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Toronto Blue Jays: Top 5 unsigned draft picks since 2010

By Cam Black-Araujo

SECAUCUS, NJ - JUNE 5: Commissioner Allan H. Bud Selig at the podium during the MLB First-Year Player Draft at the MLB Network Studio on June 5, 2014 in Secacucus, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
SECAUCUS, NJ - JUNE 5: Commissioner Allan H. Bud Selig at the podium during the MLB First-Year Player Draft at the MLB Network Studio on June 5, 2014 in Secacucus, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
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BOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 05: Chad Green #57 of the New York Yankees delivers a pitch in the third inning against the Boston Red Sox in Game One of the American League Division Series at Fenway Park on October 5, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 05: Chad Green #57 of the New York Yankees delivers a pitch in the third inning against the Boston Red Sox in Game One of the American League Division Series at Fenway Park on October 5, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images) /

Chad Green, 25 years old

Drafted by Blue Jays: 2010 37th-round selection (1116 overall)

Second Draft (as Junior): 2013 11th-round selection (336 overall) by the Tigers

Chad Green was drafted the same year as Bryant, and if they didn’t have money to lure the 18th rounder from USD, they surely didn’t have money to convince Green, the 37th-rounder, to forego one of the better programs in America, the University of Louisville.

For a team that has struggled to find an identity from its bullpen over the years, they missed a gem in Green and to make matters worse, the Jays are reminded of that every time they play their long-time division rival, New York Yankees. In 93 at-bats against Green throughout his career, the Blue Jays are 14-for-93 (.151) with 37 strikeouts and 0 walks.

After the Blue Jays failed to sign Green, he went on to have a solid three years with the Louisville Cardinals, earning a spot in the 2013 College World Series (CWS) and departed the school holding the record for lowest career ERA.

Despite his track record at Louisville, he didn’t garner a ton of attention at the draft in 2013 and was snatched up by the Tigers in 11th-round. Before even pitching a big league inning in Detroit, he was sent to the Yankees in December 2015 with another player in exchange for Justin Wilson, who didn’t even last two full seasons in Detroit.

He made his debut with the Yankees in 2016 and really took off once he was moved to the bullpen full-time in 2017. He has since become one of the most reliable relievers in baseball, despite not getting much credit as he’s seemingly behind Aroldis Chapman, Dellin Betances and newly acquired Zach Britton in the bullpen.

Since joining the bullpen in 2017, his ERA of 2.18 is second best in the majors, just a point behind the leader, and his strikeout-to-walk ratio of 6.16 is the fourth best in the majors behind only Kenley Jansen, Chris Sale and Corey Kluber (both stats with a minimum 140 innings pitched).

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