The Toronto Blue Jays will select eighth overall at this year&#8217;s MLB Draft. Although the club finished with the sixth-worst record in the Major Leagues last year, some<a href="https://www.mlb.com/draft/2025/order?msockid=0818f6d4f98d69581e26e2c4f827680d"> bad lottery luck</a> saw them drop two spots to eighth overall. The club will also be without a second-round pick as compensation for signing Anthony Santander this past winter. With all the competitive rounds and compensation picks mixed between rounds one through three, the Jays don&#8217;t step back to the podium until pick #81, the sixth pick of the third round.
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It&#8217;s also the first draft with Marc Tramuta at the helm of the amateur scouting department, who took over for Shane Farrell this winter when he departed for the Detroit Tigers. Tramuta worked as a special assistant within the department, and the Jays looked internally to fill the void, with the New York product having spent over six years as the New York Mets scouting director before joining the Blue Jays.
With Toronto&#8217;s farm system ranking towards the back half of the league, it will be an important draft for the Blue Jays and Tramuta, who are hoping to restock the prospect cupboards without a second-round pick. The 2025 MLB Draft is shaping up to be very high school heavy, at least from the current outlook, but the process always has a way of shaking out differently than how it&#8217;s predicted. Here are a few names to keep an eye on for the Blue Jays with their eighth overall selection.
Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP/1B 
Sunset (Oregon)
Standing at 6-foot-8 at just 17 years old, Kruz Schoolcraft is one of the most polarizing high school picks in this year&#8217;s draft class. He reclassified in 2023 to be part of this year&#8217;s draft and is one of the top two-way type players heading into this year.
Whether he remains as a two-way player will remain to be seen, as his bat sits well behind his pitching ability, with the southpaw able to hit the upper 90s with his fastball and pairs the offering with a slider and a plus changeup, which is a tough pitch to get a feel for in the high school rankings. His monster frame gives him the projectability to start, and he impressed at the Area Code Games, striking out four of the seven batters he faced. An average runner, Schoolcraft&#8217;s exit velocity at the plate sat in the high 90s last summer. Earned Top Prospect Team honours at the 2024 Perfect Game National Showcase.
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‘25 Kruz Schoolcraft (OR, <a href="https://twitter.com/Vol_Baseball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Vol_Baseball</a>)
4S: 93-96🔥 (some sizzle down to GS) 2S: 91-93 (control&gt;command, ASR) SL: 76-81 (2200, short sweep. Tighter) CH: 83-84
Methodical w/ effortless velo. Upper 9s likely as spring unfolds. SL flashed AA. Frame stands out. 👍<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MLBDraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MLBDraft</a> <a href="https://t.co/vKvKeqx3Ae">pic.twitter.com/vKvKeqx3Ae</a>
&mdash; Shooter Hunt (@ShooterHunt) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShooterHunt/status/1909778532450157034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
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While his bat isn&#8217;t as impressive as his arm, he can launch the ball a long way once he gets a hold of a pitch while manning first base with ease on the defensive side of the ball. He was a late commit to Tennesse this winter, so there is a chance that <a href="https://www.mlb.com/milb/prospects/draft/kruz-schoolcraft-828244?msockid=0818f6d4f98d69581e26e2c4f827680d">MLB Pipeline&#8217;s</a> #9 ranked draft prospect chooses the college route over turning pro. The Jays last used a first-round pick on a high school talent in 2023 when they selected Arjun Nimmala at #20.
Luke Stevenson, C 
North Carolina
Last year, North Carolina had six players hear their name called in the draft, led by Vance Honeycutt at #22. This year, the Tar Heels have the potential to break into the top 10 with Luke Stevenson, one of the top catchers of this year&#8217;s class.
An eligible college sophomore, Stevenson was the program&#8217;s starting catcher right from the get-go last year as a freshman and produced a .284/.420/.535 slash line with 14 home runs and 58 RBIs to the tune of a .955 OPS. So far this season, he owns a .266/.458/.556 line with 10 home runs and 30 RBIs with still over half a season to go. He has almost eclipsed his doubles total from last year (six versus eight) and has 43 walks already this year, five off from last season&#8217;s tally, while striking out just 34 times in 2025. He also has zero errors behind the plate this season, and scouts are impressed with his plus arm and blocking ability.
Named a Freshman All-America First Team by D1Baseball and Perfect Game, Stevenson was also named to the All-ACC Freshman Team last year and finished the summer playing for the Team USA Collegiate National Team, suiting up in three games and collecting two hits and one RBI.
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🧵5. Luke Stevenson (C)
In 33 G w/ <a href="https://twitter.com/DiamondHeels?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DiamondHeels</a>:
154 PA: .259/.420/.535, 1.002 OPS, 10 HR, 32 R, 28 RBI, 24.7% BB%, 20.8% K%, .302 ISO, .449 wOBA, 121 wRC+ <a href="https://t.co/QDSS30BQSy">pic.twitter.com/QDSS30BQSy</a>
&mdash; Tobey Schulman (@tschulmanreport) <a href="https://twitter.com/tschulmanreport/status/1910547406925504532?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The last time the Blue Jays used a first-round pick on a North Carolina player was in 2017, with the club selecting infielder Logan Warmoth at #22, but they also used their #14 pick in 2002 on Russ Adams, who spent parts of five seasons with Toronto.
Xavier Neyens, 3B 
Mount Vernon (Washington)
If the MLB Pipeline rankings shaped up to be the exact for the MLB Draft, then the Jays would be selecting prep star Xavier Neyens out of Mount Vernon with their first pick.
Like Schoolcraft, Neyens was impressive at the Area Code Games, and he had a busy summer playing in different tournaments across the United States. The 6-f00t-4 Washington product has long been lauded for his batting ability, with scouts believing he has the makings of a top hitter from the left side of the plate. His approach and eye are strong, and he added some power this past year to give him an extra edge over his counterparts, making him more of a threat at the plate. Scouts believe he can handle the hot corner over time with his plus arm and athleticism, but he&#8217;s also been taking reps this year at shortstop as well.
Neyens earned Washington State Gatorade Player of the Year and Northwest Conference Player of the Year honours last year, posting a .433 average with 10 doubles, three home runs, and 24 RBIs while walking 33 times for the Bulldogs.
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Hot start to the season for Mount Vernon SS Xavier Neyens. He’s hitting .429 with 2 HR, 5 2B, 22 BB and 17 SB in 13 games.
Not bad considering the monsoon that was the month of March in Washington.
🎥:<a href="https://twitter.com/SkagitPrep?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SkagitPrep</a>
 <a href="https://t.co/bfQ3TLkg3y">pic.twitter.com/bfQ3TLkg3y</a>
&mdash; Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeDoyleMiLB/status/1910862392201716001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Some are a bit concerned with the swing-and-miss in his game, which could be a result of such a heavy workload this past year, but the raw power and ability in the batter&#8217;s box are turning heads and seeing his draft prospects skyrocket to start the year. Any interested team will need to sway him from a commitment to Oregon State.
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The Toronto Blue Jays will select eighth overall at this year's MLB Draft. Although the club finished with the sixth-worst record in the Major Leagues last year, some<a href="https://www.mlb.com/draft/2025/order?msockid=0818f6d4f98d69581e26e2c4f827680d"> bad lottery luck</a> saw them drop two spots to eighth overall. The club will also be without a second-round pick as compensation for signing Anthony Santander this past winter. With all the competitive rounds and compensation picks mixed between rounds one through three, the Jays don't step back to the podium until pick #81, the sixth pick of the third round.
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It's also the first draft with Marc Tramuta at the helm of the amateur scouting department, who took over for Shane Farrell this winter when he departed for the Detroit Tigers. Tramuta worked as a special assistant within the department, and the Jays looked internally to fill the void, with the New York product having spent over six years as the New York Mets scouting director before joining the Blue Jays.

With Toronto's farm system ranking towards the back half of the league, it will be an important draft for the Blue Jays and Tramuta, who are hoping to restock the prospect cupboards without a second-round pick. The 2025 MLB Draft is shaping up to be very high school heavy, at least from the current outlook, but the process always has a way of shaking out differently than how it's predicted. Here are a few names to keep an eye on for the Blue Jays with their eighth overall selection.

Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP/1B
Sunset (Oregon)

Standing at 6-foot-8 at just 17 years old, Kruz Schoolcraft is one of the most polarizing high school picks in this year's draft class. He reclassified in 2023 to be part of this year's draft and is one of the top two-way type players heading into this year.

Whether he remains as a two-way player will remain to be seen, as his bat sits well behind his pitching ability, with the southpaw able to hit the upper 90s with his fastball and pairs the offering with a slider and a plus changeup, which is a tough pitch to get a feel for in the high school rankings. His monster frame gives him the projectability to start, and he impressed at the Area Code Games, striking out four of the seven batters he faced. An average runner, Schoolcraft's exit velocity at the plate sat in the high 90s last summer. Earned Top Prospect Team honours at the 2024 Perfect Game National Showcase.

https://twitter.com/ShooterHunt/status/1909778532450157034

While his bat isn't as impressive as his arm, he can launch the ball a long way once he gets a hold of a pitch while manning first base with ease on the defensive side of the ball. He was a late commit to Tennesse this winter, so there is a chance that <a href="https://www.mlb.com/milb/prospects/draft/kruz-schoolcraft-828244?msockid=0818f6d4f98d69581e26e2c4f827680d">MLB Pipeline's</a> #9 ranked draft prospect chooses the college route over turning pro. The Jays last used a first-round pick on a high school talent in 2023 when they selected Arjun Nimmala at #20.

Luke Stevenson, C
North Carolina

Last year, North Carolina had six players hear their name called in the draft, led by Vance Honeycutt at #22. This year, the Tar Heels have the potential to break into the top 10 with Luke Stevenson, one of the top catchers of this year's class.

An eligible college sophomore, Stevenson was the program's starting catcher right from the get-go last year as a freshman and produced a .284/.420/.535 slash line with 14 home runs and 58 RBIs to the tune of a .955 OPS. So far this season, he owns a .266/.458/.556 line with 10 home runs and 30 RBIs with still over half a season to go. He has almost eclipsed his doubles total from last year (six versus eight) and has 43 walks already this year, five off from last season's tally, while striking out just 34 times in 2025. He also has zero errors behind the plate this season, and scouts are impressed with his plus arm and blocking ability.

Named a Freshman All-America First Team by D1Baseball and Perfect Game, Stevenson was also named to the All-ACC Freshman Team last year and finished the summer playing for the Team USA Collegiate National Team, suiting up in three games and collecting two hits and one RBI.

https://twitter.com/tschulmanreport/status/1910547406925504532

The last time the Blue Jays used a first-round pick on a North Carolina player was in 2017, with the club selecting infielder Logan Warmoth at #22, but they also used their #14 pick in 2002 on Russ Adams, who spent parts of five seasons with Toronto.

Xavier Neyens, 3B
Mount Vernon (Washington)

If the MLB Pipeline rankings shaped up to be the exact for the MLB Draft, then the Jays would be selecting prep star Xavier Neyens out of Mount Vernon with their first pick.

Like Schoolcraft, Neyens was impressive at the Area Code Games, and he had a busy summer playing in different tournaments across the United States. The 6-f00t-4 Washington product has long been lauded for his batting ability, with scouts believing he has the makings of a top hitter from the left side of the plate. His approach and eye are strong, and he added some power this past year to give him an extra edge over his counterparts, making him more of a threat at the plate. Scouts believe he can handle the hot corner over time with his plus arm and athleticism, but he's also been taking reps this year at shortstop as well.

Neyens earned Washington State Gatorade Player of the Year and Northwest Conference Player of the Year honours last year, posting a .433 average with 10 doubles, three home runs, and 24 RBIs while walking 33 times for the Bulldogs.

https://twitter.com/JoeDoyleMiLB/status/1910862392201716001

Some are a bit concerned with the swing-and-miss in his game, which could be a result of such a heavy workload this past year, but the raw power and ability in the batter's box are turning heads and seeing his draft prospects skyrocket to start the year. Any interested team will need to sway him from a commitment to Oregon State.

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Blue Jays 2025 MLB Draft: Early season predictions for the eighth overall pick

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