Right-hander Grant Rogers, a native of Groves, Texas, is beginning his professional baseball career with the Toronto Blue Jays organization. Selected in the 11th round of the 2023 MLB Draft, Rogers was drafted out of McNeese State, a Division 1 program in the Southland Conference located in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He spent two years there after playing his first two seasons at Panola College in NJCAA Division 1.
In his junior year at McNeese, Rogers posted a 1.82 ERA with 88 strikeouts and a 0.936 WHIP over 103 2/3 innings, securing 12 wins in 15 starts. Following his successful season with the Cowboys, Rogers caught the attention of MLB scouts, and the Blue Jays selected the 6-foot-7 righty early on day three of the draft.
Reflecting on his draft experience, Rogers told Blue Jays Nation, “The draft was a pretty stressful time. Waiting three days to hear your name was tough, but also exciting. I just wanted a chance to prove myself, and the Toronto Blue Jays were the team to give me that opportunity.”
Rogers also shared that the Blue Jays had been interested in him for quite some time. “The Blue Jays have always been around and were one of the first teams to show interest, even back in my Junior College days,” Rogers said. “Chris Curtis, the area scout for the Jays (now the northeast regional crosschecker), provided me with a great overview of the Blue Jays organization and how they value their players.”
Grant Rogers with a nasty 83.1 mph slider for his second strikeout of the game. pic.twitter.com/MGeN0uNd7Q
— Ryley Delaney (@Ryley_L_D) April 18, 2024
After the draft, Grant Rogers and the other new Blue Jays draftees headed to Dunedin for introductions and to sign paperwork. Instead of joining an affiliate team right away, the Texas native spent the rest of the year working off the field with the staff to prepare for the 2024 season. This approach, previously used by the Jays with pitchers like Ricky Tiedemann, Brandon Barriera, and Landon Maroudis, was also applied to Rogers.
“The Blue Jays wanted me to get stronger and take some time off after my Junior season,” Rogers said. “It was a wise decision and incredibly beneficial, setting me on the right track for the 2024 season. They guided me in terms of nutrition, smarter workouts, and overall preparation to improve on the mound. I’m extremely grateful for the staff there.”
As the 2024 season approached, Rogers was assigned to single-A Dunedin, where he made an impressive debut against the Tampa Tarpons, pitching four innings, allowing two hits, four walks, and striking out six while keeping the scoreboard clean.
Throughout the season, the 23-year-old pitched five or more innings nine times, allowing one or fewer runs in seven games (five of which were 5+ innings). In single-A, Rogers showcased his command with a 2.7 BB/9 rate and struck out batters at an 8.5 K/9 rate, holding opponents to a .284 BAbip and a .686 OPS. At the time of his promotion, he ranked second on the Blue Jays staff in games started (14) and innings pitched (74). Rogers’ pitch arsenal includes a cutter, four-seam fastball, sinker, slider, and changeup.
“Getting assigned to Dunedin was great because I was able to demonstrate my abilities on the mound,” Rogers said about his start to the season. “Pro hitters have a much better approach than in college; you can’t rely on getting them to chase pitches outside the zone. These hitters have a plan, and you need to be just as sharp.”
Rogers also praised the Blue Jays team, saying, “The staff in Dunedin is top-notch. They made the atmosphere feel like home, which was a fantastic feeling. I have nothing but great things to say about that team.”
On July 30th, Rogers was promoted to high-A Vancouver, moving across the country to the Northwest League. His debut there was the most impressive outing of his professional career, as he held the Tri-City Dust Devils to three hits over eight innings at Rogers Field at Nat Bailey Stadium. Commanding the strike zone all night, Rogers struck out nine batters (a single-game career high) while walking just one, facing the minimum number of batters through seven of those innings. This performance earned him the Northwest League Pitcher of the Week honor for July 29th – August 4th, as he set a Canadians record (as a high-A club) with eight scoreless innings.
In his second outing against Eugene, Rogers faced more challenges, allowing nine hits and four earned runs over 5 2/3 innings but still managed to strike out seven. Through his early time with Vancouver, Rogers has posted a 2.63 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings.
A HUGE performance from the big right-hander earns @Grant_Rogers10 NWL Pitcher of the Week honors!
📰: https://t.co/GLZohg220F pic.twitter.com/UIyenTkvEg
— Vancouver Canadians (@vancanadians) August 5, 2024
Since joining the team, Rogers has been impressed by the fans at Nat Bailey Stadium every time he takes the mound.
“If I had to describe it in one word, it would be electric,” Rogers said about his debut in front of a packed crowd of Canadians fans. “There are no words to fully capture how that first inning felt in front of the home crowd. Going from pitching in front of roughly 400 fans to a crowd of around 5,000 in Vancouver is an incredible feeling—honestly, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Just like in Dunedin, the staff here has been excellent, helping me adjust to a new city and a new team. They are truly top-notch.”
Looking ahead, Rogers is gearing up for a run with the Canadians, who are aiming to repeat as NWL champions. The team currently sits two games behind the first-half series winners in Spokane and holds a five-game lead over Hillsboro for the second postseason spot, with just over three weeks left in the season.
