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With the eighth overall pick, the Blue Jays could select… Steele Hall?
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Photo credit: © Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Jul 6, 2025, 12:00 EDTUpdated: Jul 6, 2025, 04:51 EDT
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There are a ton of shortstop high schools around the top 10.
We’ve already looked at a handful of who the Toronto Blue Jays could pick with the eighth overall pick. Ethan Holliday will more than likely be out of their range, Eli Willits and Billy Carlson could fall to the Jays, and JoJo Parker is an intriguing prospect with a plus-hit tool and above-average pop.
One high school shortstop who’ll almost certainly be available for the Blue Jays is Steele Hall. Let’s see what the 17-year-old has to offer.

Steele Hall’s bio

Hall spent his prep days at Hewitt-Trussville High School in Trussville, Alabama. He’s ranked as MLB Pipeline’s 12th-best draft-eligible prospect and stands at 6’0”, 180 lbs. The right-handed batting shortstop is one of the younger players eligible for the draft, as he won’t turn 18 until the end of May. Hall is committed to the University of Tennessee.
Unsurprisingly, the Blue Jays have never picked a player from Hewitt-Trussville High School, but you don’t have to go too far back to find a player they selected out of a high school in Alabama. In 2024, they selected Bub Terrell in the 19th round, with the outfielder electing to attend Auburn University.
A current player in their organization is right-handed pitcher Nate LaRue, who they selected in the 25th round of the 2019 draft. The catcher-turned-pitcher attended college and eventually signed as an undrafted free agent. Of the 15 Alabama prep players the Jays have picked, only five have signed: Matt Morgan (2014), Evan Smith (2013), and Edward Smith (1987)
Several players have been drafted from Hewitt-Trussville High School in the past, they are: Hunter Hoffman, Jay Waid, Mike Mordecai, Harold Harris, Jason Standridge, Tyler Latham, and Courtney Hall
The last time a prep middle infielder from Alabama went in the first round was all the way back in 1971.

Steele Hall’s tools

Hall is fast, it’s in his name. According to his MLB Pipeline scouting report, Hall’s plus-plus speed is easily his best tool, but he’ll be able to stick at shortstop as he has an above-average arm and plus fielding. The big area of concern is his bat.
Unlike the four other shortstops we’ve looked at in the draft profiles, Hall has below-average power and an average hit tool. In games, he tends to chase pitches and can’t has issues laying off the off-speed stuff. The approach needs work as he reaches the professional level.

Steele Hall’s grades

As always, here are Hall’s grades according to MLB Pipeline.
Tool
Grade
Hit
50
Power
45
Run
70
Arm
55
Field
60

Is Steele Hall a fit for the Blue Jays

The fact that Hall can stick at shortstop in his career is a good start, especially at such a young age. He’ll almost certainly be available when the Jays select eighth overall, but he won’t be the best player available.
At least one of Holliday, Willits, Carlson, or JoJo Parker should be available when the Jays select overall, and if they aren’t, there should be a handful of collegiate left-handed pitchers with good stuff available.
The only way the Jays selected Hall is if they underslot him and use that money on their third-round pick, who would’ve otherwise gone a little higher. They used that strategy in 2018, selecting Jordan Groshans eighth overall, and using the saved money to select his teammate, Adam Kloffenstein, in the third round.
That said, the best strategy for the Jays with the eighth-overall pick is to best player available because they really need to find a gem in this draft.
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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