The Toronto Blue Jays are pushing a potential slugger up the minor league system.
Toronto promoted slugging first baseman/DH Peyton Williams all the way from High-A Vancouver to Triple-A Buffalo. Williams skipped Double-A New Hampshire as his bat looks to be ready.
Congrats Peyton on moving up to Triple-A!
Williams was selected in the seventh round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of the University of Iowa. The Iowa native is 6-foot-5, 255 lbs, and is known for his bat, which has impressed in his pro career.
This season, Williams is hitting .272 with 12 home runs and 60 RBIs as he started the year in Single-A Dunedin and is now in Triple-A Buffalo.
If Williams can produce in Triple-A, there is a pathway for him to reach the MLB, as the Blue Jays’ offense has struggled this season and needs all the help they can get.
Williams Has ‘Pop’ Blue Jays Need
Toronto took a flier on Williams out of Iowa, as he was considered an upside play if his game continued to develop, but there were some risks.
Williams has proven he can hit; although he was ranked as the team’s 29th prospect in 2025, he’s not ranked this year. However, in that prospect ranking, MLB Pipeline said he has the most pop in the organization outside of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., which is high praise.
“Outside of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., there may be no player in the organization who hits the ball harder than Williams. He’s still a proper hitter, fully capable of shooting a line drive when the situation calls for it, but the Blue Jays are eager to get Williams taking more shots in the right counts,” the MLB Pipeline article read.
“There’s also been a focus on getting him to drive the ball in the air more often. While Williams is a sturdier defender at first base than you’d expect, all of the upside here is clearly and fully tied to his bat. The Rowdy Tellez comps are easy, and given the breakout season Tellez had at Double-A New Hampshire in 2016, you’ll probably be hearing more of them. He’ll need to hit his way to the top, but there’s a chance he does just that. He’s already an organizational favorite and would be a fan favorite in Toronto if he ever puts on that uniform.”
Williams has the profile to be an impact power hitter for Toronto, and the Blue Jays are giving him the next step by sending him to Triple-A.
Toronto is Turning a Corner
The Blue Jays are starting to play much better baseball as Toronto is just 2.5 games out of a playoff spot.
Toronto is coming off a series win over the Philadelphia Phillies and has won back-to-back games against the Boston Red Sox.
“We’ve been playing really well, even in Philly, just fighting hard and doing the extra things in games,” said Dylan Cease. “I think we’ve been playing very clean baseball.”
Blue Jays manager John Schneider made it clear that everyone still believes they can go on a run.
“We know who we’re playing, we know how we have to play and I like the way we’re playing right now,” Schneider said. “I wish we were scoring a bit more to give the bullpen a break, but these guys are playing their [butts] off right now. It’s still realistic. I still think we’re a good team. We haven’t done as well as we would have hoped, but we’ve got time to do that.”
The Blue Jays are 58-63.
Blue Jays Make Major Promotion for Slugger Amid Team’s Offensive Woes