The Toronto Blue Jays are getting real value out of a farm system that now looks like something other clubs should be paying attention to, and MLB Pipeline’s latest honors point to two names at very different stages of the climb: first baseman Sean Keys and starting pitcher Nolan Perry.
Keys is already a familiar one. He reached the majors in 2026 and gave the Blue Jays the kind of left-handed thump John Schneider was searching for when the offense needed a jolt. The power showed up right away, and it kept showing up late in the summer.
In the minors, Keys did damage at every stop. He launched 14 home runs in fewer than 50 games at Double-A, then got the call to Buffalo and didn’t slow down, adding another 14 homers there along with 46 runs batted in.
Across both levels, his line was even better against tougher pitching in Triple-A, where he hit over .300, posted an OPS above 1.000 and slugged .622. At this point, there does not appear to be much left for him to prove in the minors.
That’s why next season should bring another important step. Keys was sent back to Buffalo after a slow start in the majors so he could work through how to handle a breaking ball, and that adjustment seems to have taken hold. In the final month of the season, he returned to the Blue Jays and hit .240/.310/.400, though he was not playing every day and instead was used in irregular spots.
He still did not pile up enough at-bats to burn a year of rookie eligibility, so it is far too early to lock in anything. But if Keys gets regular run, the Blue Jays may have a real AL Rookie of the Year candidate on their hands.
Perry’s path has been more gradual, but the ceiling is just as interesting. Toronto took him in the 12th round in 2022, and the 23-year-old was hit hard in Rookie League before turning into a different pitcher after reaching Single-A in 2024.
His development hit a snag when he missed all of 2025 following Tommy John surgery, but that didn’t stop him from moving forward. Perry was promoted twice this season and finished at Double-A, where he posted a 2.32 ERA in nine starts. MLB Pipeline also pointed to his 2.50 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in naming him one of Toronto’s top prospects.
He held opponents to a .163 average for New Hampshire and paired that with a 1.03 WHIP, which only adds to the sense that he is on a strong track. He may not be an immediate big-league arrival next season, but if he keeps climbing the way he has, his debut does not look far away.
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Blue Jays Fans Can Experience Rogers Centre In A Way Never Offered
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The event is part of Upper Deck Golf, which is bringing its concept north of the border for the first time. For Blue Jays fans, it is a rare off-season way to step inside the stadium and take swings in a setting usually reserved for baseball, with the full details of the format set for later this winter. [Read more 🡒]
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Blue Jays Still Need Vladimir Guerrero Jr. To Answer One Huge Question
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Now the focus shifts to what comes next, and whether a postseason procedure can help clear up some of what bothered him throughout the year. Toronto has watched other clubs keep playing deep into October with stars carrying the load, while the Blue Jays are left hoping Guerrero can rediscover the force that makes their lineup work in the first place. The next answer matters because if he is not right, the lineup still has a long way to go. [Read more 🡒]