Blue Jays should draft Braden Halladay on Day Three of MLB Draft

The likelihood of him signing is probably slim, however, the Toronto Blue Jays should do the right thing and select pitcher Braden Halladay on Day Three of the MLB Draft.

Braden Halladay is committed to Penn State to continue his studies after concluding his high school career with the Calvary Christian High School in Florida. The son of former Blue Jays legend Roy Halladay concluded his senior year going 3-1 with a 4.06 earned run average while fanning 37 in 31 innings of work.

The unranked draft hopeful sported a career 2.71 earned run average while limiting opposing hitters to a .233 average and fanning 102 hitters in 100.2 high school innings of work over his four-year career.

The Blue Jays brass could do the Halladay family right by selecting the young Halladay with a late-round selection. Roy Halladay spent 12 seasons north of the border and is arguably the best pitcher to ever wear the uniform. Halladay died tragically when his plane crashed into the Gulf of Mexico in late 2017.

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The young Halladay is a groundball pitcher who relies on location over velocity, the small framed hurler tops out at 83 MPH. This past spring, Halladay suited up for Team Canada and pitched a scoreless inning versus the Jays in a spring training contest.

Halladay who was born in Toronto will always have a special bond with Canada regardless if he lives south of the border.

"“I feel like I couldn’t have had a better place to grow up,” he said. “Even though I’m not living there I still feel it’s a part of who I am.”"

It would be a storybook ending to the unfortunate tragedy if the Jays did indeed draft Braden and they somehow were able to convince him to forego pitching for Penn State and begin his professional career. Halladay Sr. was the Jays 17th overall selection in the first round of the 1995 amateur draft.

Regardless, it would be a classy gesture for the Blue Jays organization to attempt to bring Braden Halladay into the organization as one final tribute to his father.