Best Blue Jays players drafted during the Ross Atkins era

Being able to draft good players is the key to success for any Major League Baseball team. By adding strong prospects into the system as a result of it, those same prospects could eventually help the organization in more ways than one. They can develop and become future impactful players for the franchise or they can become valuable trade chips that the organization can use to help further improve the team.

For the Toronto Blue Jays, general manager Ross Atkins had been at the helm for almost a decade now for the franchise. In doing so, he has gone through nine drafts for the Blue Jays already. With the 2025 MLB Draft set to take place this Sunday, let’s take a look back at some of the best players selected by Toronto during the Ross Atkins era.

Best Blue Jays players drafted during the Ross Atkins era

Alan Roden, 2022 – Third round

As the youngest player on this list, many may have forgotten that outfielder Alan Roden was actually drafted by the Jays just three years ago. But from Day One after joining the organization, Roden has shown that he has the drive and ability to fast-track to the big leagues with his strong work ethic. Now just three years later, he has proven exactly that as he made his MLB debut with Toronto this season. Although Roden had hit only .206 with 12 runs scored, one home run and eight RBIs in 42 games of action, he still managed to put a lot of his skill set on full display both at the plate and on the field.

Roden may still need some fine-tuning in the minors before he eventually becomes a full-time player with the Jays. But with a career .302 average, .868 OPS, along with 195 runs scored, 30 home runs, 165 RBIs and 46 stolen bases in 286 career games in the minors, let’s just say it shouldn’t take him too long before he makes his way back to the big league club on a permanent basis.

Spencer Horwitz, 2019 – 24th round

There usually aren’t too many gems that could be found in the later rounds of the draft. But the Jays managed to unearth one back in 2019 during the 24th round when they selected Spencer Horwitz. Despite being under-the-radar due to his draft position, Horwitz had massive gains in his growth and development over the years that ultimately paved his way to the major leagues. Known primarily for his bat, Horwitz made his debut with the Jays in 2023 and eventually became more a regular during the 2024 season. That year, he put together a solid campaign by batting .265 with a .790 OPS, along with 46 runs scored, 19 doubles, 12 home runs and 40 RBIs in 97 games played.

In doing so, Horwitz became a valuable trade chip in helping the Jays land Andrés Giménez and Nick Sandlin this past offseason. Now currently playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Horwitz aims to carve out a solid MLB career with an everyday role with the NL Central squad.