Which Blue Jays NRI Have the Best Chances at a Roster Spot?
The Blue Jays may have their minds mostly made up already, but here are some names that could earn a big-league spot with them in 2026.
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The Toronto Blue Jays have one of the best problems a professional sports team can have: they have their roster pretty much set and there’s not much room for fringe players to break the MLB team out of camp. However, there’s always an endless number of possibilities that can change a team or player’s fate throughout the course of an MLB season, so it’s worth discussing potential additions to their big-league roster.
The Jays have invited many players with lengthy MLB tenures to participate in big league spring training with the team, and there are several who could find themselves on the right side of a roster spot if they can prove themselves worthy this spring.
While it’s unlikely that any names not currently on their MLB roster will break the team out of camp, Spring Training offers plenty of opportunities for team dynamics and individual roles to change and become more complex. Spring Training is where teams go to have their preseason and prepare for the regular season, so if someone can come out strong over the next month, the Jays might just have to ride the hot hand and give them a shot.
Eloy Jiménez, Outfielder/Designated Hitter
Eloy Jiménez has endured a tough career stretch over the last few years, going from a Silver Slugger winner (2020) that was feared in the Chicago White Sox’ lineup to a player who has been a part of four separate organizations within the last year and a half. Jiménez slugged 31 home runs and drove in 79 runs in his 2019 rookie season, netting himself a fourth-place finish in AL Rookie of the Year voting.
But Jiménez didn’t get to see a big-league field in 2025 following a disastrous 2024 campaign that saw him slash a measly .238/.289/.336 with only six home runs in 349 plate appearances. The powerful young slugger that Jiménez once was disappeared in recent years and he’s struggled to find himself and rejuvenate his career. In 54 minor league games last season across two different levels (Rookie/Triple-A), he hit .247/.326/.347, improving his walk rate above 10% which would’ve been an MLB career-high for Jiménez.
He got some reps in the Jays’ system in 2025 but predominantly played in the Tampa Bay Rays’ organization last year, and he’s been on a road to improve himself even further since then. This offseason, Jiménez has been playing in the Dominican Winter League for the Toros del Este and has mashed five home runs, driven in 19 runs, walked at a 10.8% clip, and slashed .246/.324/.426 in 36 games. One of the main criticisms of his game when he was in MLB earlier in his career was his inability to take walks, maxing out at 30 in a single season.
For the Blue Jays, he can serve as a strong bench bat capable of pinch-hitting in big situations. He’s shown a prowess at hitting versus right-handed pitchers, hitting 76 of his 95 career home runs against right-handers. His bat speed metrics from 2023 and 2024 consistently rank in the top 25% of the league, it’s just a matter of making consistent contact. In 2024, he boasted a 49% hard-hit percentage, ranking in the top 10% of MLB hitters, so he’s clearly still got the ability to succeed in this league.
Whether he’s able to crack the Jays’ roster or not, an invite to spring training with Toronto in the coming season is certainly an opportunity to prove himself capable of handling a return to MLB in a starting role.
Yariel Rodríguez, Pitcher
The name Yariel Rodríguez is very familiar to Jays fans, and it brings with it complex feelings. On one hand, Rodríguez’s efforts in 2025 proved vital to the team’s success when their bullpen needed help. On the other, his legacy as a Blue Jay is tainted to some fans due to his poor performance in this past year’s playoffs. In 2.2 innings, he allowed three earned runs, two home runs, three walks, and only struck out one batter.
Both of these home runs were allowed in back-to-back fashion in Game 3 of the ALCS against Randy Arozarena and Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners. This was a 13-4 victory for the Jays so it didn’t have much of an impact on the series, but his inability to get outs in important games regardless of the situation has put him under scrutiny. Rodríguez was left off Toronto’s World Series roster and was put on waivers by the team this offseason. He went unclaimed and is currently not on their 40-man roster.
Rodríguez has the potential to really help this team, however, and his recent performances shouldn’t dictate his current or future value. He pitched to the tune of a 3.08 ERA over 73 regular-season innings in 2025 with a nice 6.2 H/9 rate. He took a great step forward from his 2024 season thanks to his new-and-improved bullpen role, and 24 times last year he was asked to pitch more than one inning in relief, proving his ability to fill whatever role he needs to.
Toronto has added free agent arm Tyler Rogers to their bullpen already this offseason and Yimi García will be returning from the IL in 2026, so a cramped bullpen situation will make it even tougher for Rodríguez to stand out and make his case for a MLB spot this year. Still, it’s not impossible that he could re-earn his role.
Chad Dallas, Pitcher
Chad Dallas, while unfamiliar at the big-league level, was featured on Toronto’s 2024 spring training roster and has spent the last four seasons working his way through the Jays’ minor league system. He missed the entire 2025 season due to injury, but the 25-year-old righty will make his case yet again in 2026 as he returns to big league camp with the Blue Jays.
While he’s had a tough go in the minor leagues in recent seasons, he boasts a 70/70 grade slider, according to FanGraphs, and at times he’s shown an incredible ability to strike out hitters with great effectiveness. In fact, he struck out seven batters in just 4.1 innings of spring ball a few years back while walking just one. The four earned runs and two home runs he surrendered are less impressive, but it’s important to note he’s shown the ability to strike out big-league hitters.
Dallas hasn’t yet gotten a chance at the MLB level to show what he’s worth, but the 2021 fourth-rounder is likely the first in line for an emergency call-up if someone goes down with an injury or the Jays need someone to fill in some innings. The upside is there for Dallas, and this spring is going to be his best opportunity thus far to prove it. He’s got good swing-and-miss stuff, and his slider is certainly an outlier pitch compared to his contemporaries.
RJ Schreck, Outfielder
RJ Schreck is one of the Jays’ top hitting prospects, ranking as Just Baseball’s 14th-best Blue Jays prospect last year. Schreck boasts a strong hit tool with an above-average baserunning ability and incredible talent to control the strike zone. He was the return for aging veteran Justin Turner being traded to the Seattle Mariners in 2024, and he’s been incredible for the Blue Jays ever since they acquired him.
Across four MiLB levels in 2025, Schreck slashed .249/.395/.459 for an .854 OPS with 18 home runs, 14 doubles, 53 RBI, and a 143 wRC+. Schreck has virtually always maintained a walk rate well above 10%, walking 70 times in 105 minor league games in 2025. His strikeout rate has always been higher than his walk rate throughout his minor league career, but it’s never been something that’s seriously hampered his overall statistics.
He even took four walks in 18 plate appearances for the Jays’ in spring training last season and boasted a 49/38 strikeout-to-walk ratio with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. He ranked fourth on the team in home runs last season while sitting in 9th in terms of overall plate appearances. His numbers at Double- and Triple-A are nearly identical, showing his ability to move with the scale of competition and rise to the occasion.
The Blue Jays’ outfield, as mentioned earlier in relation to Eloy Jiménez’s chances at breaking the roster, could actually welcome Schreck before Jiménez because of his more well-rounded skillset. The Jays have George Springer, Anthony Santander, Addison Barger, Daulton Varsho, Myles Straw, Nathan Lukes, and Davis Schneider on the MLB roster and they can all slot in the outfield for any given game. Their outfield situation is already complicated, but if Schreck can show out in spring, he could definitely be in consideration for a big-league spot sooner than later.
Closing Thoughts
Some of the Jays’ top hitting prospects like Arjun Nimmala and JoJo Parker, as well as a pitching prospect like Johnny King, aren’t really weapons who could find themselves participating in the MLB season in 2026. But time will only tell the future for these players, and the four mentioned in this piece have the most likely chances at being that call-up.
The Blue Jays have had what is widely recognized as one of the best offseasons in the league and their big-league roster has been all but finalized with bona fide MLB talent at every position. Who knows if a strong showing from Jiménez or Schreck could land them a spot if one opens up, or if Rodríguez or Dallas could be needed to do the same for the pitching staff.
It’s obviously impossible to predict the future, especially given Trey Yesavage’s seemingly impossible climb through the minor league ranks last season. However, these are still names to keep track of and watch out for, as they could factor into the Jays’ regular season sooner rather than later – only time will tell.
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Ethan has been writing for Just Baseball since 2024 and is fascinated by how sabermetric statistics can assist our understanding of outcomes and probability in baseball.…