The Toronto Blue Jays have a bright future. In addition to boasting some of the best pitching talent in the MLB with the likes of Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber, Tyler Rogers, and Jeff Hoffman, they have several prospects of note. Ricky Tiedemann, Elian Guzman, Brandon Barriera, Carson Messina, and Celwin Hurkmans are also in the fold.
Outside of pitching, the Blue Jays are hot on the tails of a big bat. Currently, a Bo Bichette return, or the addition of one of Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, and Yoan Moncada, appears to be in the cards.
As far as pitching prospects go, Hurkmans has had a unique journey to get to this point in his career.
Celwin Hurkmans Unique Journey to the Toronto Blue Jays
Hurkmans was officially signed to a minor-league contract on December 10, 2025 — the same day that the Blue Jays inked free agent Cody Ponce.
However, according to an interview with HonkbalSoftbal.nl, Hurkmans wasn’t always a pitcher.
“I started pitching two years ago,” Hurkmans said to Emma Dijkstra via HonkbalSoftball. Hurkmans cited the influence of pitching coach Robin van Doornspeek on changing positions, “He told me: if you want to be great, you have to pitch. So that’s what I did.”
Before the change, Hurkmans had spent his entire career as a first baseman.
Additionally, the Blue Jays weren’t the only MLB team to express interest in the budding southpaw.
“The last month or two months were quite difficult,” Hurkmans continued. “Two clubs were very interested, so I had a lot of conversations and had to process a lot with my parents. We really discussed everything at home.”
“The first time a club showed interest in me, I realized that turning pro was truly possible.”
Hurkmans didn’t specify which club first expressed interest in him. However, judging from what Hurkmans had to say about the Blue Jays, there’s a good chance that it was them.
“The Blue Jays said that in 2027, instead of going directly to the Dominican Republic, I’ll go straight to Florida,” Hurkmans revealed. “So I can play for the Kingdom U18 team next year and finish school. They were very interested in me, both personally and professionally.”
More About Celwin Hurkmans
According to his MLB profile page, Hurkmans is 6-foot-6 and weighs 194 lbs, with a 2008 birthday.
Not much data is available about him. However, Hurkmans himself took to social media to share some of his pitching velocities.
According to his own social media post, he throws four pitches. Hurkmans’ arsenal is made up of a fastball, two-seam fastball (sinker), curveball, and changeup. His fastball lands between 85-88 MPH, while his two-seam hits 84-87 MPH. Additionally, he hits 75-78 with his curveball and 78-81 with his changeup.
The Blue Jays and the Latest Trade Rumblings
While the Blue Jays have not said it, there is no doubt they would trade Jose Berrios if the proper suitor came along.
After being left off the World Series roster, Berrios was “unhappy,” according to reports. A team that is looking for a reliable starter would be more than satisfied with the addition of Berrios. Unfortunately, a trade would likely come later in the offseason, as the last of the middle-of-the-pack options dry up.
The Boston Red Sox and Bo Bichette
As of the time of this writing, the Boston Red Sox are still looking at adding Bichette. According to MLBTradeRumors, Bichette is one of five infielders the Red Sox are focused on.
The other four of interest to the Red Sox are Brandon Donovan, Ketel Marte, Isaac Paredes, and Bregman.
Additionally, both MoccBomb and Francys Romero have reported that Kazuma Okamoto has narrowed his choices of MLB suitors. According to these two insiders, the Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, and Los Angeles Angels are the final trio vying for Okamoto’s services.
With the new year rapidly approaching, chatter will begin to pick up more. Until then, Blue Jays fans can enjoy where their favorite team’s prospect pool is at.
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