With the eighth overal pick, the Blue Jays could select… Ike Irish

It’s been a long time since the Toronto Blue Jays had a high-ranked catcher in their farm system.

In 2023 and 2024, the Blue Jays picked 20th overall. In the upcoming draft, the Jays landed the 8th overall pick, a spot they’ve only picked once in franchise history. Regardless of who the Jays select, their farm system is going to get a significant boost.

The last time the Jays picked a collegiate position player was in the last draft that they had a top 10 pick, as they selected Austin Martin fifth overall in the 2020 draft. Could they pick another collegiate bat?

In this article, we’ll look at Ike Irish, a collegiate catcher whose stock is rapidly rising. In the last draft profile, we looked at Gage Wood.

Ike Irish’s bio

Irish is a left-handed batting catcher who was born in Michigan and played collegiate ball for Auburn University. He stands at 6’2”, 210 lbs and was projected to go to the Blue Jays in Kiley McDaniel’s most recent mock draft for ESPN.

The Blue Jays have picked a ton of players from the state of Alabama, 38 to be exact. Seven of those players have come from Auburn University, with their most recent selection being catcher Brett Wright in the 26th round of the 2018 draft.

Wright wasn’t the only catcher the Jays selected out of Auburn, as they selected Josh Bell in the sixth round of the 2005 draft. Another notable player they selected from Auburn is Josh Palacios, who played briefly with the big league team in 2021.

The Jays have used one first-round pick on an Auburn product, drafting Gabe Gross 15th overall in the 2001 draft. In 2000, they selected Dominic Rich in the second round. Their most notable player chosen from the state of Alabama was Adam Lind in 2004.

Ike Irish’s stats

Irish began his collegiate career in 2023, slashing .361/.429/.546 with six home runs in 273 plate appearances for a 118 wRC+. In his sophomore season, the catcher slashed .319/.403/.627 with 14 home runs in 217 plate appearances for a 120 wRC+.

He’s put everything together in his final collegiate season, as Irish slashed .364/.469/.710 with 19 home runs in 258 plate appearances. Paired with a 12.8 BB% and a 14.3 K%, Irish finished the season with a 152 wRC+.

Irish played 12 games in right field last season, a trend that has only increased in 2025. Of the 55 games Irish appeared in this season, he only played 12 games behind home plate, with 41 of his games coming in right field and four in left field. It’s believed he may move away from catching completely.

Ike Irish’s tools

Irish ranks as MLB Pipeline’s 21st-best prospect in their most recent update. His bio notes that a move to the outfield could be better for his career, but he spent most of his season in right field due to a broken scapula, ouch.

He has average pop in his bat and could hit 20 home runs in the future. There’s some chase in his game, but he is a good contact hitter who will benefit from being more patient at the plate. Behind the plate, he’s average defensively with good arm strength.

A lot of Irish’s value comes from his bat, given that he’s a good hitter with solid pop. That said, some of his value depends on whether or not he plays catcher once he becomes a professional.

Ike Irish’s grades

Here are Irish’s grades according to his MLB Pipeline bio.

Will the Blue Jays select Ike Irish?

Even if Irish moves off catcher, there’s still value in his bat, given he has solid power and is decent enough in the outfield. If he remains behind the backstop, the Blue Jays would instantly have a top catching prospect in the farm system, something they haven’t had since they traded Gabriel Moreno for Daulton Varsho.

This draft looks filled with collegiate players, and getting a polished bat certainly isn’t a bad idea for the Blue Jays.