By Jay Blue

Blue Jays from Away

The Blue Jays' 21st-round draft pick, righty Parker Caracci, might be a bit familiar to those Jays fans who followed last year's draft. He was selected with the 37th-round pick by the Jays in 2018 after getting himself noticed as Ole Miss's closer. He had a huge 2018 season, earning second-team All-America honours. While his 2019 season wasn't as good (4.99 ERA in 30 2/3 innings), he still struck out over a batter per inning (36) and he's a great story of perseverance after getting cut from the baseball team twice before catching on in 2018. Baseball America notes that his fastball "continued to play better than its radar gun readings, but there were times when he was extremely hittable." His fastball "has some late jump, helping him get swings and misses in the zone at 93-95 mph" and he pairs it with a slider that they call "fringe-average."

In the 22nd round, the Blue Jays selected right-handed pitcher Nick Fraze from Texas State, coming out of his junior year and standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 180 pounds. He rose to fame with a National Pitcher of the Week Award on March 4 with seven scoreless innings of one-hitter, walking just two and striking out 12 against Rice. That said, he had a 4.84 ERA in 89 1/3 innings, striking out 81 and walking 31 this year. While he's not really considered a top draft prospect, Baseball America liked his slider and his projectable frame.

The Blue Jays went with a right-handed pitcher out of Grossmont College in California in Anders Tolhurst with their 23rd-round pick. Tolhurst appears to have played a year at San Diego City College and then went on to Grossmont for a year where he struck out 83 and walked 37 in 66 2/3 innings with a 3.91 ERA. He has a commitment to go to San Jose State University next year but shouldn't be too hard to sign.

In the 24th-round, the Blue Jays selected first baseman Spencer Horwitz out of Radford University in Virginia. While his batting average dipped over three years of college, he improved his walk totals and his power numbers, culminating with a .268/.392/.465 season with 10 doubles, a triple and 10 home runs, walking more than he struck out. Horwitz also played in the Cape Cod League in 2018, hitting .279 with two doubles, a triple and a home run, walking 11 times (and striking out 11 times) in 68 at bats.

The Jays selected a two-way player in the 25th round this year, Nate LaRue, a high school senior from Alabama. LaRue was noted for his catching but he also has a low 90s fastball. He's already told the Blue Jays that he'll head to Auburn next year.

Another Canadian was the target of the Blue Jays in the 26th round of the draft as they selected Quebecker Jean-Christophe Masson, an outfielder. He played this year with the Junior National Team and Academy Baseball Canada in 2018, and hit .692 with two doubles, a home run and five RBI in six games at the Perfect Game 16U Elite Championship in Texas last year. He's also played at the T-12 Tournament in Toronto. Masson has a commitment to Missouri and it may be unlikely the Jays actually sign him.

The Blue Jays drafted righty Roel Garcia from Rice University in the 27th round. Garcia is a junior who hasn't pitched since the fall and underwent Tommy John surgery. So, if he signs, don't expect him to pitch until next season for the Blue Jays' affiliates. Roel is 6-foot-4 and weighs 240 pounds and he was a starter in 2018 as a sophomore, pitching 52 innings with a 5.02 ERA and 45 strikeouts with 28 walks.

For their 28th-round pic, the Blue Jays went with Gabriel Ponce, a righthanded pitcher out of Arizona Western College (a community college). Ponce tossed 72 innings this year, with a 1.75 ERA and 92 strikeouts to just 20 walks. He also allowed only 47 hits. Ponce transferred to Arizona Western after pitching for a year at the University of San Diego with a 5.68 ERA and 43 strikeouts with 21 walks in 38 innings. Professional baseball runs in Ponce's family as his grandfather played professionally in Mexico.

The Blue Jays took another Canadian, Owen Diodati out of Stamford Collegiate in Ontario. He's been a member of the Canadian Junior National team but had a strong commitment to the University of Alabama that he plans to honour over signing professionally.

Noah Myers, another junior college player, was selected by the Blue Jays in the 30th round, coming out of Wabash Valley College. Myers is yet another Canadian selected by the Blue Jays, coming from Wyoming, Ontario. The lefthanded hitter is 6-foot-3 and weighs 195 pounds and scouts think he's a solid defender in center field but has a "below-average arm." He's got "60 speed, quick first step, solid base stealer." More of a line drive hitter, scouts think that he's a "top of the order type." In his sophomore year (this year), he hit .397/.531/.613 with 18 doubles, a triple and eight home runs, stealing 77 bases and getting caught just once (according to NJCAA stats). He's got a commitment to South Carolina but I'm sure the lure of playing for the Jays might help sign him away.

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The 2019 Toronto Blue Jays Minor League Handbook is available now! Visit the Handbook page for more information!