With their eighth round pick, 237th overall, the Toronto Blue Jays selected third baseman Angel Camacho out of Jacksonville University.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, Camacho is a Jacksonviller through and through after attending Creekside High School in Jacksonville. He had a distinguished career, earning Atlantic Sun Conference All-Academic Team honours three times and All-ASUN First Team honours twice. In his senior year, he hit .317/.407/.480 in 58 games, hitting a career-high 10 home runs. As a senior sign, he’ll likely sign for well below slot of $175,000.

 

 

The Jays’ ninth-round pick, catcher Philip Clarke out of Vanderbilt, decided to go to Vanderbilt instead of sign for a seven-figure bonus out of high school. Now a sophomore, Clarke DH’ed mostly in his first year of college but moved behind the plate more often in his sophomore year. He’s called an “average receiver” by Baseball America (who ranked him #162) and threw out 37% of basestealers despite what BA calls a “below-average throwing arm.” They note that has “solid bat speed and power potential, giving him a chance to be an average hitter with average power.” They think that if he remains a catcher, he has a lot of potential but he may not have a better position based on his bat and defensive capabilities.

MLB.com ranked Clarke a little higher, at #139. They said that he may be a tough sign as he still has two more years of college eligibility before he’s behind the eight ball to sign. MLB.com notes that he “stands out as a lefty-hitting catcher with the ability to handle the bat. He regularly puts the barrel on the ball, uses the entire field and manages the strike zone well.” Clarke hit a solid .306/.387/.479 in 61 games this year, hitting 13 doubles, four triples and seven home runs.

Whether he signs or not is the big question. If he stays in college and continues to develop as a catcher while bolstering some of his numbers with a summer in the Cape Cod League, he could considerably boost his draft stock. Otherwise, the Blue Jays will probably have to overpay to sign him.

 

 

10th-round pick Glenn Santiago comes to the Blue Jays as a high schooler from Puerto Rico. The shortstop is 6-feet and 165 pounds and is likely a raw prospect. His “official scouting report” at the Baseball Factory.com says that he’s “an athletic MIF who shows a tremendous future on the diamond with the makings of a special type player at the next level. At the plate, hands are quick (87 mph exit velocity) as he squares the ball up consistently driving it on a line. Defensively he takes a quick first step and has plus lateral range. He works around the GB with fluid actions. DP turns are quick with zip (91 mph velocity) on his throws. Defensive abilities are outstanding as he shows big play potential. Glenn has a ton of upside and possesses the skill set that will play at a very high level.”

We do need to take that scouting report with a grain of salt, as this was probably written as hype by his advisors/agents. Another scouting report likes his raw tools and says that the righthanded hitter “has loose hands and an easy swing, fluid path, hits with rhythm and barrels up the ball consistently, not strong yet but will improve as he matures physically.”

He had a commitment to Florida International University but, with a lot of Puerto Ricans, he’ll probably sign for around slot money ($145,500).

 

What do you think of these picks by the Blue Jays?

 

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