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Blue Jays prospect Jake Cook looking to use Arizona Fall League to build on first pro season
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Michael Coyle
Oct 11, 2026, 07:00 EDTUpdated: Oct 10, 2026, 21:39 EDT
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Through his first season of professional baseball, Jake Cook has made his name known within the Toronto Blue Jays organization. 
After being selected by the Blue Jays in the third round, 81st overall during the 2025 MLB Draft out of the University of Southern Mississippi, Cook made his professional debut in Single-A with Dunedin over the course of the 2026 campaign. 
Cook appeared in 72 games with Dunedin and batted .250 with five home runs and 40 RBIs. The Blue Jays’ No. 20-ranked prospect per MLB Pipeline reached base at a .367 clip and flashed his speed on the basepaths, highlighted by 21 steals in 25 attempts. 
Speaking to MLB.com in Arizona this week, Cook discussed his experience during his first year of professional baseball, how he views himself as a player, and how he works on keeping up his speed during the season. 
“I think I got better and made a lot of strides. I’m still not anywhere near where I want to be, but it was a great first year,” Cook said. “I had a great time, but the wear and tear it has on your body doing it five or six days a week, is something you really need to learn with your routines, recovery and prep.” 
Following the completion of his 2026 campaign, it was announced that Cook would be heading to Arizona to take part in the Arizona Fall League. Through four games with the Mesa Solar Sox, Cook has impressed, having batted .364 with one RBI, while reaching base at a .500 clip. 
Once reaching base, Cook has put himself in motion and is a perfect 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts. Cook’s five steals place him in a tie for first with fellow Blue Jays prospect Jake Casey among all players in the AFL. 
“I think I’ve got the potential to be a five-tool guy. I want to do everything, steal bases, hit home runs, and play great defence,” Cook said. “I’m just not there yet. I have to keep working everyday. I was excited to get into the offseason, but here I am in the Fall League, so I get to work on it in games. It’s pretty awesome.”
Cook not only showcased his speed on the basepaths this season, but used it to his advantage in the outfield. Appearing in both centre field and right field, Cook turned in a perfect fielding percentage and spoke on how over the course of a long season, he is working on making sure he doesn’t lose a step. 
“During the year, it’s not too difficult with how much I actually have to run in the game. So, I don’t have to work on sprinting a ton,” Cook said. “If I have a down game, where I’m not really running a ton or we have an off day, then I’ll get some sprint work in pre-game or on the side. During the offseason, the Blue Jays do a great job with my sprint progression and my workouts, so I’m trusting them to get me right.”
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