Blue Jays prospect hoping to outrun the Billy Hamilton comparisons

It has been a while since the Toronto Blue Jays have had a homegrown prospect that is an absolute speedster that could eventually make it to the big show. But they could have one soon if everything ends up panning out for outfielder Jake Cook. Despite drawing comparisons to the likes of Chandler Simpson, or Billy Hamilton, Cook is striving to be much more than what the former MLB speed demon provided during his time in the majors. 

“My goal as a baseball player is to not be a speed guy. I want to be a guy that has speed,” Cook said, according to Mitch Bannon of The Athletic.

Blue Jays prospect hoping to outrun the Billy Hamilton comparisons

Speed is definitely a major component of his game as Cook has earned a scouting scale of 80 for his speed grade ahead of the 2025 MLB Draft. The Blue Jays would select the promising outfield prospect in the third round that year, No. 81 overall. 

But more importantly, he wants to show Toronto that his game isn't just about speed and that he could be a complete player. As per The Athletic, Cook would love to be “more like Byron Buxton” when he fully develops and matures, but that of course is still quite a ways away.

During his college year with Southern Mississippi in 2025, Cook definitely showed that he could be more than just a Tasmanian devil on the basepaths. The 22-year-old prospect compiled a .350 batting average, .905 OPS, along with 57 runs scored, 13 doubles, three triples, three home runs and 32 RBIs in 60 games played.

Not only was he able to hit effectively, he showed some hidden power with the three long balls, along with the ability to drive in runs. More impressively, Cook has shown great plate discipline for his age, with 31 walks to go along with just 19 strikeouts in over 284 plate appearances.

In comparison, Hamilton posted a career batting average of .239 while striking out a lot more than walking at almost a 3:1 ratio. Also, the former MLB speedster has, at most, six home runs in any one season, and that was over 152 games, so Cook already appears to be ahead of that pace even before entering his professional baseball career.

Hamilton would end up spending 11 years in the big leagues, with only six of them being actually productive. Cook, of course, will want to be way more than that when he carves out his MLB journey in the end.

The Blue Jays should get excited for the unique prospect they currently have in their system. Sure, the ETA of Cook could still be years away, but he is already the No. 11 top prospect in the Blue Jays organization without having played a game yet, showing his enormous potential and ceiling. As a result, if his growth and development in all aspects of his game goes as planned, his potential “five-tool” ability will be worth the wait.