Blue Jays select Danny Thompson Jr. 232nd overall

For the second consecutive pick, the Toronto Blue Jays have selected a reliever.

With the 232nd overall pick, the Blue Jays have selected right-handed reliever Danny Thompson Jr. from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

The 22-year-old is a five-year collegiate senior, spending his first three college seasons with North Carolina Wesleyan College before playing the past two seasons at Greensboro. In his rookie season, he had a 3.43 ERA in 42 innings pitched and was named the Rookie of the Year for the conference.

In 2022, Thompson Jr. had a 3.97 ERA in 68 innings pitched, starting 10 of the 14 games he appeared in. His final season with North Carolina Wesleyan College saw the right-handed pitcher post a 5.23 ERA in 51.2 innings pitched, starting seven of the 15 games he appeared in.

He transferred to Greensboro to begin the 2024 season, posting a 4.50 ERA and 3.20 FIP in 38 innings pitched, picking up four saves and posting a 30.4 K% and 10.7 BB%. In his fifth collegiate season, Thompson had a 33 K% and 9.1 BB% in 61.2 innings pitched, finishing with four saves for the second consecutive season.

According to the broadcast, Thompson Jr. is up to 95 mph with the fastball and features an average slider. The slot value for the 232nd overall pick is $238,600, meaning that there’s a high likelihood that, like Dylan Watts, this is a money-saving pick so the Jays can go overslot on Tim Piasentin or another player later in the draft. 

Relievers can come out of nowhere, so hopefully the 22-year-old develops nicely once he signs with the Blue Jays.