The 2025 Major League Baseball draft is less than two weeks away.

In the last article, we looked at the <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/history-eighth-overall-pick-toronto-blue-jays-first-round-selection-2025-draft">history of the eighth overall pick</a>, which saw one Hall of Famer picked in the spot. The <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/">Toronto Blue Jays</a> have only <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/taking-a-look-at-the-career-of-felipe-lopez-the-only-player-the-blue-jays-picked-eighth-overall">picked once from the eighth overall selection</a>, but have picked 81st overall three times, the history of which we’ll look at in this article.
<div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="330" data-promotion-id="18983" data-context="“web-content-promocard&quot;"></div>
&nbsp;
Let’s dig in!
<h2>Blue Jays select Andre Robertson in 1979</h2>
In the 1979 draft, the Blue Jays selected Andre Robertson 81st overall. Just over six months later, they traded him to the New York Yankees for cash.
Robertson played five seasons in the big leagues, slashing .251/.279/.327 with five home runs in 778 plate appearances. Due to injuries sustained in a car accident in 1983, Robertson’s play regressed, and his final big league season was in 1985. He played four more seasons in the minor leagues before retiring after the 1989 season.
<h2>Blue Jays select Andy Dziadkowiec in 1986</h2>
Two of the three Blue Jays picked 81st overall made the big leagues, but Andy Dziadkowiec was the selection that didn’t make it. Born in Poland, the Jays selected the catcher in the 1986 draft.
Dziadkowiec played seven minor league seasons, four in the Blue Jays’ system and three in the Mets’ system, retiring after the 1993 season.
<h2>Blue Jays select Chase De Jong in 2012</h2>
The other Blue Jays pick selected 81st overall was Chase De Jong in 2012. Like Robertson, he never appeared in a big league game for the organization as he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for international bonus slots, a very important move for the Blue Jays.
Why was it important? Well, the Blue Jays used those slots to sign Vladimir Guerrero Jr., with the <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/toronto-blue-jays-history-ten-years-ago-toronto-signs-vladimir-guerrero-jr-through-international-free-agency">10th anniversary of that move happening on Wednesday</a>. De Jong pitched a handful of seasons in the big leagues, accumulating a 5.42 ERA in 181 innings pitched. His most recent season in the big leagues was in 2023.
<h2>Other notable players picked 81st overall</h2>
The most notable 81st overall pick by far was Jeremy Mumphrey. Selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1971, Mumphrey went on to slash .289/.349/.396 with 70 home runs in 5,545 plate appearances. He was named an All-Star in 1984 with the Houston Astros and received MVP votes with the Yankees in 1981. Overall, he finished with 22.3 bWAR, more than 15 bWAR more than the next player.
That next player happens to be the only player who ever played for the Jays, Eric Sogard. The utility infielder played the 2019 season with the Jays, slashing .300/.363/.477 with 10 home runs in 323 plate appearances. He was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays before the 2019 trade deadline and retired after the 2021 season. For his career, Sogard slashed .246/.313/.338 with 26 home runs in 2,493 plate appearances for a 7 bWAR.
The Jays have a player selected 81st currently in the system. Before the 2024 trade deadline, the Jays traded Nate Pearson to the Chicago Cubs for Yohendrick Pinango and Josh Rivera. The latter was picked 81st in the 2023 draft.
There are eight players selected 81st overall who had/finished with a bWAR above 0: Mumphrey, Sogard, Tom Poquette, Nick Allen, Garrett Hampson, Steven Shell, Robertson, and Konnor Pilkington. Allen, Hampson, and Pilkington remain active. 
Eight additional players made their big league debut but finished with a negative bWAR. They are: De Jong, L.J. Hoes, Billy Bates, Bob Pate, Jason Hardtke, Williams Jerez, Antone Williamson, and Dave Cochrane. Battes is the only player selected 81st overall who won a World Series.
Of the 41 players selected 81st overall, 16 made the big leagues. There’s still a chance Ryan Prager (2024, didn’t sign), Rivera (2023), Nolan McLean (2022, didn’t sign), Don Hamel (2021), Sam Weatherly (2020), and Andrew Dalquist (2019) make it, as they’re all pitching in the minor leagues.
<hr />
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/author/ryley-delaney">Blue Jays Nation</a>, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/author/ryley-delaney">Oilersnation</a>, and <a href="https://flamesnation.ca/author/ryley-delaney">FlamesNation</a>. She can be followed on Twitter <a href="https://x.com/Ryley__Delaney">@Ryley__Delaney</a>.
<hr />
<div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="324" data-promotion-id="18983" data-context="web-content-promocard"></div>
&nbsp;

The 2025 Major League Baseball draft is less than two weeks away.



In the last article, we looked at the <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/history-eighth-overall-pick-toronto-blue-jays-first-round-selection-2025-draft">history of the eighth overall pick</a>, which saw one Hall of Famer picked in the spot. The <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/">Toronto Blue Jays</a> have only <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/taking-a-look-at-the-career-of-felipe-lopez-the-only-player-the-blue-jays-picked-eighth-overall">picked once from the eighth overall selection</a>, but have picked 81st overall three times, the history of which we’ll look at in this article.
<div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="330" data-promotion-id="18983" data-context="“web-content-promocard&quot;"></div>
&nbsp;

Let’s dig in!
<h2>Blue Jays select Andre Robertson in 1979</h2>
In the 1979 draft, the Blue Jays selected Andre Robertson 81st overall. Just over six months later, they traded him to the New York Yankees for cash.

Robertson played five seasons in the big leagues, slashing .251/.279/.327 with five home runs in 778 plate appearances. Due to injuries sustained in a car accident in 1983, Robertson’s play regressed, and his final big league season was in 1985. He played four more seasons in the minor leagues before retiring after the 1989 season.
<h2>Blue Jays select Andy Dziadkowiec in 1986</h2>
Two of the three Blue Jays picked 81st overall made the big leagues, but Andy Dziadkowiec was the selection that didn’t make it. Born in Poland, the Jays selected the catcher in the 1986 draft.

Dziadkowiec played seven minor league seasons, four in the Blue Jays’ system and three in the Mets’ system, retiring after the 1993 season.
<h2>Blue Jays select Chase De Jong in 2012</h2>
The other Blue Jays pick selected 81st overall was Chase De Jong in 2012. Like Robertson, he never appeared in a big league game for the organization as he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for international bonus slots, a very important move for the Blue Jays.

Why was it important? Well, the Blue Jays used those slots to sign Vladimir Guerrero Jr., with the <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/toronto-blue-jays-history-ten-years-ago-toronto-signs-vladimir-guerrero-jr-through-international-free-agency">10th anniversary of that move happening on Wednesday</a>. De Jong pitched a handful of seasons in the big leagues, accumulating a 5.42 ERA in 181 innings pitched. His most recent season in the big leagues was in 2023.
<h2>Other notable players picked 81st overall</h2>
The most notable 81st overall pick by far was Jeremy Mumphrey. Selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1971, Mumphrey went on to slash .289/.349/.396 with 70 home runs in 5,545 plate appearances. He was named an All-Star in 1984 with the Houston Astros and received MVP votes with the Yankees in 1981. Overall, he finished with 22.3 bWAR, more than 15 bWAR more than the next player.

That next player happens to be the only player who ever played for the Jays, Eric Sogard. The utility infielder played the 2019 season with the Jays, slashing .300/.363/.477 with 10 home runs in 323 plate appearances. He was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays before the 2019 trade deadline and retired after the 2021 season. For his career, Sogard slashed .246/.313/.338 with 26 home runs in 2,493 plate appearances for a 7 bWAR.

The Jays have a player selected 81st currently in the system. Before the 2024 trade deadline, the Jays traded Nate Pearson to the Chicago Cubs for Yohendrick Pinango and Josh Rivera. The latter was picked 81st in the 2023 draft.

There are eight players selected 81st overall who had/finished with a bWAR above 0: Mumphrey, Sogard, Tom Poquette, Nick Allen, Garrett Hampson, Steven Shell, Robertson, and Konnor Pilkington. Allen, Hampson, and Pilkington remain active. 

Eight additional players made their big league debut but finished with a negative bWAR. They are: De Jong, L.J. Hoes, Billy Bates, Bob Pate, Jason Hardtke, Williams Jerez, Antone Williamson, and Dave Cochrane. Battes is the only player selected 81st overall who won a World Series.

Of the 41 players selected 81st overall, 16 made the big leagues. There’s still a chance Ryan Prager (2024, didn’t sign), Rivera (2023), Nolan McLean (2022, didn’t sign), Don Hamel (2021), Sam Weatherly (2020), and Andrew Dalquist (2019) make it, as they’re all pitching in the minor leagues.

<hr />

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/author/ryley-delaney">Blue Jays Nation</a>, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/author/ryley-delaney">Oilersnation</a>, and <a href="https://flamesnation.ca/author/ryley-delaney">FlamesNation</a>. She can be followed on Twitter <a href="https://x.com/Ryley__Delaney">@Ryley__Delaney</a>.

<hr />

<div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="324" data-promotion-id="18983" data-context="web-content-promocard"></div>
&nbsp;

Recent articles from Ryley Delaney

Breaking News