Samad Taylor was stung at first when he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays but now he couldn’t be happier. The second baseman was acquired from the Cleveland Indians, along with LHP Thomas Pannone, at last year’s trade deadline in exchange for RHP Joe Smith. Toronto Observer reporter Michael Keys recently caught up with Taylor at the Bobby Mattick Training Center in Dunedin, Fla.

Toronto Blue Jays prospect Chavez Young has become a new beacon of baseball for the Bahamas. The 20-year-old outfielder hopes to become only the eighth Bahamian to play in Major League Baseball, a group that includes two-time World Series winner Ed Armbrister. Centennial College Journalism student Fares Kaff shares Young's story.

One Toronto Blue Jays prospect who thrives in the warm weather is pitcher Kirby Snead. The 6-foot lefty grew up in Alachua, Fla., a short 25-minute drive from the University of Florida campus where he pitched for the Gators. Over the past two seasons, Snead has had to get used to colder weather when pitching for the low-A Lansing Lugnuts. Fortunately for him, his success earned him a promotion to the class-A Dunedin Blue Jays in 2017 where he was close to home and able to toe the rubber in warmer weather. Centennial College Journalism student Cam Newell shares Snead's story.

All utility infielders play multiple positions, however, Toronto Blue Jays’ prospect Hagen Danner took that concept to a new level growing up in the game. Playing as both a pitcher and a catcher is unusual in baseball, yet it was nothing new for Toronto’s 2017 second-round pick. He will focus exclusively on being a catcher in the Blue Jays' system. Centennial College Journalism student Luke Garrison recently spoke with Danner at the Bobby Mattick Training Center in Dunedin, Fla.

John Sickels, who writes most of the articles at Minor League Ball.com, has released his list of the top 20 Toronto Blue Jays prospects. Jay Blue, from Blue Jays from Away, has the rundown.

Toronto Blue Jays prospect Yennsy Diaz says weather and language have been his most difficult challenges since arriving from Dominican Republic. The right-handed pitcher left the island in 2016, two years after being drafted, and immediately saw the difference. Toronto Observer reporter Bruno Pizarro recently talked with Diaz about the young hurler's acclimation process at the Bobby Mattick Training Center in Dunedin, Fla.

After posting a 3.93 ERA in 34 1/3 innings with the Short-Season class-A Vancouver Canadians in 2017, left-hander Grayson Huffman is working on two variations of a slider to add to his pitching arsenal in hopes that this will help him move up in the Toronto Blue Jays' minor league ranks. He tells Toronto Observer reporter Ashley Taylor that his biggest goal in 2018 is to "stand out."

Pitching prospect Conor Fisk, who posted a 3.84 ERA in 28 games for the class-A Advanced Dunedin Blue Jays, is striving for consistency in 2018. His goal is to pitch in double-A. Centennial College Journalism student Anthony Amador recently spoke with Fisk at the Bobby Mattick Training Center in Dunedin, Fla.

Second base prospect Cullen Large is looking for ways to become even more disciplined at the plate. The 2017 fifth round pick has been known for working high pitch counts and drawing walks since his college days, when he used to be an umpire in the summer as a way to keep himself connected to the plate. This spring, he has been using the Blue Jays' mental performance drills to help him further develop this attribute. Centennial College Journalism student Julia Camargo recently caught up with Large at the Bobby Mattick Training Center in Dunedin, Fla.