The 3 Biggest MLB Draft Busts in Blue Jays History

The Blue Jays have found Hall of Famers in the MLB draft, but not every pick is a success. Here are three that never lived up to expectations.

Toronto Blue Jays flag | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The MLB Draft is a far cry from exact science. Literally every organization in the league has missed on some of their picks, some worse than others. No matter how much they study and analyze, sometimes things just don’t work out.

The Toronto Blue Jays have built championship-caliber rosters through the use of the draft. Some of the most notable draft picks include Roy Halladay, Vernon Wells, Shawn Green and more recently Bo Bichette. But not every first-round draft pick has worked out.

Here are three of the biggest draft busts in Blue Jays history.

1. Deck McGuire (11th Overall, 2010)

Toronto had high expectations when it selected Deck McGuire as the 11th overall pick in the 2010 MLB Draft. The Georgia Tech right-hander was going to be a dependable fixture in the Blue Jays’ rotation, or so they thought.

Instead, he never even came close.

McGuire spent several years in the development process within the Blue Jays’ farm system. He was traded to the Athletics in 2014, then went on to be signed to minor league contracts by the Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals, and Cincinnati Reds over multiple years before making his way back to the Blue Jays. Finally, he made four major league appearances for Toronto, where he recorded a 6.48 ERA and only pitched in 8.1 innings.

What makes McGuire stand out as the number one bust is who came after him as picks in the very same draft. Later in the first round, Toronto selected Aaron Sanchez at No. 34 and then Noah Syndergaard at No. 38. Both of them developed into frontline MLB pitchers, leaving McGuire’s selection as an addition to the “what if” column of history.

2. D.J. Davis (17th Overall, 2012)

D.J. Davis had some of the best athletic upside of any prospect in the 2012 MLB Draft as an outfielder.

Toronto took the plunge and drafted him as a standout high school player from Mississippi at No. 17. He possessed incredible speed and raw tools that could have evolved into an elite center fielder. But, alas, that never happened.

Davis never even got higher than High-A before his professional career came to an end. He never took the field for a Double-A game.

Once again, the story remains the same. Later in that same draft, the Blue Jays found Marcus Stroman. He turned out to be a tremendous value and became one of the best homegrown pitchers of the past decade.

3. Logan Warmoth (22nd Overall, 2017)

After having an outstanding career at North Carolina, Logan Warmoth entered the draft as one of the best college position players. Toronto saw him as a potential shortstop.

What really happened was that his bat never developed enough to carry him into the upper levels of the minors. Unlike Davis, Warmoth did find his way past High-A, but his career halted after Triple-A. He never received that coveted call to the Majors.

Unlike many first-round misses, Warmoth didn’t suffer a catastrophic injury. He just simply never produced like a first-round pick should and, therefore, couldn’t find a way to the MLB field.

Drafting Is Not Exact Science

Fortunately, Toronto has had much success in the draft and has easily offset any of the misses they have experienced. Such is the way of the game.

Every pick is a risk; some succeed, some don’t. Each MLB organization just hopes that its research and analysis give it the best shot at finding the next up-and-coming star that will become a cornerstone of the future.

Will the Blue Jays succeed this year? Well, if they do, it will be one of the “value” success stories because, as the draft order stands now, they won’t get a chance to select until the 39th pick in the second round. Then won’t pick again until the 103rd pick.