Blue Jays: Looking back at the top draft picks under Alex Anthopoulos

Prior to Ross Atkins and Mark Shapiro joining the Blue Jays organization, Alex Anthopoulos was at the helm from the end of 2009 to just after the 2015 season.

During his tenure, A.A. increased the Blue Jays scouting department as well as made some pretty substantial trades, one involving the Miami Marlins back in 2012, acquiring R.A. Dickey from the Mets, and trading for Troy Tulowitzki from the Colorado Rockies. While he also made some memorable trades during his tenure, Anthopoulos sold quite a bit of the farm system to go in for a playoff run in 2015 but would eventually fall short in the ALCS, leaving the team for the Los Angeles Dodgers just a month later.

During that time, the Blue Jays were able to add some pretty influential players in the first round and beyond but also came up empty-handed with some of their higher picks in the amateur draft.

Here’s where the top overall picks under A.A. fared and where they are now.

2010 – Deck McGuire
11th overall

Drafted out of the Georgia Institute of Technology, right-hander Deck McGuire has the honour of being Alex Anthopoulos’s first selection as general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Virginia native would spend parts of four seasons in the Jays minor league system, making it all the way to AAA. His best season would come in 2011, as he would pitch to a 3.02 ERA in both A and AA ball. After that season, McGuire would struggle with command and keeping runs off the board, failing to pitch below a 4.50 the next three seasons.

In 2014, McGuire would be traded to the Oakland Athletics for cash considerations and would be designated for assignment later that season. After bouncing around with various teams, the righty would make his major league debut with the Cincinnati Reds in 2017. For his big league career, he owns a 5.23 ERA with 27 appearances, throwing 28 walks and 44 strikeouts through 51.2 innings pitched with the Reds, Blue Jays (coming full circle), and the Los Angeles Angels.

In 2019, McGuire would take his talents overseas with the Samsung Lions in the Korean Baseball Organization, returning to the United States in 2020 with the Tampa Bay Rays but was cut from the club before the season began. He is currently with the Rakuten Monkeys in the Chinese Professional Baseball league.

2011 – Tyler Beede

21st overall

A high school student at the time, A.A. decided to use the first pick of the draft on Tyler Beede, a right-hander out of Lawerence Academy in Groton, Massachusetts.

The pick was risky given he was committed to Vanderbilt University at the time of being drafted, but Anthopoulos decided to pull the trigger on Beede and came away without a top prospect. The pitcher would not sign with the Blue Jays and would eventually be drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 2014 at 14th overall.

He would make his major league debut in 2018 and has bounced between AAA and the big leagues over that time. Through 26 appearances (24 starts), Beede sports a 5.27 ERA with 54 walks, 122 strikeouts, and a 1.524 WHIP over 124.2 innings pitched.

The Massachusetts native is currently on the 60-day IL after undergoing Tommy John surgery in early 2020 and has been sidelined since. He is currently slated to return to throwing towards the end of this season.

2014 – Jeff Hoffman

9th overall

The highest overall selection that Anthopoulos had as general manager of the Blue Jays at ninth overall, he decided to select East Carolina University pitcher Jeff Hoffman, breaking the trend of selecting high school players with the top pick.

Hoffman underwent Tommy John surgery just prior to being drafted, with the right-hander not making his professional debut until 2015. His tenure with the Blue Jays would be limited to 13 games before he was traded to the Colorado Rockies as part of the package for shortstop Troy Tulowitzki.

He would make his major league debut in 2016 and has bounced between AAA and the show in almost every season since. As a major leaguer, Hoffman sports a 6.13 ERA through 78 games (48 starts) with 134 walks, 236 strikeouts, and a 1.616 WHIP through 271.2 innings pitched. This past off-season, Hoffman was traded to the Cincinnati Reds and has pitched to a 4.61 ERA through 41.0 innings and ten starts this year. He is currently on the injured list with a sore right shoulder.

2015 – Jon Harris

29th overall

The last draft selection under Anthopoulos before his departure, the Blue Jays decided to use their 29th overall pick on Jon Harris out of Missouri State University.

A right-handed pitcher by trade, Harris has spent the past six seasons in the Blue Jays farm system and currently owns a 4.56 ERA through 489.2 innings with 144 walks, 384 strikeouts, and 1.383 WHIP.

He made it to AAA back in 2018 but currently finds himself back in AA with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, where he is currently throwing to a 1.72 ERA through 10 appearances with 13 strikeouts in the bullpen.