Juaron Watts-Brown Fantasy Stats

The Toronto Blue Jays traded away right-handed pitching prospect Juaron Watts-Brown in exchange for right-handed reliever Seranthony Dominguez from the Baltimore Orioles, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. The 2023 third-round pick out of Oklahoma State has split time between High-A and Double-A with Toronto this season, totaling 89 innings with a 3.54 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and a 20.4% K-BB%. The 23-year-old has operated solely as a starter and has strong grades on his slider and curveball. The command will be what determines his future role as a starter or reliever, but it's a solid foundation with two plus breaking balls despite a below-average fastball. While there are differences, the Orioles found success with a similar archetype of pitcher in Kyle Bradish, who is known for his wicked breaking balls. Watts-Brown has posted gaudy swinging strike rates since debuting in 2024, and already ranks as the number eight prospect in the Orioles system by MLB Pipeline.

Toronto Blue Jays right-handed pitching prospect Juaron Watts-Brown allowed just two hits across six shutout frames on Sunday. In this outing, Watts-Brown struck out 10 batters. This was the third time this season that Watts-Brown hit double-digit strikeouts in a start. In addition, this was also a nice bounce-back outing for Watts-Brown as he allowed a season-high five runs in his last start on May 6 against High-A Spokane. Through 32 1/3 innings at High-A, Watts-Brown has struggled at times as he holds a 3.90 ERA with a 1.24 WHIP. However, he has flashed elite strikeout upside, tallying 54 over this stretch. Last summer, during his first 45 1/3 innings at High-A, Watts-Brown struck out 57 batters but held a higher 6.35 ERA. Given his lack of consistency, the 23-year-old will likely remain at High-A throughout most of the first half.

Toronto Blue Jays pitching prospect Juaron Watts-Brown tallied a career-high 10 strikeouts during his first start of the High-A regular season. Watts-Brown was in control during his entire start as he tossed four 2/3 innings of three-hit ball. He did not allow a run and served up just one free pass. This was a strong season debut for Watts-Brown, who struggled during his first taste of High-A last summer. The former third-round selection from the 2023 MLB Draft opened the 2024 campaign with Low-A and held a solid 3.43 ERA with a 1.28 WHIP across 57 2/3 innings. However, he was then moved up to High-A, where he took a step back, holding a high 6.35 ERA with a 1.61 WHIP across 45 1/3 innings. He posted a modest 31:57 BB:K. If Watts-Brown continues progressing at High-A, he should push for a Double-A debut in the coming months.