The Toronto Blue Jays are a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They play in the American League East division. Since the Blue Jays' entrance into the league in 1977, the Blue Jays have selected 72 players in the first round. Officially known as the "First-Year Player Draft", the Rule 4 draft is MLB's primary mechanism for assigning amateur players from high schools, colleges, and other amateur clubs to its teams. The draft order is determined based on the previous season's standings, with the team possessing the worst record receiving the first pick. In addition, teams which lost free agents in the previous off-season may be awarded compensatory or supplementary picks. The First-Year Player Draft is unrelated to the 1976 expansion draft in which the Blue Jays initially filled their roster.
Of the 72 players picked in the first round by Toronto, 35 have been pitchers, the most of any position; 26 of them were right-handed, while nine were left-handed. 14 shortstops, 12 outfielders, four catchers and third basemen, and three first basemen have also been selected. The team has never drafted a player at second base in the first round. 38 players were drafted out of high school, while 31 came from four-year college programs and two from junior colleges. They have also drafted two players from Puerto Rico: Alex Ríos (1999) and Miguel Negrón (2000).
The Blue Jays have made 23 selections in the supplemental round of the draft and 31 compensatory picks since their entry into the league in 1977. These additional picks are provided when a team loses a particularly valuable free agent in the previous off-season, or, more recently, if a team fails to sign a draft pick from the previous year. The Blue Jays have failed to sign three of their first-round picks, James Paxton (2009), who opted to return to the University of Kentucky, Tyler Beede (2011), and Phil Bickford (2013). The Blue Jays received the 38th pick in 2010, the 22nd pick in 2012, and the 11th pick in 2015 as compensation.
Player was a member of Blue Jays' 1992 and 1993 championship teams
Picks
Chris Carpenter (1993), one of four players drafted in the first round of the 1993 draft, won a Cy Young Award with the St. Louis Cardinals.Vernon Wells (1997) is one of seven players drafted with the top five picks in the first round by the Blue Jays.Alex Ríos (1999) is one of two players drafted by the Blue Jays from Puerto Rico.Aaron Hill (2003) was drafted as a shortstop, but was converted to second base and has played over 500 games with the Blue Jays at that position.Ricky Romero (2005) is one of twelve players drafted from the state of California by the Blue Jays.Brett Cecil (2007) is one of five players drafted by the Blue Jays in the first round of the 2007 draft.
Through the 2012 draft, free agents were evaluated by the Elias Sports Bureau and rated "Type A", "Type B", or not compensation-eligible. If a team offered arbitration to a player but that player refused and subsequently signed with another team, the original team was able to receive additional draft picks. If a "Type A" free agent left in this way, his previous team received a supplemental pick and a compensatory pick from the team with which he signed. If a "Type B" free agent left in this way, his previous team received only a supplemental pick. Since the 2013 draft, free agents are no longer classified by type; instead, compensatory picks are only awarded if the team offered its free agent a contract worth at least the average of the 125 current richest MLB contracts. However, if the free agent's last team acquired the player in a trade during the last year of his contract, it is ineligible to receive compensatory picks for that player.
The Blue Jays gained a compensatory first-round pick in 1981 from the Milwaukee Brewers for losing free agent Roy Howell.
The Blue Jays lost their first-round pick in 1984 to the Chicago White Sox as compensation for signing free agent Dennis Lamp.
The Blue Jays gained a compensatory first-round pick in 1991 from the San Francisco Giants for losing free agent Bud Black.
The Blue Jays gained a supplemental first-round pick in 1991 for losing free agent George Bell.
The Blue Jays gained a supplemental first-round pick in 1991 for losing free agent Bud Black.