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Jays Journal

Toronto Blue Jays: Draft Targets 2.0: Position Players

By Callum Belshaw

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 22: Christian Franklin #25 and Brady Slavens #17 of the Arkansas Razorbacks celebrate a run against the TCU Horned Frogs in the eighth inning during the 2021 State Farm College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field on February 22, 2021 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 22: Christian Franklin #25 and Brady Slavens #17 of the Arkansas Razorbacks celebrate a run against the TCU Horned Frogs in the eighth inning during the 2021 State Farm College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field on February 22, 2021 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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Blue Jays
TORONTO, ON – APRIL 26: General manager Ross Atkins of the Toronto Blue Jays speaks to the media before introducing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 before his MLB debut later tonight against the Oakland Athletics at Rogers Centre on April 26, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /

Joshua Baez- OF Dexter Southfield (MA), #26 On MLB Pipeline

“There may not be a player in this year’s draft class with more raw pop than Joshua Baez ”.  The Massachusetts native has incredible raw power, which grades out at 60 according to MLB Pipeline.

Baez has a big frame, standing at 6’4” and weighing in at 220 lb, and combines this plus size with elite bat speed to generate a ton of power.  Despite being a bit of an oversized outfielder, Baez is considered to have slightly above average speed, and some scouts think that there is a shot that he can stick in centre field once he turns pro because of this.  If he is unable to, Baez profiles well as a power corner outfielder thanks to his bat and unbelievable arm strength.

While the power that Baez possesses is hard to find, it does come with its flaws.  The young outfielder has plenty of swing and miss in his game, as he tries to “hit the ball 600 feet” every cut he takes.

This all or nothing approach causes Baez to get long in his swing, leaving him vulnerable to high fastball and off-speed pitches out of the zone.  Baez is one of the younger players in this draft class, not turning 18 until late June so there is still plenty of time for him to refine his swing in the minors so he can fully tap into his power potential.

The Massachusetts native is committed to Vanderbilt University, which is a power house program that pumps out high draft picks, so he could potentially be a tough sign and may require an over slot bonus if a team is going to turn him away from college.

Teams are going to love Baez’s raw power, which, barring any contract issues, is why he’s going to be a first round pick.  The swing and miss is concerning, but if the Jays feel that with time he will learn to trust his natural strength and stop trying to crush everything then he has the potential to turn into one of the steals in this draft class.

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