Bo Bichette could depart the Toronto Blue Jays at the end of the season, but there are a handful of shortstops in the upper minors who could fill in soon enough, including today’s prospect!
This is Blue Jays Nation’s annual Pre-Season Prospect Countdown, this time looking at the top 40 prospects in the organization. We’ll look at the player’s stats, my observations, and other publications’ scouting reports if available.
Let’s take a look at our ninth-best Blue Jays prospect, Josh Kasevich!
Getting to know Josh Kasevich…
Position: Shortstop
Bats: Right
Born: January 17, 2001
Acquired: 2nd-round, 2022 draft
Previous ranking: 20
The Blue Jays selected Kasevich with the 60th overall pick in the 2022 draft out of the University of Oregon. He started his professional career with the Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays, slashing .262/.344/.336 with no home runs in 122 plate appearances, with a higher BB% (9%) than K% (7.4%) for a 100 wRC+.
Kasevich’s first full professional season was in 2023, spending the entire season with the High-A Vancouver Canadians where he slashed .284/.363/.365 with four home runs in 383 plate appearances for a 103 wRC+. The shortstop walked 9.9% of the time while striking out just 10.7% of the time.
Starting the 2024 season with the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Kasevich slashed .284/.333/.364 with three home runs in 393 plate appearances for a 102 wRC+, with a 6.6 BB% and a 10.7 K%. He earned a promotion to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, where he slashed .325/.382/.433 with three home runs in 173 plate appearances for a 116 wRC+.
In MLB Pipeline’s 2024 mid-season update, Kasevich ranked as the Blue Jays’ ninth-best prospect. Although he’s not going to hit for much power over the fence power (his 28 doubles led the organization), he’s a contact hitter with strong defence at shortstop. Moreover, he’s well-known for his work ethic and being a leader, something that may not be graded but is important. He could earn a look in the big leagues as soon as next season.
As always, you can follow me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social.
All Toronto Blue Jays odds are brought to you by MLB betting site Betway!
Presented by Betway