Can Blue Jays Use Early Draft Pick's Athleticism To Unlock Full Offensive Potential?

The Toronto Blue Jays will have the opportunity to mold one of their early draft picks into a more dangerous offensive player.

Apr 27, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; A pair of Toronto Blue Jays hats and gloves in the dugout during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Rogers Centre. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Toronto Blue Jays knew they faced pressure to make the most of their early selections in the 2025 MLB draft, given their limited assets.

They had the No. 8 overall pick, which was used on prep star shortstop JoJo Parker out of Purvis High School in Purvis, Mississippi.

But, they would have only one more selection on Day 1 of the draft, not picking again until No. 81 overall, which was the sixth pick of the third round.

It was with that selection that the Blue Jays made their best pick after the first round in the opinion of R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports.

More News: Blue Jays Are Tremendous Trade Deadline Blockbuster Fit for Royals All-Star

At No. 81, Toronto selected outfielder Jake Cook from the University of Southern Mississippi.

When taking a first glance at his statistics, there is a lot to like from the contact-first outfielder who has complete control of the strike zone.

He had a .350/.436/.468 slash line with three home runs, 13 doubles, three triples and 32 RBI in 60 games and 284 plate appearances.

Incredibly impressive production when you take into account he was previously a two-way player, only focusing solely on the outfield and hitting starting in 2025.

More News: Blue Jays Should Make Aggressive Play To Acquire Ace Being Shopped by Rays

“Cook is a former two-way player at Southern Miss who converted to full-time outfield duty only this season. He embraced an extreme contact-first approach that saw him punch out in less than 7% of his trips to the plate,” Anderson wrote.

Being that successful despite not putting all of his attention into performing as a positional player until this year is quite an achievement.

However, there is one area of his game that needs improvement if he is to become an impact player in the Big Leagues: unlocking some more power.

With the right coaching, given his skill base, there is a chance to accomplish that feat.

More News: Blue Jays Manager Has Exceptionally High Praise for Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

“The downside to his contact-over-everything mindset is that he recorded only nine extra-base hits in 30 conference games, with none of those clearing the fence. Cook is a good athlete and there's probably more upside here than meets the eye based on his unusual developmental arc,” Anderson added.

It will be interesting to see how rapidly the Blue Jays can develop Cook and get him to start unlocking other parts of his game.

Since so much of his collegiate career was spent as a two-way player, he may be a little behind other outfielders in a similar spot of development as him.

But, the upside was good enough Toronto was comfortable to select him in the third round of the 2025 MLB Draft.

For more Blue Jays news, head over to Blue Jays On SI.