Brandon Barriera

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #4 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Barriera went 5-0 with a 2.27 ERA in eight starts as a senior for American Heritage High in South Florida before deciding to sit out the remainder of the 2022 season to prepare for the draft. The Blue Jays selected him with the 23rd pick and signed him for just under $3.6 million. He made his pro debut in May 2023 after dealing with a shoulder issue in spring training. Barriera made four starts before heading to the injured list with an elbow sprain. He returned in mid July, then made three starts before biceps soreness returned him to the IL.
  
  Scouting Report: Since his time as an amateur, Barriera has added mass at the expense of his athleticism. He returned looking noticeably larger than his listed 180 pounds. The added strength didn’t translate to conditioning, and Barriera dealt with a trio of injuries. His fastball sits 92-94 mph with heavy cut, and he showed the ability to command his fastball at an average level to set up his slider. His slider is a plus bordering on double-plus sweeper that sits 82-84 mph with nearly a foot of horizontal break on average. He generated a high rates of swings-and-misses against the pitch and flashed the ability to dominate with the pitch in the zone. He showed a mid-to-high-80s changeup with parachuting drop. He threw his changeup just 14 times across all of his appearances. He also flashed a curveball with two-plane break in the upper 70s but it was thrown only a few times this season. His command of his slider and fastball are average, and that pair of pitches accounts for a majority of his usage.
  
  The Future: Barriera is a risky prospect with a wide range of outcomes. He will need to improve his conditioning, add velocity and develop a third pitch to stay in the rotation. Otherwise he has the signature pitch to make it as a high-leverage reliever.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 65 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50
• 
  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #3 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: The latest standout from national prep power American Heritage High in South Florida, Barriera pitched for USA Baseball's 12U and 15U national teams and emerged early as one of the top high school pitchers in the 2022 draft class. He entered his senior season with considerable hype and went 5-0, 2.27 over eight starts before deciding to sit out the remainder of the year to prepare for the draft. The Blue Jays drafted Barriera 23rd overall and signed him for a tick under $3.6 million--a bonus that trailed only Dylan Lesko and Brock Porter among prep pitchers drafted in 2022--to forgo a Vanderbilt commitment. In his first post-draft interview on MLB Network, Barriera vowed the 22 teams who passed him up were 'going to regret this.'
  
  Scouting Report: Barriera is an athletic lefthander with a prototypical pitcher's build, whippy arm speed and lots of physical projection remaining. He mixes four pitches but primarily works off of his fastball and slider. His plus fastball sits 92-95 mph and touches 98-99 with cut and explosive late life. His nearly plus-plus slider is his most dominant pitch as a low-80s sweeper with late bite that elicits ugly swings. Barriera flashes a mid-70s curveball and mid-80s changeup which project to be average pitches, but his fastball and slider combination account for a majority of his usage. The development of Barriera's changeup in the coming years could dictate his ultimate role. It flashed above-average as an amateur, leading many to believe it can develop into a consistent weapon. He throws everything for strikes with average control.
  
  The Future: Barriera has the stuff and physicality to blossom into a midrotation or better starter if everything clicks. He is set to make his pro debut in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 50. Slider: 65. Changeup: 50. Control: 50

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #17 prospect in 2022 draft
  School: American Heritage HS, Plantation, Fla. Committed/Drafted: Vanderbilt
  Age At Draft: 18.4
  BA Grade: 60/Extreme
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Cutter: | Control: 55
  Barriera isn’t a physically imposing pitcher by any means, but he more than makes up for his smaller, 5-foot-11, 171-pound frame with electric arm speed and standout athleticism on the mound. Barriera has one of the fastest arms in the class, and he uses that arm speed to throw a fastball that sits in the low 90s and regularly touches 96. This spring Barriera peaked at 98-99 mph, so pure stuff isn’t a question. On top of that fastball, Barriera has shown a slider in the low-to-mid 80s. The slider features a lot of horizontal movement with late turn and sharp bite at its best, and he shows good feel to land the pitch for strikes. It’s a 2,500-2,600 rpm offering and routinely gets plus grades from evaluators. The fastball/slider combination is Barriera’s bread and butter currently, but he has also shown solid feel for a firm changeup in the mid 80s. He doesn’t use the pitch often, but it has shown at least average potential and because he throws it with the same electric arm speed as his fastball, it could be a deceptive offering against better hitters at the next level. Barriera will also mix in a slower, mid-70s curveball at times to give him a four-pitch mix. Barriera fills up the strike zone and throws with a loose and fluid but whippy arm action. There’s a slight head whack in his finish, but he stays balanced and fields his position well. The Vanderbilt commit is praised for his intense and competitive demeanor on the mound, and while he doesn’t have much in the way of physical projection, he has plenty of stuff and the control that should give him a chance to start. Barriera will need to prove his durability and that his stuff can hold up to the rigors of a professional schedule, but he is a real first round talent and one of the best lefthanded pitchers in the class.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: The latest standout from national prep power American Heritage High in South Florida, Barriera pitched for USA Baseball's 12U and 15U national teams and emerged early as one of the top high school pitchers in the 2022 draft class. He entered his senior season with considerable hype and went 5-0, 2.27 over eight starts before deciding to sit out the remainder of the year to prepare for the draft. The Blue Jays drafted Barriera 23rd overall and signed him for a tick under $3.6 million--a bonus that trailed only Dylan Lesko and Brock Porter among prep pitchers drafted in 2022--to forgo a Vanderbilt commitment. In his first post-draft interview on MLB Network, Barriera vowed the 22 teams who passed him up were 'going to regret this.'
  
  Scouting Report: Barriera is an athletic lefthander with a prototypical pitcher's build, whippy arm speed and lots of physical projection remaining. He mixes four pitches but primarily works off of his fastball and slider. His plus fastball sits 92-95 mph and touches 98-99 with cut and explosive late life. His nearly plus-plus slider is his most dominant pitch as a low-80s sweeper with late bite that elicits ugly swings. Barriera flashes a mid-70s curveball and mid-80s changeup which project to be average pitches, but his fastball and slider combination account for a majority of his usage. The development of Barriera's changeup in the coming years could dictate his ultimate role. It flashed above-average as an amateur, leading many to believe it can develop into a consistent weapon. He throws everything for strikes with average control.
  
  The Future: Barriera has the stuff and physicality to blossom into a midrotation or better starter if everything clicks. He is set to make his pro debut in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 50. Slider: 65. Changeup: 50. Control: 50
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: The latest standout from national prep power American Heritage High in South Florida, Barriera pitched for USA Baseball's 12U and 15U national teams and emerged early as one of the top high school pitchers in the 2022 draft class. He entered his senior season with considerable hype and went 5-0, 2.27 over eight starts before deciding to sit out the remainder of the year to prepare for the draft. The Blue Jays drafted Barriera 23rd overall and signed him for a tick under $3.6 million--a bonus that trailed only Dylan Lesko and Brock Porter among prep pitchers drafted in 2022--to forgo a Vanderbilt commitment. In his first post-draft interview on MLB Network, Barriera vowed the 22 teams who passed him up were 'going to regret this.'
  
  Scouting Report: Barriera is an athletic lefthander with a prototypical pitcher's build, whippy arm speed and lots of physical projection remaining. He mixes four pitches but primarily works off of his fastball and slider. His plus fastball sits 92-95 mph and touches 98-99 with cut and explosive late life. His nearly plus-plus slider is his most dominant pitch as a low-80s sweeper with late bite that elicits ugly swings. Barriera flashes a mid-70s curveball and mid-80s changeup which project to be average pitches, but his fastball and slider combination account for a majority of his usage. The development of Barriera's changeup in the coming years could dictate his ultimate role. It flashed above-average as an amateur, leading many to believe it can develop into a consistent weapon. He throws everything for strikes with average control.
  
  The Future: Barriera has the stuff and physicality to blossom into a midrotation or better starter if everything clicks. He is set to make his pro debut in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 50. Slider: 65. Changeup: 50. Control: 50
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 60/Extreme
  
  August Update: Barriera isn&#39t a physically imposing pitcher by any means, but he more than makes up for his smaller, 5-foot-11, 171-pound frame with electric arm speed and standout athleticism on the mound. Barriera has one of the fastest arms in the class, and he uses that arm speed to throw a fastball that sits in the low 90s and regularly touches 96. This spring Barriera peaked at 98-99 mph, so pure stuff isn&#39t a question. On top of that fastball, Barriera has shown a slider in the low-to-mid 80s. The slider features a lot of horizontal movement with late turn and sharp bite at its best, and he shows good feel to land the pitch for strikes. It&#39s a 2,500-2,600 rpm offering and routinely gets plus grades from evaluators. The fastball/slider combination is Barriera&#39s bread and butter currently, but he has also shown solid feel for a firm changeup in the mid 80s. He doesn&#39t use the pitch often, but it has shown at least average potential and because he throws it with the same electric arm speed as his fastball, it could be a deceptive offering against better hitters at the next level. Barriera will also mix in a slower, mid-70s curveball at times to give him a four-pitch mix. Barriera fills up the strike zone and throws with a loose and fluid but whippy arm action. There&#39s a slight head whack in his finish, but he stays balanced and fields his position well. The first rounder is praised for his intense and competitive demeanor on the mound, and while he doesn&#39t have much in the way of physical projection, he has plenty of stuff and the control that should give him a chance to start long term. Barriera will need to prove his durability and that his stuff can hold up to the rigors of a professional schedule. Barriera signed for $3,597,500 in the first round.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 45. Slider: 60. Changeup: 50. Control: 55.