Toronto was working with very limited draft capital after having their first round pick pushed back ten spots due to competitive balance overages and losing their second round pick and a fourth round compensation pick (for Bo Bichette) due to the Dylan Cease signing. They did well for themselves by pulling in a first round talent in Cole Carlon, who was regularly mocked in the 20's throughout the spring, even managing to capture some savings to use later on one of the most talented prep catchers in the country in Will Brick. Of course, giving Brick an even larger bonus than Carlon meant they had to find even more savings elsewhere, including signing five seniors for $5,000 or less in rounds five, six, eight, nine, and ten. As has become the Blue Jays' M.O., much of this draft was focused on high contact bats including two of the best pure hitters in the country in seventh rounder Dean West and eleventh rounder Brayden Martin. If either of those two can add some pop, they could find some late value.
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Note that the number before a player's name indicates their draft position. For example, "2-50" would indicate that a player was taken in the second round with the fiftieth overall pick.
1-39: LHP Cole Carlon, Arizona State
Slot value: $2.57 million. Signing bonus: $2.4 million ($171,700 below slot value).
My rank: #34. MLB Pipeline: #26. ESPN: #28.
Despite not picking until #39, the Blue Jays picked up a first round talent in Cole Carlon. He was excellent as a reliever for Arizona State in 2025, then jumped into the Sun Devils' rotation without losing any stuff. His 133 strikeouts were fifth in NCAA while his 38% strikeout rate was also among the nation's best. The fastball sits in the mid 90's and touches 98 as a starter, grabbing triple digits in short stints. His short, tight slider is his money maker, with late downer action missing bats in bunches across the Big 12. He flips in a curveball and a decent changeup, but makes his money with the first two pitches. The 6'5" lefty has a closed off delivery that hides the ball well and further makes that cutter a devastating pitch, though with long limbs and a long way to go in his delivery his command can get scattered. He was able to rely on his stuff missing bats in the zone in college, but in pro ball the Blue Jays will work to get his delivery streamlined and tune the finer aspects of his arsenal to make him a more complete starting pitcher. There is a lot of upside here for a college starter, especially given his youth (he only turned 21 in May), and the fallback is that of a nasty fastball/slider lefty reliever touching triple digits. It's a pretty good gig for a pitcher here at #39, especially at a slight discount.
Slot value: $2.57 million. Signing bonus: $2.4 million ($171,700 below slot value).
My rank: #34. MLB Pipeline: #26. ESPN: #28.
Despite not picking until #39, the Blue Jays picked up a first round talent in Cole Carlon. He was excellent as a reliever for Arizona State in 2025, then jumped into the Sun Devils' rotation without losing any stuff. His 133 strikeouts were fifth in NCAA while his 38% strikeout rate was also among the nation's best. The fastball sits in the mid 90's and touches 98 as a starter, grabbing triple digits in short stints. His short, tight slider is his money maker, with late downer action missing bats in bunches across the Big 12. He flips in a curveball and a decent changeup, but makes his money with the first two pitches. The 6'5" lefty has a closed off delivery that hides the ball well and further makes that cutter a devastating pitch, though with long limbs and a long way to go in his delivery his command can get scattered. He was able to rely on his stuff missing bats in the zone in college, but in pro ball the Blue Jays will work to get his delivery streamlined and tune the finer aspects of his arsenal to make him a more complete starting pitcher. There is a lot of upside here for a college starter, especially given his youth (he only turned 21 in May), and the fallback is that of a nasty fastball/slider lefty reliever touching triple digits. It's a pretty good gig for a pitcher here at #39, especially at a slight discount.
3-103: SS Ryan Cooney, Oregon
Slot value: $762,900. Signing bonus: $597,500 ($165,400 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #137. ESPN: #167.
The Blue Jays have been into high contact types lately and Ryan Cooney fits the bill. He hit .333 over the past two seasons at Oregon and has been steadily tacking on power as he's filled out, but the money is in the hit tool here. Listed at 6', 195 pounds, he's not a big guy but uses a direct, simple right handed swing to gash line drives around the field with ease. Cooney's power plays mostly to the gaps, where his 22 doubles were 16th in the country, and to the pull side, where he knocked a career-high eight home runs in 2026. He's a solid runner but can play all over the infield, with the arm and glove to make it work at shortstop or play a very solid second or third base. If Cooney can tack on a little bit of power, he has a chance to take over an every day role somewhere on the infield. More likely, he projects as a high batting average utility infield option who can move up the ladder quickly and stick around in the big leagues for a long time. His $597,500 signing bonus, like that of Cole Carlon, gives the Blue Jays a bit of a discount.
Slot value: $762,900. Signing bonus: $597,500 ($165,400 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #137. ESPN: #167.
The Blue Jays have been into high contact types lately and Ryan Cooney fits the bill. He hit .333 over the past two seasons at Oregon and has been steadily tacking on power as he's filled out, but the money is in the hit tool here. Listed at 6', 195 pounds, he's not a big guy but uses a direct, simple right handed swing to gash line drives around the field with ease. Cooney's power plays mostly to the gaps, where his 22 doubles were 16th in the country, and to the pull side, where he knocked a career-high eight home runs in 2026. He's a solid runner but can play all over the infield, with the arm and glove to make it work at shortstop or play a very solid second or third base. If Cooney can tack on a little bit of power, he has a chance to take over an every day role somewhere on the infield. More likely, he projects as a high batting average utility infield option who can move up the ladder quickly and stick around in the big leagues for a long time. His $597,500 signing bonus, like that of Cole Carlon, gives the Blue Jays a bit of a discount.
4-131: C Will Brick, Christian Brothers HS [TN]
Slot value: $581,100. Signing bonus: $2.5 million ($1.92 million above slot value).
My rank: #57. MLB Pipeline: #46. ESPN: #39.
The Blue Jays' biggest signing bonus of the draft came here in the fourth round to Will Brick, one of the top prep catchers in the class. Brick has long been a famous name out of the Tennessee high school ranks, originally as a member of the 2027 class. He reclassified to the 2026 class, where he's more age appropriate and has continued to make a name for himself. He was a top performer on the showcase circuit last summer and entered his senior spring a potential first rounder. The bat came out more good than great, dropping him into more of the second round range, but he still got paid like a top 40 pick because the Blue Jays believe in the upside. Brick has long earned his money with his defense, where he is an extremely advanced defender for his age with good glove getting better and better. His plus arm is another asset that he has used to cut down plenty of runners on the circuit and back in Memphis, though he's still learning some of the finer aspects of professional catcher defense, but no scouts doubt that he'll get there and then some. Listed at 6'2", 195 pounds with long arms and legs, he generates great leverage and the ball jumps off his bat in batting practice. Most scouts project him for above average power as he learns to deploy it in games. His hitting ability has been more up and down, showing very well on the showcase circuit but looking more uneven back home in Memphis this spring. Brick also sacrifices some power to make consistent contact against top arms, so the Blue Jays will want to help him find a balance there. The offensive bar for a catcher is lower than at other positions, especially given his standout defensive tools, so just a natural progression at the plate would make him a big league option. If the Blue Jays can help him tap his power consistently in games without raising the strikeout rate, he'll be Toronto's every day catcher of the future. Having reclassified up from the 2027 class, he's on the younger side for the class and only turned 18 in June.
Slot value: $581,100. Signing bonus: $2.5 million ($1.92 million above slot value).
My rank: #57. MLB Pipeline: #46. ESPN: #39.
The Blue Jays' biggest signing bonus of the draft came here in the fourth round to Will Brick, one of the top prep catchers in the class. Brick has long been a famous name out of the Tennessee high school ranks, originally as a member of the 2027 class. He reclassified to the 2026 class, where he's more age appropriate and has continued to make a name for himself. He was a top performer on the showcase circuit last summer and entered his senior spring a potential first rounder. The bat came out more good than great, dropping him into more of the second round range, but he still got paid like a top 40 pick because the Blue Jays believe in the upside. Brick has long earned his money with his defense, where he is an extremely advanced defender for his age with good glove getting better and better. His plus arm is another asset that he has used to cut down plenty of runners on the circuit and back in Memphis, though he's still learning some of the finer aspects of professional catcher defense, but no scouts doubt that he'll get there and then some. Listed at 6'2", 195 pounds with long arms and legs, he generates great leverage and the ball jumps off his bat in batting practice. Most scouts project him for above average power as he learns to deploy it in games. His hitting ability has been more up and down, showing very well on the showcase circuit but looking more uneven back home in Memphis this spring. Brick also sacrifices some power to make consistent contact against top arms, so the Blue Jays will want to help him find a balance there. The offensive bar for a catcher is lower than at other positions, especially given his standout defensive tools, so just a natural progression at the plate would make him a big league option. If the Blue Jays can help him tap his power consistently in games without raising the strikeout rate, he'll be Toronto's every day catcher of the future. Having reclassified up from the 2027 class, he's on the younger side for the class and only turned 18 in June.
7-222: OF Dean West, UCLA
Slot value: $262,300. Signing bonus: $196,725 ($65,575 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. ESPN: unranked.
As stated, the Blue Jays like contact bats, and Dean West brings them an extreme profile in that regard. He has never had trouble making contact at UCLA, striking out just 70 times in 144 career games for an elite 10.3% rate. He never, ever chases a pitch out of the zone and makes tons of contact when he does swing, giving him one of the best combinations of chase and contact rates in the country. Listed at 5'9", 185 pounds, he doesn't pack much punch at the plate and focuses more on gashing line drives around the field. He did hit a career-high seven home runs in 2026, typically a product of coiling up and turning on the ball. If he doesn't explicitly try to rope one over the right field wall, he's probably not getting one out, especially as he transitions to wood bats in pro ball. His .419 on-base percentage against top pitching in the Cape Cod League was extremely impressive, as was his tiny 11.7% strikeout rate, but he only had one extra base hit in 24 games and will be hard pressed to do more in pro ball. His 102.5 MPH 90th percentile exit velocity at the MLB Draft Combine in June was encouraging, still below average but enough to keep pitchers honest and a showcase of what happens when he does turn on the ball. The Los Angeles native is an above average runner with strong instincts on the bases and has a shot to stick in center field, though he played left field in deference to Phillies fifth rounder Will Gasparino at UCLA and doesn't have the arm for right field. He's probably a high contact fourth outfielder at peak. West is old for the class, turning 22 a month after the draft.
Slot value: $262,300. Signing bonus: $196,725 ($65,575 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. ESPN: unranked.
As stated, the Blue Jays like contact bats, and Dean West brings them an extreme profile in that regard. He has never had trouble making contact at UCLA, striking out just 70 times in 144 career games for an elite 10.3% rate. He never, ever chases a pitch out of the zone and makes tons of contact when he does swing, giving him one of the best combinations of chase and contact rates in the country. Listed at 5'9", 185 pounds, he doesn't pack much punch at the plate and focuses more on gashing line drives around the field. He did hit a career-high seven home runs in 2026, typically a product of coiling up and turning on the ball. If he doesn't explicitly try to rope one over the right field wall, he's probably not getting one out, especially as he transitions to wood bats in pro ball. His .419 on-base percentage against top pitching in the Cape Cod League was extremely impressive, as was his tiny 11.7% strikeout rate, but he only had one extra base hit in 24 games and will be hard pressed to do more in pro ball. His 102.5 MPH 90th percentile exit velocity at the MLB Draft Combine in June was encouraging, still below average but enough to keep pitchers honest and a showcase of what happens when he does turn on the ball. The Los Angeles native is an above average runner with strong instincts on the bases and has a shot to stick in center field, though he played left field in deference to Phillies fifth rounder Will Gasparino at UCLA and doesn't have the arm for right field. He's probably a high contact fourth outfielder at peak. West is old for the class, turning 22 a month after the draft.
11-342: 3B Brayden Martin, Maryland
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $197,500 ($47,500 against bonus pool).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. ESPN: #243.
If Dean West has an extreme profile, then Brayden Martin is off the charts. West ran an excellent 11.0% strikeout rate and a nice 12.3% walk rate at UCLA in 2026, but Martin took it several steps further to an elite 7.0% strikeout rate and a sky-high 19.6% walk rate. Listed at 5'10", an inch taller than West, he is another undersized bat that refuses to chase and never, ever swings and misses. In fact, he only swung and missed a handful of times throughout the entire season at Maryland, running some of the best contact rates in the entire country. It's an extremely simple left handed setup for Martin, who uses his extremely quick hands to wait way back on the ball and see it deep into the zone before making his swing decision, still consistently getting to the ball on time and gashing line drives around the field. He might have even less power than West, who can at least turn on the ball occasionally, and focuses exclusively on poking the ball through holes in the defense. Like West, he managed to show some moderate pop at the combine (102.2 MPH 90th percentile exit velocity) and managed to hit one baseball nearly 400 feet, but again, the highest-end exit velocities will probably come on line drives. He likely works his way up as a utility infielder who gets on base and hits for a high average, though the defensive package is a bit light for shortstop despite plus speed. His off-the-charts control of the strike zone give him every chance to be a sleeper in this class even without power, like if Chandler Simpson traded some speed for plate discipline.
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $197,500 ($47,500 against bonus pool).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. ESPN: #243.
If Dean West has an extreme profile, then Brayden Martin is off the charts. West ran an excellent 11.0% strikeout rate and a nice 12.3% walk rate at UCLA in 2026, but Martin took it several steps further to an elite 7.0% strikeout rate and a sky-high 19.6% walk rate. Listed at 5'10", an inch taller than West, he is another undersized bat that refuses to chase and never, ever swings and misses. In fact, he only swung and missed a handful of times throughout the entire season at Maryland, running some of the best contact rates in the entire country. It's an extremely simple left handed setup for Martin, who uses his extremely quick hands to wait way back on the ball and see it deep into the zone before making his swing decision, still consistently getting to the ball on time and gashing line drives around the field. He might have even less power than West, who can at least turn on the ball occasionally, and focuses exclusively on poking the ball through holes in the defense. Like West, he managed to show some moderate pop at the combine (102.2 MPH 90th percentile exit velocity) and managed to hit one baseball nearly 400 feet, but again, the highest-end exit velocities will probably come on line drives. He likely works his way up as a utility infielder who gets on base and hits for a high average, though the defensive package is a bit light for shortstop despite plus speed. His off-the-charts control of the strike zone give him every chance to be a sleeper in this class even without power, like if Chandler Simpson traded some speed for plate discipline.
13-402: RHP Mathis Nayral, Kansas
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. ESPN: unranked.
Baseball's early days saw numerous European major leaguers as immigrants stepped off the boat from the old country, but as immigration patterns shifted over the 20th Century we haven't had many great born-and-raised Europeans. With baseball's expansion around the globe, it seems we may be entering a second wave with talent trickling in. Mathis Nayral grew up in Montpellier in the South of France, where he only picked up baseball at age eleven. After attending Lycée Bellevue about 200 kilometers to the west in Toulouse for high school, he attended a baseball showcase in Arizona and earned an emphatic offer from local Cochise JC. There, Nayral turned himself into one of the best JuCo pitchers in the area and caught the attention of Kansas, where he added several ticks of velocity to his fastball and held down a full time weekend rotation role. The fastball now sits in the low 90's and reaches 95, while he adds a cutter, slider, and changeup to round things out. The cutter is tight in the upper 80's and looks like a quality big league pitch, while the slider probably needs a little more finish to become a true swing and miss offering. The 6'5" righty has prototypical starting pitcher size with projection remaining, though at 22 years old already most of his velocity gains will probably come from mechanical refinements than additional physical development. He doesn't through with a ton of effort and Toronto could build off of Kansas' effort to bring more and more out of his strong lower half. Nayral is a solid strike thrower who could build up to average command in time, giving him a chance to start if he can take a step forward with his breaking ball. If not, he could be a fastball/cutter type and sit closer to the mid 90's.
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. ESPN: unranked.
Baseball's early days saw numerous European major leaguers as immigrants stepped off the boat from the old country, but as immigration patterns shifted over the 20th Century we haven't had many great born-and-raised Europeans. With baseball's expansion around the globe, it seems we may be entering a second wave with talent trickling in. Mathis Nayral grew up in Montpellier in the South of France, where he only picked up baseball at age eleven. After attending Lycée Bellevue about 200 kilometers to the west in Toulouse for high school, he attended a baseball showcase in Arizona and earned an emphatic offer from local Cochise JC. There, Nayral turned himself into one of the best JuCo pitchers in the area and caught the attention of Kansas, where he added several ticks of velocity to his fastball and held down a full time weekend rotation role. The fastball now sits in the low 90's and reaches 95, while he adds a cutter, slider, and changeup to round things out. The cutter is tight in the upper 80's and looks like a quality big league pitch, while the slider probably needs a little more finish to become a true swing and miss offering. The 6'5" righty has prototypical starting pitcher size with projection remaining, though at 22 years old already most of his velocity gains will probably come from mechanical refinements than additional physical development. He doesn't through with a ton of effort and Toronto could build off of Kansas' effort to bring more and more out of his strong lower half. Nayral is a solid strike thrower who could build up to average command in time, giving him a chance to start if he can take a step forward with his breaking ball. If not, he could be a fastball/cutter type and sit closer to the mid 90's.
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