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With the eighth overall pick, the Blue Jays could select… Kruz Schoolcraft?
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Photo credit: © Nathan Ray Seebeck - Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Jun 24, 2025, 18:30 EDTUpdated: Jun 24, 2025, 22:15 EDT
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Is it possible that the Toronto Blue Jays look to draft a two-way player?
One player who’ll be available when the Toronto Blue Jays select eighth overall is Kruz Schoolcraft. The Oregon-native is exactly what the Blue Jays look for on the mound, as he’s a tall left-handed pitcher. On top of that, Schoolcraft is a first baseman who could potentially be an above-average hitter in the future.
Let’s see what the 18-year-old has to offer. If you missed the last draft profile, we looked at high school shortstop Billy Carlson.

Kruz Schoolcraft’s bio

Schoolcraft stands at 6’8”, 229 pounds and played his high school days at Sunset High School, the same school KISS guitarist Tommy Thayer attended. The Blue Jays have a track record of drafting large left-handed pitchers out of high school or after their first season at Junior College. Look no further than Brandon Barriera and Ricky Tiedemann.
If the Jays were to select Schoolcraft, it wouldn’t be the first time they selected a player from Sunset High School. In the 46th round of the 1998 draft, they selected Donald Loland, who ended up not signing for them. Moreover, the Jays have picked nine high schoolers from the state, but none since the turn of the millennium.
The Blue Jays have selected a handful of players from the state of Oregon in the last few drafts. In the 10th round of the 2023 draft, they picked Josh Mollerus. The year before that, they selected Josh Kasevich with the 60th overall pick. In 2019, the Jays selected Brandon Eisert.
It’s only a matter of time before Schoolcraft will be the sixth player drafted from Sunset High School. He’ll join Loland (1998), Douglas McCracken (1976), Lyman Willis (1970), Terry Thompson (1965), and Jon Baker (1965).
Big leaguer Brady Clark also attended Sunset High School, but went undrafted after playing collegiately for the University of San Diego.

Kruz Schoolcraft’s tools

Schoolcraft ranks as MLB Pipeline’s 16th-best draft-eligible prospect and is committed to the University of Tennessee, meaning he could replace Liam Doyle after he’s drafted. It’s believed Schoolcraft will become a full-time pitcher once he turns professional, as he has a mid-90s fastball that has reached as high as 97 mph, but it doesn’t have a lot of spin or carry.
Schoolcraft’s best secondary is a changeup that sits in the low-80s, and he also throws a changeup and has a good feel for it. With pitchers as tall as Schoolcraft, you worry about the consistency of their delivery. That isn’t the case for Schoolcraft, as it helps him command and control his three pitches.
As for his bat, MLB Pipeline notes he may be an above-average hitter with significant pop in the future. He’s a solid defender at first base and could be picked thanks to the bat, but it’s his arm that has him ranked as high as he is.

Kruz Schoolcraft’s grades

As for his grades, MLB Pipeline only has grades for his pitching.
Tool
Grade
Fastball
60
Slider
60
Changeup
55
Control
50

Will the Blue Jays select Kruz Schoolcraft?

The Blue Jays selected Brandon Barriera, a prep left-handed pitcher, in the first round of the 2022 draft. In 2021, they selected Ricky Tiedemann in the third round; both players stand over 6’2″, so there is precedent for them to select a player like Schoolcraft.
That said, the eighth-overall pick is far too high to select the two-way player, as in MLB Pipeline’s recent mock draft, they have him going 23rd overall. There is a scenario where the Blue Jays pick him eighth overall, giving him an underslot bonus to be able to select a high-potential player with the 81st overall pick, as they lack their second-round pick.
Still, that isn’t a likely scenario as the last time they pulled this type of move off was in 2018 when they picked Jordan Groshans 11th overall.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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