The Toronto Blue Jays finished just shy of a World Series title, and with that strong postseason run comes the fallout from getting so close to winning it all in 2025.

Because of their World Series attempt, the Jays slotted into the 29th spot for the 2026 MLB Draft, the second last pick of the first round. On top of that late pick selection, the Jays are expected to fall 10 spots further down the order, thanks in part to the penalty that comes with exceeding the second level of the CBT in 2025.

That means the Jays won’t select until pick #39, coming after the Prospect Promotion Incentive picks (#26 through #28) and Competitive Balance Round A (#29 through #37). Toronto will also not pick in Round 2 as compensation for signing Dylan Cease, who declined the Padres’ Qualifying Offer this winter.

This means that Pick #39 will be pretty important for the Jays, as they currently hold just 19 picks in the upcoming draft and could lose another if they sign Kyle Tucker this offseason. They will gain one back after the fourth round if Bo Bichette signs elsewhere, but fans would likely rather have the shortstop back on the squad than the compensation pick for him signing elsewhere.

While the draft is still months and months away and rankings amongst players will rise and drop after the spring months, let’s take a quick look at some players who are currently projected to be around when the Jays step to the podium at Pick #39 and who might fit into their draft plans.

Hunter Dietz is an interesting name in the 2026 MLB Draft.

The southpaw has just 1 2/3 innings at the college level and 11 2/3 innings in the Cape Cod League, where he posted an 11.57 ERA out of seven relief appearances. While looking at his stat lines might raise some question marks, there is a lot of raw potential with Dietz that has scouts interested in the left-hander heading into the new campaign.

A stress fracture in his elbow during his freshman campaign and setbacks the following campaign are to blame for his limited innings, but the Razorbacks pitcher impressed this past fall, where he was sitting 91-94 MPH with his fastball while touching 99 MPH on occasion. He also mixes in a cutter and a curveball that gives hitters a different look from his 6-foot-6 frame, and scouts believe he could be a top college arm this year if he can replicate his fall work when Arkansas takes the field this spring. It also helps that college southpaws are not ranking well heading into 2026.

Why might the Blue Jays be interested? Well, they’ve seen him pitch before when he was teammates with Landen Maroudis (Rd 4, 2023)  at Calvary Christian High School and going back to the well of selecting a college pitcher with their first pick (Trey Yesavage, 2024) could bode well for the farm system, given their 2025 success stories, pairing him with fellow rising southpaw Johnny King.

Sticking with the college southpaw shtick, Cole Carlon at Arizona State is another interesting name slotted at #39 per MLB Pipeline for the 2026 MLB Draft.

Carlon has spent the first two years of his college career in the bullpen, where he owns a 5.13 ERA across 94 2/3 innings. His freshman season is to blame for the elevated ERA (7.52 through 40 2/3 IP), and he became a go-to arm for the Sun Devils’ relief corps last season, posting a 3.33 ERA, 14.3 K/9, and a 1.056 WHIP across a team-high 29 outings. He then went to the Cape Cod League and continued to dominate, making three starts for Cotuit and allowing just three hits and one earned run across 6 1/3 innings while striking out eight. It’s a small sample size for Carlon, but an impressive line for the left-hander in one of the toughest collegiate summer leagues in the country.

The expectation is that Carlon will move to the rotation this year, where he will use his 6-foot-5 frame to continue racking up the strikeouts. He can sit in the mid-90s with his heater and mixes in a hard-cutting slider that is a solid compliment to the fastball. Carlon also features a 12-6 curve and a changeup, both lesser offerings but strong enough to be used as a rotation piece with four overall pitches to work with.

Scouts are concerned that he could be a reliever at the next level because of his command issues at times mixed with the high strikeout numbers, but this upcoming season will be a good test for the left-hander to see if he can become a well-rounded starter in the Big 12 Conference.

The Jays went the high school route last season with JoJo Parker at Pick #8, and they could follow suit with this pick as well. There are a handful of players that slot in the #30 through #45 rankings that are currently in high school, and outfielder Brady Harris is one name that could be on the Jays’ radar this summer.

For one, the Jays have used their top picks on high school talent in the Florida area before (Brandon Barriera, Arjun Nimmala), and Harris fits into that narrative at Trinity Christian in Jacksonville. Harris was playing everywhere last summer, including numerous Perfect Game events, the Area Code Games, and the East Coast Pro Showcase, in an attempt to get in front of more scouts. He also suited up for the 15U National Team in 2023, where he batted .571 with eight RBIs and five stolen bases with Team USA.

Hitting from the right side, Harris boasts a lot of power at 17 and can hit from foul pole to foul pole with his easy swing. There is a bit of swing and miss to his game that will need to be ironed out, and it will be interesting to see if that follows him this upcoming year as he likely takes part in more events. Scouts also believe he has the speed and athleticism to hang in centre field at the next level.

High school players move up and down the rankings a ton in the coming season, so there is a high possibility that he finds himself higher up the list come March, but also could fall off dramatically if he struggles in his senior year. Any interested team will have to pry the 6-foot-2 outfielder away from his commitment to the University of Florida.

Sticking with the high school route, the Jays are not afraid to use their top pick on middle infield prepsters (Nimmala and Parker in recent memory). Beau Peterson fits that mould, as the third baseman out of Mill Valley (Kansas) currently ranks at #41 on MLB Pipeline’s top 100.

Scouts rave about Peterson’s plus power. He won the High School Home Run Derby last summer at the All-Star week and, similar to Harris, was at numerous showcase events throughout the summer to boost his draft stock. While many think the plus power will equal strikeouts, Peterson doesn’t follow that trend by being very selective at the plate and driving the ball to all areas of the field instead of selling out for the long ball, a mature approach for the 18-year-old. The bat is his calling card, and some believe over time, he will be moved from the hot corner to the corner outfield spots due to his below-average speed, but that’s a question that can be answered down the road.

Adding Peterson to the Jays’ organization would add another level behind Nimmala and Parker into the farm system ladder that should see them all debut around a similar window if everything falls into place development-wise. That can’t be banked on for obvious reasons, but the plus power could easily provide enough reasoning to mitigate the risk factor that comes with his defensive liability (similar to a different Bo).

Peterson is committed to Texas, so any team that drafts him will have to consider it in their draft plan.

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