Blue Jays: Update on the first ten draft selections from 2019

Now that Alek Manoah made his pro debut, all of the Blue Jays’ first 10 draft selections have made an appearance. How are they doing so far?

With Alek Manoah’s one inning debut over the weekend with single-A Vancouver, every player drafted into the organization in the first ten rounds has now made an appearance somewhere in the system.

The two pitchers included on this list have only tossed an inning each, but the positional players will provide more of a sample size as we take a dive into the beginning of ten pro careers that we’ll be watching closely over the next few years.

RHP Alek Manoah, 1st-round (11th overall): Alek Manoah’s highly anticipated debut came on Saturday when he allowed one hit and struck out two in the one inning start. From the looks of it, Manoah was sharp and had his usual stuff in his first appearance. The 22-year-old also jumped into the Jays top 30 prospects, slotting in at No. 4 and second among pitchers.

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RHP Kendall Williams, 2nd-round (52nd overall): Like Manoah, Kendall Williams has also only worked one inning, allowing one run on one hit and one walk while striking out one for the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays. The 6-foot-6 right-hander comes from the high school circuit and will be more of a long-term project compared to Manoah. Williams is the 11th ranked prospect in the organization.

OF Dasan Brown, 3rd-round (88th overall): Dasan Brown made his debut on July 27th with rookie league Bluefield and is already showing the ability to spray the ball and use his speed to gain an extra-base. Brown is 2-for-6 with a double and a triple through two games and he sits 18th among Blue Jays prospects.

OF Will Robertson, 4th-round (117th overall): Will Robertson has already played 34 games with Vancouver and the numbers are so-so, although he’s not being overpowered by pro pitching. The 21-year-old outfielder is slashing .238/.338/.365 with three home runs and seven doubles. Robertson is the 19th ranked prospect in the organization.

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SS Tanner Morris, 5th-round (147th overall): Tanner Morris has appeared in 34 games with Vancouver and 16 have come at short, and 14 at second base. The University of Virginia product is slashing .238/.377/.354 with two home runs and 12 doubles. He’s been able to see pitches, walking 26 times to go along with 31 strikeouts and Morris is now the 25th-ranked Blue Jays prospect.

SS Cameron Eden, 6th-round (177th overall): Cameron Eden has struggled at times to make contact through 31 games in Vancouver, striking 35 times with just 13 walks. The 21-year-old has five extra-base hits, none of which are home runs, to go along with a .248 batting average. Eden has also stolen four bases and been caught twice.

2B LJ Talley, 7th-round (207th overall): The transition to pro ball been tough early on for LJ Talley with low-A Lansing. After four years at the University of Georgia, Talley is slashing .153/.250/.212 with two doubles, a home run and 18 strikeouts over 25 games.

3B Angel Camacho, 8th-round (237th overall): Angel Camacho is another prospect who’s been mediocre to begin his pro career. He’s struck out 29 times with nine walks through 26 games with Bluefield, and his slash line of .265/.339/.392 is a respectable one to go along with three home runs and four doubles.

C Philip Clarke, 9th-round (267th overall): Considered by many scouts a top five round talent, questions about his signability dropped him to the Jays in the 9th-round. The Vanderbilt catcher has rewarded the organization through 15 games in Vancouver as he’s slashing .276/.391/.414 with two doubles, two home runs and nine walks to just ten strikeouts. Despite where he went in the draft, Clarke could establish himself over the next year as the most valuable positional prospect for the Blue Jays from this draft.

SS Glenn Santiago, 10th-round (297th overall): 18-year-old Glenn Santiago hasn’t looked out of place through 24 games in the Dominican Summer League. His 21 runs scored is a positive and so is his ability to make his speed impact a game. Santiago has stolen eight bases to go along with three triples and seven doubles as well as a .364 on-base percentage.