July 13, 2021

By Jay Blue

Blue Jays from Away

With their second selection in the 2021 draft, at 91st overall (their third-round pick), the Toronto Blue Jays selected Golden West College pitcher Ricky Tiedemann.

With the Blue Jays not having a second round draft pick this year (thanks to the signing of George Springer in the offseason), the Blue Jays went with another college pitcher in the third round.

Tiedemann had big bonus money in mind coming out of high school in 2020 and, apparently, in such a strange draft year, teams weren't willing to go as far as Tiedemann had wanted and he wasn't selected in the five-round draft. He went to Golden West College (a junior college) and came into his 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame, touching 94 mph with his fastball (sitting 89-92) and Baseball America feels that his fastball has a lot of life coming out of a "low slot that creates a difficult angle for hitters." They like his changeup as a "plus offering" with room to improve and his "hard slider has become consistently average." While his numbers weren't terrific this spring, scouts like his athleticism and upside at a young age (he's still just 18).

MLB.com writers like his upside and ability to throw strikes "even if he starts throwing harder," and as a lefty with projection, a lot people can be interested in what he's got. Tiedemann threw 38 innings this year with a 3.55 ERA and 40 hits with 15 walks over that span. He also struck out 60 batters, showing off his stuff.

Tiedemann will be another guy to follow who may take some time to reach the upper levels of the minors but scouts think that he can project very well as a young lefty with the potential to have a couple of at least average offspeed pitches.

Fourth Round

With their third selection in the 2021 draft, at 121st overall (their fourth-round pick), the Toronto Blue Jays selected Tennessee pitcher Chad Dallas.

Chad "Cheese" Dallas is a glasses-wearing, undersized pitcher who pitched in 2021 as a Junior for the Tennessee Volunteers. Baseball runs in his family as his father played baseball at Panola College and his brother pitches for Lamar University.

Hailing from Texas, Dallas started his college career at his dad's alma mater, coming out of the bullpen and striking out 71 in 39 innings in 2019 at Panola JC. He became Tennessee's no. 1 starter by the time 2021 came around and he helped them to the College World Series in 2021.

MLB.com reports that his fastball site 90-94 mph and can hit 98 (more likely in a relief role) while his mid-80s cutter [that Baseball America calls a slider] became "his best weapon, a plus offering that destroys right-handers both in the strike zone and as a chase pitch." He also throws a low-80s curve that MLB calls "solid at its best." He is reported to have a changeup as well but he rarely used it in 2021.

At only 5-foot-11, his fastball is fairly straight and hittable if he misses with and he had a 4.27 ERA in 2021 but had 106 strikeouts to just 19 walks. Scouts like his ability to pound the strike zone and dream on his slider that they think should translate well at the pro level.

Fifth Round

With their fourth selection in the 2021 draft, at 152nd overall (their fifth-round pick), the Toronto Blue Jays selected Florida high-school pitcher Irv Carter out of Calvary Christian Academy.

While he was the number-two starter for Calvary Christian Academy, MLB scouts thought Carter could have been the top pitcher at any other school. At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Carter hits 94 mph with his fastball that many scouts feel has room to grow. Scouts liked his slider as well and, while he didn't use it much, think that his changeup has potential.

Baseball America's scouts saw his fastball getting to 95 mph and liked his "good downhill angle out of a high, three-quarter arm slot" and note that his slider has spin rates in the 2500 rpm range. There are some concerns with his delivery as being inconsistent and having a long "arm stroke with stabbing action in the back" but he gets praise for his "mentality and demeanor on the mound."

Sixth Round

After selecting exclusively pitchers in the first five rounds of the 2021 MLB Draft (with four picks), the Blue Jays kept going after pitching as they made their sixth-round selection, going with righty Hayden Juenger of Missouri State.

Juenger only threw 21 innings over 16 games and his fastball was tracked between 94-98 mph to go with what scouts are calling an average slider and changeup. Juenger had a 3.86 ERA and allowed 21 hits and six walks over 21 innings, striking out 31, but it was noted that the reliever gave up five of his nine earned runs in the first two weeks of the year.

Scouts at MLB.com think that Juenger can be a starter in the pros thanks to his good velocity, fairly clean delivery and his ability to throw strikes as well as having two serviceable offspeed pitches.

Seventh Round

The Blue Jays selected high school outfielder Jaden Rudd out of A. Crawford Mosley High School in Florida. The left-handed hitting outfielder was ranked sixth among Florida outfielders by Perfect Game and showed a 91 mph exit velo. Baseball America reports that Rudd is "better suited to left field than right" and that he has "more baseball skills than raw tools." With a commitment to Notre Dame, the Jays might need to go above slot for Rudd. Rudd also pitched in high school and tossed 91 mph from the left side although it's hard to get a sense of whether the Blue Jays will have him focus on hitting. Rudd himself claimed that "I like playing the outfield the best . . I like hitting," in an interview with WTCA radio in Plymouth, Indiana.

Eighth Round

The Blue Jays went with another right-handed pitcher in the eighth round, selecting Hunter Gregory out of Old Dominion in Virginia. The big righty (6-foot-3) is a Virginia native and had a strong year, earning First-Team All-Conference USA starting pitcher honours. He had a 2.95 ERA and had 19 walks and 88 strikeouts in 79 1/3 innings. It seems (from an article in the Virginian Pilot) that Gregory will sign, saying, "It was a very easy decision."

Baseball America reports that Gregory pitches in the 90-92 mph range but can hit 95 and has a solid "slider/cutter" that he throws for strikes.