Blue Jays sign high school pitcher Irv Carter with a $850,000 signing bonus
By Cam Lewis
2 years agoThe Blue Jays have signed another one of their top picks from the 2021 draft.
A few days after reaching a deal with first-round pick Gunnar Hoglund, the Blue Jays have come to terms with fifth-round pick Irv Carter on a deal with a signing bonus of $850k.
Unsurprisingly, Carter earned a much higher signing bonus than his recommended slot value of $350,300. He was one of the top pitching recruits out of high school in Florida and had committed to play for the University of Miami Hurricanes.
But, based on his reaction to being selected by the Blue Jays, it isn’t all that surprising he signed…
Here’s what MLB Pipeline says about him…
Teams that have to play Calvary Christian Academy in Florida might think they’d be lucky if they didn’t have to face the school’s ace and potential top 10 pick, Andrew Painter. They’d be wrong, as the school’s No. 2 starter, Carter, would be the top guy in most other high school programs and is a legitimate Draft prospect in his own right.There are a lot of things to like with Carter, particularly his size, physicality and arm strength. The 6-foot-4 right-hander has a fastball that is currently up to 94 mph, but given his frame, scouts feel there’s more in the tank, with a consistent mid-90s fastball certainly feasible. He complements his fastball with a very good slider, thrown in the low 80s. He hasn’t needed it much, but Carter has shown some feel for a changeup, though it can get firm at times, up to 87 mph.Carter will change up his delivery, incorporating things like a Johnny Cueto-like turn-around, but he tends to be around the plate and should have average control once he commits to a consistent delivery. Given his size and stuff, the Miami recruit has reminded some of Touki Toussaint, who was a first-round pick from the area back in 2014.
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