This week has seen several key prospects get called up to the big club and a few that are going to be up in the next few days or near future. Clearly at the end of this month there are going to be a bevy of guys get the call as September rosters expand and contenders and those out of it alike will be wanting to see their futures at the big league level.

Danny Jansen (C TOR) - Jansen was a product of the 2013 draft class out of the Wisconsin prep ranks and taken in the 16th round. Since then he has battled some broken bones in his left hand and wrist as he’s tried to progress through the Blue Jays system, but 2017 and 2018 have proven why he deserves the recent call-up to the bigs. Over 104 games in 2017, across three levels (A+, AA, and AAA) he slashed .323/.400/.484 with a combined 10 homers, 50 runs, 48 RBI, and a steal. That’s when he got added to the 40-man roster and that’s paid dividends this year with another great stat line at Triple-A full-time and with an appearance, and home run, in the Future’s Game over the All-Star break. A .275/.390/.473 triple slash with 12 homers, 58 RBI, 45 runs, and five steals is what got him the call-up this past weekend. Jays manager John Gibbons has already stated that he expects Jansen to play a lot right out of the gate even with two other catchers still on the depth chart. Jansen maybe up for good but it remains to be seen if he will be the starter for next year or will play second fiddle to Russell Martin who is still under contract at $20 million in 2019. Ultimately he’s an offensive-minded back stop with the tools to be a slightly above average backstop.

Jacob Nix (RHP SD) - The 14th-ranked Padres prospect made his debut for the big league club on Friday night, August 10th, but it wasn’t exactly a surprise that it was coming. After letting Tyson Ross and Jordan Lyles get claimed on waivers earlier in the week, they needed an arm to fill a spot and Nix got the call. Nix has already made one start as of this writing and he went six innings without giving up an earned run while striking out four and giving up six total base runners. His stuff can play as was evidenced by the $1.5 million signing bonus he was set to get from Houston after being taken in the fifth round of 2014 draft before they couldn’t come to terms with the first round pick. Nix has paced well through the Padres system after being sidelined by injuries early in his career going from A-Advanced to the Majors since the start of 2017. The righty has a 93-95 mph fastball, a big time curve that rates as a second plus pitch and a developing changeup that will be average when played against his other two pitches. A number three pitcher is what he amounts in the majors.

Sean Reid-Foley (RHP TOR) - Reid-Foley’s name has been bandied about the Blue Jays system for a few years now but he finally got the call-up he’s been expecting. At Triple-A Buffalo this season he sported a 3.50 ERA over 82.1 innings in 15 starts with a 1.15 WHIP in that span while starting the year at Double-A for eight starts and 44.1 innings. He uses a four-pitch mix to get batters out with a mid-90s fastball that has nice arm-side run and cut while the other three are still developing and sit as MLB-average pitches right now. He got hit around a bit in his first start going just five innings and giving up six hits and three walks with three strikeouts and an ERA 5.40. However given his K-rate in his career and his BB/9 he has the potential to be a mid-rotation starter for the seemingly pitcher hungry Blue Jays long-term.

Touki Toussaint (RHP ATL) - Toussaint was sent to the Braves from the D-Backs after being drafted in the first round of the 2014 draft at 16th overall. The youngster, all of 22 years old, has some nasty stuff when he has his delivery and mechanics working properly. His plus-fastball and curveball combination work to produce a double digit K/9 through multiple levels this year alone. In 117 hours pitched in the minors this year between Double-A and Triple-A, he’s posted a 2.68 ERA and 1.18 WHIP with a 139:49 K:BB ratio before getting his spot start in the rotation earlier in the week and having a great showing. Toussaint came to baseball and pitching later than most and so he has shown some growing pains in that process but he has taken a major leap forward this year. If Toussaint can stay on top of his stuff there’s no reason that he can’t be a number two starter, or at least a guy with that type of stuff slotted further back in a deep Atlanta rotation.

Cedric Mullins (OF BAL) - The Mullins era in Baltimore has begun with him playing six games there already as of this writing but that still qualifies him as a prospect. He has a very intriguing combo of speed and hitting tools that make him a threat from either side of the plate as a switch-hitter, though his better side is from the left as his raw power plays better there. Drafted in 2015, the 13th rounder out of Campbell made a few quick jumps through the system while going from the South Atlantic League straight to Double-A in 2016 and then going to Triple-A in 2017 all while putting up impressive numbers at the plate. This year at Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk combined Mullins posted a .288/.346/.465 slash with 11 homers, 76 runs, 46 RBI, and 21 steals in 108 combined games. Mullins Run tool is the highest graded one at 60 on the 20-80 scale while his Hit, Arm, and Field tools are all at 50 with Power sitting at 45 right now. He will be a top-of-the-order type switch-hitting center fielder for the O’s and with Adam Jones likely departing this offseason, with his contract up, the Mullins era should be going for the next several years.

Vlad Guerrero Jr. (3B TOR) - The hype on Vlad Jr. is a strong as ever especially with his recent performances at Triple-A, which he was just promoted to. Between 80 games across mainly Double-A New Hampshire and Triple-A Buffalo he’s posted a .393/.449/.661 slash line (and no that’s not a typo) with 18 homers, 69 RBI, 62 runs scored, and three steals. Guerrero has struck out 35 times in that span and walked 32 times showing great plate and strike zone awareness for a kid who is still just 19 years old. The baseball world has been clamoring for Toronto to bring him to the majors but they have been stedfast in promoting him through the system the way they want to until a likely September call up see him on the other side of the border. If there is anyway he’s still available in your league and you can stash him for a couple weeks, do it.

Peter Alonso (1B NYM) - Not much has gone right for the Mets this season but Alonso has provided a bright spot for them in their system and at a position they currently have no answer for on their roster. He’s played for two levels at both Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Las Vegas with 116 games played between the two and a slash line of .283/.400/.563 with 30 home runs, 107 RBI, and 80 runs scored in that span. That RBI total is the highest in all levels of baseball, three more than what J.D. Martínez has put up in Boston. Alonso is 23 years old and clearly ready to come up starting in September, though seeing a higher average than .247 at Triple-A would be nice to see. New York should have him installed as the starting first baseman for them starting next year.