Blue Jays Select Golden Spikes Finalist in Latest Mock Draft

The Toronto Blue Jays are picking in the top 10 in 2025 after finishing fifth in the American League East last year.

In the middle of a bounce back season, the pitching staff has mostly been around league average. With Vladimir Guerrero Jr. being locked up, the focus needs to be on getting a younger pitching staff.

Jose Berrios, Kevin Gausman and Chris Bassitt have been solid over the past few years, but they aren't getting any younger.

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In the 2024 draft, the Blue Jays selected East Carolina's Trey Yesavage.

While he did not pitch in 2024, the right-hander hit the ground running this season. In his first 11 starts, Yesavage pitched to a 2.13 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 50.2 innings for a 15.6 K/9, before moving up to Double-A.

With what clearly looks like a hit in the draft so far, MLB Pipeline's Jim Callis predicts that Toronto will use that same formula in his most recent mock draft.

With the eighth overall pick, he has the Blue Jays selecting Liam Doyle, a left-handed pitcher from Tennessee.

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The 21-year-old has not had the most normal trajectory in his college career.

He began his freshman season at Coastal Carolina, where he pitched in 23 games, starting seven of those. Doyle had a solid year as a freshman, posting a 4.15 ERA in 56.1 innings and an 11.0 K/9. For his sophomore season, he transferred to Ole Miss where he took a bit of a step back.

Doyle pitched in 16 games, starting 11, but his ERA rose to 5.73 despite striking out 84 batters in 55 innings.

So, after a down year, he transferred yet again, this time to Tennessee.

That's when the lefty broke out.

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The Tennessee coaching staff unlocked the 21-year-old, and he became one of the best pitchers in the country. The strikeouts had always been there, but not only did the Vols round him out as a pitcher, but the strikeouts even took a leap.

The SEC Pitcher of the Year, Doyle pitched in 95.2 innings, posting a 3.20 ERA and striking out a mind-boggling 164 batters.

He led the country in both strikeouts and strikeouts per nine innings, vaulting himself to a Golden Spikes Finalist.

Doyle is the ninth-ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline and the fifth pitcher overall.

His best pitch comes in the form of his fastball, which is rated at 70 and sits in the mid-90s mph range and can get up to 99. He also has an above average slider, cutter and splitter, with a better than average arsenal overall.

Like Yesavage, Doyle is a college pitcher who could soar through the minor leagues and be up with Toronto in just a year or two.

He will throw a lot of strikes, which will help him move quickly, too.

With Doyle's funky delivery, there's a world where he is one of the best strikeout pitcher in baseball, especially from the left side.

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