Scott Carson

Stats man Scott Carson is now in his 18th season as "third man in the booth" during Blue Jays telecasts.

It appears the Jays have subscribed to the new draft motto: "You can’t have enough big pitching."

Judging by the selections made by Alex Anthopoulos and his new and (hopefully) improved scouting department, it seems that the old adage "you can’t have enough pitching" was written above their draft board. Thirty-one of their first 52 picks in the draft were pitchers. After combing through the resumes of the picks, they may want to amend that to read "you can’t have enough big pitching."

For whatever reason, during the eight years that J.P. Ricciardi and his people were drafting, the Blue Jays were more apt to choose pitchers/players of modest size. The same held true when signing free agents or picking up players via trade or waivers. It was really noticeable when the contenders would roll into town and send starters to the hill that were large, and with that comes the intimidation factor. It’s still holding true this week in St. Petersburg with the Tampa Bay Rays sending three starters to the bump -- Jeff Niemann (6-foot-9), David Price (6-foot-6) and Wade Davis (6-foot-5) -- all who strike imposing figures from 60 feet, six inches away. It sure seems like, judging by their selections in the 2010 draft, the Jays have taken that approach to heart.

They chose pitchers with their first five selections and none of those future major leaguers (if they can be signed, of course) are shorter than 6-foot-3. It reminded me of a conversation I had one day down beside the Blue Jays dugout with Pat Tabler when the St. Louis Cardinals were in town, and we laughed at how small and unimposing the Jays players looked next to Tony La Russa’s cast of giants. Snickering steroid jokes aside, it looked like seniors playing against the junior varsity team.

Those days appear to be in the past. I realize talent trumps all, but if size -- and the durability that certainly comes with that -- can be combined with talent, then a contender, not just for one season but a string of seasons, can be built. The groundwork has been laid; now the nurturing can begin.

DRAFT OVERVIEW

While pitching certainly dominated the drafting for the Jays, what they currently have in the system also played a major part in what other positions were targeted on the first two days. With Travis D’Arnaud and Brett Wallace, both acquired along with starter Kyle Drabek for Roy Halladay, high on the prospect board, there was no real need to waste picks on catching or first base. But seven of the picks went to the other three infield positions, and seven more for outfielders. And in another shift in policy, 22 of the first 36 picks were used on high school players whose upside is far higher.

Here’s also hoping that somewhere in this pool of draft picks is a future closer, one who will be with the team for many years, something that has been lacking with this franchise since Billy Koch flamed out. Now begins the process of getting signatures on contracts, especially those who appeared to be leaning towards playing college ball. With a reported $16 million in the signing war chest to avoid last year’s fiasco, getting these future Blue Jays onto minor league roster appears to be just a formality.

CANADIAN DRAFT CONTENT

Through the first two days of drafting, the Blue Jays chose three Canadians: outfielder Marcus Knecht of North York, Ont., outfielder Dalton Pompey of Mississauga, Ont., and left-handed pitcher Jay Johnson of Sussex Corner, N.B. A couple of other Canadians with links to the Blue Jays when they were drafted last year but failed to sign saw their stocks drop. Ladner, B.C. left-hander James Paxson (chosen 37th overall in ’09) fell to 132nd where the Mariners picked him, and Newmarket, Ont., left-hander Jake Eliopoulos (selected 68th a year ago) fell all the way to the 15th round where the Dodgers picked him 472nd. The signing bonuses that both of those pitchers passed on from the Jays will not be available this season. Not where they were finally picked.

ONE FOR THE AGES

It was hard not to form an opinion on Stephen Strasburg’s long-awaited major league debut on Tuesday night for the Washington Nationals, not with every media organization with any weight in the house and giving their take. Quite simply, Strasburg looked like the second coming of Cy Young -- 14 strikeouts in seven innings and an arsenal of pitches that might already be the best in the game. But what was most impressive was how calm, cool and collected he was in front of a full house and with the spotlight as bright as he’s ever been exposed to. I realize that the line-up that the Pirates put out there against him isn’t going to make anyone forget about the ’27 Yankees... or the ’93 Blue Jays for that matter. But to arrive with such an unprecedented level of hype, and then perform at such a high level, that’s awe-inspiring. Must be nice to be a Nationals fan today.