This is the live 2024 draft tracker for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Day two of the 2024 MLB draft is underway, and Monday and Tuesday go along, this article will be updated with every selection the team makes.
Let’s dig into the live tracker.
Trey Yesavage picked 20th overall
With their first-round pick, the Blue Jays selected one of the most MLB-ready draft prospects in this season’s draft, Trey Yesavage. He’s got #3 starter written all over him, with a mid-90s fastball with a ton of carry. However, his slider is his best pitch, with a plus splitter and a good curveball.
This was the first time the Blue Jays selected a college pitcher since 2021. There were a ton of bats available, but Yesavage was the best available at the time.
Khal Stephen selected 59th overall
Also on day one, the Blue Jays selected another college pitcher, Khal Stephen. Like Yesavage, the fastball has a ton of carry and sits 92-94 mph while touching 96 mph. However, his best pitch is the changeup that has a ton of fade, while his slider and curveball are both graded as average.
The command is good, and he has a floor of a back-end of the rotation starter. Not too bad.
Johnny King IV selected 95th overall
It was a bit of a surprise when the Blue Jays selected another pitcher with their third-round pick. This was their first prep selection (and is still their only prep selection), and Johnny King is a tall, young, left-handed pitcher. The Jays certainly have a type, having selected Ricky Tiedemann in the third-round of the 2021 draft, as well as Brandon Barriera with their first-round pick in 2022.
As for his stuff, the fastball sits low-90s but reaches 94-95 mph often. As he tacks on more muscle, it’s expected his velocity will increase. The slider is also above-average, while he features a curveball and a changeup.
Sean Keys selected 125th overall
The first bat drafted by the Blue Jays in the 2024 draft, Sean Keys’ best tool is his hit tool, which MLB Pipeline ranked at a 55 grade. The power is there, as he hit 13 home runs in each of the last two seasons at Bucknell University. However, some scouts believe that the power won’t transfer to professional ball.
Moreover, it’s believed that Keys will move off third base, either to first or left field. However, he’s hit his fair share of home runs with wood bats, 20 to be exact, and he plays in cold weather. There may be something here.
Nick Mitchell selected 136th overall
Sticking with bats, the Blue Jays essentially traded Gunnar Hoglund, Kirby Snead, Zach Logue, and Kevin Smith for two seasons of Matt Chapman and a compensation pick. With that pick, the Blue Jays selected Nick Mitchell.
The outfielder can play all three outfield positions and has good bat speed, but is known for his plus plus speed which hasn’t quite translated on the base paths just yet. He gets on base a ton, and the Jays certainly need an improvement for outfielders in the farm system.
Jackson Wentworth selected 164th overall
The Blue Jays decided to draft another college pitcher with their fifth-round pick, selecting Jackson Wentworth from Kansas State Baseball. He may be one of the last Top 250 prospects the Jays select.
Wentworth’s fastball is fine, sitting 92-94 mph and touching 96 mph. However, both his changeup and slider are plus pitches, as they get a ton of swings and misses. The 21-year-old also features a cutter.
Aaron Parker selected 187th overall
The final draft selection who got his own article, the Blue Jays selected their first catcher of the draft with their sixth-round pick, selecting Aaron Parker. Over the past two seasons, Parker hit 22 home runs in 443 plate appearances for the University of California at Santa Barbara.
As you get further along in the draft, it becomes increasingly more difficult to find scouting reports. However, Parker is a solid defender with good bat speed. We’ll see if he can become a top Blue Jays prospect in the future.
Austin Cates selected 217th overall
This draft is evidently becoming a pitchers draft, which is never a bad thing because teams always need pitchers. With their seventh-round selection, the Blue Jays picked Austin Cates from the University of Las Vegas.
He pitched as a starter for his college team, posting a 4.08 ERA in 90.1 innings pitched, along with a 27.9 K% and a 3.9 BB%. He features a fastball that sits around 90 mph, but has one of the best splitters in the draft according to Joe Doyle.
We’ll see if he can continue to command his pitches well once turning pro, but this is another pitcher who could become a back-end of the rotation guy.
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