The 2020 MLB season is already unfolding differently than we’d hoped, as the scheduled date for opening day has come and gone without a pitch being thrown or a stadium hotdog being consumed. Now, this summer’s amateur draft will be the shortest ever after last week’s agreement between the league and the MLBPA.
The draft will be as short as five rounds, while a Baseball America report suggests it could be as long as 10 at the discretion of MLB. Either way, that’s a substantial bite out of what’s usually a 40-round ordeal.
While the first five rounds have the highest concentration of future stars, the Blue Jays’ draft history shows impact talent can still be found much later. Here’s a look back at their top draft selections from the sixth round and on…
(NOTE: With apologies to Ted Lilly, Kris Bryant and Aaron Nola, only players who actually signed with Toronto are eligible.)
3B Casey Blake (Round 7): 13-year career, 107 OPS+, 24.9 bWAR
After his junior season at Wichita State, the Yankees picked Blake in the 45th round. He returned to college, led his team to the College World Series and watched his stock climb.
Blake only played one season in Toronto, but he stuck in the majors and earned more than $32 million. Not half bad.
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OF Jesse Barfield (Round 9): 12-year career, 117 OPS+, 39.4 bWAR
Barfield had a run of legitimate stardom for the Blue Jays, averaging 32 home runs and 6.4 bWAR per season from 1985-87. During that stretch, he also collected two Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger award.
After spending eight-plus years in Toronto, Barfield was dealt to the Yankees for pitcher Al Leiter in 1989.
C Yan Gomes (Round 10): World Series champion, 90 OPS+, 13.4 bWAR
Eight seasons into his career, Gomes has already played in the World Series twice (including last season with the victorious Washington Nationals). He also has a Silver Slugger award for his mantle and was named an all-star in 2018.
Gomes’s stay in Toronto was brief (one season) before the Blue Jays sent him to Cleveland with Mike Aviles for Esmil Rogers.
OF Reed Johnson (Round 17): 13-year career, 94 OPS+, 10.6 bWAR
Perhaps the most impressive part of Johnson’s career is that it lasted so long, given that he averaged less than one bWAR per year.
Johnson played for six teams, but his longest and most memorable tenure came with Toronto. In 2006, he batted .319 and was hit by pitch a league-high 21 times.
SS Jeff Kent (Round 20): 17-year career, MVP, 377 HRs, 55.4 bWAR
The most accomplished player on this list is Kent, a five-time all-star and four-time Silver Slugger who edged teammate Barry Bonds for the 2000 MVP. Kent posted 20-plus homers and 100-plus RBIs each season from 1997-2005.
Of course, the Blue Jays didn’t benefit from any of that. After only 65 games with Toronto, Kent was traded to the Mets for pitcher David Cone, who contributed to the 1992 World Series run.
P Woody Williams (Round 28): 15-year career, 103 ERA+, 30.2 bWAR
The lone pitcher on this list is Williams, a right-hander who logged more than 2,200 innings and earned more than $50 million as a pro.
His numbers are mostly unremarkable, but Williams was an all-star with the Cardinals in 2003, posting an 18-9 record with a 3.87 ERA as a 36-year-old.
OF Kevin Pillar (Round 32): 32 doubles per season, 83 stolen bases, 15.3 bWAR
Having exhausted his college eligibility at a Division II school, Pillar was an afterthought selection for the Blue Jays. They tossed him $1,000 to sign – not even enough for a new iPhone.
With his base-stealing prowess and Superman-style catches, Pillar was revered during his seven-plus years in Toronto. Offence isn’t typically his forte (career 87 OPS+), but last year he set career highs in home runs (21) and RBIs (88) with the Giants.
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2B Orlando Hudson (Round 43): 11-year career, four-time Gold Glove, 30.9 bWAR
The Blue Jays knew they wanted Hudson long before Hudson knew he wanted them. In 1996, Toronto drafted Hudson in the 33rd round, but he chose to go to college instead. The next year, Toronto drafted him again — but he still didn’t sign.
In 1998, with the Blue Jays retaining his rights, Hudson finally inked a minor-league deal. With a reliable glove, he became a two-time all-star and played for six teams.
UTIL Chris Woodward (Round 54): 12-year career, 71 OPS+, 1.1 bWAR
Despite having the least impressive playing resume by far, Woodward is listed because he was the longest shot of this bunch. Toronto drafted him out of high school in 1994 and signed him the following year. Despite modest numbers, he played in the majors for a dozen seasons.
Woodward is a baseball lifer. After his playing career ended in 2012, he took coaching jobs with the Mariners and Dodgers before landing a managerial role with the Rangers in 2019.
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