Shushkewich: Eight Blue Jays prospects headed to Arizona Fall League
Right-hander Jake Bloss is one of eight Toronto Blue Jays prospects headed to the Arizona Fall League.
September 29, 2026
By Tyson Shushkewich
Canadian Baseball Network
Postseason baseball starts today, and after an impressive 2025 season, the Toronto Blue Jays will be watching this time around.
Injuries and struggles from some key players kept the Blue Jays outside of the postseason picture this year.
For those looking to get their Blue Jays fix over the next month, the attention now turns to Arizona and the subsequent Arizona Fall League.
In October, eight Blue Jays prospects will head out West to play for the Mesa Solar Sox, with the group consisting of five pitchers, one catcher and two outfielders.
Leading the charge is No. 11-ranked prospect Jake Bloss, while Jake Cook (No. 20) and Jake Casey (No. 23) will join the right-hander in Mesa. A familiar face will also don a Solar Sox jersey in former top prospect Arjun Nimmala, who was dealt to the Los Angeles Angels at the trade deadline as part of the package for right-hander José Soriano.
Jake Bloss – RHP
Acquired by the Blue Jays at the 2024 trade deadline, Bloss was the headline piece of the deal that sent Yusei Kikuchi to the Houston Astros. He made three starts for the Astros when injuries ravaged their rotation but spent most of that season in double-A.
Bloss finished the year in triple-A Buffalo and, after making six starts with the Bisons in 2025 was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery. The rehab process carried over into this past season, with the right-hander finding himself back on the mound in mid-May.
In 2026, he made 11 starts across four levels, posting a 6.18 ERA while allowing 27 earned runs in 39 1/3 innings. His season was cut short in mid-July when a right teres major strain sent him back to the injured list.
With Bloss heading to Arizona, he appears to be healthy enough to pitch again and will get some additional reps in the desert.
Brandon Barriera – LHP
Speaking of injuries, enter left-hander Brandon Barriera.
The New York product was drafted by the Blue Jays in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft and, entering the 2026 season, had just 27 1/3 professional innings under his belt.
Barriera was healthy entering this season and made seven starts in Low-A Dunedin before landing on the injured list for another two months. The southpaw found his way back to the mound in mid-July and made nine more appearances to cap off the season, including three relief outings in High-A Vancouver.
Across three levels, Barriera posted a 4.89 ERA in a career-high 38 2/3 innings, recording a 1.707 WHIP while allowing 21 runs and issuing 29 walks. He posted a 9.3 K/9 compared to an 8.6 H/9, but struggled significantly with free passes, resulting in a 6.8 BB/9.
Barriera is in an awkward spot this winter, as he is Rule 5 eligible. The raw stuff is there if he can reel in the command issues, and there is a good possibility a team will take a chance on him in a bullpen role, similar to what the Blue Jays did with Spencer Miles this past winter.
Regardless, scouts will likely be in Mesa to see how Barriera fares against some of the top prospects in the game as he gets some more innings under his belt.
Gilberto Batista – RHP
Batista just finished his second full campaign in the Blue Jays' system, with the right-hander joining Toronto at the 2024 trade deadline as part of the Danny Jansen deal with the Boston Red Sox.
This season, Batista made significantly more appearances out of the bullpen compared to starting, with the 21-year-old primarily being used as a bulk reliever for the Vancouver Canadians.
In 31 outings, including four starts, Batista posted a 7.86 ERA and a 1.74 WHIP while opponents hit .307 against him. Under the surface, the Blue Jays prospect wasn't missing many bats, allowing 11.1 H/9 and 2.0 HR/9 while seeing his strikeout rate dip to 6.9 K/9.
Batista is heading to the desert to continue working on his craft after pitching a career-high 87 innings this season.
Fernando Perez – RHP
It was a tough season for right-hander Fernando Perez.
After an impressive 2025 campaign that saw him post a 3.04 ERA in 121 1/3 innings, Perez struggled to find that same form with the double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats in the Eastern League.
Through his first four outings with the Fisher Cats, he allowed 10 earned runs across 12 2/3 innings. He also walked 16 batters compared to just seven strikeouts. That prompted the Blue Jays to place him on the Development List for most of the season. He did not making another start until late August.
His return wasn't met with much fanfare either, as he allowed six earned runs over his next three starts while walking nine batters.
A stint in the desert is likely an attempt to provide a confidence boost for the young Nicaraguan, with the Blue Jays hoping it gets the ball rolling toward a return to the form he showed in 2025.
Yondrei Rojas – RHP
At 23 years old, right-hander Yondrei Rojas is no stranger to the professional ranks. After making his debut with the Blue Jays' Dominican Summer League team in 2021, this was Rojas' sixth professional season in the farm system.
After finishing last season in double-A, Rojas was placed on the injured list to begin the year and spent more than a month on the sidelines before beginning a rehab assignment in Dunedin.
Following his lone outing there, he rejoined New Hampshire and eventually finished the season in Buffalo, appearing in four games for the Bisons.
Overall, Rojas saw his ERA climb to 5.47 across 49 1/3 innings. He finished the year with a collective 1.358 WHIP and an 8.0 K/9. Walks weren't as much of an issue for Rojas compared to some of the other Blue Jays heading to Arizona, as he posted a 3.6 BB/9, but the right-hander is trending in the wrong direction at this stage of his development.
Rojas is also no stranger to the Arizona Fall League. He made four appearances for Glendale last year but struggled through 2 1/3 innings, allowing eight earned runs.
Aaron Parker – C
Another year, another level for Aaron Parker.
A sixth-round pick of the Blue Jays in 2024, Parker finished his draft year in Dunedin and took a step forward in 2025 when he was moved to the High-A Vancouver Canadians.
Like clockwork, he was moved to double-A New Hampshire for the 2026 season. In 87 games with the Fisher Cats, Parker posted a .253/.347/.467 slash line with eight doubles, 19 home runs and 48 RBIs while drawing 43 walks. He led the squad in home runs and ranked among the team leaders with his .814 OPS. Behind the plate, Parker threw out 14.3% of attempted base stealers while committing six errors for a .990 fielding percentage.
There is no denying that Parker has power at the plate, but the right-handed hitter saw a significant increase in his strikeout rate, finishing at 32.3% with 113 punchouts on the season.
There is likely a correlation between his increase in power and strikeouts, and finding a solid middle ground will go a long way for Parker, who should be heading to triple-A Buffalo next season.
Jake Casey – OF
After a cup of coffee in Dunedin following the 2025 draft, outfielder Jake Casey was ready to break out in the farm system with his first full season on the horizon in 2026.
Unfortunately for Casey, he suffered an injury in his first game with the Vancouver Canadians and wouldn't return to the diamond until early June.
He spent just over two weeks rehabbing in Florida before returning to Vancouver, where he would finish the season in the Northwest League.
Through 64 games, Casey amassed a .243/.377/.504 slash line with 12 doubles, four triples and 13 home runs while posting a .881 OPS.
Defensively, he split his time between centre field and right field, collecting three outfield assists while committing just one error.
For Casey, the trip to the desert will provide an opportunity to get more at-bats after an early-season injury set him back.
Jake Cook – OF
What could be better than one Jake on the Mesa Solar Sox?
A second Jake with a Blue Jays connection.
Joining the crew in Arizona this October is outfielder Jake Cook, a third-round pick of the Jays in 2025.
Cook didn't find himself in affiliated baseball last season and made his professional debut in the Florida Complex League. A quick five-game stint there culminated in a promotion to Low-A Dunedin, where he finished the year.
In his first professional season, Cook finished with a .247/.366/.361 slash line, five home runs and a .727 OPS. He also added 51 walks and 42 RBIs while spending the majority of his season in centre field.
Cook recorded five outfield assists while posting a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.
He had a solid first professional season for the Jays, and he's likely heading to Mesa to get some additional at-bats after a delayed start to the season due to his initial assignment to the FCL, which begins later in the summer.
A Month of Valuable Reps in the Desert
With eight Blue Jays prospects heading to the Arizona Fall League, the Mesa Solar Sox will provide an opportunity for several players to gain valuable experience against some of the best young talent in baseball.
For players such as Bloss and Barriera, the focus will be on getting healthy and building innings. Others, including Parker, Casey and Cook, will have a chance to continue developing their offensive games and make a strong impression heading into the offseason.