Alan Roden's first stint with the Toronto Blue Jays did not go as planned. Since his recent demotion, however, Roden has crushed the ball at Triple-A and is looking like a player the organization could conceivably look to call back up sooner rather than later.
I get it, he's only played three games for Triple-A Buffalo this season. However, Roden has eight hits in 14 at-bats during his stint there, including a double, triple, and a home run. He has even stolen a base.
Alan Roden went 4-for-5 with a double, HR & 5 RBIs in his 2nd game with AAA Buffalo tonight.
ā Thomas Hall (@Hall_Thomas_) May 10, 2025
Roden crushed this 105.3-mph missile out of the park in his final AB. š #BlueJays pic.twitter.com/HMMbzi2HqE
The sample size is small, but if he continues to rake, the Blue Jays will presumably look to give him another shot in the majors in the not-too-distant future.
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Alan Roden is beginning to make the Blue Jays think about bringing him back up to the majors
Roden was able to crack Toronto's Opening Day roster after a huge spring training, but he left a lot to be desired during his first big league stint. He slashed .178/.262/.260 with one home run and five RBI in his 28 games and 84 plate appearances. Roden got to play a ton of left field against right-handed starters, but as his numbers showed, he simply didn't hit enough to warrant sticking around.
While it was disappointing to see Roden get sent down so soon, his demotion did not mean that the Jays were supposed to just forget about him. Roden was one of Toronto's best hitters in spring training, has always crushed minor league pitching, and is considered the organization's fifth-best prospect according to MLB Pipeline. Selling their stock after just a month of big league time would've been foolish, and Roden is making sure that the Jays don't forget about him.
Alan Roden has 8 hits and 5 RBI in 3 AAA games.
ā Mitch Bannon (@MitchBannon) May 11, 2025
Here's Schneider pregame on how Roden can carry that success back to MLB, eventually:
"There's going to be way less mistakes to hit here than in AAA, but hopefully the success that you're having kind of reinforces" #BlueJays
As Blue Jays manager John Schneider notes, adjustments will need to be made by Roden. It's a lot easier to hit Triple-A pitching, and to his credit, Roden has done that. This success should give him added confidence to hit much tougher pitching down the line. Given the fact that he'd be approaching his next call-up with experience already under his belt, Roden should have a better idea of what to expect and be able to perform better.
Sometimes prospects don't pan out on the first call-up. Addison Barger, a former exciting prospect, for example, struggled last season in his first taste of big league action, didn't make Toronto's Opening Day roster this season, and is starting to show some of his promise at the dish. He had a huge series this past weekend in Seattle. He's starting to show some of the promise he displayed in the minor leagues.
Blue Jays fans can only hope the same is coming for Roden, who could conceivably be a starting outfielder for this team for the next half-decade if he hits like he's capable of. If he continues to rake in the minor leagues, his chance to show he belongs in a Blue Jays uniform will come sooner than most expected.