By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

As you know by now, if you have watched a draft or felt a draft through an open window, all first rounders aren’t created equal.

Let’s take a look at the top five NBA first round picks, argue amongst yourselves if you wish: 1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 2. Magic Johnson, 3. Shaquille O’Neal, 4. LeBron James and 5. Hakeem Olajuwon.

Or the top NHL first rounders, argue, amongst yourselves if you wish: 1. Mario Lemieux, 2. Denis Potvin, 3. Sidney Crosby, 4. Guy Lafleur and 5. Gilbert Perreault.

Or possibly the top five NFL first rounders, argue amongst yourselves if you wish: 1. Peyton Manning, 2. Earl Campbell, 3. Terry Bradshaw, 4. Johnny Unitas and 5. Bruce Smith.

Finally let’s look at the top seven Blue Jays selected within the first five selections overall: 1. Vernon Wells, 2. Lloyd Moseby, 3. Billy Koch in 1996, plus four who never made the majors: Jay Schroeder, Garry Harris, Matt Williams and Augie Schmidt. .

The Jays selected fifth Wednesday night via virtual call.

What can they expect. Well, any draft coverage the next two days should come with a has tag #NotAnExactScience.

The point is there are zero guarantees in the draft -- or else Hall of Fame Mike Piazza would not have been selected in the 62nd round.

And what do the Jays usually do at No. 5? Well, three of seven made the majors, one had a cop of Joe. The total WAR for the seven averages out to 8.8. Among past Toronto picks, retired INF Felipe Lopez is a 7.5, while free agent RHP Aaron Sanchez is at 8.9.

You should not be upset if Austin Martin averages out to be something akin to Lopez.

A rundown ...

CF Moseby, an Oakland high schooler, was a second round pick in 1978 behind Bob Horner who went to the Atlanta Braves.

Shaker, or Shake and Bake as he is called by some, sits fourth on the all-time Jays list with 1,319 hits -- 210 behind Wells who sits second. He was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in St. Marys in 2018. He has gained seven ounces since he retired in 1991, according to sources.

Moseby played only 203 games in the minors and 1,588 in the majors with the Jays and the Detroit Tigers.

SS Harris a second round high school pick from San Diego in 1980.

Harris was signed off a workout.

Which is why you have heard a Toronto scout say more than once “Never sign anyone off a workout -- see him in a game.”

Harris played at rookie-league Medicine Hat, class-A Florence, class-A Kinston and double-A Knoxville. His best year was at Florence when it came to at-bats (495), hits (125) and RBIs (64). In his final season he played 118 games at Knoxville -- as a teammate of Schmidt’s -- with future major leaguers like Jimmy Key, Mark Eichhorn John Cerutti, Paul Hodgson (Marysville, NB), Stan Clarke, Steve Davis, Dave Shipanoff (Edmonton, Alta.) Dan Whitmer and the legendary Jesus Figueroa. He played 407 games in the Jays system.

SS August Robert Schmidt IV was selected in the second round in 1982 from the University of New Orleans Privateers.

He played three seasons in the Jays system at Kinston, Knoxville and triple-A Syracuse. He was dealt to the San Francisco Giants with RHP Jim Gott for RP Gary Lavelle.

He played two years in the Giants system and one with the Minnesota Twins system, playing 438 games in the minors.

“We may have missed on Schmidt and took him ahead of Dwight Gooden,” said a former Jays scout. “But it was still a good draft for our World Series teams.”

The Jays took San Diego high school LHP David Wells in the second, then third round pick Jimmy Key from Clemson and INF Pat Borders from Lake Wales, Fla. in the sixth.

“Boomer has to be the only pitcher in history to win 239 games and fall off the writer’s ballot,” said the scout. “Wells and Key (186) combined to win over 400 games (426).”

C Schroeder, third overall in 1979 from Pacific Palisades (Calif.) high school. Schroeder tried baseball playing at Medicine Hat, Florence and Kinston in four seasons.

The NFL’s Washington Redskins made Schroeder a third round draft pick in 1984. He started only one game at UCLA. He then took over for injured Joe Theismann on Nov. 18, 1985. Schroeder’s first pass after Theismann was taken off the field was a 43-yard completion to Art Monk as the Redskins went on to a 23-21. He is third all time leader in single season passing for Washington and led his team to the NFC title game where they were shut out 17-0 by the New York Giants.

“Jay gave it a real good effort,” said another scout. “The thing is we may have had him miscast: at third, in right field and behind the plate. You know most quarterbacks don’t have good arms that translate to baseball -- Dante Culpeller. Chris Weinke and others. Jay and Bubby Brister were the only two I saw throw a baseball well.”

RP Koch was selected fourth in 1996 from Clemson.

The reliever was unavailable and would not speak to the press during the Atlanta Olympics -- coach’s orders. When he arrived for the early camp Cito Gaston was asked how Koch looked. Gaston said, “Ask Mel Queen.” The pitching coach said, “How would I know? I never saw him.”

Despite all that, Kock lit up the lights at the SkyDome. He was the first Blue Jays pitcher to hit 100 MPH on the auxiliary boards. Koch was about 18 months removed from Tommy John surgery. One night we asked him if he threw that hard in college.

“Heck no, but I had an extra long band that they wrapped it around my elbow an extra time. That’s where the speed come from. I’d highly recommend it, but not to rehab.”

Koch pitched at Dunedin and Syracuse, saving 33 games in 2000 and three more the next year.

He made his exit guns blazing knocking the organization.

RHP Williams, chosen fifth in 1981 from the Rice Owls.

Despite arm problems, he pitched at Florence, Knoxville and Syracuse. In 1983 he recorded his only win in four appearances with Toronto at Exhibition Stadium against the New York Yankees.

Facing the New York Yankees and a lineup of Don Mattingly, Graig Nettles, Dave Winfield, Oscar Gamble, Steve Kemp, Don Baylor, Rick Cerone, Larry Milbourne and Andre Robertson.

Williams allowed five runs on five hits and four walks, while striking out three.

He pitched 130 games in the minors and 10 in the majors.

OF Wells, a high schooler from Arlington, Tex., was selected fifth overall in 1997

Wells started at class-A St. Catharines and class-A Hagerstown. Then, is his third yer as a pro -- second full season -- he began 1999 at Dunedin, moved to Knoxville, then Syracuse and played 24 games with the Blue Jays.

Agent Brian Peters was watching a high school game in Houston. Every time there was a lull in the action the scouts would extol the virtues of “some kid in Arlington.”

The next day Peters headed to Arlington and tossed a couple of pebbles at Wells’ back. It was the start of a beautiful friendship. Peters is God parents to Wells’ children and vice versa. And now Wells has followed Peters into the same profession.

Wells played 576 games in the minors and 1,731 in the majors.

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And the Jays select a speedy guy: What they are saying about Austin Martin

Austin Martin

Projected No. 2

Vanderbilt OF

Notes: Like we mentioned before when we explored an under slot deal with the Orioles, Martin remains the favorite at No. 2. Baltimore has been consistently linked to under slot deals and rumored with off-the-board players in recent drafts—including last year when they had the No. 1 pick with a clear-cut No. 1 player available in Adley Rutschman — but at the end of the day, talent wins out. This does remain an interesting fulcrum point for the draft though, and if the Orioles did go for a Nick Gonzales or Zac Veen, this mock gets blown up in a hurry. Gonzales or Veen seem more likely than Lacy here.

Perfect Game

Projected No. 1

Austin Martin, 3b/cf, Vanderbilt (JR)

R-R, 6-0/175, Jacksonville, Fla.

Previously Drafted: Indians ’17 (37)

We’re not alone in ranking Martin as the No. 1 prospect in the class, but we’re certainly in the minority in that sense. Martin’s potential overall impact as well as the versatility his profile provides has sustained him at the top for us since December, and we’re keeping it that way heading into the draft. Widely considered to have the best hit tool in the class, Martin projects as at least a plus hitter and could be plus-plus, to go along with tremendous instincts and athleticism. There’s the upside of solid average game power here as well, as Martin should hit a ton of doubles and could get to 15-20 home runs annually, as well. He’s a plus runner whose speed plays in center field, where he saw most of his time this spring, but he also has shown the ability to play third base as well as second base. He could be a true super utility type of player who starts every single game but in a given week starts in 3-4 spots depending on roster construction. His approach and awareness are high-end, and he should be in the Major Leagues in short order.

Sounds like a better future than Felipe Lopez, but as they say in the draft room “it’s early.”

Reading material: As usual we should keep you up to date

Top Canadians selected year by year

Canadians selected in the top 200 in North America

FAQs

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There was a time when you could find plenty of Canadians on the draft floor. But due to the virus the two-day draft will be conducted virtually. This flashback to 2017 (from left to right) inside Studio 42 at MLB Network head quarters in Secaucus, NJ: Claude Pelletier (Mets), Murray Cook (Tigers), Gord Ash (Brewers) and Denis Boucher (Yankees) ran into Felipe Alou (Giants), a member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in St. Marys. Photo: Jim Leyland, Detroit Tigers.

Day 1 of the draft consisted of 37 selections with zero Canadians chosen.