Toronto Blue Jays: Draft Targets 2.0: Pitcher’s Edition

With the 2021 MLB draft rapidly approaching, I have been looking at some potential draft targets for the Blue Jays to take with their first section at pick number 19.  This is part two of this series and in this particular piece, I’ll be doing a deep dive on five intriguing options from the pitching side of the draft, with the position players edition being released shortly.

If you missed part one of either the position players or pitcher additions before the start of the season, make sure to check them out to get all of your prospect info before the draft begins.  With that being said let’s jump in and take a look at some potential future Blue Jays.

Andrew Painter: RHP Calvary Christian (FL) – #17 on MLB Pipeline

Andrew Painter may be the most polished prep pitching prospect in this year’s class.  The Florida commit has a quality repertoire, with a fastball that sits in the mid 90’s that he can either throw as a two-seamer or a four-seamer.

He pairs this with an above-average changeup and a curveball that can get swing and misses from both left-handed and right-handed batters.  Painter also features a slider that sits in the mid 80’s and has shown flashes of being an above-average pitch but still needs some work as it can be inconsistent at times.

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Along with his excellent assortment of pitches, Painter also has above-average control for his age, receiving a 55 grade on MLB Pipelines 20/80 scale.  He’s able to locate his fastball and has the ability to throw all of his offspeed pitches for strikes, which is rare to see at the high school level.

The Florida native has a clean, effortless, and repeatable delivery where he throws from a ¾ arm slot which gives him a good arm side run on his heater.  With his arsenal, Painter also looks like a big-league starting pitcher, standing at a massive 6”7’ and weighing in at 210 pounds, “with room to add on to his frame”.

Painter has the tools and build to be an effective starter at the big league level.  He’s the 17th ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline, but I could definitely see him going earlier than this and possibly flirting with the top 10 because of how advanced of a pitcher he is for his age and how well he projects as a starter.

If he manages to make it to pick 19, Painter would be a great addition to the Blue Jays farm system.  He wouldn’t be part of the second wave of talent that’s nearing the big leagues as he is still 3-5 years away, but would still give the organization another high upside prospect that will continue to add to the depth of their farm system.