The Toronto Blue Jays Prospects Who Will Shine in 2015

The Toronto Blue Jays had several prospects who had breakout years in the minors during the 2014 season. These prospects included the likes of Dalton Pompey, Daniel Norris and Kendall Graveman.

All of the aforementioned players will be rewarded for their success by getting a chance to make the Blue Jays out of spring training next year.

So, who’s next? Which prospects are primed to have successful seasons in 2015 and get closer to the majors? Let’s take a look at three Blue Jays prospects who have a chance to shine next season.

Roberto Osuna, RHP

Roberto Osuna missed most of the 2014 season recovering from the Tommy John surgery that he underwent in 2013. When he did finally make his 2014 debut, Osuna was understandably rusty after the long layoff.

In 23 innings pitched, the 19-year-old posted a 6.26 ERA while giving up 28 hits and nine walks. On a positive note, he did strike out 32 batters during that span.

Osuna has some of the best stuff in the entire Blue Jays farm system. The big right-hander throws his fastball in the mid-90s and also features an above-average slider. Before undergoing Tommy John surgery, Osuna also had great command of his pitches and had given up just 11 walks in 42.1 innings pitched during the 2013 season.

The Blue Jays have sent Osuna to the Arizona Fall League this offseason in order to give him more opportunities to pitch and build up his innings total.

If he can work out the kinks in his delivery during his time in the AFL, Osuna has a chance to hit the ground running during the 2015 season and end up at Double-A New Hampshire at some point before the end of the year.

Franklin Barreto, Shortstop

Franklin Barreto is a bit of a safe pick here because he already had a very strong 2014 season. In 73 games with Class A-Short Vancouver, the 18-year-old hit .311/.384/.481 with six home runs, 61 RBI and 65 runs scored. He also had 29 stolen bases in 34 attempts.

Barreto should continue to put up those big numbers next season, despite likely being moved up a level to Class-A Lansing. The right-handed hitter has an advanced approach at the plate and can spray the ball to all parts of the field.

The biggest area that Barreto will need to improve upon in 2015 will be his defense. This past season, the shortstop had a whopping 26 errors in just 68 games. The good news is that Barreto is definitely athletic enough to play shortstop. It’s just a matter of him improving his technique and getting enough repetition at the position.

A strong 2015 season will allow Barreto to cement his place as one of the organization’s top prospects and get on the fast track to reach the major leagues within the next two to three years.

Anthony Alford, Outfielder

After being selected by the Blue Jays in the 2012 draft, Anthony Alford signed with the team on the condition that he would be allowed to play college football along with professional baseball.

This arrangement resulted in Alford playing very little baseball during these past two seasons. Since signing with Toronto, he has only had 94 at-bats in professional baseball up to this point.

Recently though, it would appear that Alford has chosen baseball as his primary sport. Hugh Kellenberger of The Clarion-Ledger reports that Alford is leaving the University of Mississippi’s football program in order to play professional baseball full-time.

This is great news for the Blue Jays, as the athletic Alford has a considerable amount of upside both offensively and defensively. Marc Hulet of Fangraphs.com wrote that Alford has “shown blazing speed on the base paths with instincts and a quick bat with raw power potential.”

Even though he’s lost two years of development as a baseball player, Alford is still just 20 years old and has plenty of time to hone his skills. Now that he’s focusing all of his considerable talents primarily on baseball, look for Alford to shine in 2015 during what will be his first full minor league season.

*All stats are from MiLB.com