The 2021 Major League Baseball Draft is set for this Sunday. The Toronto Blue Jays possess the 19th and 91st picks. They lost their second-round selection for signing free-agent George Springer.
There are 20 rounds in this year's draft, an increase of 15 from last year but a decrease of 20 from two years ago. MLB Network will broadcast the proceedings at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time Sunday with rounds one and two. Rounds 2-10 go Monday at 1:00 p.m. Eastern on MLB.com with a one-minute break between picks and concludes with rounds 11-20 at high noon Eastern Tuesday with no breaks in between picks. The final day will be audio only on MLB.com.
This draft is said to not contain any franchise players but it is noted for its depth. Four high-school shortstops are projected to go in the top 10 led by Marcelo Mayer from East Lake HS in Chula Vista, California. Baseball America believes the Pittsburgh Pirates will take Mayer first overall. Jordan Lawlar from Dallas Jesuit could go next to Texas with the second pick, Khalil Watson from Wake Forest High in North Carolina could be picked fifth by Baltimore and Brady House from Winder-Barra High in Georgia may be taken eighth by Colorado.
The Vanderbilt Commodores pitching duo of Jack Leiter—son of Blue Jays lefty Al Leiter—and Kumar Rocker are also slated to go in the top 10 by Baseball America with Leiter expected to go to Boston at number four and Rocker heading to Kansas City at number 7.
Who will the Toronto Blue Jays take when it's turn to pick? Baseball America's latest mock draft has them selecting Kansas State lefthander Jordan Wicks. BA also claims there is interest by the Jays in a pair of Florida high schoolers in righty Andrew Painter and outfielder Jay Allen. ESPN's Kiley McDaniel actually has Allen going to Toronto in his latest mock. The Jays selecting someone named Jay in the first round? Remember Jay Schroeder? He went third overall to the Jays in 1979 but he was much better at football. He did begin his pro career in Medicine Hat.
Other possibilities mentioned by BA are a trio of college righties in Mississippi State righthander Jared Bednar, Ole Miss hurler Gunnar Hoglund and UC Santa Barbara's Michael McGreevy, not to be confused with this guy.
Who do you want to the Jays to take in the first round? The floor is yours, Bauxites!
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