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The Toronto Blue Jays are still fighting for their place in the postseason. While the Jays haven't been at their best of late, they're still in prime position to win a Wild Card spot. The struggling Yankees are still 10 games ahead of Toronto in the AL East, but the Jays still find themselves neck and neck with the likes of the Cleveland Guardians, Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox, and Boston Red Sox in what is an incredibly crowded Wild Card race.
The Jays had a great opportunity to close the gap on the Yankees, who are just 9-17 since the All-Star break. Unfortunately, the Blue Jays fell on difficult times, too, and have gone 12-9 since the break. The Blue Jays' push for a playoff spot, and eventually the World Series, will come down to the wire considering how many other teams remain in contention. If Toronto wants to get an edge over their rivals, they'll need to strongly consider bringing up some top prospects when MLB rosters expand in September.
The Blue Jays have plenty of talented farmhands waiting in the wings, and when rosters increase from 26 to 28 players when September begins, there are a few MLB-ready players the team must promote.
With all that in mind, here are three prospects who must be on the Blue Jays' expanded September roster ahead of their looming World Series push.
3 Prospects who must be on the Blue Jays roster in September
3. Yosver Zuleta, RHP
Yosver Zuleta would be a valuable addition to the Blue Jays' expanded roster if the team is willing to roll the dice on him in September. Currently at Double-A, Zuleta has featured in three different minor league levels this season. In total, the 24-year-old has pitched 46 innings, making 11 starts across 14 appearances. He's struck out 70 batters during that span, walking 24 and surrendering just two home runs. He can certainly stand to improve on his control, but he has excellent strikeout stuff that will certainly play at the next level.
Zuleta is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Blue Jays' No. 6 overall prospect, and the 24-year-old could provide the MLB team with a high-upside bullpen member capable of racking up strikeouts or coming on in long relief. His best pitch is his fastball, but he also boasts a decent slider, curveball, and changeup.
2. Orelvis Martinez, INF
Orelvis Martinez has struggled in the minor leagues this year, but he still remains as one of Toronto's top prospects, and most MLB-ready. The 20-year-old reached Double-A this season, but hasn't produced the way the franchise was hoping. He's slashing just .211/.283/.480 with 27 home runs and 68 RBI across 96 games. The power is still present for Martinez, however, the batting average is far below where the Blue Jays would like it to be.
Despite his struggles to hit for contact, Martinez could be a valuable bench bat to bring up when the rosters expand in September. If he can get hot in the couple of weeks leading up to roster expansion, the Blue Jays should be giving him a serious look as a potential late-season call-up.
1. Gabriel Moreno, C
While Alejandro Kirk has been holding down the fort at backstop, the All-Star catcher has struggled a bit of late. After a scalding hot start to the season, Kirk has come back down to earth in the second half of the season. He's been ice cold in August, slashing .195/.327/.220 with 0 home runs and 3 RBI in 13 games. His woes at the plate may lead Toronto to want to give him some additional rest, and Gabriel Moreno is more than capable of helping pick up the slack.
Moreno is the Blue Jays' No. 1 overall prospect, and is a top 10 prospect in all of MLB. He already reached the big leagues for an 18-game stint earlier in the season, and the Blue Jays shouldn't hesitate to bring him back when the rosters expand. At Triple-A this season, Moreno is slashing .301/.378/.390 with two home runs and 21 RBI. An excellent contact hitter and solid defender, Moreno has the tools to play a role for Toronto down the stretch and could be a significant difference-maker for the team.
