Blue Jays: The 2021 draft class and where they will start the season

Out of the 20 rounds of the 2021 MLB Draft, the Toronto Blue Jays had 19 picks to use after losing their second-round selection as compensation for signing free-agent George Springer.

With those picks, the Jays’ front office was able to sign 17 of those players while high schoolers Micah Bucknam and Luke Holman both decided to attend post-secondary instead given their late-round selections. This draft was focused mostly on restocking the pitching cupboard, as the front office used 12 picks on pitchers and their first five selections on four college-level hurlers and one prep pitcher in Irv Carter.

The only player from the 2021 draft class no longer with the Jays is first-round selection Gunnar Hoglund, as the top prospect was traded to the Oakland Athletics earlier this spring as part of the Matt Chapman trade package. He is still recovering from Tommy John surgery and won’t likely be ready to go until later in the season, but the A’s have assigned him to the Stockton Ports in Single-A.

Let’s take a look at where the rest of the 2021 draft class will begin their upcoming season.

Not Assigned as of Yet

Four players have not been assigned to an affiliate team to begin the year: RHP Irv Carter, OF Jaden Rudd, LHP Cooper Benson, and C Juan Gonzalez.

Benson is still currently recovering from Tommy John surgery and Rudd and Gonzalez are likely slated to begin the season in the Florida Complex League, which currently does not have a listed schedule for the 2022 campaign.

Carter is the standout from this list, as the 19-year-old is the organization’s #10 ranked prospect heading into the 2022 season. He reportedly dealt with some chest discomfort this spring and is now healthy but behind in terms of being ready for the season.

Low-A Dunedin Blue Jays

Ricky Tiedemann – LHP

The Blue Jays second pick of the draft via the third round, left-hander Ricky Tiedemann was not selected during the shortened 2020 MLB Draft and eventually settled in at Golden West College for the 2021 season. Through seven starts, Tiedemann struck out 60 batters through 38.1 innings, finishing the year with a 2-1 record and a 3.55 ERA.

Tiedemann wouldn’t pitch with an affiliate program after being drafted but instead went to the Blue Jays development complex and has impressed early this spring under the guise of the Blue Jays staff. He added a few MPH to his fastball and added some muscle in the offseason and now finds himself as the organization’s top-ranked prospect pitcher at #6 overall.

Conor Larkin – RHP

A senior with Penn State, right-hander Conor Larkin authored a 4.26 ERA through 50 games (23 starts) with the Nittany Lions before being drafted in the ninth round by the Blue Jays. After starting 12 games last season and posting a career-high 63.2 outings, Larkin did not report to an affiliate team after being drafted.

Connor Cooke – RHP

After three years with the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, right-hander Connor Cooke posted a 2.03 ERA through 18 appearances and was drafted in the 10th round by the Jays. Cooke got into some games in Minor Leagues last season, five total outings of relief work split between Rookie Ball and Low-A where he gave up four hits and one home run through 5.0 innings with eight strikeouts.

Trenton Wallace – LHP

Drafted in the 11th round, University of Iowa alum Trenton Wallace finished out the season in Low-A with Dunedin, appearing in five games and allowing four earned runs through 8.1 innings of relief work.

While he is currently assigned to Dunedin, he is currently not listed on the roster at this time. He could potentially be starting the year in Rookie League ball so it is a bit of a wait-and-see at this point for Wallace.

Matt Svanson – RHP

Drafted in the 13th round out of Lehigh University, senior Matt Svanson amassed a 4.49 ERA with 113 strikeouts through 146.1 innings of work throughout his four years. Earning a spot in the rotation in his sophomore campaign, the right-hander’s best season came during his draft year, where Svanson made 12 starts and authored a 2.30 ERA through career-high 70.1 innings.

After the draft, the Jays decided to give the Illinois product some reps in Dunedin out of the bullpen, where he appeared in 11 games and racked up five saves while surrendering only four earned runs through 15.2 innings.

Damiano Palmegiani – 3B

A product of the Vauxhall Jets Academy and hailing from Burnaby, British Columbia, infielder Damiano Palmegiani boosted his draft stock with a solid season at the College of Southern Nevada last year. Palmegiani smashed 26 home runs and led the team with his .389 batting average and 1.388 OPS, eventually leading to him being drafted in the 14th round.

The righty-batter finished the 2021 season with the FCL Blue Jays in Rookie Ball, going 13 for 39 (.333) and adding two home runs and nine RBI compared to seven walks and nine strikeouts through 17 games while manning the hot corner to a .903 fielding percentage. The BC product also found himself in some Spring Training action earlier this week, hitting into a force out at second base during his only at-bat.

AA New Hampshire Fisher Cats

Hayden Juenger – RHP

A sixth-round selection out of Missouri State University, right-hander Hayden Juenger holds the honour of being the only player drafted by the Blue Jays last season to crack the AA roster.

An in-depth look at the Toronto Blue Jays 2021 draft class and where each player will begin the 2022 season within the Minor League system.

After amassing a 4.14 ERA through 50 appearances over the course of three years with Missouri State, Juenger finished out his draft year in High-A Vancouver, where the Missouri product pitched to a 2.70 ERA through 11 relief appearances and 20.0 innings, collecting 34 strikeouts that equalled a 15.3 K/9 while keeping the walks in check to a 1.8 BB/9.

With the updated 2022 prospect rankings, Juenger finds himself listed as the Blue Jays #26 prospect and has an MLB ETA of 2023, with the reliever putting himself on the fast track to potentially be the first prospect from this draft class to make it to the big leagues if he can continue to pitch well.