Best Blue Jays players drafted during the Ross Atkins era

Alek Manoah, 2019 – First round 

As perhaps Atkins’ best first round selection during his time with Toronto, Alek Manoah burst onto the scene and immediately made an impact with the Jays after minimal time spent in the minor leagues. Following an impressive 2021 rookie campaign in which he compiled a stellar 9-2 record with a 3.22 ERA and 1.05 WHIP, Manoah was even better during his sophomore season with Toronto in 2022. That year, the stud right-hander posted an elite 16-7 record, 2.24 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, along with 180 strikeouts in 196 2/3 innings pitched to become a first-time All-Star and finished third in AL Cy Young voting to Justin Verlander. In doing so, Manoah had propelled himself into ace-like status with the Jays.

However, his subsequent seasons that followed were filled with inconsistencies with his command and control along with injury woes, including undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2024. As Manoah appears to be on his way back in the coming month, he will look to regain his prior dominant form and prove once again he can be one of the best in the league.

Addison Barger, 2018 – Sixth round

It sure took a little while for Addison Barger to fully realize his potential. But after a few less-than-stellar major league stints with the Jays during the past couple of seasons, Barger has finally broken through to become the elite offensive contributor that many had hoped he would develop into this year for Toronto. In 68 games to date, the 25-year-old utilityman has batted a solid .268 with an .842 OPS, along with 36 runs scored, 21 doubles, 12 home runs and 38 RBIs.

More importantly, Barger appears to be getting better and better by the day. On top of that, he has shown his defensive versatility by playing effectively both at third base and in right field, including leading the AL with six outfield assists in just 27 games. Having drawn comparisons to former Jays’ superstar Josh Donaldson based on social media, it looks more and more like Toronto has found the “next one” for the franchise.

Bo Bichette, 2016 – Second round

Finally, without question as of this moment, Atkins’ biggest find in the draft has to be star shortstop Bo Bichette from way back in 2016. Surprisingly, Bichette was actually available in the second round that year and Atkin made sure he wasn’t going to be passed up anymore. From that point on, he was destined for stardom with the Jays. In his seven seasons with Toronto so far, the 27-year-old shortstop has been a two-time All-Star while sporting a career .288 average, .791 OPS, and averaging close to 25 home runs and 90 RBIs per season over a full 162-game schedule pace. In addition, Bichette had led the AL in hits in both the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

His 2024 down season is certainly turning out to be an outlier now as he appears back in full force once again this year. Whether Bichette remains a Blue Jay following the conclusion of his 2025 campaign remains in question. But one thing is for sure, he has been one of the top contributors for Toronto during the Atkins era.