After the Jays’ first two picks last night, there’ll be more action today as we work through rounds four through twenty in what used to be two separate days of drafting. The Jays have all their picks today, starting at #112 overall, so we’ll have a lot guys to immediately decide we’re disappointed in/tell everyone we always believed would be stars. As a reminder, rounds 4-10 remain slotted picks (the former “day two picks”) whereas in rounds 11-20 any bonus up to $150,000 does not count against the bonus pool.
In the recent past, the Jays would usually go for a run of college hitters early on day 2, typically with a lone higher bonus upside play, before some senior signs to clear slot room later and a run of college pitching on Day 3 with a flew fliers added in.
The reviews of the Jojo Parker pick seem pretty positive, with Baseball America picking him as one of their best player/team fits. Though, really, 30 teams need an infielder who can hit and hit for power. There’s less on third rounder Jake Cook, but Keith Law describes him as “the type of guy the Dodgers take in the fourth round and a year from now he’s on the top 100 list”, which sounds just fine to me. It sounds like his swing will probably need to be reworked to get a little more power, but if he could go from not hitting at all for two years (he pitched his freshman and sophomore seasons) to a 6.7% strikeout rate in a decent college conference there’s clearly some raw ability there. He was also the fastest player at the combine and is described as a top tier athlete, so while it might be a slower burn than the typical 22 year old college draftee it seems like there’s a lot for the development team to work with.
This post will be updated as the next 17 picks come in.
4. Micah Bucknam, LHP, Dallas Baptist University
- Bucknam was previously selected by the Jays out of high school in the Fraser Valley in the 16th round having popped up draft bards late with a low-90s fastball shy of 18 years old. Initially committed to Washington, he ended up instead going to LSU where he didn’t pitch much in 2023-24 (just 16 innings, exceeding that on the Cape Cod league in the summer). In 2025 he transferred to Dallas Baptist and made 13 started to mixed results (80 strikeouts in 62 innings but a 5.78 ERA). Bucknam will be a development project for the Jays, with the stuff to start but command/control issues to iron out that could instead point to the bullpen.
As a sidenote, in 2009 the Jays also used their 4th rounder (130th overall) on a draftee out of Dallas Baptist, and Ryan Goins had a nice eight year career, the first five as a useful defensively oriented platoon infielder for the Jays.
5. Tim Piasentin, 3B, Okotoks Composite HS (Alberta)
- The Jays continue their local focus, taking the number one Canadian prospect on the board. Piasentin is a hulking 6’3” and 205lbs and already has above average raw power that might approach 70 on the 20-80 scale at maturity. There are questions about how much he’ll ultimately hit due to some swing and miss in his game, but he apparently impressed with his ability to catch up to high end velocity in showcase looks this spring and if he can make enough contact his uppercut stroke should lead to huge home run totals. His size might eventually force a move to right field or firs base, but he has decent actions at third and a plus arm, so there’s potential to stick there. The Jays will have to buy him out of a commitment to Miami.
6. Eric Snow, SS, Auburn
- Dipping into the college hitter ranks for the first time on day two for a more familiar demographic, if slightly off-the-board-play. Snow hit .343 at South Florida as a freshman before suffering the sophomore slump in 2024, though he did rebound last summer to hit .326 in 108 PA in the Cape Cod league. Transferring to Auburn this year, he hit .307 against stout SEC competition. On the smaller side at 5’8”, he’s only posted modest power output and is more of a utility infielder than a true shortstop. He fits with the Jays’ emphasis in recent years on contact ability from college hitters.
7. Dylan Watts, RHP, Auburn
- The Jays dip right back into the Tiger pool, but for a pure development project in Watts rather than a performer. In two years at Auburn he posted a 7+ ERA, clearly getting hiy quite hard given he struck out a batter an inning and kept the free passes in order. At 6’4” Watts fits the power pitcher profile and has the raw stuff to match, with upper 90s velocity and some ability to spina breaking ball.