The Toronto Blue Jays are in a bit of an odd situation on the major league roster. The pieces they currently in the fold haven’t produced a sustained run as expected. Their core will likely not to be intact after the 2025 season. The farm system might not be teeming with Blue Jays pitching prospects, but there’s one name that stands out after being named the Blue Jays prospect that had the biggest rise in 2024, according to MLB Pipeline. That’s No. 3 prospect right-hander Jake Bloss.
Bloss Added to Blue Jays Pitching Prospects in Deal with Astros
The Blue Jays didn’t have the 2024 that they had hoped for. This team was supposed to be a contender, with Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leading the charge. However, underperformance and injuries have plagued the Blue Jays, and the legacy Jays didn’t live up to the hype as a group.
It caused the Blue Jays to sell a little bit at the deadline in 2024. Blue Jays pitching prospects were fortified with the addition of Jake Bloss in a deal that sent Yusei Kikuchi to the Houston Astros. This signaled a potential retooling, with the hopes of contending again in 2025.
MLB Pipeline had this to say about Bloss:
Ranked No. 11 in the Astros system to begin 2024, the 2023 third-rounder out of Georgetown climbed from High-A Asheville all the way to the Majors in his first full season by showcasing three above-average pitches out of the gate. Sure, his breakout came in the Houston organization, but the Blue Jays will get to reap the rewards after acquiring Bloss in a Deadline move for rental arm Yusei Kikuchi.
The Profile of Jake Bloss
Bloss, 23, accelerated his potential this past season and was even able to reach the major leagues with the Astros. His brief stint wasn’t a pretty one. He pitched just 11.2 innings across three starts. Bloss had trouble with keeping traffic off the bases. While he struck out 11, he also walked three and gave up 16 hits, five of which were home runs.
Even if the results weren’t stellar, Bloss was able to get a taste of big-league action in 2024. While his MLB numbers weren’t what one would want them to be for a then-Astros prospect and now a Blue Jays pitching prospect, he was stellar in the minors.
He started in High-A and made three different minor league stops during his 2024 season, making it up to MLB action. Bloss spent most of his time in Double-A, where he tallied 44.2 innings across eight starts. His numbers were sparkling, tallying a 1.61 ERA with a 0.716 WHIP to go with it.
During his minor league time, he did what he couldn’t do at the major league level and that was limit traffic on the basepaths. He had a 1.071 WHIP in the minors, which ballooned to a 1.629 in the majors.
All-told Bloss was fast-tracked to the major leagues because of his command. If he is going to see continued success, he’ll have to cut down on the walks and try to generate a bit more swing-and-miss with his repertoire.
The Fit in 2025 for the Blue Jays
While the Blue Jays pitching prospect pool is relatively small, Bloss represents a shining light that can make an impact immediately in 2025. As MLB Pipeline stated, he could start the year in the rotation. If the Blue Jays don’t add any reinforcements via trade or free agency, there are really only three pitchers slotted into rotation spots. Alek Manoah is likely to miss most of the 2025 season after having elbow surgery. Yariel Rodriguez is also an unproven commodity. That leaves Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios, and Chris Bassitt as locks for the rotation.
With the need for pitching to step up, Bloss could find himself in the rotation. That means he’d get a long look this upcoming season if he can show that he’s ready to go in Spring Training.
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