'The Right Fit': Gunnar Hoglund Joins the Blue Jays

The Blue Jays 2021 first-round pick met with the media Monday and discussed becoming a Blue Jay

Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports

There was a familiarity with Toronto.

Gunnar Hoglund has been to Blue Jays games, he played at TD Ballpark in high school, and he was born in Toronto's Spring Training home: Dunedin, Florida.

He's from Hudson, 45 minutes north of Dunedin, but this offseason will be a homecoming.

“It’s funny that I was born in Dunedin and now I’m gonna be rehabbing there,” Hoglund said.

Since the former Ole Miss right-hander was selected 19th overall by the Blue Jays in last week's MLB Draft, he's signed with the team and reported to Toronto's development complex in Dunedin where he will continue rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.

Hoglund is two months into a 12-15 month trek back from a torn ulnar collateral ligament, and he'll spend the rest of this offseason building strength and mobility back in his throwing arm.

In the sixth inning of Hoglund’s April start against South Carolina, he felt a pull releasing a fastball. He finished the start with nine strikeouts, no walks, and just one hit against. He was set to make his next start, but it quickly became obvious something was wrong.

Hoglund lasted just two-thirds of an inning the next week against Texas A&M, allowing three quick runs before he was pulled and his college career ended.

“I was devastated, not just for the draft but for the season and Ole Miss," Hoglund said. "But I knew it was out of my control."

After struggling as a freshman (5.29 ERA in 68 IP) Hoglund flashed top-tier talent in his four 2020 starts. Across 23.1 innings, Hoglund posted a 1.16 ERA and struck out 9.25 times as many batters as he walked. Hoglund built on a brief but strong 2020 with a 2.87 ERA and .910 WHIP in 11 2021 starts prior to his season-ending injury.

The 21-year-old was refining his changeup, climbing draft boards, and continuing to rely on the elite control he's had his entire baseball life.

In a baseball environment that prioritizes power and velocity, Hoglund became a first-round pick with elite location — it's always been his priority. Playing catch with his dad growing up was never about how hard Hoglund was throwing, it was about hitting the glove. In 154 college innings, the righty walked just 25 batters (a 2.0 BB/9) and had the lowest walk rate in Ole Miss' 2021 rotation.

It was the control that Toronto director of amateur scouting Shane Farrell first identified on draft night, and it gave the organization confidence Hoglund would be able to smoothly rehab from Tommy John.

Hoglund met with the Blue Jays multiple times throughout the pre-draft process and even visited the facilities where he will now be rehabbing from his season-ending injury. It's an injury that knocked him down the draft board, may have cost him millions in signing-bonus money, and will consume his offseason, but without the injury, he wouldn't be a Blue Jay.

Hoglund has been on Toronto's radar for years, but they never thought he would fall to 19 before the UCL Tear. On draft night, the match was obvious.

"The draft is a crazy thing and we didn't get our hopes up," Hoglund said. "But when the Blue Jays came calling it just felt like the right fit."