Northbound Jays Prospect Weekly: Schreck's Return Brings Power, Perez Battles Control at Double-A
By Hannah Wells ·
Northbound Jays Prospect Weekly covers the last 7 days of action for the Blue Jays farm system.
Schreck Gets Back in the Box and Goes Deep at Buffalo
RJ Schreck (AAA, LF, Rank: 21) returned from the 60-day IL on September 8 with a rehab stint in Dunedin before rejoining Buffalo, and this week he put the best stamp on that comeback: a home run to right-center on September 18, finishing the week with 2 hits, a double, that homer, and 4 walks across 16 plate appearances. That is the version of Schreck this profile needs to sustain at Triple-A. He is a 55-hit, 50-power left field corner bat whose carrying tools are barrel control and plate discipline, not athleticism or range, and a 17.8 percent walk rate over the last 30 days at Buffalo fits squarely in that identity. Three home runs and 8 walks against 7 strikeouts over 45 plate appearances in that stretch is a compact but encouraging sample from a player who missed significant time.
The season line at Buffalo reads .222/.376/.399 across 255 plate appearances, which looks modest on the surface but tracks with a 17.6 percent walk rate and an 18.8 percent strikeout rate that pair more favorably than most left-field corner bats at this level. His 2025 combined line of .249/.395/.459 with 18 home runs across three levels suggested the profile was real, and the 2026 power output (10 home runs combined) is not far off pace given the IL time. The contact rate of 80.6 percent this season, essentially flat from last year's 79.7 percent, means the hit-tool foundation has not eroded. A second-division regular projection feels conservative if his platoon splits and corner defense hold, and the walk numbers give him a floor even in years when the bat does not fully pop. Getting him healthy through the end of September is the immediate priority; the organizational question of whether he has earned a spring look in Toronto will follow soon enough.
Perez's Command Keeps Getting in the Way at Double-A
Fernando Perez (AA, RHP, Rank: 35) went 3.0 innings this week at New Hampshire, allowing 3 hits and 2 earned runs while walking 3 and striking out 3 on 68 pitches, only 27 of which went for strikes. That 39.7 percent strike rate in this outing fits the broader Double-A pattern: his season walk rate at this level sits at 24.8 percent of batters faced, and over the last 30 days he has issued 9 walks in 7.1 innings. The stuff is there in flashes, evidenced by 8 whiffs generated in just 3.0 innings this week and a 33.8 percent whiff rate over his last 30 days, but without the ability to throw consistent strikes, those moments do not stack into quality outings.
The whiplash from 2025 is real. Last year at High-A Vancouver, Perez posted a 4.9 percent walk rate across 94.1 innings and a 3.05 ERA; in his six Double-A starts to close out 2025 the walk rate nudged to 7.7 percent, still manageable. Now at Double-A in 2026 it has ballooned to 24.8 percent and the ERA sits at 7.20. A 55-grade command projection and a 55-grade slider should not produce these results, and the most charitable read is that Double-A hitters are exposing a release-point inconsistency that was easier to hide against High-A lineups. His four-seam runs 93-95 mph, the changeup offers some utility against lefties, but when he is missing the zone at a 37.1 percent strike rate, the entire arsenal becomes reactive rather than attacking. The projection as a back-end starter or swingman is still reasonable given his durability and feel for sequencing, but he has real mechanical work to do before that path looks comfortable again.
Quick Hits
- José Rodríguez (MLB, RHP, Rank: 28) · had his contract selected by Toronto on September 18, giving him his first MLB appearance. He worked 1.2 innings, struck out 2, walked none, and did not allow a run. Most of his 2026 work was split between Triple-A Oklahoma City (on loan from the Dodgers organization) and Triple-A Buffalo after arriving in Toronto's system, where he posted a combined 36-inning stretch between the two affiliates with 41 strikeouts. The clean MLB debut is a good sign for a 27-year-old depth arm trying to stick.
- Ricky Tiedemann (AAA, LHP, Rank: 10) · was optioned to Buffalo on September 14. He finished the 2026 big-league portion of his season and heads back to Triple-A to stay stretched out or rest; no injury designation accompanied the move. The development arc for Tiedemann has been a slow burn given health history, so keeping him active at Buffalo through the end of the season is likely the preferred outcome over a full shutdown.