THE CANADIAN PRESS

The wait was longer than he might have expected but Canadian pitcher James Paxton was still happy after the Toronto Blue Jays selected him 37th overall in Major League Baseball draft Tuesday.

"I'd be happy to start my career and it would be awesome to do it in Toronto," the left-hander from Ladner, B.C., said in a telephone interview from his home.

Paxton, 20, was the No. 1 starter for the Kentucky Wildcats of the NCAA this season. He finished with a 5-3 record and a 5.86 earned-run average, while striking out 115 batters and walking just 20 over 78 1/3 innings.

There was speculation Paxton would be selected in the first round, possibly has high as 14th. But as the day progressed he slipped down the board until being chosen in the compensatory round that follows the opening 30 picks.

The Blue Jays received that selection after A.J. Burnett signed with the New York Yankees following the 2008 season.

"I wasn't trying to put any expectations on myself," said Paxton, who grew four inches to six-foot-four and filled out to 215 pounds while playing at Kentucky.

"I was just trying to see how the day would fold out for us. We'll see how things develop from here. I didn't have a preference at all. I'm just glad to be given the opportunity to play professional baseball."

Paxton's place in the draft also could have been affected by his selection of Scott Boras as his agent. Boras represents some of baseball's biggest names, including Alex Rodriguez, but also has a reputation for being a tough negotiator.

Paxton couldn't say if a reluctance to deal with Boras scared some teams away.

"I don't think so," he said. "It might have been, but not to my knowledge."

The draft began with the Washington Nationals selecting Stephen Strasburg, a right-handed pitcher from San Diego State, first overall.

Earlier, the Jays picked 20th and took Chad Jenkins, a right-handed pitcher from Kennesaw State University in Georgia.

Jenkins' skills are what the Blue Jays look for in a young pitcher, said Jon Lalonde, Toronto's director of scouting.

"He's big, he's physical, he's got a big durable body," said Lalonde in a conference call.

"We love the fact that he throws a ton of strikes, he sinks the ball, velocity is consistently 90-94 (miles per hour), works comfortably in that range, really locates the ball to both sides of the plate."

Lalonde added the team was impressed by how Jenkins completes on the mound.

"He kind of embodies everything we look for in a pitcher."

Jenkins, 21, said he patterns himself after former Cy Young winner Greg Maddux.

"I command the ball pretty well and I don't like to walk a lot of people," Jenkins said. "I go straight after the hitters and keep going at them."

Lalonde couldn't say when Jenkins might be able to play for the Jays.

"I think Chad Jenkins will tell us how far away he is," Lalonde said. "If it all comes together I can see him moving fairly quickly but you never like to place timetables, or get expectations beyond fair levels.

"I just want him to go out, work hard, and tell us when he's ready to get here."