023 draft will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft in December.
Only two players drafted by the Blue Jays in 2023 are of note here, Nick Goodwin and Jace Bohrofen. Neither player rank on Pipeline’s top 30 list, but Goodwin does have a profile that teams look for in the Rule 5 draft. He’s a utility infielder with solid defence, good contact skills, and some pop in his bat.
Of the two, Bohrofen has far more power as he’s hit 13 home runs in 197 plate appearances this season. However, he hasn’t played since June 9th and missed parts of 2025 as well. Bohrofen also has a high strikeout rate of 34%, the same rate he had in 2025.
There are three other players ranked in Pipeline’s top 30 list who are also Rule 5 eligible. Jay Harry has had a fantastic breakout season and has a profile similar to Goodwin. RJ Schreck has spent most of this season injured, but still ranks as their 13th-best prospect. 
Additionally, Daniel Guerra is set to be Rule 5 eligible as 2026 was his fifth season as a professional after signing via the international free agency. Both he and Stanifer were recently moved to the bullpen to see if they could help the big league team in September.
Two other players of note are Josh Stephan and Hedbert Perez. Stephan was acquired by the Jays for Adam Macko before the 2026 trade deadline and profiles as a back-of-the-rotation starter who could help as soon as next season.
Perez was selected in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft in 2025, but has had a breakout season since coming off the injured list.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, DFOEdmonton, and DFOCalgary. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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