6 Hitters the Blue Jays Could Take in the 2023 MLB Draft
The Blue Jays will pick 20th overall in Sunday's 2023 MLB Draft. After taking pitchers in the past two first rounds (Gunnar Hoglund and Brandon Barriera) many draft experts see the Jays eying a bat in this year's selection show.
Here are six hitting prospects the Blue Jays could select in the first round of this year's draft:
OF Dillon Head, Homewood-Flossmoor High School
Dillon Head is a speedy and athletic outfielder with one of the highest ceilings among this year's high school prospects.
With plus grades on his run and fielding tools, Head set his Illinois high school program record for hits and stolen bases in 2023, hitting .476 with a .565 OBP. The Clemson commit should stick long-term in centerfield, with elite athletic traits. However, his low power potential and young age earned him an 'Extreme' variance grade from Baseball America.
The youngster would immediately become Toronto's top outfield prospect after signing, but the Jays haven't drafted an OF in the first two rounds since J.B. Woodman way back in 2016.
C Blake Mitchell, Sinton High School
The consensus No. 2 backstop in this year's draft class (behind Kyle Teel), Blake Mitchell's top traits come on the defensive side. He's a solid receiver, working with some of the country's top high school arms for Team USA, but it's the arm that really stands out.
BA gave Mitchell a 70-grade throw and he's been up to the mid-90s as a high school pitcher in recent seasons, too. The biggest question mark surrounding the Texas prospect is contact, with plenty of swing-and-miss in his game already, even against other HS arms.
1B/OF Nolan Schanuel, FAU
The Blue Jays have liked their early Florida draft picks in recent years and Nolan Schanuel could be the next. After three years at FAU, the lefty slugger took a big step forward in 2023. Schanuel slapped 19 homers in 59 games this year, posting a .447 average and .615 on-base percentage.
He's got a unique batting stance, standing upright in the batter's box with hands stretched above his helmet. The setup works, though, as Schanuel is one of the best pure bats in the class, posting a nearly 3-to-1 walk-to-strikeout ratio this college season. The Jays have targetted these elite contact and approach bats in recent drafts, but they haven't used many early picks on first basemen or corner outfielders — where Schanuel is likely limited to down the line.
Nolan Schanuel from FAU is one of the best hitters in the draft class. He walked 71 times to just 14 strikeouts in 289 PA 🤯
— Chris Clegg (@RotoClegg) July 5, 2023
Made contact on 90% of pitches and 94% in zone, hit 19 HR, stole 14 bases and had a .615 OBP.
pic.twitter.com/ZPuE55QmFK
OF Enrique Bradfield Jr., Vanderbilt
Off the hop, Bradfield comes with three years of college experience at Vanderbilt, a powerhouse baseball factory. Brownie points there.
On offense, the 21-year-old is approach and contact first. In his junior year, he posted an excellent 45 walks to 40 strikeouts, six home runs, and a .429 slugging percentage. As a left-handed hitter, Bradfield has an excellent floor, but he's not necessarily a crazy slugger oozing with upside.
Bradfield is also a plus defender with excellent speed (134 steals in college), capable of manning center field at the major-league level.
3B/1B Aidan Miller, J.W. Mitchell High School
Miller is the type of hitter the Blue Jays desperately need. At 6-foot-2, the 19-year-old is a bat-first corner infielder with plenty of raw power and torque in his swing. He's very strong and can crush the ball, especially to the pull side.
Toronto's tried very hard to develop power in the past (think Jordan Groshans), but that's a hard way to go about it. The Jays could instead let Miller hack away and gradually develop his approach, much like they've done with Orelvis Martinez.
3B Yandy Morales, Miami
Another bat-first infielder, Morales possesses more power in his mighty right-handed cut than most players in the draft. The 20-year-old smashed 20 home runs (.713 SLG) in 61 games with the Hurricanes, putting on quite the show for MLB scouts.
He's your typical big fella at the hot corner. A sizeable 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, Morales doesn't have elite range but his strong arm plays well enough to make him a long-term third baseman.
His big power comes with a fair degree of expected swing-and-miss. Again, if the Blue Jays must iron out the approach, but Morales possesses all the physical traits of a middle-of-the-order bat.
