The <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/">Toronto Blue Jays</a> may have found their future lead-off hitter.

On Sunday evening, the Jays selected <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/history-81st-overall-pick-toronto-blue-jays-third-round-selection-2025-draft">Jake Cook with the 81st overall pick</a> from Southern Mississippi.
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With their 3rd-round pick (No. 81 overall), the <a href="https://twitter.com/BlueJays?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BlueJays</a> select <a href="https://twitter.com/SouthernMissBSB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SouthernMissBSB</a> outfielder Jake Cook, No. 106 on the Top 250 Draft Prospects list.
Watch LIVE: <a href="https://t.co/jQGbpQjGwF">https://t.co/jQGbpQjGwF</a> <a href="https://t.co/thvl1NlLzM">pic.twitter.com/thvl1NlLzM</a>
&mdash; MLB Draft (@MLBDraft) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBDraft/status/1944580071857049627?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Cook is an intriguing prospect, as he had limited action as a pitcher in 2024. He focused on the outfield in 2025 and slashed .350/.436/.469 with three home runs in 284 plate appearances, with a 10.9 BB% and 6.7 K%. Altogether, he had a 131 wRC+.
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Ranked as <a href="https://www.mlb.com/milb/prospects/draft/jake-cook-834404">MLB Pipeline’s</a><a href="https://www.mlb.com/milb/prospects/draft/jake-cook-834404"> 106th-best player</a>, Cook didn’t hit for two seasons, but still has a great approach at the plate. He’s a contact hitter who rarely chases and strikes out. Pipeline gave him a 55-hit tool. 
Where Cook is lacking is in the power department, as he has a 30 power grade. There’s still room to fill out his 6’3”, 185 lbs frame, but he’ll never hit for average power. On top of filling out the frame, one way Cook could generate more power is by changing his swing path, something the development team will certainly work on.
The outfielder’s best tool is undoubtedly his 80-grade speed, as he’s one of the fastest runners available in the draft. Cook may have 80-grade speed, but he only stole three bases in eight attempts.  Defensively, the former pitcher has a strong arm (graded 60), and he’s a great fielder, with Pipeline grading his fielding at 65.
If he can develop any semblance of power, Cook has a legitimate chance of being a big league lead-off hitter. That said, he’s a very raw prospect and doesn’t have much of a track record at the collegiate level, given he redshirted in 2023 and pitched two innings in 2024.
Cook joins Alan Roden, Jace Bohrofen, Victor Arias, and a few others as the Blue Jays’ best outfield prospects. It’ll be interesting to see how he develops, and Cook will more than likely start his professional career with the Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays. This pick has a slot value of $993,900. It’s unclear whether this is an underslot pick or he’ll get slot value.
Day two of the 2025 MLB draft resumes at 11:30 AM on Monday and will feature rounds 4 to 40. If you missed the eighth overall selection, <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/toronto-blue-jays-select-jojo-parker-eighth-overall">you can read about JoJo Parker here</a>.
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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>.
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The <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/">Toronto Blue Jays</a> may have found their future lead-off hitter.



On Sunday evening, the Jays selected <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/history-81st-overall-pick-toronto-blue-jays-third-round-selection-2025-draft">Jake Cook with the 81st overall pick</a> from Southern Mississippi.

https://twitter.com/MLBDraft/status/1944580071857049627

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Cook is an intriguing prospect, as he had limited action as a pitcher in 2024. He focused on the outfield in 2025 and slashed .350/.436/.469 with three home runs in 284 plate appearances, with a 10.9 BB% and 6.7 K%. Altogether, he had a 131 wRC+.
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Ranked as <a href="https://www.mlb.com/milb/prospects/draft/jake-cook-834404">MLB Pipeline’s</a><a href="https://www.mlb.com/milb/prospects/draft/jake-cook-834404"> 106th-best player</a>, Cook didn’t hit for two seasons, but still has a great approach at the plate. He’s a contact hitter who rarely chases and strikes out. Pipeline gave him a 55-hit tool. 

Where Cook is lacking is in the power department, as he has a 30 power grade. There’s still room to fill out his 6’3”, 185 lbs frame, but he’ll never hit for average power. On top of filling out the frame, one way Cook could generate more power is by changing his swing path, something the development team will certainly work on.

The outfielder’s best tool is undoubtedly his 80-grade speed, as he’s one of the fastest runners available in the draft. Cook may have 80-grade speed, but he only stole three bases in eight attempts.  Defensively, the former pitcher has a strong arm (graded 60), and he’s a great fielder, with Pipeline grading his fielding at 65.

If he can develop any semblance of power, Cook has a legitimate chance of being a big league lead-off hitter. That said, he’s a very raw prospect and doesn’t have much of a track record at the collegiate level, given he redshirted in 2023 and pitched two innings in 2024.

Cook joins Alan Roden, Jace Bohrofen, Victor Arias, and a few others as the Blue Jays’ best outfield prospects. It’ll be interesting to see how he develops, and Cook will more than likely start his professional career with the Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays. This pick has a slot value of $993,900. It’s unclear whether this is an underslot pick or he’ll get slot value.

Day two of the 2025 MLB draft resumes at 11:30 AM on Monday and will feature rounds 4 to 40. If you missed the eighth overall selection, <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/toronto-blue-jays-select-jojo-parker-eighth-overall">you can read about JoJo Parker here</a>.

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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>.

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Blue Jays select Jake Cook 81st overall

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