ESPN links Blue Jays to five names who could continue Toronto’s draft momentum

The Toronto Blue Jays will not make their first selection until pick No. 39 in today's MLB Draft (Jul. 11), but that does not make their first choice any less interesting. If anything, it may put even more focus on what has quietly become one of the organization’s most encouraging recent trends.

The Blue Jays have seemingly found some momentum with the players they have picked in the draft over the last few years. Their early picks have not only added name value to the farm system, but several have quickly turned into legitimate Top 100-calibre prospects. That makes ESPN’s latest question around Toronto’s draft spot a compelling one: is there another hit coming for the Jays at pick 39?

That is what analyst Kiley McDaniel asked as the Blue Jays gear up for the 2026 draft. The Blue Jays are building a reputation for drafting and developing useful future major leaguers and the players they have been linked to have a chance to continue that trend.

McDaniel connected the Blue Jays to five possible targets: Cole Prosek, Coleman Borthwick, Will Brick, Tegan Kuhns and Carson Bolemon. It is an interesting group because it does not point to one obvious lane. Instead, it shows the Blue Jays could have several different ways to chase upside once the draft moves beyond the first round.

Prosek is one of the more intriguing prep bats in that range. MLB Pipeline lists him as a third baseman/catcher from Magnolia Heights in Mississippi, while Baseball America included him among the best high school hitters in the class. The six-foot-one, 19-year-old is a left-handed hitter who ranked second in the nation with 18 homers. That backs the evaluators who think his bat speed and strength could allow him to become a plus hitter with solid pop.

Brick is a high school catcher out of Tennessee and is ranked 46th on MLB Pipeline's board. He has earned high marks for his improvement behind the plate over the past year. He has a strong arm with a sub-1.9 pop time and was regarded as a plus defender and receiver. Catchers always carry extra development risk, but the upside is obvious if a team believes the defensive gains are real.

Kuhns may be the most straightforward fit if the Blue Jays want a college arm. They've already been linked to Logan Reddemann and Taylor Rabe, but their stocks may have risen over the last few weeks and could be off the board by the time the Blue Jays draft. ESPN ranked Kuhns, a Tennessee right-hander, inside its updated Top 150 draft prospects, while MLB Pipeline has him among the top 25 names on its draft board. He went unselected in 2024 but produced a mid-90s fastball that peaked at 98 mph this past year. That pitch, along with an upper 70s curveball can be molded into out pitches at the big league lever.

Bolemon is a 19-year-old left-hander who struck out 101 batters in 42.1 innings as a junior, before throwing a no-hit 19-strikeout game to clinch the stat 3-A championship. MLB Pipeline lists the Southside Christian product among its top 25 draft prospects, and that kind of arm talent would give Toronto another chance to invest in a younger pitcher with room to grow.

Borthwick rounds out the group as another big arm pitcher. The right-hander sat mid-90s with his fastball but had the ability to consistently get to 97-98 mph. He also featured a slider that sat in the 84-85 mph range that he used to get plenty of outs. The 18-year-old six-foot-six out of South Walton is committed to Auburn, but is listed as MLB Pipeline's 43rd top prospect.

2026 draft an opportunity for Blue Jays to continue positive development stories

ESPN’s list suggests the Blue Jays may be positioned to take advantage of the draft flattening out after the top 20 to 25 names and getting players that would compliment the crop of youngsters currently making waves in their system.

The Blue Jays took Arjun Nimmala in the first round in 2023, Trey Yesavage at No. 20 in 2024 and JoJo Parker at No. 8 in 2025. Those picks have helped reshape the way the organization’s farm system is viewed.

Nimmala remains one of the most important young position players in the system, and Parker has already climbed to the top of Toronto’s prospect list on MLB Pipeline (ranked No. 1). Yesavage's rise has already been well documented, reaching the big leagues one year after being selected and giving the Blue Jays a chance to win the World Series and is currently making a case to be among consideration for the AL Rookie of the Year award.

It is not just the first-round names, either. McDaniel also pointed to Khal Stephen, Johnny King and Sean Keys as recent Toronto picks who now look like Top 100-calibre prospects. MLB Pipeline’s Blue Jays list currently has Parker and Nimmala at the top, with King also ranked among the organization’s five best prospects.

That is why pick 39 matters. The Blue Jays may not be picking in the spotlight of the top 10 this time, and the challenge is different when the board has already thinned out. But Toronto’s recent drafting success gives the organization a chance to find another player who outperforms the slot.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow