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Watch: Blue Jays prospect Jacob Sharp blasts solo shot in high-A debut

Originally posted on Bluejaysnation | By Thomas Hall | Last updated Jul 31, 2024 12:02 PM ET

Jacob Sharp certainly knows how to make a strong first impression.

The 22-year-old catcher — acquired in a package with outfielder Jonatan Clase from the Seattle Mariners last Friday in exchange for reliever Yimi García — reported to high-A Vancouver a night ago to make his Canadians debut, where he went 1-for-3 with his first hit and home run as part of a 2-0 victory.

After popping out to second base in his first at-bat, Sharp turned on the first pitch he saw in his second trip to the plate while leading off the fifth inning, depositing a solo shot over the left-field wall for his seventh dinger of the season — first with his new organization and of his high-A career.

Always remember to be Sharp on your first day!

Jacob Sharp (@BlueJays) swats a homer in his second at-bat for the @vancanadians after being acquired from Seattle last week. pic.twitter.com/2gxvkFsg4z

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) July 31, 2024

Sharp grounded out in his third and final at-bat of the contest in the seventh. He also caught all nine innings behind the plate, including five shutout frames from Pat Gallagher, who tied a career-high with eight punch outs.

The 5-foot-7 backstop, a 17th-round selection by Seattle in last year’s draft, hit six home runs and 29 RBIs while slashing .255/.339/.435 in 44 games with the organization’s single-A affiliate before coming over to the Toronto Blue Jays via trade. He also posted 18 walks to 19 strikeouts and a 104 wRC+, putting him four per cent above a league-average hitter.

In 2023, the right-handed-hitting catcher went 4-for-28 (.143) with four runs batted in over 11 games in the Arizona Complex League following a junior season at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Sharp, who’ll be Rule 5-eligible after the 2026 campaign, was one of 13 prospects acquired by the Blue Jays in the days leading up to Tuesday’s 6 p.m. trade deadline. Clase, the other prospect sent in the García deal, has become Toronto’s No. 8 top prospect per MLB Pipeline.

This article first appeared on Bluejaysnation and was syndicated with permission.

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