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3 recent draft picks the Blue Jays got right, and 2 they will regret
As the 2023 MLB Draft approaches - July 9 through July 11 - fans are ready to welcome new, exciting prospects to their teams’ systems, though the vast majority of them never make it onto the field at the major league level. Taking a chance on kids playing against either in high school or college level competition comes with inherent risk, as each prospect typically needs years of development before cracking a major league lineup. That development takes its own path and often prospects fail to live up to the perceived hype around them before contributing at the highest level. Let’s take a look at three recent Blue Jays draft selections that they got right, and two selections that they might regret.
3 recent draft picks the Blue Jays got right, and 2 they will regret
Bo Bichette - 2nd round - 2016
The Blue Jays selected Bo Bichette 66th overall out of Lakewood HS (FL) in the 2016 MLB Draft, and he made his Major League debut three seasons later in 2019. He tore up the minors with a career .321 AVG and .894 OPS, and was clearly ready for his call up as he impressed with 11 home runs, a .311 AVG and .930 OPS as a 21-year-old rookie. Bichette has developed into one of the best hitters in the league after leading the American League in base hits in both of the previous two seasons. Finding a perennial All-Star such as Bichette in the second round is a home run pick and one from which the team has reaped benefits ever since he made the Blue Jays lineup. Not much else to say about Bo other than that star power outside of the first round of the draft does not come by often, and this pick was a steal!
Verdict: Got it right.
Alek Manoah - 1st round - 2019
Alek Manoah was drafted 11th overall in 2019 and is an anomaly in that he only needed 35 minor league innings pitched before getting the call to the Blue Jays. This was the case due to the unprecedented times during the COVID-19 pandemic and the league-wide roster changes made for that shortened season. The big right-hander did not need much refinement in the minors, as he impressed with a 9-2 record and a strong 3.22 ERA across 111.2 innings during his rookie season. He followed up his stellar rookie season with an improved 16-7 record to go with a sparkling 2.24 ERA over 196.2 innings. The lone MLB All-Star from the 2019 draft class thus far has struggled to begin the 2023 season as he is still adjusting to the pitch clock and pacing of the game, though his pedigree would suggest that he works through this rough patch and gets back on track as one of the best young pitchers in the league.
Verdict: Got it right.
CJ Van Eyk - 2nd round - 2020
CJ Van Eyk was selected in the second round, 42nd overall in the 2020. He struggled in his initial minor league season at A+ with a 5.83 ERA over 80.1 innings. He has only managed three innings thus far into the 2023 season in A ball and is not ranked in the teams’ top-30 prospects. There were several players selected after him that have either proven themselves at the major league level already, or developed into top-100 prospects, such as Spencer Strider (4th round), Logan Allen (2nd round), Bryce Elder (5th round), and top prospects such as Brandon Pfaadt (#51 prospect), Gavin Stone (#48 prospect) and Joey Wiemer (#81 prospect). It’s always difficult to predict the futures of young, inexperienced prospects, though due to the struggles early on in his minor league career and the valuable players selected after him, the Blue Jays likely regret this selection already.
Verdict: Regret.
Ricky Tiedemann - 3rd round - 2021
Ricky Tiedemann was drafted in the third round, 91st overall in the 2021 MLB Draft, and is currently ranked as the Blue Jays’ top prospect, and the 28th prospect in all of baseball. The hard-throwing left-hander has had an impressive beginning to his minor league career with a 2.56 ERA with 140 strikeouts across 91.1 innings pitched. With a fastball grade of 65 and a changeup grade of 70, Tiedemann has some of the best stuff in the minor leagues, and should continue to develop his control, though it has not been an issue for him yet. The Blue Jays selected Gunnar Hoglund in the first round of the 2021 draft, though he was shipped to Oakland as a piece in the Matt Chapman trade. Finding a top-30 league-wide prospect in the third round who projects as a possible cornerstone of the rotation within 3 years is masterful from the team’s front office.
Verdict: Got it right.
Adam Kloffenstein - 3rd round - 2018
Adam Kloffenstein was drafted in the third round, 88th overall in the 2018 MLB Draft. The young right-hander has struggled through his first 300+ minor league innings, holding a 15-20 record with a 4.79 ERA and 1.45 WHIP. He is still just 22 years old and has shown improvements this season in AA with a 2.52 ERA through 25 innings, though the larger sample size suggests his development needs lots more work in order to earn a shot at the big leagues. Only one third of third round draft picks have made the MLB, proving how hard it is to find major league talent in even the top end of the draft. Again, there were several players selected after him that have already impacted their respective major league clubs - Cal Raleigh (3rd round), Jeremy Pena (3rd round), Steven Kwan (5th round), Drew Rasmussen (6th round) and James Outman (7th round), along with Taj Bradley, who is currently ranked as the 18th prospect in all of baseball. Obviously there are going to be players drafted in later rounds that develop into strong major leaguers, but now five seasons removed from this draft, the Blue Jays must be wondering how they missed on those already proven players.
Verdict: Regret.
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