Blue Jays 2025 MLB Draft: Early season predictions for the eighth overall pick

While his bat isn’t as impressive as his arm, he can launch the ball a long way once he gets a hold of a pitch while manning first base with ease on the defensive side of the ball. He was a late commit to Tennesse this winter, so there is a chance that MLB Pipeline’s #9 ranked draft prospect chooses the college route over turning pro. The Jays last used a first-round pick on a high school talent in 2023 when they selected Arjun Nimmala at #20.

Luke Stevenson, C
North Carolina

Last year, North Carolina had six players hear their name called in the draft, led by Vance Honeycutt at #22. This year, the Tar Heels have the potential to break into the top 10 with Luke Stevenson, one of the top catchers of this year’s class.

An eligible college sophomore, Stevenson was the program’s starting catcher right from the get-go last year as a freshman and produced a .284/.420/.535 slash line with 14 home runs and 58 RBIs to the tune of a .955 OPS. So far this season, he owns a .266/.458/.556 line with 10 home runs and 30 RBIs with still over half a season to go. He has almost eclipsed his doubles total from last year (six versus eight) and has 43 walks already this year, five off from last season’s tally, while striking out just 34 times in 2025. He also has zero errors behind the plate this season, and scouts are impressed with his plus arm and blocking ability.

Named a Freshman All-America First Team by D1Baseball and Perfect Game, Stevenson was also named to the All-ACC Freshman Team last year and finished the summer playing for the Team USA Collegiate National Team, suiting up in three games and collecting two hits and one RBI.

The last time the Blue Jays used a first-round pick on a North Carolina player was in 2017, with the club selecting infielder Logan Warmoth at #22, but they also used their #14 pick in 2002 on Russ Adams, who spent parts of five seasons with Toronto.

Xavier Neyens, 3B
Mount Vernon (Washington)

If the MLB Pipeline rankings shaped up to be the exact for the MLB Draft, then the Jays would be selecting prep star Xavier Neyens out of Mount Vernon with their first pick.

Like Schoolcraft, Neyens was impressive at the Area Code Games, and he had a busy summer playing in different tournaments across the United States. The 6-f00t-4 Washington product has long been lauded for his batting ability, with scouts believing he has the makings of a top hitter from the left side of the plate. His approach and eye are strong, and he added some power this past year to give him an extra edge over his counterparts, making him more of a threat at the plate. Scouts believe he can handle the hot corner over time with his plus arm and athleticism, but he’s also been taking reps this year at shortstop as well.

Neyens earned Washington State Gatorade Player of the Year and Northwest Conference Player of the Year honours last year, posting a .433 average with 10 doubles, three home runs, and 24 RBIs while walking 33 times for the Bulldogs.

Some are a bit concerned with the swing-and-miss in his game, which could be a result of such a heavy workload this past year, but the raw power and ability in the batter’s box are turning heads and seeing his draft prospects skyrocket to start the year. Any interested team will need to sway him from a commitment to Oregon State.