The 2024 Toronto Blue Jays reminds me a little of the big twist at the end of every Scooby Doo episode. Scooby, Shaggy, and the gang always spend most the episode chasing down their perpetrator BUT the bad guy is never who you think it is. Well, we chased down the Toronto Blue Jays, but in the end we found out it was actually The Buffalo Bisons in Jays masks.

As I sit in the Sahlen Field press box here in Buffalo, myself and some of the other reporters started to tally how many guys have been in both jerseys this year. By our count there have been 19 players in 2024 who have suited up for both the Jays and the Bisons. NINETEEN!!! By the time the season ends 26 (a full roster) is not at all impossible, especially considering the state of the big league bullpen. I hope this seems as completely wild to you as it does to me, because it’s absolutely crazy.

As far as position players that seem destined to get a taste of the big leagues before October, I would put my bets on the following:

-Jonatan Clase (Return in the Yimi Garcia to Seattle trade) 

-Will Robertson (Lefty outfielder who has been mashing this season in AAA) and

-Alan Roden (Blue Jays #13 prospect) 

I mean, there is a young upstart prospect by the name of Joey Votto who has a shot as well, but let’s focus on the homegrown Roden for now. 

Alan Roden, drafted in the 3rd round in 2022 is 24 years old and plays both right and left field. He was called up to Buffalo from the New Hampshire Fisher Cats on June 14th and struggled out of the gate. However he’s really found his footing in AAA.  “[I] had to make certain adjustments from when I first got here but the group of guys is just awesome. You know we’ve had a decent amount influx in and out of players but everyone who’s been here have been top notch human beings and have made the transition really easy” Roden said during our pregame chat. 

Not that it’s a competition but The Buffalo Boys “vibes” seem far healthier than the Bo “vibes”.

Roden is sporting an OPS of .805 with 12 HR’s and 12 SB’s over the two levels and has been a hitting machine the last two weeks. He started his night with a hard hit line drive single and later scored with the help of some heads up base running. He followed that up with a 2 RBI double later in the game. This is par for the course for Roden who has settled the middle of the order in Buffalo and is being relied on for run production. 

He is well aware how close he is to his MLB debut but is focussed on his development in Buffalo. “There’s been a lot of call-ups and young guys getting opportunities and that’s amazing. I think its really cool for them, and for me it’s partly like there’s so many good young players around that if my opportunity comes (and it will) [that’s great], but if not, I’m happy here and [will]just keep plugging away and improve as we go”

Don’t be surprised come September Shaggy and the gang take the mask off their Toronto Blue Jays culprit and its former Buffalo Bison Alan Roden.