Blue Jays Select LHP Brandon Barriera In First Round of 2022 MLB Draft
The Blue Jays are trying to win games now, but they just added a name for the future.
With the 23rd overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, Toronto drafted left-handed high school pitcher, Brandon Barriera. He was ranked as the No. 15 player in MLB Pipeline's pre-draft rankings and No. 17 by Baseball America.
"The delivery and athleticism that Brandon possesses is what really stood out," Blue Jays director of amateur scouting Shane Farrell said. "You know, in addition to the advanced pitches he has."
From Brooklyn, New York, Barriera played high school baseball at American Heritage School in Florida. In his senior season, he posted a 5-0 record with 68 strikeouts and a 2.27 ERA in eight starts (37.0 IP).
His fastball, a sinker, and slider grade out as his best deliveries and Barriera currently has four pitches paired with solid control. Listed at 5-foot-11, 171-pounds, Barriera's athleticism was the main draw for the Jays, Farrell said, but the organization also valued his personality.
“The compete level is something we definitely notice and something that drew us to him," Farrell said. "We look forward to seeing that play out on the field."
Currently committed to play college baseball at Vanderbilt next year, Barriera was the third high school pitcher selected in the draft and the second southpaw taken in the selection show. The Blue Jays will now negotiate a draft bonus with the lefty, with the 23rd overall pick possessing a slot value of $3.08 million.
Barriera was the first of four Toronto picks on Sunday, with selections at No. 60, 77, and 78 overall coming later in the first two rounds. Toronto has used recent top draft selections to bolster the Major League team via trade lately, including Auston Martin and Gunnar Hoglund, and the Jays have also graduated some high picks to the MLB level in recent years. Receiving compensation picks for the free agent losses of Marcus Semien and Robbie Ray, this week's draft is an opportunity to re-stock the lower minors with talent.
A few hours before the Blue Jays made their first selection on Sunday, the Baltimore Orioles opened up the 2022 MLB Draft by selecting high school hitter Jackson Holliday, son of former big league slugger Matt Holliday with the first pick. The rest of the first and second rounds continue on Sunday night, and the draft will continue with rounds three through 10 on Monday and 11 to 20 on Tuesday.
Mitch Bannon is a baseball reporter for Sports Illustrated covering the Toronto Blue Jays and their minor league affiliates.Twitter: @MitchBannon