It’s one of their strengths, but there are also a handful of players in Triple-A who could be called up if injuries occur, or better yet, if they force the Blue Jays’ hands. In this article we take a look at the infielders of the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons.
Last season, both Alejandro Kirk spent seven days on the injured list due to concussion, with the team turning to Ali Sánchez. This season, the third catcher will be contested between two players: Brandon Valenzuela and CJ Stubbs.
Valenzuela is a defense-first catcher with a strong arm, good receiving and acceptable blocking. He’s a switch hitter with some pop in his bat, but he probably won’t be an average hitter in the major leagues.
At first base, Damiano Palmegiani is looking for a bounce-back season. He soared through the system from 2021 to 2023 before running into trouble in Triple-A in 2024 and struggling in 2025. Palmegiani has a ton of raw power and leads the organization with 21 home runs through 2024, but he needs to make more contact and lower his strikeout rate.
Signed to a minor league deal, expect Juan Yepez to also consume some innings at first base. The 28-year-old has some major league experience, slashing .258/.307/.423 with 20 home runs in 588 major league at-bats. He has played the outfield and third base a number of times in his career, but he will likely play leadoff and designated hitter for the Bisons.
Ryan McCarty has a pretty cool story, as he dominated DIII baseball and signed as an undrafted free agent. He has had some success over the past four seasons, slashing .225/.326/.328 with five home runs in 405 plate appearances. He played ten games with the Bisons last season and plays first base, second base, third base and shortstop.
In the minor league portion of the 2025 Rule 5 draft, the Blue Jays selected utility player Carlos Mendoza. At 5’7″, 165 lbs, the utility player broke into the Tigers system last season, slashing .287/.394/.409 with seven home runs in 407 at-bats. He plays second, third and all three outfield spots, but hasn’t played center field since 2019.
Josh Kasevich is another player who can play both shortstop and second. The Blue Jays’ 2022 second-rounder had an injury-riddled season and struggled when he was on the field. He is looking for a bounce-back season, having had some helium in the 2025 season.
The Blue Jays acquired Josh Rivera from the Chicago Cubs before the 2024 trade deadline. He played 110 games with the Buffalo Bisons last season, slashing .226/.332/.330 with six home runs in 394 plate appearances for an 86 wRC+, which is better than how he fared in limited games with the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Like the others, Rivera has played shortstop, second and third in his career.
Finally, Charles McAdoo may not start the season in Triple-A, but could be called up if he has a strong start to the season. McAdoo got off to a slow start in 2025, but after a stint on the developmental list, he slashed .267/.335/.469 with 15 home runs in 362 at-bats from May 27 through the end of the season, good enough for a 132 wRC+. He can play third and first base, with a cup of coffee in the outfield.
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