First 5 rounds: Logan Warmoth (1-22), Nate Pearson (1-28), Hagen Danner (2-61), Riley Adams (3-99), Kevin Smith (4-129), Cullen Large (5-159).
Also notable: Brock Lundquist (6-189), Kacy Clemens (8-249), Zach Logue (9-279), Daniel Ritcheson (23-699)
The Blue Jays had four of the first 100 picks, and they managed to use them plus their next pick to pull in five players in my top 100. Though they have just the thirteenth largest bonus pool, this may turn out to be an expensive draft, though fourth rounder Kevin Smith already signed for an at-slot, $405,100 bonus. The Jays leaned mostly offense, taking six hitters in their first seven picks, and also seemingly spurned upside for safety by grabbing just one high schooler in their first fourteen picks. Outside of Nate Pearson and their lone early-round high schooler, Hagen Danner, there isn't really much upside with this class, but we could see many of these guys in the big leagues fairly soon, at least in reserve roles. Overall, they tended to look at big programs, drafting players out of UNC, Maryland, Long Beach State, Texas, Kentucky, Wake Forest, and Texas A&M all in the first 21 rounds.
1-22: SS Logan Warmoth (my rank: 28)
I was a little bit surprised by this pick, considering the fact that there were names like Jeren Kendall, Sam Carlson, and Alex Lange still on the board, but Toronto had been tied to Warmoth for most of the spring and they got their guy. Warmoth is a low ceiling, high floor college performer who will likely replace Troy Tulowitzki at shortstop when the time comes. If he has to move off shortstop, he could put an end to the revolving door method the Blue Jays have employed at second base. He doesn't have any tools that excite, but he's a competent hitter who slashed .336/.404/.554 with 10 home runs for UNC this year, though he did at times look lost at the plate when I saw him play in May. He could develop into one of those not-so-exciting-but-valuable middle infielders, like Logan Forsythe or Zack Cozart, both of whom were also drafted out of southern schools (Arkansas and Ole Miss, respectively).
1-28: RHP Nate Pearson (my rank: 31)
Here is the big upside pick. Unlike most of the other Jays picks, Pearson has a pretty low floor, but his upside is so special that teams were considering the 6'5" righty as early as the first half of the first round. Armed with a plus-plus fastball, he created a stir just before the draft when he reportedly hit 102 MPH in a bullpen session, and his secondaries have made enough progress to the point where he was concerned a bona-fide first rounder. Pearson, a sophomore out of the Junior College of Central Florida, is still fairly raw as a pitcher, but his slider and changeup have made significant progress this spring, as has his command. He'll have to continue to improve those offspeeds and his command if he wants to start, but he can easily fall back on a bullpen career.
2-61: C Hagen Danner (my rank: 41)
I ranked Danner 41st...as a pitcher. Yet another two way player in this draft, the Blue Jays may have themselves a steal here in the late second round. A longtime top prospect for this draft, some of the shine has worn off for Danner, out of Huntington Beach High School in SoCal, but he's still a legitimate prospect. I preferred him as a pitcher, but shoulder soreness plus an extreme lack of catching in this draft makes it completely defensible for Toronto to select him as a catcher. Danner is a strong young man, showing big power at the plate and big arm strength behind it. He's a capable defender that should stick as a catcher, though how much contact he can make will control his rise through the minors. He's committed to UCLA and was drafted slightly below where some thought he would be drafted, so he'll likely be a tough sign.
3-99: C Riley Adams (my rank: 70)
Here's another catcher that the Blue Jays grabbed much later than his ranking would predict. Teams were reportedly looking at Adams for an underslot deal as early as the late first round, so getting him here with his big time power is a steal, especially for a college player who lacks the leverage to have high bonus demands. Is a similar player to Danner, but with even bigger power and bigger swing and miss concerns. The University of San Diego's catcher slashed .312/.424/.564 with 13 home runs this year, and while teams would have liked to see a strikeout rate lower than the 22.8% he put up in a mid-major conference, that's solid production for a guy who can stick behind the plate. Standing 6'5" with a lean build, he's an imposing figure that could grow into even more power, but he'll have to prove he can catch up to pro pitching. Between Adams and Danner, the Blue Jays should get at least one MLB caliber catcher out of this draft.
4-129: SS Kevin Smith (my rank: 93)
Smith has a bit of an interesting profile. He's young for a college junior, not turning 21 until July, and he has the athleticism and arm strength necessary to stay at shortstop. That said, the Maryland Terrapin isn't the fastest guy on the field and is known much more for his power than for his pure hitting ability. He never really put up big numbers for Maryland, slashing .268/.323/.552 with 13 home runs this year and striking out in 21.1% of his plate appearances while walking in just 6.3%. He did perform well on the Cape last summer (.301/.348/.427, 2 HR), and he could put up Kelly Johnson-type numbers if everything works out. He has more power than even first rounder Warmoth, but he hasn't proven he can get to it.
Others: 5th rounder Cullen Large was a three year performer at William & Mary, slashing a career .323/.399/.475 with 16 home runs over 169 games. He's a solid all-around hitter who can hold his own at second base, so here's yet another high-floor option in the infield. 6th rounder Brock Lundquist is, you guessed it, another college player with a track record of success. The Long Beach State outfielder had a bit of a disappointing season by slashing .277/.388/.429 with four home runs for the Dirtbags this year, though he did dramatically improve his walk rate to 11.4%. He may be more of a project, because he has the power and strength to be a multi-category performer, but he's inconsistent with his mechanics and leaks a lot of power in his swing. 8th rounder Kacy Clemens, out of UT-Austin, is the son of Roger Clemens, but he'll be a first baseman in the Toronto system. The Texas senior had a power breakout this year, slashing .305/.414/.532 with 12 home runs for the Longhorns, walking in 14.9% of his plate appearances. 23rd rounder Daniel Ritcheson just missed my top 150 rankings, as he is a high-upside right handed pitcher with some maturity issues. He likely won't sign this late in the draft and instead honor his commitment to San Diego State, but he already has a power fastball/slider combination, though the slider needs tightening. Teams weren't sold on his ability to handle pro ball yet due to his tendency to get frustrated easily on the mound, and spending three years maturing at school could do him a lot of good.
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