Blue Jays have a plan to help 2026 first round pick Cole Carlon stick as a starting pitcher

The Toronto Blue Jays clearly believe that freshly drafted Cole Carlon has the arsenal to excel as a starting pitcher. Toronto selected the Arizona State left-hander with the 39th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, betting on a powerful two-pitch combination that already looks capable of getting major-league hitters out.

Blue Jays director of amateur scouting Marc Tramuta offered a memorable description of Carlon’s fastball-slider combination after the pick. “One of my friends texted me after… ‘He’s got two October pitches,’” Tramuta said, per MLB.com's Keegan Matheson.

That is significant praise for the six-foot-five, 230-pound pitcher. Carlon’s fastball sits around 94 mph but has reached triple digits, giving him the velocity needed to overpower the hitters he faced while playing for the Arizona State Sun Devils.

His high-end slider, which is thrown in the upper 80s and can resemble a cutter, gives him another legitimate swing-and-miss offering. The 21-year-old also sports an average 12-to-6 curve that offers a different look. He also throws a changeup as his fourth pitch, which has some fade to it.

The Blue Jays’ challenge will be helping Carlon develop the consistency and command necessary to turn over a lineup multiple times. Carlon spent his first two college seasons working out of the bullpen before becoming a permanent starter this past spring. He responded by recording a 3.87 ERA across 83.2 innings, striking out 133 batters while issuing 31 walks. He started all 16 of his appearances and finished with a 1.19 WHIP.

Toronto will likely continue developing his curveball and changeup, giving him enough variety to complement his two premium pitches. Improving his ability to consistently find the strike zone will also be central to the organization’s plan.

There is always a chance Carlon’s fastball and slider eventually make him a dominant late-inning reliever. However, the Blue Jays did not use such a valuable selection merely to rush him into the bullpen.

Blue Jays are turning a corner in developing pitching

The Blue Jays have had some very recent success in drafting and developing a quality arm. Trey Yesavage, just over a year after he was drafted, made his way to the big leagues and was a big part of Toronto's postseason run in 2025. While that feels like an outlier, the Blue Jays are also seeing great improvement in several arms on the farm.

Johnny King is the team's No. 4 prospect and he's racked up 90 strikeouts in 67 innings in 17 games with the Vancouver Canadians in High-A ball. Nolan Perry, who just pitched in the MLB Futures Game, has graduated to Double-A after beginning the year in Single-A Dunedin. Across 54.2 minor league innings, Perry has posted a 2.47 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 13 games (12 starts).

These development stories are why the Blue Jays appear to be prepared to give Carlon every opportunity to prove that his “October pitches” can carry him through a major-league rotation.

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