Blue Jays rising prospect has unexpected message for Bryce Harper

That line stood out because Smith is not just another A-ball outfielder. Toronto is letting the 23-year-old develop as a two-way player, both hitting and pitching for Class A Dunedin.

That makes him one of the most unusual prospects in the system right now. The Blue Jays drafted Smith in the 10th round in 2025, and this is the first time the organization has taken on a true two-way development project of its own.

Ben Nicholson-Smith's Sportsnet story made clear how serious the challenge is. Smith works with pitchers in the morning, then shifts into outfield work and baserunning drills later in the day.

The results so far are still raw. Smith opened the year hitting .162/.273/.216 in 37 at-bats, and he has allowed 2 earned runs in 1.1 innings on the mound.

But this story is bigger than an April stat line. It is about what Toronto thinks Smith could become if the bat and the arm start moving in the same direction.

That is where Harper comes in. Smith told Nicholson-Smith that he likes Harper's swagger and the way the Phillies star carries himself like nobody is better than him.

That quote matters because it tells you how Smith sees the job. He is not trying to survive this experiment. He is trying to attack it with the kind of confidence star players bring to the field.

And the Blue Jays are buying into that mindset. Sportsnet reported that Smith's coaches believe he embraces the extra work, while the club sees this as a chance to show future recruits it is willing to stay flexible in player development.

Inside a system still looking for impact upside, that is not small. Toronto does not have many prospects who can offer this kind of developmental intrigue and still make the organization look forward-thinking at the same time.

Smith is nowhere near Harper as a player, and nobody should pretend otherwise. Harper is one of the sport's defining stars, while Smith is still trying to get both parts of his game off the ground.

Still, the reminder landed for a reason. Harper's name means presence, swagger and belief, and Smith just attached himself to that mentality in public.

For the Blue Jays, that may be the most interesting part of all. Austin Smith is still a long-term project, but the club suddenly has a prospect chasing more than innings or at-bats. He is chasing star-level conviction.