Blue Jays select Austin Smith 292nd overall

The Toronto Blue Jays have selected their second outfielder of the 2025 MLB Draft.

With the 292nd overall pick, the Toronto Blue Jays have selected Austin Smith, an outfielder from the University of San Diego.

Standing at 5’11”, 185 lbs, the left-handed batting outfielder is 22 years old and was a college senior in 2025. He began his career with the University of California, San Diego, before transferring to the University of San Diego for his final three collegiate seasons.

In his freshman season, he slashed .261/.367/.381 with four home runs in 211 plate appearances. The 2023 season saw him transfer to the University of San Diego, where he slashed .279/.404/.372 with three home runs in 215 plate appearances. In 2024, Smith slashed .314/.429/.471 with seven home runs in 257 plate appearances for a 133 wRC+. He also had a higher BB% (12.1%) than K% (10.1%), the second consecutive season.

Last season, he slashed .353/.412/.528 with six home runs in 250 plate appearances for a 134 wRC+. While he only walked 6.4% of the time, Smith rarely struck out, finishing the year with a 6.8 K%.

Throughout his collegiate career, Smith was a two-way player, but he will focus on hitting as a professional. According to the broadcast, he has good arm strength (sat in the low-90s with the fastball as a pitcher) and profiles as a corner outfielder. Smith is a good contact hitter who has a solid feel for barrelling balls and could grow into a bit more power when he turns professional.

The slot value for the 292nd overall pick is $193,500. It seems probable that Smith will come in somewhere around slot value as the bat is solid.