Due to Robbie Ray and Marcus Semien going off in 2021, the Jays were able to give both of them a qualifying offer, which turned into the 77th and 78th overall picks. The Jays selected Tucker Toman and Cade Doughty with those picks, while Roman Anthony went 79th overall. Oof.
Josh Kasevich, their second-rounder in that draft, looks like he could find his way on the big league roster in 2026. Alan Roden and Mason Fluharty have already made their big league debuts, while 19th-rounder Gage Stanifer is one of the Blue Jays’ top prospects.
But what about their first rounder? Well, 23rd overall pick Brandon Barriera has had a rough go of things since turning professional. In 2023, he mainly pitched in Single-A, where he made six starts with a 4.42 ERA and 3.26 FIP in 18.1 innings pitched. He pitched 20.1 innings that season, which stands as a career-high in a single season.
In his first outing of 2024, a season where by most accounts, he looked great, Barriera suffered an elbow injury and required Tommy John surgery. That ended his season, and he made just five starts in 2025 before a fractured forearm derailed his season.
But what does a successful season look like for the lefty? Well for starters, he has to stay healthy. If he can’t pitch a significant number of innings this season, that’ll be four seasons of what essentially boils down to missed development.
He’ll also have to show the promise that he had entering the 2024 season. The potential is still there, but at a certain point, he’ll need to perform. After just 27.1 innings of professional ball, it’s likely that Barriera will begin his season with the Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays.
There’s a chance we see Barriera reach the High-A Vancouver Canadians at some point in 2026 if he pitches well, but staying healthy is the number one concern.