Blue Jays select Ryan Cooney 103rd overall
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Jul 11, 2026, 18:45 EDTUpdated: Jul 11, 2026, 19:16 EDT
The Toronto Blue Jays went down the college route again with their second pick of the 2026 MLB Draft.
On Saturday evening, the Blue Jays used the 103rd overall pick to select Ryan Cooney, an infielder from the University of Oregon.
Born in Portland, Oregon, Cooney stands at 6’0”, 195 lbs and has played shortstop, second baseman, and third base during his collegiate career. Turning 22 years old shortly after the conclusion of the 2026 season, Cooney spent three seasons with the Ducks.
His freshman season in 2024 saw him slash .203/.323/.468 with six home runs in 95 plate appearances for an 84 wRC+. Cooney improved in 2025 with increased playing time, batting .335/.445/.500 with six home runs in 234 plate appearances, with a higher BB% (14.1%) than K% (9%).
This past season, Cooney slashed .331/.420/.524 with a career-best eight home runs in 295 plate appearances. While he didn’t walk more than he struck out, he had a good 10.8 BB% and an impressive 11.9 K%, giving him a 121 wRC+.
Cooney ranked as MLB Pipeline’s 137th-best draft eligible prospect. His best tool is his speed, which is graded as a 55 by the publication. The hit tool is solid, as it’s given a 50 grade, while his power tool is below-average, given a grade of 40. Defensively, he could play the left side, but mainly played second base in 2026.
If his type of profile sounds similar, it’s the third time in the last five drafts the Blue Jays have selected a player like this. In 2022, they selected Josh Kasevich, who ironically also played for the Oregon Ducks in his draft year. Kasevich is a strong infield defender, lower power numbers, but is a great bat-to-ball hitter with a low strikeout rate.
In the last draft, the Blue Jays selected Eric Snow in the sixth round. So far this season, he’s hit just four home runs, but is slashing .298/.374/.405 between Single-A and High-A. Like Kasevich and Cooney, he has a solid walk rate (11.1 BB%) and low K% (13.8%).
The Blue Jays next pick is the 131st overall pick at the end of the fourth round.
Other draft picks…
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.