The Toronto Blue Jays had 19 picks for the 2026 MLB Draft this past weekend, looking to add some fresh faces to the farm system.

The club lost two picks (gained one for Bo Bichette signing with the Mets) as compensation for signing Dylan Cease this past winter, and also boasted the second smallest bonus pool of all 30 big league teams.

The Jays went very college-heavy this time around, with 16 of their picks coming from the post-secondary ranks. The first high schooler they selected was backstop Will Brick, who was available for the club in the fourth round (more on that later) and then with their 19th (Cole Travers) and 20th (Eddie Rosado Jr.) selections.

This is likely a calculated move given the smaller bonus pool the Jays had to work with, but also bodes well for the farm system side in terms of adding some more experienced players into the minor league rankings. The Jays have a lot of younger players – JoJo Parker, Blaine Bullard, Johnny King, etc – who are filling out the Single-A to High-A ranks, and adding some more college bats and arms helps provide some flexibility from a development standpoint.

Position-wise, the breakdown is as follows:

Of the group, Toronto drafted eight college players who are four-year seniors or higher, and didn’t select a single JUCO bandit this time around. Picks like Nolan Higgins (4th), Gable Mitchell (5th), Jake Bennet (8th), Joey Urban (9th), and Bryce Chance (10th) are likely going to help with giving the Jays some money to work with for signing someone like Brick, and this group of seniors should sign underslot in some areas to continue living the baseball dream.

With the limited pool of money to work with, there weren’t really any surprise picks this time around. If there was one pick that fits this category, it was the club selecting Jake McCoy in the 18th round, which is a bit of a slide for the #152-ranked left-hander.

Undergoing Tommy John surgery this past January dropped his stock, and while he will 100% cost more than the $150K slot that comes with this pick, McCoy can be a steal if he can find his strikeout ability post surgery and if the Jays can actually sign him. He’s transferred to Tennessee for the 2027 college season, so he may choose to try to up his stock next season if he can rehab in time and find some time back on the hill.

The Jays took Arizona State product Cole Carlon in the first round, and from the front office standpoint, they were surprised the left-hander was still on the board. He posted a 3.87 ERA across 83.2 innings last season for the Sun Devils with a stellar 14.3 K/9, with Carlon utilizing a fastball that flirts with triple digits and a slider that was his main strikeout pitch.

His 6-foot-5 frame and four-pitch mix could see Carlon be a quick riser in the Jays system if he keeps the command in check.

The Tennessee product being available for the Jays in the fourth round has ‘handshake deal’ written all over it. He was arguably the top prep backstop heading into the draft, and he boosted his stock this year by repping the USA U18 squad and winning the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year honour.

He’s committed to Mississippi State, so the Jays will definitely have to surpass the $581K bonus slot allotted for where he was drafted, but there is a lot to like with this pick if Brick continues to find his rhythm behind the plate.

Born in Montpellier, France, Nayral learned to play baseball at the age of 10 and found his way to Kansas after spending two seasons with Cochise College.

Across 17 starts and 69 innings, he posted a 4.96 ERA with a 1.435 WHIP. While the stats might make some question the pick, Nayral fits the category of ‘really good stuff that needs to find consistency’, something the Jays’ pitching development line has done well with over the past two seasons. Nayral had moments of greatness (7 IP with 1 run and 11 K’s against Cincinnati) and some moments where he struggled, so finding that middle ground will go a long way for the 6-foot-5 right-hander.

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