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Six position players that should be on the Blue Jays radar for the first round of the MLB Draft

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The Toronto Blue Jays head to the podium tomorrow evening in the 20th spot, a familiar position for the franchise that selected Arjun Nimmala last season from the spot. While the Jays’ draft record success has been spotty over the years in terms of turning internal prospects into everyday big leaguers, especially in the pitching department, the farm system currently ranks towards the bottom when compared to other Major League teams.

To their credit, the organization has leveraged some top talent in trades over the past few seasons – Gunnar Hoglund, Jordan Groshans, Austin Martin, Adam Kloffenstein, Sem Robberse, and Simeon Woods-Richardson to name a few – but overall, the turnover and development within the system has not produced at the same rate one would expect from a group that was lauded for their prospect development in Cleveland.

That all has a chance to change starting tomorrow, with the 20 rounds of the MLB Draft set to begin. The Jays have 21 picks this year, gaining an additional pick after the fourth round with the loss of Matt Chapman in free agency, and there are many intriguing prospects to consider in a particularly talented class. For the Blue Jays, the word on the street is that the club is targeting a bat versus a pitcher, especially since there are fewer college arms toward the top of the draft compared to the 2-4 round area. However, two names that could be available, RHP Brody Brecht and the ambidextrous Jurrangelo Cijntje, could sway the organization to select a pitcher over a position player.

Should the club stay the course once the anarchy gets underway, here are six position players who should be on the Blue Jays’ radar when they are on the clock tomorrow evening in the first round.

Seaver King – 3B/OF
Wake Forest

After two seasons playing Division II baseball, Seaver King jumped up with Wake Forest and fashioned an incredible campaign with the Deamon Deacons this past year.

At the plate, the righty batter can drive the ball across the diamond with his compact swing which sees him more as a contact-first type of bat over power. He posted a .308/.377/.577 slash line with Wake Forest and produced 78 hits, 33 of which were for extra bases. Seaver did push 16 balls over the fence and produced 64 RBIs, a step in the right direction as the 21-year-old looks to take his game to the next level.

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He also excelled in the Cape Cod League with Harwich during the summer of 2023 (.424 average with nine RBIs and a 1.021 OPS) and has a decent eye at the plate, churning in 25 walks last year, but can get a bit swing-happy and get himself into tough counts from time to time.

Defensively, Wake Forest had him starting the year in centre field before moving him into the diamond – primarily at third base with some spot starts at second base and shortstop mixed in. Overall, he likely projects to be an outfielder moving forward given his arm and ability to get to the ball.

Vance Honycutt – OF
North Carolina

After three seasons with the Tar Heels, centre fielder Vance Honeycutt is draft-eligible and is in the mix to be one of the top outfielders selected after a stellar finish at the College World Series. His 27 home runs ranked seventh across all D1 baseball this past year and finished with a 1.124 OPS through 62 contests.

Honeycutt has been a starter since his freshman campaign and heads into the draft with a remarkable .293/.412/.638 slash line with 64 home runs and a 1.050 OPS while playing centre field for North Carolina. While he can smash the ball to left field, a pull-hitter by trade, his biggest drawback is his strikeout rate which came in at 28% this past campaign.

His plus speed and fielding ability have future Gold Glover written all over him, one of the reasons he won the ACC Defensive Player of the Year award both this year and last. If he can find a way to not sacrifice power while cutting down the strikeouts, he could rise very quickly in any team’s farm system.

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Walker Janek – C
Sam Houston

Arguably the top catcher in the 2024 MLB Draft Class, Walker Janek is miles ahead of his counterparts from a defensive standpoint and has a solid bat to boot – one of the reasons he won the Buster Posey Award this past year as the nation’s top catcher as well as the CUSA Defensive Player of the Year Award.

Behind the plate, he moves quickly and makes wise throw decisions while utilizing his plus arm strength to minimize the run game. He can block and move behind the plate to keep the ball in front and does everything you would expect from a backstop at a professional level.

At the plate, Janek had an incredible season – producing a .364/.476/.709 slash line while also collecting 17 home runs to the tune of a 1.185 OPS. His keen eye at the plate saw him produce almost as many walks compared to strikeouts at 40 and 45 respectively and the right-handed hitting backstop can easily harness more of that raw power with better swing decisions. Should the Blue Jays want to draft a catcher and Janek is available, he very easily stops at #20.

Caleb Lomavita – C
California

A product of Hawaii, catcher Caleb Lomavita has been a mainstay in the California Golden Bears lineup since his freshman campaign and continues to improve every year.

Through three seasons, Lomavita posted a .302/.368/.534 slash line with 38 home runs and 141 RBIs while also adding 36 stolen bases. He finished with a .903 OPS and can drive the ball to all fields with his compact swing. His approach is unique from the right side but he makes it work, evidenced by his numbers in D1 baseball and also in the Cape Cod League over the previous two summers.

Behind the plate, his arm is solid but needs some fine-tuning to be used to its full potential. He should be able to stick behind the plate once turning pro but can also be utilized in the corner outfield spots if being a backstop doesn’t pan out. Should Janek be off the board, Lomavita will be one catcher the Jays can pivot to.

Tommy White – 3B
LSU

If the Blue Jays are looking for barrels, then Tommy White is a name to keep circled on the draft board.

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All the Florida product does is hit for power, producing 27 knocks at NC State before transferring to LSU for his sophomore campaign, where he collected 48 more over the next two seasons. Even when he doesn’t hit the ball over the wall, the right-handed hitting White finds ways to get on base, authoring a collective .355/.419/.704 slash line through 787 collegiate at-bats. White also added 249 RBIs and finished with a 1.123 OPS, making him a top bat-first player this draft year.

Defensively, this is where things get a bit tricky. He suited up at third base for the Tigers but likely projects more as a first baseman/designated hitter at the pro level given his average arm and below-average run. This should work out fine for White, as his batting ability is likely what carries him up the minor league ladder anyway as long as he can translate that power and continue producing high exit velocities at the next step.

For those of you who value the player rankings, White sits at #20 on MLB Pipeline – the same spot the Blue Jays have in the draft.

Malcolm Moore – C
Stanford

There are a host of catchers slated to go around the first round and Malcolm Moore is one name to keep in mind this evening. The Stanford product bats from the left side and has a knack for getting on base, although he did see a slight decline in his average this past campaign to .255.

He is eligible for the draft after only two seasons of college ball and produced a .288/.399/.560 slash line while producing 65 walks compared to 85 strikeouts for the Cardinal. At the plate, he has top-notch swing-and-miss metrics and can do damage to all fields – collecting 31 home runs and 99 RBIs over the two campaigns.

Behind the plate, Moore is described as an average catcher with athleticism to make the routine plays and an arm that needs some work. There is a chance that once he turns pro and gets under a team’s development he will become more redefined as a catcher but a move to first may be in his future.

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