All 20 rounds of the 2024 MLB draft have been completed.
This was the live tracker for the draft, with all 21 players the Blue Jays selected being featured. The first seven players selected got their own individual article, which you can click the link to read. Over the upcoming weeks, many of these players will sign, so keep an eye on that, as well as some scouting reports on a few more of the players selected on day three of the draft.
Let’s look at who the Blue Jays selected.
With their first-round pick, the Blue Jays selected one of the most MLB-ready draft prospects in this season’s draft, Trey Yesavage. He’s got #3 starter written all over him, with a mid-90s fastball with a ton of carry. However, his slider is his best pitch, with a plus splitter and a good curveball.
This was the first time the Blue Jays selected a college pitcher since 2021. There were a ton of bats available, but Yesavage was the best available at the time.
Also on day one, the Blue Jays selected another college pitcher, Khal Stephen. Like Yesavage, the fastball has a ton of carry and sits 92-94 mph while touching 96 mph. However, his best pitch is the changeup that has a ton of fade, while his slider and curveball are both graded as average.
The command is good, and he has a floor of a back-end of the rotation starter. Not too bad.
It was a bit of a surprise when the Blue Jays selected another pitcher with their third-round pick. This was their first prep selection (and is still their only prep selection), and Johnny King is a tall, young, left-handed pitcher. The Jays certainly have a type, having selected Ricky Tiedemann in the third-round of the 2021 draft, as well as Brandon Barriera with their first-round pick in 2022.
As for his stuff, the fastball sits low-90s but reaches 94-95 mph often. As he tacks on more muscle, it’s expected his velocity will increase. The slider is also above-average, while he features a curveball and a changeup.
The first bat drafted by the Blue Jays in the 2024 draft, Sean Keys’ best tool is his hit tool, which MLB Pipeline ranked at a 55 grade. The power is there, as he hit 13 home runs in each of the last two seasons at Bucknell University. However, some scouts believe that the power won’t transfer to professional ball.
Moreover, it’s believed that Keys will move off third base, either to first or left field. However, he’s hit his fair share of home runs with wood bats, 20 to be exact, and he plays in cold weather. There may be something here.
Sticking with bats, the Blue Jays essentially traded Gunnar Hoglund, Kirby Snead, Zach Logue, and Kevin Smith for two seasons of Matt Chapman and a compensation pick. With that pick, the Blue Jays selected Nick Mitchell.
The outfielder can play all three outfield positions and has good bat speed, but is known for his plus plus speed which hasn’t quite translated on the base paths just yet. He gets on base a ton, and the Jays certainly need an improvement for outfielders in the farm system.
The Blue Jays decided to draft another college pitcher with their fifth-round pick, selecting Jackson Wentworth from Kansas State Baseball. He may be one of the last Top 250 prospects the Jays select.
Wentworth’s fastball is fine, sitting 92-94 mph and touching 96 mph. However, both his changeup and slider are plus pitches, as they get a ton of swings and misses. The 21-year-old also features a cutter.
The final draft selection who got his own article, the Blue Jays selected their first catcher of the draft with their sixth-round pick, selecting Aaron Parker. Over the past two seasons, Parker hit 22 home runs in 443 plate appearances for the University of California at Santa Barbara.
As you get further along in the draft, it becomes increasingly more difficult to find scouting reports. However, Parker is a solid defender with good bat speed. We’ll see if he can become a top Blue Jays prospect in the future.
Austin Cates selected 217th overall
This draft is evidently becoming a pitchers draft, which is never a bad thing because teams always need pitchers. With their seventh-round selection, the Blue Jays picked Austin Cates from the University of Las Vegas.
He pitched as a starter for his college team, posting a 4.08 ERA in 90.1 innings pitched, along with a 27.9 K% and a 3.9 BB%. He features a fastball that sits around 90 mph, but has one of the best splitters in the draft according to Joe Doyle.
We’ll see if he can continue to command his pitches well once turning pro, but this is another pitcher who could become a back-end of the rotation guy.
Eddie Micheletti selected 247th overall
The Blue Jays seemingly understand they need catching prospect, as they selected their second catcher of the draft, Eddie Micheletti. He spent three seasons with George Washington University, but transferred to Virginia Tech University for his senior season. He slashed .311/.464/.599 with 12 homers in 240 plate appearances, as well as more walks (48) than strikeouts (32) in his first season there.
Michaeletti, 22, may stick at catcher, but it’s more likely that he moves to one of the outfield spots. In fact, he didn’t play catcher at all at Virginia Tech, playing 42 games in right field. He has a good approach, okay power, and has proven to be able to hit with wood bats in summer league action.
Colby Holcombe selected 277th overall
While some of the starters the Blue Jays picked earlier may turn into relievers, Colby Holcombe was the first pure reliever they chose in the draft. His numbers with Mississippi State aren’t great, as he had a 10.38 ERA in 21.2 innings pitched last season, along with a 26.9 K% and a 11.5 BB%. The season prior as a sophomore wasn’t much better, as the 21-year-old had a 8.25 ERA with 42 walks and 49 strikeouts.
On the draft panel, it was noted that he could’ve been a third or fourth round pick after his first season at Northeast Mississippi Community College, but he transferred to Mississippi State University where his numbers have been less than ideal. His heater touches 97 mph and he’s flashed a plus slider, but he’ll need to be more consistent, especially in pro ball.
Carter Cunningham selected 307th overall
The final pick of the second day of the draft saw the Blue Jays select outfielder Carter Cunningham. The 23-year-old played his freshman season at Gardner-Webb University in 2020 where he had limited plate apperances , before transferring to Florida SouthWestern State College for the 2021 season. That seemed to be a good decision for Cunningham, as he then transferred to East Carolina University to begin the 2023 season.
In 2023, he slashed .429/.522/.951 with eight homers in 238 plate appearances, along with 33 walks and 47 strikeouts. His best season was his senior year, where he slashed .367/.464/.653 with a career-best 17 home runs and 17 doubles in 307 plate appearances, along with 38 walks and strikeouts. Although he played first baseman in 2024, he’s athletic enough to play the outfield, but he’s also a good hitter even if the power isn’t his best tool.
Troy Guthrie selected 337th overall
It’s not unusual for the Blue Jays to select a prep player or two in the latter rounds. Last season, they selected Canadian Sam Shaw in the ninth round, as well as Chase Brunson in the 18th-round, with the latter not signing. In the 2022 draft, the Jays selected two prep pitchers on day three, Nolan Perry and Gage Stanifer.
Well, with their first pick on day three of the 2024 draft, the Blue Jays selected right-handed pitcher Troy Guthrie from Parrish Community High School. According to Taylor Black Ward, he features a low 90s heater, a slider, a curveball, and a changeup. He could feature in the rotation if all goes well.
This may be an over slot signing, as prep players have a bunch of leverage. Guthrie is committed to Florida Gulf Coast University.
Carson Messina selected 367th overall
After the second day of the draft, teams usually calculate how much they have and prep players drafted rounds 11-13 are usually a solid bet to get signed, according to Baseball America’s Teddy Cahill.
Well, the Blue Jays selected their sixth player that ranked on MLB Pipeline’s Top 250 draft prospect, right-handed pitcher Carson Messina, who ranked 222nd. He sits 92-95 with the fastball that has run, while his curveball is a wipeout pitch. He also features a low-80s changeup that he has feel for.
Standing at 6’2″, 225 lbs, he’s not quite athletic and throws with some effort. Pipeline’s bio is concerned he could end up in the bullpen as he doesn’t throw strikes consistently and hasn’t proven to be durable.
Brock Tibbitts selected 397th overall
The Jays took the “they need catching prospects” line to heart, as they selected their second and a half catcher, depending on how you view Eddie Micheletti. With their 13th-round selection, they drafted Brock Tibbitts out of Indiana University Bloomington. Yes, he was teammates with Nick Mitchell.
According to Taylor Blake Ward, Tibbitts has the tools to stick behind the plate and is a patient hitter with good raw power. His hit tool is below average, but the Jays got a catcher who could be in the upper minors in a few seasons.
Last season with the Hoosiers, Tibbitts slashed .313/.404/.472 with four homers in 213 plate appearances, along with 21 walks and 30 strikeouts. He had a much better sophomore season, where he slashed .357/.447/.585 with 10 homers in 293 plate appearances, along with 33 walks and 43 strikeouts.
J.R. Freethy selected 427th overall
With their 14th-round selection, the Blue Jays selected college second baseman J.R. Freethy from the University of Nevada, Reno.
In his junior year of college, the 21-year-old slashed .303/.414/.580 with 10 homers in 241 plate appearances, along with more walks (35) than strikeouts (31). For his entire collegiate career, he slashed .280/.381/.504 with 15 homers in 404 plate appearances with 51 walks and 56 strikeouts.
As for his summer league career, he most recently played with Macon Bacon in the Coastal Plain League where he slashed .287/.374/.478 with four homers in 156 plate appearances with the wood bats. He was set to transfer to University of Georgia for the 2025 season.
Jonathan Todd selected 457th overall
With the 15th-round pick, the Blue Jays selected left-handed pitcher Jonathan Todd from Western Carolina University.
Last season, the 22-year-old reliever posted a 4 ERA in 36 innings pitched, along with a 32 K% and an 8.5 BB%. For his entire two-season collegiate career at the University, he had a 6.93 ERA with a 24.3 K% and a 12.3 BB%. It’s clear he worked on command and control for his final collegiate season.
Colby Martin selected 487th overall
The further you get into the draft, the more interesting the players selected become. Colby Martin is a 23-year-old right-handed pitcher who the Blue Jays selected with their 16th-round pick.
Martin spent his first three seasons of his collegiate career as a position player. His first year was at Messiah University, before transferring to division III school Shenandoah University. Martin picked up pitching in his sophomore season, and transferred to Southeastern University, a NAIA team.
There, he had a 4.41 ERA in 16.1 innings pitched, along with a 43.1 K% and a 15.3 BB%. The stuff is great though, featuring an upper 90s fastball that touches 100 and a good slider.
We’ll see how he develops once turning professional, but the Jays have done a good job at finding relievers in the late rounds in recent seasons.
Gavin Smith selected 517th overall
Ladies and gentlemen, it’s possible we have our first hedge pick of the day. Anytime a team drafts a prep player in rounds 16-20, it’s likely a backup plan just in case one of their higher round picks don’t sign.
Well, when the Blue Jays selected shortstop Gavin Smith with their 17th-round pick, it seemed pretty clear this is a hedge pick, as the Valley Christian High School alumni is committed to Pepperdine University in Los Angeles.
Funnily enough, there’s another Gavin Smith from the exact same city (Chandler, Arizona) who was also eligible for the 2024 draft, but he’s committed to Harvard.
We’ll see if the Blue Jays are able to sign him.
Holden Wilkerson selected 547th overall
Back to a pitcher for the Blue Jays, as they selected Holden Wilkerson 547th overall, a right-handed pitcher from the Virginia Military Institute.
The 21-year-old only pitched 18.1 innings last season, where he had a 7.85 ERA with a 31.2 K% and an 8.6 BB% in his four starts. All around, it was the hits that hurt his game, as he gave up 12.3 hits every nine innings. For his entire collegiate career, he had a 7.73 ERA in 64 innings pitched, along with a 27.2 K% and a 17.8 BB%. It’s nice to see an improvement with the walk rate last season.
D’Marion Terrell selected 557th overall
The Blue Jays have selected another prep player in the latter rounds, selecting D’Marion Terrell with the 577th overall pick.
However, Terrell ranked as MLB Pipeline’s 153rd best available draft prospect. The 18-year-old has big raw power with his left-handed stroke, although the hit tool lags behind and is fringy. Defensively, his home is likely left field, but could end up at first base, which is what he was listed as when the Jays drafted him.
With that being said, the only way the Blue Jays sign him is if they are unable to sign on of their top picks. Terrell was slated to go in the top five rounds and is committed to Auburn University.
Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek selected 607 overall
The last player to be selected by the Blue Jays in the 2024 draft is Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek. If that name sounds familiar, he is the son of Mark Grudzielanek, who was drafted by the Montréal Expos and spent 15 seasons in the big leagues and slashed .289/.332/.393 with 90 homers in 7603 career plate appearances.
Martin-Grudzielanek has a good hit tool, using all fields while also possessing a bit of power. The approach at the plate is solid, and he’ll stay on the dirt somewhere. The pedigree of his father certainly doesn’t hurt his case either.
Bryce, 21, played for the University of Southern California in 2024, where he slashed .284/.369/.405 with a home in 84 plate appearances. He had a better season the year prior, where he slashed .302/.394/.475 with seven homers in 240 plate appearances.
Up next
That concludes the live tracker of the draft coverage. However, unlike every other sport that has a draft, not all 21 players here will draft. The MLB draft is an intricate process, and over the next coming days, the Blue Jays will surely sign some of these players. So keep an eye out for that! Moreover, I’ll be writing about a handful of the day three players over the next few days.
As always, you can follow me on Twitter @Ryley_L_D.
