Blue Jays Bolster Pipeline With Prep Shortstop in Latest MLB Mock Draft
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The Toronto Blue Jays will have their pick of top prospects in the 2025 MLB draft with their first top 10 selection since 2020.
If recent history shows anything, the Blue Jays are inclined to select a shortstop or pitcher with their first-round pick.
Will they continue that 10-year trend with their No. 8 overall pick on Sunday night?
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Toronto has also shown a willingness to select prep position players, and that bodes well with the makeup of this year’s draft class.
Baseball America released its latest MLB mock draft (subscription required). The author, Carlos Collazo, projects that the Blue Jays will select high school shortstop JoJo Parker from Purvis, Miss.
Collazo does note that, should a top collegiate pitcher such as Liam Doyle, Jamie Arnold, or Kyson Witherspoon fall to this slot, Toronto may have interest there.
However, he leans towards a bat and has Parker at the top of that list.
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In the publication’s last mock draft released on June 30, Collazo had also had Parker to the Blue Jays. He hasn't felt as strongly about the choice since.
“They had a ton of buzz with Parker in our last mock, and that has dissipated,” Collazo wrote.
Parker and his twin brother, Jacob, are considered the best prep position players in their state, but JoJo has more allure with his athleticism and power potential.
Collazo presents additional position player options, which may be relevant given the buzz surrounding Parker has diminished.
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In his mock, Collazo has Oregon State shortstop Aiva Arquette going No. 3 overall to the Seattle Mariners. Should Arquette still be around at No. 8, he could be in play.
Catcher and outfielder Ike Irish from Auburn is still available in this mock draft, and the analyst links him to Toronto as the best college bat for their selection.
In addition, he names prep shortstops Steele Hall and Kayson Cunningham and UC Santa Barbara right-handed pitcher Tyler Bremner as potential players who are in the mix.
The 2025 MLB draft will be held on Sunday and Monday, July 13-14, over All-Star Weekend in Atlanta.
For more Blue Jays news, head over to Blue Jays On SI.
Maddy Hudak is the deputy editor for Tulane on Sports Illustrated and the radio sideline reporter for their football team. Maddy is an alumnus of Tulane University, and graduated in 2016 with a degree in psychology. She went on to obtain a Master of Legal Studies while working as a research coordinator at the VA Hospital, and in jury consulting. During this time, Maddy began covering the New Orleans Saints with SB Nation, and USA Today. She moved to New Orleans in 2021 to pursue a career in sports and became Tulane's sideline reporter that season. She enters her fourth year with the team now covering the program on Sports Illustrated, and will use insights from features and interviews in the live radio broadcast. You can follow her on X at @MaddyHudak_94, or if you have any questions or comments, she can be reached via email at maddy.hudak1@gmail.com