The 12 Days of Prospects

The Blue Jays have been more than patient with Addison Barger, their 6th round pick in 2018. And that patience was rewarded in a big way this season, to the extent that of all the prospects in this pre-Christmas series, outside of Gabriel Moreno (and perhaps Nate Pearson), Barger has the best chance of cracking the big league roster this year at some point.

Barger weighed all of 150 lbs in his draft year, but has been a diligent lifter ever since, packing on over 40 pounds during the Covid shutdown season. The results have been remarkable. Barger has racked up 113 extra base hits over the past two seasons; this year, he was among the Northwest League leaders in numerous categories before his promotion to AA, followed by his elevation to AAA. All he seemed to do was hit, slashing an eye-catching .308/.378/.555 for the season. The added strength (the wiry strong Barger is one of the strongest players in the system) plus improved pitch recognition (Barger dropped his K rate from 33% to 21% over the past season), gave us plenty of moments like this:

The sound of the ball coming off of Barger’s bat is unmistakeable - no one in the Jays system has that kind of pop.

Barger can play all four infield positions, but his arm strength is best suited to the left side of the infield. He’s even said he’s open to playing the outfield, although some time at the position in the minors first seems to make sense, because he’s had no reps there as a pro. Maybe being, as Barger himself said, one of the smallest players on the field in high school has given him “something of a chip on his shoulder” (quote from a front office official). Barger had a lot to prove this season as he reached Rule 5 eligibility, and there’s no doubt that he rose to the challenge. It might have been that extra strength, or maybe the maturity that comes with being a new dad, but Barger was the best position player in the system this year by a considerable margin.

With Barger’s left-hand bat and versatility, it’s obvious that Cavan Biggio should be looking over his shoulder this spring; there definitely will be competition between the two, although options may be a factor. But at the same time, Barger struggled after a hot start facing elite pitching in the Arizona Fall League. Perhaps it was fatigue at the end of a long season (he did hit a pair of HRs early in the AFL schedule), or maybe it was some bad luck (Barger struck out only 15% of the time) on balls in play, but his performance is a reminder that there is a monumental gap between AAA and MLB. Barger may not make the big club out of spring training, but he certainly served notice that his MLB debut is just a matter of time.