With the 262nd overall pick, the Toronto Blue Jays have selected Karson Ligon, a right-handed pitcher from Mississippi State.

Ligon began his Collegiate career with the Miami Hurricanes and pitched a couple seasons with them in 2021 and 2022 before transferring to Mississippi State for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. The right-hander wields a three-pitch mix that features a fastball that sits in the 93-95 range and tops out at 98 MPH, a gyro slider that’s his main put-away pitch that produced solid whiff rates, and a changeup that flashes potential with more usage down the line.

This past season, Ligon posted a 5.40 ERA across 56.2 innings while walking 29 and punching out 73. Ligon also hit 11 batters, which points to a lack of command at times. Still, he has clear swing and miss capabilities and refining a pitcher’s command and control is one of the top priorities for teams once their selections turn pro.

There’s some intrigue in this pick, as Ligon possesses really good stuff. It also ticked up from where it was in 2023, which stands to reason there could be room for more gains as he turns pro. The Blue Jays’ recent success with pitching development also leads to some intrigue over what they could do with Ligon once they get their hands on him. There’s a big ball of clay here and multiple possibilities. His big stuff gives him the fallback option of being a potential leverage reliever. Some refining of his command and further development of his changeup, however, opens up endless possibilities as a potential starter.

Upon further inspection, I’m not certain he 100% comes in under slot. He was a high ERA guy in his senior year, but the more important variable is the stuff, and Ligon has plenty of that. It’ll be intriguing to see what the final number lands on with the former Mississippi State starter, as it will dictate whether the Blue Jays have some room to take another big swing on a prep player later on in the draft.