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Notable relief pitchers that missed out on Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Top 35 Prospect list

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Relief pitching is a big hole for the Toronto Blue Jays in the coming off-season. With that being said, there are some intriguing relief prospects in the team’s minor league system, and in this article, we’ll look at those relief pitchers who didn’t make the Mid-Season Top 35 Prospect List.

Prior to the list itself, we’ll look at notable players who missed the list in five separate articles. This one will be the last one, as we’ve already looked at the catchers who missed out, as well as the infielders, outfielders, and starting pitchers. This list will feature a mix of intriguing prospects that didn’t make the cut, as well as relievers that fell off the list.

Let’s dig in!

Eric Pardinho

Eric Pardinho is a former top 100 prospect in baseball, but struggled with injuries from 2019 until 2022, and had a poor performance at the end of 2022 as well as 2023. Well, starting the 2024 season in the Double-A New Hampshire’s bullpen, Pardinho had a 1.01 ERA and a 2.26 FIP in 26.2 innings pitched, along with a 34.9 K% and a 9.4 BB%.

There was a stretch of baseball from April 24 to June 15 where Pardinho pitched 17 games, allowing no earned runs in 22 innings pitched, along with a 40 K% and an 11.3 BB%. Obviously, the 23-year-old righty earned a callup to Triple-A Buffalo.

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If this list were made in mid-June, Pardinho would absolutely rank in the Mid-Season Top 35 Prospect list without question. However, Pardinho has struggled to adjust to Triple-A, as he has an 8.50 ERA and a 6.89 FIP in 18 innings pitched, along with a higher BB% (18.7%) than K% (17.6%).

He’s faced adversity before, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he finds success at the level to start next season.

Ramon Suarez

The Blue Jays signed left-handed pitcher Ramon Suarez in August 2022 and he pitched just seven innings that season before missing all of the 2023 season.

Now 20, the lefty is back with a vengeance in the Dominican Summer League, as Suarez has a 0.79 ERA and a 1.44 FIP in 22.2 innings pitched, or 14 games. Moreover, he has an incredible 42.9 K% and a 6 BB% for a 36.9 K-BB%, by far the highest for any pitcher in the Jays organization with 20 or more innings pitched.

He’s a little bit old for the level, but when your K-BB% of 36.9% surpasses the next best player’s K-BB% of 26%, you deserve a spot on this list.

Bo Bonds

The second highest K-BB% in the Jays’ organization belongs to Bo Bonds, as it sits at 26%. Selected in the 13th round of the 2022 draft, Bonds missed most of 2023 after getting Tommy John surgery. The 2024 season is his first full season of pitching in the Jays organization.

This season between Single-A and High-A, Bo Bonds has a 4.04 ERA and a 2.63 FIP, along with a 37.3 K% and an 11.3 BB%. The right-handed pitcher will be a reliever worth monitoring for the next few seasons.

Kai Peterson

Sticking with relievers that have a high K%, Kai Peterson was selected in the 20th-round of the 2023 draft. The left-handed pitcher is looking like a fantastic draft pick, as the 21-year-old has had a terrific debut season.

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This season between Single-A and High-A, Peterson has a 4.10 ERA and a 3.34 FIP, along with a 41.1 K% and an 18.8 BB%. His K% is the second highest in the organization with 20+ innings pitched, only beaten by Suarez. The walk rate is concerning, but there’s something here in Peterson.

Braydon Fisher

Earlier this season, the Blue Jays designated Cavan Biggio for assignment. The long-time Blue Jay was a big reason why I got into watching prospects and later prospect coverage. Of course, the Jays were able to acquire a prospect when they traded him to the Los Angeles Dodgers, getting right-handed reliever Braydon Fisher in return.

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The 23-year-old found success with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, posting a 2.76 ERA and a 2.87 FIP in 16.1 innings pitched, along with a 36.6 K% and a 9.9 BB%. His tenure with the Dodgers’ Triple-A team didn’t go well, but Fisher’s numbers with Buffalo have been solid. With the Bisons, Fisher has a 1.29 ERA and a 5.36 FIP in seven innings pitched. However, his 26.5 BB% is concerning as it’s higher than his 20.6 K%.

Brandon Eisert

Brandon Eisert is a 26-year-old left-handed pitcher drafted all the way back in 2019. He’s spent the last three seasons in Triple-A, after climbing the minor league ladder quickly in 2021. This season, he has a 4.22 ERA and a 4.21 FIP in 42.2 innings pitched, along with a 30.8  K% and a 10.8 BB%.

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Removing his outing where he gave up seven earned runs in two thirds of an inning, Eisert has a 2.79 ERA and a 3.58 FIP in 42 innings pitched, along with a 31.8 K% and a 10.8 BB%. The life of a reliever, I guess.

Eisert is on the team’s 40-man roster and has even appeared in two MLB games, posting a 5.79 ERA and a 5.74 FIP in 4.2 innings pitched. He’s likely the team’s first left-handed pitcher to be called up i f they need one, but the next reliever we’ll look at has the most potential for any left-handed relief pitcher in the system.

Mason Fluharty

Mason Fluharty was originally going to rank on our Mid-Season Top 35 Prospect list, and for good reason. The 23-year-old left-handed pitcher was selected in the fifth round of the 2022 draft and quickly made a name for himself in 2023, posting a 3.28 ERA and a 3.72 FIP in 57.2 innings pitched, along with a 29.9 K% and a 9.2 BB% between High-A and Double-A.

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The Blue Jays were aggressive in his development, placing the soft-tossing lefty in Triple-A to begin the 2024 season. With the Bisons, Fluharty has a 3.90 ERA and a 3.98 FIP in 55.1 innings pitched and even ranks as MLB Pipeline’s 27th-best Blue Jays prospect.

Fluharty’s best pitch is his 70-grade slider (sweeper, to be exact), while he also features a high-80s cutter that he uses as his fastball. The control he shows for both pitches is great, and he has the potential to be a high-leverage reliever if he improves against right-handed batters. 

Carson Messina

Carson Messina is an 18-year-old right-handed pitcher who was selected in the 12th round in the 2024 draft. The Blue Jays signed the prep pitcher to a signing bonus of $550,000, and he’ll likely make his professional debut at some point next season.

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Messina ranks as MLB Pipeline’s 30th-best Blue Jays prospect, noting that he sits 92-95 mph with the fastball, along with a curveball (his best pitch) and a changeup. The control is below average and Pipeline believes he’ll end up as a reliever, even if the Jays will allow him to start for the foreseeable future.

Colby Martin

Sticking with relief pitchers selected in the 2024 draft before shifting gears to those that fell off the list, we have their 16th-rounder, Colby Martin.

The 23-year-old had an interesting college career that I covered more in-depth in his prospect profile, but after transitioning to a pitcher in 2024, Martin had a 4.41 ERA in 16.1 innings pitched, along with a 43.1 K% and a 15.3 BB%.

Pitching with the Dunedin Blue Jays to start his professional career, Martin gave up his first earned run on Sunday, giving him a 2.45 ERA in 3.3 innings pitched. In his brief tenure, Martin has struggled with command as he has a 31.6 BB% with a 21.1 K%.

He’s touched over 100 mph with the fastball though, and also features a curveball.

Yosver Zulueta

Speaking of a player with a 100 mph fastball, Yosver Zulueta ranked as our 21st-best prospect in the 2024 Preseason Prospect list. However, he was designated for assignment by the Jays and claimed by the Cincinnati Reds.

The 26-year-old received a call-up to the Reds in 2024 and has posted a 3.09 ERA and a 2.83 FIP in 11.2 innings pitched, along with a 22.9 K% and a 10.4 BB%. The walk rate remains an issue for Zulueta (13.9 BB% in Triple-A), but the Jays may come to regret DFA’ing the Cuban righty.

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Connor Cooke

Connor Cooke had a terrific 2023 season, posting a 4.06 ERA and a 2.71 FIP in High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A, quickly becoming one of the Jays’ best relief prospects. On top of that, his 40.6 K% ranked as the second-highest with 30+ innings pitched, as did his 31 K-BB%.

Ranking as Blue Jays Nation’s 24th-best prospect heading into the season, it’s been a tough season for Cooke in Triple-A, as the 24-year-old righty has a 4.80 ERA and a 5.41 FIP in 30 innings pitched. Moreover, the K% has plummeted all the way to 21.3% while the BB% increased to 18.4%.

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Still, he features a mid-90s fastball with an incredibly spinny slider. Relievers are volatile, and it won’t be surprising if he figures it out next season.

Hayden Juenger

There were quite a few pitchers that broke out in 2022, Ricky Tiedemann obviously being the most notable. However, Hayden Juenger had a great 2022 season between Double-A and Triple-A, pitching in a bulk-reliever role.

His first full season in Triple-A in 2023 didn’t go great, as the righty had a 6.33 ERA and a 4.82 FIP in 75.1 innings pitched, along with a 26.4 K% and an 11.2 BB%. His home run rate of 1.31 HR/9 improved but was on the high side.

Well, the 24-year-old has had a much better season this season with the Bisons, posting a 4.08 ERA and a 4.12 FIP in 57.1 innings pitched, along with a 20.7 K% and an 8.5 BB%. Moreover, the HR/9 has dropped to 0.78, a significant improvement.

In our Preseason Top 50 Prospect list, Juenger ranked as the 34th-best prospect.

Hagen Danner

Hagen Danner’s story will always be awesome. For those unaware, he was selected in the second round of the 2017 draft as a catcher out of high school, before transitioning to the mound to begin the 2021 season. Featuring mid-90s heaters that have touched 98-99 mph, he pairs it well with a slider and a curveball.

The righty missed most of the 2022 season with an injury, but returned in the Arizona Fall League and pitched quite a bit in 2023. In Triple-A, Danner had a 3.81 ERA and a 5.51 FIP in 28.1 innings pitched, along with a 31.5 K% and a 6.3 BB%. In his MLB debut, he suffered an oblique injury that ended his season.

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This year with the Bisons, Danner has a 2.92 ERA and a 4.76 FIP in 24.2 innings pitched, along with a 25.2 K% and a 10.3 BB%. The season prior, the 25-year-old had a 2.54 HR/9 at the level, dropping it to 1.46 this season.

Danner ranked as our 36th-best prospect in the Top 50 Preseason rankings.

Irv Carter

There were high hopes for Irv Carter, as the Blue Jays selected the righty in the fifth round of the 2021 draft, signing him away from his college commitment. As a starter, it was tough sledding for Carter in his first two seasons in professional ball, and he eventually transitioned to the bullpen to begin the 2024 season.

That evidently has worked for the 21-year-old, as Carter had a 3.18 ERA and a 4.71 FIP in 56.2 innings pitched with the Dunedin Blue jays, along with a 24.7 K% and a 13.2 BB%. After spending three seasons in High-A, Carter earned a call up to High-A, where he has a 6.43 ERA and a 3.34 FIP in seven innings pitched, along with a 40.6 K% and a 12.5 BB%.

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Carter has still been used as a bulk reliever, but time will tell if he ever starts again. In our Preseason Top 50 list, Carter was our 47th-best prospect.

T.J. Brock

T.J. Brock started the 2023 season with the High-A Vancouver Canadians, posting a 1.77ERA and a 2.92 FIP in 20.1 innings pitched, along with a 39.2 K% and an 11.4 BB% before earning a promotion to Double-A New Hampshire. With the Fisher Cats, his ERA ballooned to 6.68, along with a 4.30 FIP in 32.1 innings pitched, but he maintained a high K% (36.4%) while posting a solid 9.1 BB%.

Unfortunately, Brock has missed a large chunk of the 2024 season due to injury. When healthy, he has a 0.79 ERA in 11.1 innings pitched, along with a 44.4 K% and a 15.6 BB% between the FCL, Single-A, and Double-A.

He features a hard fastball and a nasty slider, ranking as our 49th-best prospect heading into the 2024 season.

Luis Torres

Lastly, we have 19-year-old left-handed reliever Luis Torres. In 2022, Torres had a 2.01 ERA and a 3.94 FIP in 31.1 innings pitched, along with a 25.8 K% and a 12.5 BB% in the Dominican Summer League.

He had a strong 2023 season, also in the DSL, as he posted a 3.38 ERA and a 2.48 FIP in 18.2 innings pitched, along with a significant increase in his K%, striking out 43.2% of batters he faced. Torres’ walk rate of 13.5% was still high, but he earned a spot as our 50th-best prospect heading into the 2024 season.

Torres has had a good season in his first season stateside. In the Florida Complex League, the 19-year-old posted a 2.17 ERA and a 4.17 FIP in 29 innings pitched, along with a 26.7 K% and an 8.3 BB%. He’s even pitched in Single-A, where he has a 3 ERA and a 2.88 FIP in 15 innings pitched, along with a 33.3 K% and a 13.3 BB%.

The walk rate needs to be improved upon, but the lefty is a reliever worth watching out for the next few seasons.

As always, you can follow me on Twitter @Ryley_L_D.