Blue Jays select Dean West 222nd overall in 2026 MLB Draft

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Jul 12, 2026, 13:35 EDTUpdated: Jul 12, 2026, 13:36 EDT

The Toronto Blue Jays’ parade of college hitters has continued.

In the seventh round, they selected Dean West, an outfielder who attended the University of California Los Angeles.

He’s an undersized outfielder, listed at just 5’9”, 170 lbs. As expected, there isn’t a ton of physical projection according to the MLB.com broadcast, but he’s a contact hitter and doesn’t strikeout a lot. That’s essentially what the Blue Jays look for in a player. Over the years, the Blue Jays have accumulated a whole whack of left-handed batting outfielders with contact skills, and West is just the next in a long list of players with that profile.

West’s season with the UCLA Bruins didn’t go great. While he hit a career-high seven home runs, he slashed just .277/.418/.417 with 10 doubles and a triple for a 106 wRC+. He also walked (12.3 BB%) than he struck out (11 K%).

For context, West slashed .320/.470/.425 with four home runs in 66 games with the UCLA Bruins last season. He also hit 12 doubles and a triple in 323 plate appearances, while also walking 15.2% of the time and striking out 9% of the time, good for a collegiate career-best 125 wRC+.

There’s some speed in his game, as West successfully stole 11 bases in 12 attempts this past season, a more successful rate than his 13/17 in 2025. The MLB.com broadcast also noted that he may end up playing all three outfield spots.

This pick likely isn’t a money-saving type of pick, as West was a junior in 2026. The slot value for the 222nd overall pick is $262,300, and it won’t be surprising if he signs his bonus around that value.