Despite not having a second round pick after signing Chris Bassitt, the Blue Jays still managed an exceptional class. In every class, players fall just because they happen to be the second name on a lot of boards when those teams' turns come around, and I think the Blue Jays did a great job of scooping up the guys who shouldn't have fallen as far as they did. I think they have a potential star in Arjun Nimmala, and many of their subsequent picks were simply too talented to still be available where they were. And Toronto managed to pick up two Canadians to boot. This is one of my favorite classes out there in terms of value for where they were picking. If there's one missed opportunity with this class, it's that they left not one, not two, but three draft picks unsigned in the 14th, 17th, and 18th rounds.
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Note that the number before a player's name indicates their draft position. "2-50" would indicate that a player was drafted in the second round with the fiftieth overall pick.
1-20: SS Arjun Nimmala, Strawberry Crest HS [FL] {video}
Slot value: $3.75 million. Signing bonus: $3 million ($746,000 below slot value).
My rank: #9. MLB Pipeline: #11. Baseball America: #17. Prospects Live: #12.
The Blue Jays must have been thrilled to land Arjun Nimmala here after hearing he had interest within the top ten picks, and not only did they get him at #20, they got him for nearly a $750,000 discount by paying him roughly the money for the #27 slot. The upside here is tremendous, sharing some similarities to current Blue Jays prospect Orelvis Martinez. Nimmala stands a skinny 6'1", but unleashes a truly explosive right handed swing that could give him plus power in time, an especially scary thought because he still has plenty of room to fill out. That's the carrying tool here, but it's a great carrying tool. He can get streaky with the bat, sometimes letting his swing get swoopy and getting out in front of offspeed or tied up on fastballs, leading to higher strikeout totals than you'd like from a first round bat. On the other hand, he's extremely young for the class and won't turn 18 until October, so he's really been playing up against older competition. Red Sox prospect Blaze Jordan was in a similar situation as a 17 year old high school senior and after taking some time to adjust, has really put it together in Boston's system. The Blue Jays hope Nimmala can follow a similar path, eventually getting to an average hit tool with plus power that could make him an impact hitter in Toronto. Defensively, Nimmala has a chance to make it work at shortstop with an above average arm, but his actions overall aren't the smoothest and he'll need significant refinement to stick there, especially with just average speed. In the likelihood that he gets pushed off the position, he should be at least average if not above average at second base or third base. The ability to stick on the infield and provide value buys his bat additional time beyond what his youth buys him. Another interesting note is that I watched an interview with him from last fall, and when asked what kind of team he wanted to get drafted by, the very first thing he mentioned was that he wanted to play somewhere "hot, not cold, I don't like the cold." Maybe you guys in Toronto can keep the roof closed for this Tampa-area native and former Florida State commit? Joking aside, I also got from the interview that he seems to have an exceptional head on his shoulders, a very well spoken young kid mature beyond his years. One of the only professional baseball players of Indian descent (after Karan Patel's release from the White Sox' system, the only other one I know if is Angels prospect Roman Phansalkar), he actually grew up playing cricket, which may give him an interesting perspective on baseball. Overall, I see a massive talent that could provide 25-30 home runs annually with decent on-base percentages while starting every day somewhere on the infield – that's All Star upside. So far, he has a single, a double, a strikeout, and a pair of walks in seven plate appearances in the Florida Complex League.
3-89: RHP Juaron Watts-Brown, Oklahoma State {video}
Slot value: $771,500. Signing bonus: $1 million ($288,500 above slot value).
My rank: #51. MLB Pipeline: #67. Baseball America: #46. Prospects Live: #51.
Juaron Watts-Brown was on the fringes of the first round conversation after picking up some helium last fall, but his 2023 spring was more good than great and the Blue Jays snatched him up for an over slot bonus in the third round, giving him the money for #72 overall here at #89. Watts-Brown was originally committed to Texas Tech but pivoted to Long Beach State in his home state after getting hurt in his senior year. After redshirting as a freshman in 2021, he posted a strong 2022 (3.68 ERA, 111/29 K/BB) and transferred to Oklahoma State, where he had an up and down 2023 with a 5.03 ERA and a 124/48 strikeout to walk ratio over 82.1 innings. At his best, Watts-Brown looks like he's in the perfect spot to continue trending up towards becoming an ace. He sits in the low 90's with his fastball and touches 96, with more velocity almost certainly coming. His best pitch is a plus slider with bullet action and he leans on it heavily, while his deeper curveball and an average changeup fill out the arsenal. The stuff can be inconsistent as can his command, so there are many days where it flattens out and he leaves it over the plate to get hit. On others, the slider is diving and the curveball looks sharp while he spots it to both sides of the plate. The Blue Jays believe in the latter, and they think bringing that out can make him a mid-rotation starter. To boot, the 6'3" righty is very athletic on the mound and gets great extension towards the plate, helping his pitches play up a bit and promising more power for his stuff as he continues to fill out. In that regard, adding strength would be another boon to the profile. 2023 wasn't exactly what he wanted it to be, but I still believe in the end product.
4-121: RHP Landen Maroudis, Calvary Christian HS [FL] {video}
Slot value: $547,100. Signing bonus: $1.5 million ($952,900 above slot value).
My rank: #66. MLB Pipeline: #72. Baseball America: #82. Prospects Live: #76.
All of that money the Blue Jays saved on Arjun Nimmala, and then about $200,000 more, went here to Landen Maroudis, who took roughly the slot value for the #55 pick to sign at #121 rather than head to NC State. He was part of the most talented rotation in high school baseball this spring, joining Liam Peterson (#85 on my list) and Hunter Dietz (#202) who will head to Florida and Arkansas, respectively. While Peterson entered the spring the top prospect of the group, Maroudis pushed past him with an excellent senior season and now looks like he could be an impact arm in Toronto. His fastball sits in the low 90's and touches 96, while his curveball has been inconsistent to this point and is still searching for its identity. His changeup has a chance to be his best pitch, something you don't see often from high school pitchers. Similarly to Juaron Watts-Brown, I'm most intrigued by his athleticism on the mound and I think he could explode in a pro development system. A talented hitter and shortstop as well, the 6'3" righty utilizes a drop and drive delivery with an explosive lower half that helps him drive down the mound with conviction. As he fills out and build up durability, his stuff could really shoot forward. At this point, the breaking ball is probably the biggest piece for Toronto to focus on, and he has a shot to be a mid-rotation starter.
5-157: LHP Connor O'Halloran, Michigan {video}
Slot value: $385,000. Signing bonus: $337,500 ($47,500 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #164. Baseball America: #162. Prospects Live: #200.
In the fifth round, the Blue Jays picked up a hometown kid from the Toronto suburb of Mississauga and a product of St. Martin Secondary School about fourteen miles southwest of the Rogers Centre. Connor O'Halloran stayed close to home for college at Michigan, where he improved every year and earned Big Ten Pitcher of the Year honors in 2023 with a 4.11 ERA and a 110/26 strikeout to walk ratio over 103 innings. He earned that distinction on the back of an exceptionally hot start to the season, carrying a 1.92 ERA into mid April and a 2.49 ERA into late April, but he put up a 7.92 ERA over his final six starts. Regardless, O'Halloran continued to run strong peripherals even during his late season slide and gives the Blue Jays an intriguing developmental piece. His fastball sits in the upper 80's, touching a modest 94 at best, while his above average slider dives across the plate and his average changeup gives hitters another pitch to think about. Everything plays up because of his deceptive delivery and low release point, hiding the ball behind his back until the last second to make it jump on you a little faster than you'd expect given the modest velocity. The 6'2" lefty also shows above average command and executes his pitches well, staying ahead in the count and helping him lean more heavily on that slider. Still, the Blue Jays will want to help him add a couple ticks of velocity to get him into the low 90's more consistently, where he'll have some margin for error, and the deception, release point, and command can do the rest of the work from there. O'Halloran does have projection remaining and like many Canadians he's extremely young for the class, only set to turn 21 in September.
6-184: OF Jace Bohrofen, Arkansas {video}
Slot value: $304,700. Signing bonus: $302,200 ($2,500 below slot value).
My rank: #70. MLB Pipeline: #66. Baseball America: #106. Prospects Live: #72.
This has a chance to be an absolute steal for the Blue Jays. Jace Bohrofen is one of the most talented players in college baseball, but to this point he has been just inconsistent enough to drop down to the sixth round. A star prospect out of high school in the Oklahoma City area, he began his career at Oklahoma after pricing himself out of the 2020 draft but didn't get regular playing time as a freshman. He put in a strong run through the Cape Cod League that summer and transferred to Arkansas, where again he struggled to earn a spot in the lineup everyday and lost some of his prospect sheen. After another strong turn in the Cape Cod League, bringing his two year slash line to .273/.371/.505 against elite pitching, he finally broke out with a huge junior season in 2023 by slashing .318/.436/.612 with 16 home runs and a 63/32 strikeout to walk ratio over 60 games. At the height of his breakout, he was earning looks in the top fifty picks, but like Connor O'Halloran he slumped in the second half and wound up here in the sixth round. He is extremely well built at 6'2", 205 pounds, showing above average raw power with some impressive exit velocities to the pull side that have some envisioning plus power down the line with a more refined approach. He tracks fastballs very well and can do damage against breaking balls as well, though his pure bat to ball ability is fringy and his 23.6% strikeout rate in 2023 was higher than you'd like to see. Fortunately, his long track record of success on the Cape against the best college baseball has to offer eases some of those concerns a bit, but the inconsistency is a bit of a red flag. Bohrofen is an average runner with an average arm who should make for a solid right fielder or an above average left fielder, though the pressure is on the bat. Very physical with a long, albeit uneven, track record of success, Bohrofen has every day upside if he can reign in the strikeouts a bit or otherwise profiles as a strong fourth outfielder. Through six games in the Florida Complex League, he's slashing .231/.375/.462 with one home run and five strikeouts to two walks.
7-214: SS Nick Goodwin, Kansas State {video}
Slot value: $238,700. Signing bonus: $236,200 ($2,500 below slot value).
My rank: #136. MLB Pipeline: #163. Baseball America: #138. Prospects Live: #107.
The Blue Jays again found nice value in Nick Goodwin, a shortstop who may lack a standout tool but does a lot of things well. He is a three year performer at Kansas State and put up his best season yet in 2023, slashing .285/.394/.511 with 12 home runs, 13 stolen bases, and a 37/36 strikeout to walk ratio over 59 games. Goodwin shows average raw power in the box that plays well in games because of his quick right handed swing and natural ability to get loft under the ball, regularly finding barrels to all fields. He also cut his strikeout rate significantly in 2023, from 23.1% as a sophomore to 13.5% as a junior, as he began to cut down on the chases and started making more consistent contact. Interestingly, his career numbers at Kansas State (.273/.368/.505 with similar slash lines all three seasons) may paint the picture of a steady hitter, but he's actually been more inconsistent than you might think. He turned heads on the Cape last summer by slashing .267/.354/.502 against elite pitching, then after coming out of the gate hot in 2023, he slumped hard in Big 12 play with a .204/.284/.387 line and a strikeout rate closer to 20%. It will be interesting what kind of middle ground his bat finds in pro ball and whether his true ability against advanced pitching was showcased on the Cape or in Big 12 play. Meanwhile, he's a solid athlete with a shot to stick at shortstop, but he's a fringy runner that may get pushed off by a more explosive defender. He has enough arm to handle third base and enough range to handle second base, which would make him a strong utility type if he doesn't hit enough to play every day. Pushed straight to Low A Dunedin, he's off to a bit of a slow start slashing .185/.267/.222 with five strikeouts to two walks through seven games.
9-274: 2B Sam Shaw, TNXL Academy [FL] {video}
Slot value: $175,900. Signing bonus: $282,500 ($106,600 above slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked. Prospects Live: #211.
The Blue Jays nabbed their second Canadian here in Sam Shaw, a product of Lambrick Park Secondary School in Victoria, British Columbia who went down to TNXL Academy in Florida to get more exposure. Listed at 5'10", 180 pounds, he is not a big kid but takes big hacks from the left side and has made a ton of contact against advanced pitching. With his athleticism and bat speed, it's easy to see him tacking on some strength and getting to perhaps fringe average power to go with at least an average, perhaps an above average hit tool down the line. With some speed and the ability to bounce around the dirt, he projects to stick at second base in the long run. He's a gritty player that plays with a lot of energy, but he'll need to learn to channel it a bit better as he gets faced with failure (as does every kid) more often in pro ball. Previously committed to Xavier, he signed for late sixth round money here in the ninth round. He has two hits in six at bats in the Florida Complex League to begin his pro career.
15-454: RHP Kelena Sauer, San Diego State {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked. Prospects Live: unranked.
The Blue Jays picked up a funky reliever in Kelena Sauer. He's spent three years in the San Diego State bullpen, putting up his best season in 2023 with a 4.35 ERA and a 35/11 strikeout to walk ratio over 31 innings as the Aztec closer. Coming from a sidearm slot, he sits in the low to mid 90s with his fastball and gets flat plane from that low release point. He works in a sweeping slider that dives across the plate, and while he doesn't throw it as much, his changeup has diving action away from left handed hitters. His command has improved considerably during his time in San Diego, now looking average as he's gotten more consistent with his release point. The 6'3" righty has additional funk in his delivery with his front leg drive, as he drops the leg perfectly straight down before changing directions at the last second and extending towards the plate, so his foot follows an "L" path towards the plate. That's not necessarily a problem because it works for him, it's just different. Sauer will likely remain a reliever going forward, and his age is a big bonus as he doesn't turn 21 until September. Pushed straight to Low A Dunedin with Nick Goodwin, he's allowed one run on three hits and one walk across three innings so far, striking out five.
