MLB Pipeline’s latest update to the Toronto Blue Jays’ top 30 prospects list brought a few notable changes, but the biggest surprises were two pitchers who weren’t exactly household names in the system a few months ago.
Danny Thompson Jr. and Daniel Guerra both surged into the Blue Jays’ top 16, with Thompson landing at No. 15 and Guerra right behind him at No. 16. Their jumps stood out in a list that also saw Sean Keys and Charles McAdoo move up after making their MLB debuts this season, while injuries pushed Jake Bloss and Ricky Tiedemann down a few spots.
Thompson, a right-hander the Blue Jays took in the eighth round out of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in the 2025 MLB Draft, made an immediate impression after turning pro. In 10 appearances with Single-A Dunedin last season, he put up a 0.66 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP, allowed just one run, and struck out 15 batters in 13.2 innings.
The 23-year-old has kept rolling in 2026. He opened the year in High-A Vancouver before moving up to Double-A New Hampshire, and across 19 total appearances - 15 of them starts - he has gone 2-3 with a 3.46 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. Over 78 innings, Thompson has given up 59 hits and struck out 98.
Danny Thompson Jr. and OF Hedbert Perez had their first Cats outing last night! Welcome to the 603! pic.twitter.com/wYf73KOzyC
- New Hampshire Fisher Cats (@FisherCats) June 17, 2026
Guerra’s path has been longer, but the results are finally starting to show. Toronto signed the Venezuelan right-hander as an international free agent in 2022 when he was 18, and he took some time to settle in at the lower levels of the system. Last season, though, he began to turn a corner, and that progress has carried into this year.
The 22-year-old has spent most of 2026 in High-A Vancouver, where he owns a 3-3 record with a 3.17 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP in 12 starts. He has allowed just four home runs while striking out 73 batters in 54 innings. That performance earned him Northwest League Pitcher of the Week honors in mid-April.
Guerra also put together a dominant stretch before an elbow strain interrupted his season. In five starts, he allowed only six earned runs and struck out 35 batters in 22.2 innings. He missed more than a month, but has since returned and is trying to keep the momentum going.
He hurled six no-hit frames with eight strikeouts and retired the first 16 batters he faced on Saturday! pic.twitter.com/De187DaV0O
- Dunedin Blue Jays (@DunedinBlueJays) September 1, 2025
With both pitchers suddenly climbing the organizational ladder, the Blue Jays have two more arms worth tracking closely as they move forward in the system.
In Other News...
Phillies Deadline Proposal Solves Two Needs But At A Real Cost
As the trade deadline approaches, Philadelphia is still hunting for a right-handed bat and bullpen help, and one speculative proposal has the Phillies trying to address both needs in a single swing. The idea is rooted in fit as much as talent: Toronto has an unsettled outfield picture, while Philadelphia has been looking for ways to tighten up its roster on both sides of the ball.
The cost, though, would be steep for the Blue Jays if they ever seriously entertained it. Any discussion centered on a young outfield piece like Justin Crawford would force Toronto to weigh long-term upside against the immediate value of keeping its current mix intact, especially with the deadline market starting to take shape and rival clubs pushing for upgrades of their own. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays May Have Identified The First Domino In A Selloff
With the Blue Jays expected to be sellers at the 2026 MLB trade deadline, the focus has already started to shift toward which veterans could be moved if Toronto decides to retool. Daulton Varsho has naturally come up in that conversation, since he remains one of the more recognizable names on a roster that could draw interest from clubs looking for a left-handed bat and a versatile defender.
Philadelphia, Houston and Pittsburgh are among the teams floated as possible fits, which only adds to the sense that Toronto may have a market if it chooses to listen. Varshos profile has long made him the kind of player contenders can talk themselves into, but the bigger question for the Blue Jays is whether they are willing to turn that interest into the first real sign of a deadline selloff. [Read more 🡒]