Toronto Blue Jays have a new infielder superstar on their hands

Sports Illustrated's Blue Jays channel wrote on Friday that Toronto can't stop drafting and developing well, and it used infield prospect Juan Sanchez as the reminder. That matters more than ever for Toronto.

Sanchez, born September 27, 2007 in Cotui, signed in January 2025 for a $997,500 bonus. At 6-foot-3, he looks like a future power bat, even if he starts at shortstop.

The numbers from his first pro summer jump off the page. In 56 Dominican Summer League games, he hit .341/.439/.565 with a 1.004 OPS and eight homers. 

Those weren't empty singles, he added 16 doubles, four triples, and 121 total bases. He scored 47 runs and collected 73 hits in 214 at-bats, a loud baseline for an 18-year-old.

MiLB lists him as a DSL Mid-Season All-Star and a Player of the Week. He moved from DSL Blue Jays Blue to DSL Blue Jays Red, then made DSL AL All-Stars.

Jays Centre notes quick hands and big raw power, and the ball jumps off his bat. He stays short through the zone, so the pop doesn't need a huge leg kick.

He also walked 26 times and struck out 44 times in the DSL. That's about a 10% walk rate and a 17.7% strikeout rate.

Where he ends up defensively is the debate, but it is not urgent. He has played shortstop and third base, and Pipeline pegs his arm as a 60 tool.

Toronto can let his body mature, then decide if the range holds for short. If he shifts to third, that early .565 slugging becomes even louder.

Most projections have him coming stateside in 2026, likely starting in the Florida Complex League. From there he'll face sharper breaking balls and better fastballs.

On paper, MLB Pipeline already has him in the No. 18 to No. 19 range in the system. For a kid with one pro summer, that rise is loud.

If he carries this approach into Florida and beyond, Toronto might have a legitimate young infield building block arriving sooner than expected.

Source: Sports Illustrated