Blue Jays select OF J.B. Woodman in second round

The Toronto Blue Jays have selected OF J.B. Woodman with their second round pick, 57th overall, in the 2016 MLB Draft

Ole Miss outfielder J.B. Woodman is the newest member of the Toronto Blue Jays, with Jesse Barfield announcing his name as the 57th overall pick. Now 21 years old, Woodman was originally a 40th-round selection of the New York Mets in 2013.

Woodman took a step forward this past season, batting .323 with 14 home runs, leading the SEC. He also worked 33 walks compared to 48 strikeouts in 232 at-bats, stealing 12 bags.

“Coming into the year I think you wondered if he was a tweener,” Jim Callis told the Sun Herald, “not really the power for the corner. He’s a solid runner but not a plus runner, so it’s a little tough,” Callis said. ” I don’t know how many pluses you give him, but you could still give him average hit, average power. He’s probably a little bit better than an average runner. I’m not sure he’s a center fielder at the Big League level, but he’ll get a chance to play center.”

Many scouting reports speak highly of his raw athleticism and credit him with a very strong throwing arm from the outfield.

The suggested slot value of this pick is $1,124,000.

Earlier in the night, the Blue Jays selected right-handed pitcher T.J. Zeuch out of the University of Pittsburgh. The 20-year-old Zeuch is 6-foot-7, 225 pounds, throwing a fastball that gets into the mid-90s with a curveball, slider, and changeup.