The Vancouver Canadians fell short of capturing back-to-back Northwest League Championships this past week, losing in four games to the Spokane Indians. The series was tight throughout, with each game decided by a single run.

Despite the loss, the Canadians rode a bolstered second-half roster to a 38-28 record after going just 30-33 in the first half. Several unsung heroes on this team may have played themselves into being considered top prospects moving forward. You won’t find any of the below players mentioned on any top prospects lists, but each should be considered as someone to watch heading into 2025.

Acquired in the 2022 trade of Randal Grichuk to Colorado, the Caucagua, Venezuela native, has been plagued by injuries since joining the organization. He played just 47 games with Dunedin in 2022, followed by a 35-game stint in 2023.

Pinto opened up the 2024 season on the injured list and missed most of the season yet again, playing in just 26 total games. The 5’6″ 156-pounder made up for lost time,  injecting life into the top of the Canadians’ lineup since his call-up on August 6th. His first game was a three-hit effort in which he smacked a double and a triple while scoring three times. Pinto collected nine multi-hit games in just 21 games with Vancouver (17 regular season games plus four playoff games), including four three-hit performances.

Based on his size, position and hitting acumen, it’s hard not to dream of a Jose Altuve-type career for the 21-year-old. Due to his late start to the season, it’s no surprise to hear that, according to Shi Davidi, Pinto will log some extra games in the Arizona Fall League next month. He will undoubtedly need to prove that he can perform at this level over a full season, likely ticketing him for a return to Vancouver to start 2025.

Rogers shined in his first full season in the Blue Jays organization, proving to be a guy who can go deep in games while throwing a lot of strikes. After a decent but unspectacular 14-start run with Single-A Dunedin to start the year, the 6’7″, 230-pounder got the call up to High-A on August 3rd. His first start was one of the best performances by any Canadians pitcher this year, tossing eight scoreless innings while giving up just three hits and one walk while punching out nine. Consistency was the name of the game for the former McNeese State Cowboy, as he worked into the 6th inning in five of his next six starts, never giving up more than four runs.

Rogers got the start in game four of the Northwest League Championship series, putting the C’s in a position to win with six and a third innings of one-run ball. The 2023 11th-round pick allowed just five hits and no walks while striking out five. The imposing right-hander walked just six batters through seven total starts with Vancouver. If he can keep his strikeout rate around one per inning while continuing to limit the free passes, he could move quickly through the system in 2025.

With one of the worst bullpens in the Major Leagues in 2024, the Blue Jays will be looking for help both inside and outside the organization heading into 2025. The righthanded Amalfi spent the entire season in Vancouver, proving by the end of the season that he was manager Brent Lavallee’s most trusted bullpen option.

Across 68.2 innings pitched, the Ashland, Massachusetts native struck out 87 while walking 26 en route to a 3.28 ERA. His 2024 was a great improvement on his 2023 season with Dunedin, as he nearly cut his BB/9 rate in half (6.44 vs 3.41). The 2022 non-drafted free agent avoided hard contact all year, allowing just one homerun across 36 appearances. There’s also a chance for some positive regression going forward, as his .347 BABIP led to a higher-than-expected 1.25 WHIP on the season. Amalfi has created some forward momentum going into 2025, with his last six performances (including his lone playoff outing) resulting in a 2.92 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and a whopping 24 strikeouts and just two walks over 12.1 innings pitched.

After the Blue Jays injected their farm system with some new faces at the trade deadline, it’s nice to see that three homegrown guys made their mark in the second half of the season. Although these three players may find themselves back in Vancouver to start the 2025 season, there’s a good chance that an early season call-up to Double-A New Hampshire may be in the cards before too long.