15 biggest draft busts in Blue Jays history

The Toronto Blue Jays have had plenty of draft wins throughout their history. However, they've also seemingly had just as many misses.

A lot of those misses have come recently, as the Blue Jays have missed on a fair amount of their draft picks over the past 10 years.

With that in mind, here's a look at 15 of the biggest draft busts in Blue Jays history.

15 biggest draft busts in Blue Jays history

15. C Max Pentecost: Drafted first round (No. 11 pick) in 2014, never played in MLB

Pentecost is perhaps the classic example of the Blue Jays swinging and missing on a first round draft pick.

Pentecost spent four seasons in the minors and made it to Double-A in 2018 and had a career average of .280 in 260 minor league games, but had to retire in 2019 due to shoulder problems.

14. SS Jordan Groshans: Drafted first round (No. 12 pick) in 2018,-0.1 career bWAR

Groshans generated a lot of hype as a first round draft pick in 2018, but his time in Toronto's system was a forgettable one. The Blue Jays gave Groshans a $3.4 million signing bonus when they drafted him, but he never played in an MLB game for the Blue Jays.

The Jays traded him to the Marlins at the trade deadline in 2022 in exchange for Zach Pop and Anthony Bass, and he ended up making his MLB debut for Miami later that year.

It marks the only MLB action of his career. He's since bounced around the minors with the Yankees, Athletics and Royals.

13. RHP Jon Harris: Drafted in first round (No. 29 pick) in 2015, never played in MLB

The Blue Jays picked Harris in the hopes that he'd be the future ace of their rotation.

That didn't end up being the case.

The Missouri State product struggled with consistency and injuries throughout his career and failed to find any success at Triple-A. Harris retired in 2021 before playing in MLB.

12. RHP T.J. Zeuch: Drafted in first round (No. 21 pick) in 2016, -0.6 career bWAR

Zeuch made his MLB debut just three years after the Blue Jays drafted him, but his tenure with the team ended up being forgettable.

He compiled a 4.59 ERA in 49 innings with Toronto before the team traded him to St. Louis for cash considerations in 2021.

His only other MLB action came in the form of three appearances with the Reds in 2022.

10. RHP Deck McGuire: Drafted in first round (No. 11 pick) in 2010, -0.2 career bWAR

The Blue Jays picked McGuire with the first round pick in 2010, which ended up being a net loss for them.

McGuire had a circuitous route to making his Blue Jays debut, as the Athletics purchased his contract in 2014 after Toronto designated him for assignment.

He then signed with the Cardinals and Dodgers (but never made it to MLB) before making his MLB debut with the Reds in 2017.

He signed a free agent contract with the Blue Jays a year later and allowed six earned runs in 8 1/3 innings before being designated for assignment.

McGuire's forgettable MLB career looks even worse when you consider the White Sox selected Chris Sale went two picks after McGuire.

9. LHP Daniel Norris: Drafted in second round (No. 74 pick) in 2011, 5.0 career bWar

Whiel Norris had an okay MLB career, his status on this list is because of the pedigree he held as a prospect.

Most publications had Norris as the Blue Jays' top prospect in 2014, and it looked like he had the makings of a future ace.

He only ended up pitching in 30 innings with Toronto across 2015 and '16 before being traded to Detroit with Matthew Boyd and Jairo Labourt in exchange for David Price.

He had a 4.52 in 489 1/3 innings with Detroit before entering the baseball wilderness. He finished his career with the Cleveland Guardians in 2023.

8. RHP Chad Jenkins: Drafted in first round (No. 20 pick) in 2009, 1.6 career bWAR

The Blue Jays drafted Jenkins out of Kennesaw State in the first round of the 2009 MLB Draft in the hopes he'd develop into a solid MLB arm.

He made his MLB debut with the Blue Jays in 2013, which kicked off a three year span where he was shuffled between Triple-A and MLB. He had a 2.63 ERA in 65 innings between 2014 and '15, but he was released by the Blue Jays after tossing just 3 2/3 MLB innings in 2016.

The Blue Jays optioned him and he spent time jumping between the majors. The final buzzer was the Blue Jays designating him for assignment (DFA), which was followed by his release by the Blue Jays.

7. RHP Gunnar Hoglund: Drafted in first round (No. 19 pick) in 2021, 0.4 career bWAR

Stop us if you've heard this before: the Blue Jays failed to capitalize on selecting a pitcher in the first round of the MLB Draft.

Hoglund was projected to be a top-10 pick ahead of the 2021 draft but he underwent Tommy John surgery before the draft, which is how he fell to the Jays at the No. 19 pick.

The Jays then ended up trading him to Oakland in exchange for Matt Chapman, who spent two seasons in Toronto before going to the Giants.

He made his MLB debut earlier this year for the Athletics.

6. SS Garry Harris: Drafted in first round (No. 2 pick) in 1980, never played in MLB

Not only is Harris one of four No. 2 picks from the 20th Century to never make it to MLB, he's also one of two No. 2 picks to have never made it to Triple-A.

He hit .272 in rookie ball in 1980, but struggled once he got to Single-A and Double-A.

5. INF Augie Schmidt: Drafted in first round (No. 2 pick) in 1982, never played in MLB

Another No. 2 pick to have never made it MLB, Schmidt was another misfire for Blue Jays general manger Pat Gillick. He was drafted by the Reds out of high school but instead elected to attend the attended the University of New Orleans.

He put together a great college career that peaked with him winning the Golden Spikes Award in 1982.

That strong résumé led to the Blue Jays drafting him with the No. 2 pick in the 1982 MLB Draft.

While he advanced to Triple-A in 1984, he wasn't doing much in the batter's box. The Blue Jays ended up trading Schmidt to the Giants, where he played in Double-A and Triple-A. He played one season in the Twins minor league system before retiring.

4. RHP Dustin McGowan: Drafted first round (No. 33 pick) in 2000, 1.6 career bWAR

McGowan had quite a career with the Blue Jays.

He was selected in the first round of the 2000 MLB Draft out of Long County High School. He spent the next four years gaining some pedigree as a prospect before he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2004.

Even with that he still entered 2005 as the Blue Jays' No. 1 prospect per Baseball America, and he ended up making his MLB debut later that season.

That kicked off a wild ride of an MLB career. While he had a 4.71 ERA in 353 2/3 innings from 2005 to '08, he also carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning in a start against the Rockies in 2007, which showed his potential.

He ended up missing all of the 2009 and 2010 seasons due to injuries, and missed all of 2012 after throwing just 25 2/3 innings in 2011.

He saw MLB action in 2013 and '14 with the Blue Jays, and signed a one-year deal with the Dodgers in 2015.

McGowan ended up throwing 482 1/3 innings with the Blue Jays, but injuries sapped him of what he could have been. His career is one of the biggest "what ifs" in Blue Jays history.

3. OF Travis Snider: Drafted first round (No. 14 pick) in 2006, 4.4 career bWAR

Snider was one of the biggest prospects in all of baseball at the end of the 2000s, so much so that he was nicknamed "The Franchise" by one MLB writer.

The nickname was a bit fitting, as Snider had a meteoric rise through the Blue Jays farm system and ended up making his Blue Jays debut at Yankee Stadium in 2008. The 20-year-old Snider became the youngest position player in MLB, and he doubled off Carl Pavano in his debut.

Snider ended up playing parts of five seasons with the Blue Jays, but never ended up becoming the kind of player the Blue Jays expected him to be.

He went on to play parts of four seasons with the Pirates before playing one season with Baltimore.

2. INF Russ Adams: Drafted in first round (No. 14 pick) in 2002, 0.0 career bWAR

The 2002 MLB Draft is one of the most unique drafts in MLB history. Not only was it the draft where the "Moneyball" A's got their start, but it's also known for the Pirates selecting draft bust Bryan Bullington with the No. 1 pick.

The Blue Jays first round pick that year wasn't much better, as they took Adams. While Adams made his debut for the Blue Jays in 2004 and hit .302 in 22 games, he hit .256 the next year with an eye-popping 26 errors.

He fell out of the infield rotation after that season and only played in 125 games with the Blue Jays across the 2006, '07 and '09 season before being designated for assignment.

1. RHP Nate Pearson: Drafted in first round (No. 28 pick), in 2017, -0.6 career bWAR

Pearson was another Blue Jays pitching prospect who had a disappointing tenure with the Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays took Pearson in the first round of the 2017 MLB Draft and signed for a $2.45 million bonus. Pearson shot through the minor leagues before his prospect status reached an apex in 2020 and '21 when MLB Pipeline had him as the Blue Jays' No. 1 prospect.

That top prospect status didn't amount to much success in MLB, however, as he had a 5.18 ERA in 33 innings with the Blue Jays in 2020 and '21.

He missed all of the 2022 season due to injuries, and had a 4.85 ERA when he returned to MLB in 2023.

That lack of success led to him being expendable, which is why he was traded to the Cubs at the 2024 trade deadline in exchange for Josh Rivera and Yohendrick Pinango.

Pearson got off to a good start for the Cubs in 2024, but posted a 10.38 ERA in 8 2/3 innings in 2025 before being demoted to Triple-A.

While Pearson still has a chance to turn things around in his MLB career, it's clear that he didn't live up to his top prospect billing with the Blue Jays.