The Blue Jays find potential future ace

While Ricky Tiedemann and Brandon Barriera recover from Tommy John surgery, another pitcher out of Cuba has been labeled as one to watch: Silvano Hechavarria.

If you haven't heard of him before, that's okay.

Hechavarria was quietly signed as an International Free Agent last June for $240 000. Almost immediately after the ink was dry he headed to the Dominican Summer League. In 49 innings across 10 starts, Hechavarria went 5-2 with a 1.84 ERA, 2.02 RA9, and 57 strikeouts. His batting average against was .159 and his strikeout rate was nearly 30%.

Hechavarria is a big dude, coming in at 6'5 and 223 pounds. He has the build to be a future workhorse as his innings limit will slowly increase with his development.

His fastball sits typically in the mid-90s, and can reach a high of 97, while his arsenal also includes a changeup and a couple different varieties of breaking balls.

While he is set to start the year in Single-A, he could rise through the ranks quickly given his advanced ability. It's possible that he is only a couple of years away from the majors. He just needs to stay healthy.

His development will be an interesting storyline for 2025. One to maybe get excited about.