The Toronto Blue Jays understand the importance of depth: a team that prides itself to be a contender has to have Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C in most positions.
They are particularly deep at catcher: they have two solid, starting-caliber backstops in Danny Jansen and Alejandro Kirk, and they also have Zach Collins to back them up.
However, in addition to all those excellent players, they have a prospect in the minors who may be the best of the bunch: Gabriel Moreno is his name.
The fourth-best prospect according to MLB Pipeline, Moreno is now about to make his major league debut, as the Blue Jays called him up on Thursday.
“The Toronto Blue Jays are calling up C Gabriel Moreno, sources tell @ElExtrabase. Moreno is the #4 prospect in baseball according to @MLBPipeline,” reporter Daniel Álvarez Montes tweeted.
The Toronto Blue Jays are calling up C Gabriel Moreno, sources tell @ElExtrabase.
Moreno is the #4 prospect in baseball according to @MLBPipeline.
— Daniel Álvarez-Montes (@DanielAlvarezEE) June 9, 2022
The Blue Jays Are Ready To See What Moreno Can Do
Moreno is getting the call because Jansen, who was splitting playing time with Kirk, suffered a left pinkie fracture on Monday and will have to visit the injured list.
Kirk is more than capable of handling everyday duties himself, but the Blue Jays are ready to give Moreno a long look at the position, as he is expected to be their catcher of the future.
The 22-year-old Moreno is hitting .324/.380/.404 in Triple-A, with one home run in 36 games and 150 plate appearances.
The power may not appear that impressive, but he hit eight homers last year and 12 in 2019: as he matures as a hitter in MLB, more homers are expected to come for him.
His calling card is his hit tool: catchers who can hit .300 are extremely rare, but Moreno should settle in at that range.
He is one of the most exciting prospects in baseball at a premium position, so get ready to watch a really good player for several years to come.
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