Jay Blue: Jays sign from Zeuch to Gillingham

2016 Draft Summary
By Jay Blue
Blue Jays from Away
It’s that time again. The major league teams restock their organizations with hope and their new draft selections. Upwards of 40 players are selected by each team and we’ll add to that the many minor league free agents who sign with their respective teams after their initial disappointment of not being drafted. Of course, not every player will sign. The Blue Jays have two second round picks this year because they couldn’t sign their second round pick last year, Brady Singer.

This year, the Blue Jays select at #21, #57 and #66 on the first day of the draft and last year the Blue Jays selected Jon Harris at #29 (after losing their top pick because they signed free agent Russell Martin).

As the first pick for the Blue Jays in the 2016 draft, the Blue Jays selected big right-hander T.J. Zeuch out of the University of Pittsburgh. Shi Davidi noted that Zeuch missed part of the season with a groin injury but had a 6-1 record with a 3.10 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 70 innings. With a major-league average fastball, the 6-foot-7 hurler has gotten great reviews for his ability to create a downward plane and get a lot of ground balls. Brian Parker, the Blue Jays’ scouting director, is also quoted as saying that “With his projection, with his age, there’s some upside with this guy.” He’s got a full complement of offspeed pitches and Baseball America believes that it’s how those pitches develop that will determine his upside.

The Jays’ second round pick (#57 overall), J.B. Woodman (the Jays seem to be big on guys who use their initials for their first name this year), is a slugging outfielder from Ole Miss who led the SEC in home runs as a junior, hitting .323/.412/.578. He didn’t have a great year in the Cape Cod League with wooden bats, however, hitting just one home run in 128 at bats, and striking out 51 times.

With the 66th overall pick, the Jays went to high school to get infielder Bo Bichette, the son of former major leaguer Dante. Selected about 15 picks after his brother, Dante, Jr., was in 2011. He’s got some power but Baseball America praises his quick bat, showing a “mature approach at the plate and plus power.” He is also praised for his glovework although some think that he’s going to eventually move off of shortstop.

Day 2 of the draft is an interesting one. Picks fly by faster than they do on Day 1 and players who don’t necessarily have the same levels of hype are selected. That said, there are usually some very good players picked on Day 2 who will make it to the majors. In recent years, major leaguers Matt Boyd, Kendall Graveman, Chad Girodo, Anthony DeSclafani and Sam Dyson have all come from Day 2 selections. In 2016, the Blue Jays stocked up on talent coming out of colleges who generally have a bit of a higher floor than the players drafted in this area by former GM Alex Anthopoulos.

In the third round, the Blue Jays went with college righty Zach Jackson out of Arkansas. Jackson is “well built” at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds (according to Baseball America) but has some kinky mechanics and struggles with his control, leading to his being projected as a bullpen arm. Despite his struggles, scouts love his curveball but he often has better control and command of the hook than the heat which comes in 90-93 mph (although MLB.com believes the FB is a couple of ticks faster at 93-95).

The 2016 Blue Jays’ fourth round pick in the draft is outfielder Joshua Palacios. Palacios has some big league bloodlines with his uncle, Rey, playing for a few years for the Royals. Transferring from San Jacinto College to Auburn, he was having a tremendous season before injuring his wrist in April. Scouts like his speed (considered “plus”) and his contact ability. Defensively, he may be tried in center field but probably doesn’t quite have the instincts for it and lacks the power profile of a corner outfielder.

In the fifth round, the Blue Jays selected another player with big league bloodlines in Cavan Biggio, the son of Hall of Famer Craig. Baseball America likes his “very intelligent approach to the game” but no one really praises his physical tools as being anything above average.

The Blue Jays selected high school outfielder D.J. Daniels out of Fike High School in Wilson, North Carolina for their sixth round pick. An excellent athlete, he has a great physique at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds and was a quarterback as well as an outfielder. He has more power than the elite HS outfielder the Jays drafted last year (Reggie Pruitt) but much less speed. It may take a lot of money to sign Daniels, and he’s committed to James Madison University for football.

For the seventh round, the Blue Jays go back to college, selecting Kent State Junior Andy Ravel. Ravel’s reputation is as a solid starter with average stuff although his slider has been called “above-average” by Baseball America. Ravel was a starter all season and had a 3.36 ERA and very good strikeout to walk rate (20 walks, 77 strikeouts) over 91 innings.

The Blue Jays went back to Grayson Community College in Texas by selecting righty Kyle Weatherly in the eighth round of the draft. The Jays selected Grayson CC’s Grayson Huffman on Day 2 of the draft in 2014 but unfortunately, Huffman is still in short-season ball and hasn’t produced much since his first pro season, struggling last year. Weatherly, however, put up some great stats on the mound in a hitter-friendly league, going 9-2 with a 2.62 ERA (while the club’s ERA as a whole was 5.54). Committed to LSU next year, Weatherly is 21 with a 91-93 mph fastball and average slider.

Nick Hartman is the Jays’ ninth rounder, coming out of Old Dominion with a 4.81 ERA in 48 2/3 innings. The 6-foot-2 Texan can hit the mid-90s with his fastball, which garnered him the attention he’s getting and the draft position in the top 10 rounds, giving him the potential to be a reliever.

The Blue Jays drafted another player out of the University of Florida this year (after Justin Shafer has been working his way through the system, currently in Dunedin). A bullpen arm in college, Kirby Snead is a lefty who drops down and throws from a three-quarters arm slot, giving him movement on his fastball and projection as a LOOGY, throwing in the high 80s with a good breaking ball and a changeup.

Ah, Day 3 of the draft. The day when teams go looking for the guys who could come from out of nowhere. In recent drafts, players like 2015 Midwest League MVP Ryan McBroom, 2015 R. Howard Webster winner Ryan Hissey and hard-throwing lefty Tim Mayza have been drafted in the round 11-15 range. That said, there are only two players whom the Blue Jays have drafted in this range since 2009 who have reached the majors: Drew Hutchison and Andy Burns.

In the 11th round, the Blue Jays selected lefty Travis Hosterman out of Hagerty High School in Florida. Last year, Hosterman was highlighted by Baseball America after having a 0.68 ERA in his junior season with 74 strikeouts in 51 1/3 innings. He had a fastball in the high 80s and was able to pitch down in the zone with the fastball and throw a solid curveball to go along with it. Hosterman has a commitment to the University of Central Florida.

In the 12th round, the Blue Jays selected catcher Ridge Smith from Austin Peay State. Smith was a utility man mostly and he could be a very useful player in the Jays’ organization whether it’s behind the plate or elsewhere. Smith started 52 games with 21 at catcher, 23 at third base, five in left field and three in right and hit .294 with some nice power (11 HRs).

In the 13th round, the Blue Jays went back to the pitching well, selecting 6-foot-4 righty Chris Lincoln from Rancho Verde High School in California. From the little bit of video I saw of Lincoln, he had trouble corralling his mechanics and struggled with command, showing a fastball and what looks like a curveball. That said, I’ve read reports that he hits 90 mph and he doesn’t look like he’s straining to throw hard. His coaches praise his intelligence and heart and the Blue Jays may very well be looking to get him into the system to start cleaning up his mechanics to show what he can do. Lincoln has committed to UC Santa Barbara.

Christopher Hall, a 6-foot-2 right-handed senior out of Elon University was the Jays’ 14th-round pick. Hall was originally recruited to college as a catcher but he ended up as Elon’s closer in his senior year. Baseball America notes that he’s hit 97 mph but sits more around 90-92 mph with a “work in progress” slider. Hall is a guy who could have a lot of upside for the Blue Jays despite his relatively low pick.

In the 15th round, the Blue Jays selected Josh Winckowski, another high-school righty who stands 6-foot-3. In the only video I saw, Winckowski has a slow wind up but a high-effort delivery, coming over the top with his arm angle. Winckowski committed to Florida Southwestern.

The biggest name to come from rounds 16-20 in recent years is Dalton Pompey who was a 16th-round pick in 2010. Brady Dragmire, currently in New Hampshire, was a 17th-rounder in 2011 and Shane Dawson was a 17th-rounder in 2012.

Round 16 brought the Blue Jays Dominic Taccolini, a 6-foot-3 right-handed pitcher out of Arkansas, taking him 13 rounds after his teammate Zach Jackson. Taccolini had a blood clot problem in his arm in 2015 but worked his way back this season to throw 72 innings with 61 strikeouts but a 5.75 ERA in the SEC. Baseball America reported that his stuff had taken a step back and I’m sure the Blue Jays are looking for the guy who was pitching in 2014 and 2015 to reemerge.

The Blue Jays selected a Canadian, outfielder Clayton Keyes from Bishop Carroll High School in Calgary, in the 17th round. Keyes is still fairly young, having turned 17 in January and could return to high school or go to college at Washington State. he’s a solidly built 5-foot-11 and 210 pounds with average speed. If he signs, Keyes is going to be a project for the Blue Jays.

18th rounder Bradley Jones of the College of Charleston joins some of his former teammates, Carl Wise and Gunnar Heidt, in the Blue Jays organization. Baseball America doesn’t think his tools are as loud as Wise’s (although Wise has struggled to find his rhythm in the pros) but he has some power and can play corner infield positions. He has hit 11 home runs in each of the past two seasons and has hit .309/.394/.586 and .280/.385/.486 in his sophomore and junior seasons respectively.

In the 19th round, the Blue Jays selected Spencer Van Scoyoc, a high schooler from Jefferson High School in Iowa who has a commitment to Arizona State. Van Scoyoc is seen as a projectable lefty who just touches 90 mph at this point but he’s 6-foot-4 and has room to fill out.

The Blue Jays selected junior righty Angel Alicea from Alabama State University in the 20th round where he also played the infield. The Puerto Rican threw mainly out of the bullpen and had a 1.47 ERA over 36 2/3 innings, walking 15 and striking out 51.

Last year, the Blue Jays selected high-school standout Reggie Pruitt in the 24th round but, again, this part of the draft is usually populated by players who are long shots or higher-ranked high school players who were passed over because of strong college commitments and/or a high bonus demand. Players from earlier drafts who are making their names known in the Jays’ system this year include Jason Leblebijian (25th round, 2012) and Colton Turner (21st ound, 2012) but neither are really close to a big league sniff just yet.

Generally, high school players selected in this segment of the draft will opt to go to college, particularly if they have commitments to NCAA Division I schools.

With their 21st round pick, the Blue Jays selected a second year right-handed pitcher from Seminole State Junior College, Mitch McKown. He didn’t have great stats last year, starting in 10 of his 11 appearances and striking out only 14 in 42 1/3 innings with a 6.59 ERA.

In round 22, the Jays selected Connor Eller, a senior out of Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas. Eller, a righty, looks like he’ll sign with the Blue Jays (after posting as much on his Twitter) and threw 95 1/3 innings this year with a 3.40 ERA and 90 strikeouts with 37 walks. Eller was the Great American Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2015 so he comes with some hardware already to his credit.

The round 23 selection was Dom Abbadessa, a high school outfielder out of Huntington Beach, California. Abbadessa earned plaudits in high school for his defensive play and was noted for his speed. He has a commitment to Long Beach State for baseball and it will be seen if the Jays are able to sign him.

Round 24 brought the Blue Jays right-handed pitcher Mike Ellenbest out of Saginaw Valley State. The 6-foot-5, 200 pounder played in two seasons and combined for a solid 3.13 ERA with 107 strikeouts and 40 walks in 118 innings in Division II competition.

In the 25th round, the Blue Jays selected Casey Legumina, a right-handed pitcher out of Basha High School in Chandler, Arizona, the same place where Jorge Flores and Mitch Nay played their high school ball. Legumina is 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds and looks like he has some fairly clean arm motion on the mound in a video, with offspeed pitches that show a lot of potential. There is an injury worry as it appears that he has not pitched much this season. Initially, the concern was that he had torn his UCL ligament but a second opinion said there was no tear and he has since begun playing catch after a period of rehab. Before his injury, Legumina was throwing 91-94 mph and held his velocity in the low 90s int he sixth inning of a game watched by a blogger at the Arizona Diamond Report. Of these later picks, Legumina could be among the most interesting later draftees for the Blue Jays, if he’s healthy and elects to sign with the Jays and not attend Gonzaga.

Interesting players who have signed with the Jays after being selected in these rounds include Rowdy Tellez (30th, 2013) and Taylor Cole (29th, 2011) but the reality is that most players selected in these rounds have a tough time sticking in the organization for more than a few years.

Generally, high school players selected in this segment of the draft will opt to go to college, particularly if they have commitments to NCAA Division I schools.

In the 26th round, the Jays selected a high-school righty, Ben Anderson from New York State. With a big (6-foot-4) frame and a lanky build (175 pounds), Ben is the twin brother of Ian Anderson, the third overall pick of the 2016 draft (by the Atlanta Braves). Ben was also a catcher but has committed to Binghamton University for the fall and, with a draft position so far down, it’s probably likely that he goes to college. Anderson’s “projectible build” has some potential for the future but his fastball is currently in the mid-to-upper 80s while his brother was throwing 10 mph harder and became the top high school pitcher selected in the draft after committing to Vanderbilt. I don’t expect Ben to sign.

The Blue Jays continued their run on high school players by selecting Ryan Gold with their 27th pick. Gold is a 5-foot-11 catcher from Carolina Forest High School in South Carolina. It’s been reported that Gold has already signed with the Blue Jays despite a commitment to go to Coastal Carolina University. Aside from that, there’s no info on Gold, so we’ll have to see what he does when he gets to Dunedin.

Going in Round 28 to the Jays was another high schooler, outfielder Blake Ebo from Trenton Catholic Academy in New Jersey. Ebo appears to be a physical specimen at 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds and the right-handed hitter was named the top outfielder in the Burlington County Scholastic League (according to a fan vote). With a commitment to the University of the Pacific, it appears that Ebo is leaning towards going pro after hitting .508 with 39 RBI this season.

In round 29, the Blue Jays went back to college, selecting righthander Andrew Deramo, a 6-foot-6, 210 pound behemoth from the University of Central Florida. A junior at UCF, Deramo had a 4.72 ERA, 45 strikeouts and 24 walks over 40 innings. He spent a year at Northwest Florida State College and won the JUCO National Championship there in 2015 after pitching to a 3-1 record with a 2.51 ERA. Deramo is the type of guy the Jays like with a big, hopefully durable frame. He’s also a very signable player, one who had to spend a year at a junior college before getting into an NCAA school.

The Blue Jays went for a left-handed pitcher, Jake Fishman, out of Union College in New York State. A junior, Fishman was the first Union College Dutchman ever selected in the draft. Despite pitching against Division III competition, Fishman threw 66 innings with a 0.41 ERA and 85 strikeouts, going 7-0 and earning Liberty League Pitcher of the Year and Player of the Year awards, hitting .361 in addition to his pitching exploits. Fishman has a low-three-quarters delivery and Baseball America notes that he has late life on his high-80s fastball, also throwing a changeup and a curveball with an occasional knuckleball.

In the 31st round, the Jays selected Marcus Still, a second-year center fielder out of Scottsdale Community College. Not much is known about Still, but he had an excellent year in Scottsdale, hitting .344 with eight home runs and 58 runs scored, stealing 33 bases and finishing fourth in his conference in total bases.

 The Jays selected David Jacob with the 32nd-round pick, a left-handed hitting first baseman out of Quincy University. Finding out he was drafted while preparing to play in the Northwoods summer league against the Thunder Bay Border Cats, Jacob became the first person selected in the draft from Quincy U since 2011. An All-Great Lakes Valley Conference player, he hit .392 with 11 home runs and 62 RBIs this season and has agreed to a contract with the Blue Jays.

In the 33rd round, the Jays picked monstrous (6-foot-6, 212 pound) right-hander Brayden Bouchey out of the University of Louisiana-Monroe. A junior who hails from White Rock, British Columbia, Bouchey threw 70 innings as a starter this season, posting a 3.73 ERA and 1.30 WHIP with 72 strikeouts and 33 walks. A two-time Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Week this season, he finished third in the league with his 72 whiffs. Bouchey has signed with the Blue Jays and will being to play pro ball. I would not be surprised to see a fairly quick assignment to Vancouver for the home town boy.

In the 34th round, the Jays went for high school catcher Shea Langeliers out of Keller High School in Texas. With a commitment to Baylor university, it’s probably unlikely that he’ll sign with the Blue Jays. The scouting report on Langeliers is that he has some bat speed and power but he needs some time to develop his approach.

In the 35th round, the Blue Jays picked right-handed pitcher Jared Carkuff out of Austin Peay State University, the same school as Ridge Smith, the catcher whom the Jays selected in round 12. While Carkuff is very tall (6-foot-4), he’s not as filled out (160 pounds) as some of the other behemoths who the Blue Jays have drafted this year. Carkuff had a successful move to the bullpen in his senior year, throwing 63 innings in 32 outings and posting a career-best 3.57 ERA and 1.21 WHIP, tying a career high of 63 strikeouts (despite almost 19 more innings in 2015) and walking 23. Carkuff has signed with the Blue Jays.

Signed and sealed ...

RD PICK PLAYER POS B/T HT/WT SCHOOL
1 21 Zeuch, TJ RHP R/R 6’7”/230 Pittsburgh

2 57 Woodman, JB CF L/R 6’2”/205 Mississippi

2 66 Bichette, Bo SS R/R 6’0”/200 Lakewood HS, FLA

4 132 Palacios, Joshua CF L/R 6’2’/190 Auburn

5 162 Biggio, Cavan 2B L/R 6’2”/190 Notre Dame

6 192 Daniels, DJ CF R/R 6’3”/205 Fike HS, NC

7 222 Ravel, Andy RHP R/R 6’2/175 Kent State

8 252 Weatherly, Kyle RHP R/R 6’4”/190 Grayson County JC, TX

9 282 Hartman, Nick RHP R/R 6’2”/185 Old Dominion

11 342 Hosterman, Travis LHP L/L 6’2”/195 Hagerty HS, FL

12 372 Smith, Ridge C R/R 5’10”/190 Austin Peay St

14 432 Hall, Christopher RHP R/R 6’2”/215 Elon

18 552 Jones, Bradley 3B R/R 6’2’/200 College of Charleston

20 612 Alicea, Angel RHP R/R 6’1”/200 Alabama St

21 642 McKown, Mitch RHP R/R 6’4”/195 Seminole St Col

22 672 Eller, Connor RHP R/R 6’2”/195 Ouachita Baptist

24 732 Ellenbest, Mike RHP R/R 6’4”/205 Saginaw Valley St

27 822 Gold, Ryan C L/R 5’11”/180 Carolina Forest HS, SC

29 882 Deramo,  Andrew RHP R/R 6’6”/210 Central Florida

30 922 Fishman, Jake LHP L/L 6’3”/195 Union College

32 972 Jacob, David 1B L/L 6’4”/225 Quincy

33 1002 Bouchey, Brayden RHP R/R 6’6”/215 White Rock, BC Louisiana Monroe

35 1062 Carkuff, Jared RHP R/R 6’0”/160 Austin Peay St

37 1122 Gillingham, Luke LHP L/L 6’3”/200 Navy

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