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A history of the eighth overall pick, the Blue Jays first-round selection in the 2025 draft
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Photo credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Jul 2, 2025, 10:00 EDTUpdated: Jul 2, 2025, 21:09 EDT
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On July 13, the Toronto Blue Jays will pick eighth overall.
It’s the second time they’ll pick eighth overall in the team’s franchise history. But the bigger question is, who are some notable players picked eighth overall over the years?
Well, in this article, we’ll look at the history of the eighth overall pick. That includes the Hall of Famers, All-Stars, and big leaguers the spot has produced, as well as any other player who has played for the Blue Jays.
Let’s dig in.

Blue Jays select Felipe Lopez in 1998

The one time the Blue Jays selected eighth overall was in 1998 when they selected Felipe Lopez. The Puerto Rican native played parts of just two seasons in the big leagues with the Jays, slashing .240/.293/.399 with 13 home runs in 501 plate appearances.
His best years came after he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds, as he slashed .265/.340/.421 with 41 home runs in 1,566 plate appearances. In 2005, Lopez earned an All-Star nomination, slashing .291/.352/.486 with 23 home runs in 648 plate appearances, winning the Silver Slugger for National League shortstops that year.
After his tenure with the Reds, Lopez played three seasons with the Washington Nationals before becoming a journeyman, playing with the St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Tampa Bay Rays, and Boston Red Sox.
Lopez’s 7.5 bWAR ranked 16th-best among players picked eighth overall.

Other notable players picked eighth overall

Although Lopez had a lengthy big league career, there were many better players than him. The best player by far to come out of this draft was Todd Helton, who slashed .316/.414/.539 with 369 home runs in 9,453 plate appearances. He played all 17 of his seasons with the Colorado Rockies and was a five-time All-Star. Helton is the only eighth overall pick in the Hall of Fame, as he finished with a bWAR of 61.8.
One active player who could receive consideration for the Hall of Fame is Francisco Lindor. Splitting his time between the Cleveland Guardians and New York Mets, Lindor is slashed .273/.341/.475 with 264 home runs in 6,492 plate appearances. He’s never won an MVP before, but he finished as the National League’s runner-up in 2024 and has accumulated 52.4 bWAR in his career. The shortstop is a four-time All-Star, a two-time Gold Glove winner, and a four-time Silver Slugger award winner.
Infielder Jay Bell was selected eighth overall in the 1984 draft. He went on to make two All-Star games, won a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger award, and won a World Series in 2001. He finished with the third-highest bWAR of the eighth overall selection with 37.1.
Another two-time All Star was Dick Ruthven, who was selected eighth in the 1972 draft, but was selected first overall in the 1973 January draft. The righty made the All-Star Game in 1976 and 1981.
Jim Abbott, selected in the 1988 draft, never won any personal awards, but he finished third in American League Cy Young voting in 1991 and had a productive career, posting a 4.25 ERA in 1,674 innings pitched. He accumulated 19.7 bWAR in his 10-season career.
Another notable player is Kyle Freeland, who is still active with the Rockies. Over his nine-year career, Freeland has a 4.55 ERA and 4.58 FIP in 1,175.1 innings pitched for a 17.4 bWAR. Canadian Cal Quantrill is another active player, as he has a 4.19 ERA in 792 innings pitched with the San Diego Padres, Guardians, Colorado Rockies, and Miami Marlins
The two other eighth-overall picks who played for the Blue Jays are Joey Hamilton and Pat Lennon. Hamilton is by far the more notable player, as he finished with a 4.44 ERA in 1,340.2 innings pitched. With the Blue Jays, he had a 5.84 ERA in 253.1 innings pitched, spending 1999, 2000 and parts of 2001 with the Canadian team.
As for Lennon, he only had 217 career plate appearances in the big leagues, slashing .265/.359/.381 with one home run. He spent his final two seasons with the Blue Jays and was a teammate of Hamilton in 1999. Both were teammates of Homer Bush that season.
Other players with 10 or more bWAR are Mike Leake, Gary Roenicke, Steve Trout, Paul Maholm, Todd Walker, and Pete Incaviglia.
Since the Major League Baseball amateur draft was introduced in 1965, there have been 41 players selected eighth overall who have made the big leagues. On the opposite end, 19 players never found their way to the show, but that very well could change for Blake Mitchell (2023), Benny Montgomery (2021), and Carter Steward (2018).
One player was selected eighth overall in back-to-back drafts as well. In 2004, the Baltimore Orioles selected Wade Townsend eighth overall. He elected to return to return to Rice University to finish his degree, with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays picking him eighth overall. Townsend never played in the big leagues, but he is also a professional poker player.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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