Here’s the Blue Jays' new Top 30 Prospects list

TORONTO -- The Blue Jays’ farm system has taken a different shape in the years since Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette debuted, beginning a new era of baseball in Toronto.

The 2021 trade for José Berríos cost some top-end talent in Austin Martin and Simeon Woods Richardson, then ranked Nos. 2 and 4 in the system, but since then, the Blue Jays have done more of their building through free agency or lower-level deals. At this past Trade Deadline, they dealt then-No. 4 prospect Jordan Groshans to the Marlins for relievers Zach Pop and Anthony Bass, but Groshans was set to drop in the midseason re-rank after a tough start to the year.

• Blue Jays top prospects stats | MLB's Top 100 Prospects

While some of Toronto’s pitching is on the younger side, this system still boasts some top-end talent with elite potential. That’s led by No. 1 prospect Gabriel Moreno, one of the top young catchers in the game, and No. 2 prospect Ricky Tiedemann, the left-hander whose value has exploded in ’22 with one of the best seasons of any Minor League pitcher.

Coming out of the Deadline and MLB Draft, here’s how the Blue Jays’ system looks going forward with updated rankings:

Here’s a look at the Blue Jays' top prospects:

1. Gabriel Moreno, C (MLB No. 7)
2. Ricky Tiedemann, LHP (MLB No. 34)
3. Orelvis Martinez, SS/3B (MLB No. 73)
4. Brandon Barriera, LHP
5. Tucker Toman, SS/3B
Complete Top 30 list »

Biggest jump/fall

Here are the players whose ranks changed the most from the preseason list:

Jump: Gabriel Martinez, OF (Preseason: NR | Midseason: 9) -- Martinez impressed in Spring Training and got off to a great start with Low-A Dunedin, where he hit .288 with 11 home runs and an .832 OPS over 65 games. He’s recently been promoted to High-A Vancouver, and at just 20 years old, finally represents a new wave of outfield talent in the Blue Jays system, which is something they’ve struggled to develop in recent years. Martinez will present an interesting decision this offseason, as he’ll need to be added to the 40-man roster to avoid being exposed in the Rule 5 Draft.

Fall: Leo Jimenez, SS/2B (Preseason: 5 | Midseason: 17) -- Infielder Manuel Beltre and right-hander Irv Carter also dropped 12 spots, but Jimenez was the highest-ranked of the bunch, beginning the year at No. 5. The 21-year-old has hit .228 with High-A Vancouver, including an uptick in power with six home runs. Jimenez already has a spot on Toronto’s 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, though, so he’s still well positioned to earn an opportunity in the coming years and should see a late-season promotion for a new challenge.

New to the list

Here are the players added to the Top 30 from outside the organization:

4. Brandon Barriera, LHP (Draft, Rd. 1)
5. Tucker Toman, SS/3B (Draft, Rd. 2 Compensatory)
10. Josh Kasevich, SS (Draft, Rd. 2)
11. Cade Doughty, 2B (Draft, Rd. 2 Compensatory)
16. Alex De Jesus, 3B/SS (Trade, Dodgers)
29. Alan Roden, 1B (Draft, Rd. 3)

Impact callup

Gabriel Moreno, C (No. 1/MLB No. 7)

Toronto has gone with Danny Jansen and Alejandro Kirk as its catching options when the two have been healthy this season, making it difficult for Moreno to stick despite his MLB readiness. The 22-year-old backstop did play 18 games for the big club this summer, hitting .276/.300/.293 in that short span, before the Jays decided it would be better for him to get everyday at-bats. Even if his power is a bit lacking in 2022, Moreno's contact rate and impressive athleticism behind the plate would be helpful for a final playoff push should Jansen or Kirk get hurt or if the Jays want to carry three catchers at any point.

Top 30s:
ALW: HOU | LAA | OAK | SEA | TEX
ALC: CLE | CWS | DET | KC | MIN
ALE: BAL | BOS | NYY | TB | TOR
NLW: ARI | COL | LAD | SD | SF
NLC: CHC | CIN | MIL | PIT | STL
NLE: ATL | MIA | NYM | PHI | WSH

Best tools

Players are graded on a 20-80 scouting scale for future tools -- 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is above average and 70-80 is well above average. Players in parentheses have the same grade.

Hit: 60 -- Gabriel Moreno
Power: 60 -- Orelvis Martinez
Run: 80 -- Dasan Brown
Arm: 65 -- Alex De Jesus
Field: 60 -- Dasan Brown
Fastball: 70 -- Yosver Zulueta
Curveball: 55 -- Sem Robberse (Yosver Zulueta, C.J. Van Eyk)
Slider: 55 -- Yosver Zulueta (Ricky Tiedemann, Brandon Barriera, Hayden Juenger, Dahian Santos, Irv Carter)
Changeup: 65 -- Adrian Hernandez
Control: 55 -- Brandon Barriera