Jays take shortstop with 22nd pick in MLB draft
With second first-round pick, Toronto snags six-foot-six flame thrower
The son and brother of Florida TV anchormen, the Toronto Blue Jays are hoping that University of North Carolina infielder Logan Warmoth will be their anchor at shortstop for many years to come.
The Jays selected the UNC star with the 22nd overall pick in the MLB draft on Monday night, their first of two first-round picks. Toronto then grabbed right-handed flame-thrower Nate Pearson of the College of Central Florida with the 28th overall pick, a selection they received as compensation for Edwin Encarnacion, who signed as a free agent with the Cleveland Indians.
Warmoth, a six-foot, 190-pound Orlando, Fla., native, led the Tar Heels to a 49-14 record in 2017 and No. 2 national seed.
He hit .336/.404/.554 with 10 homers in 63 games, rising up draft boards as the season wore along. Warmoth was ranked 19th by Baseball America heading into the draft. MLB analyst Peter Gammons compared Warmoth to J.J. Hardy of the Baltimore Orioles.
The 21-year-old grew up in Longwood, Fla., with his two older brothers Justin and Tyler. Tyler is a relief pitcher for the Mobile BayBears, the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
According to MLBDailyDish. com, Warmoth was viewed as a second- or third-round pick back in January but his junior season at UNC was so good, he rocketed into the first round.
Scouts have slotted Warmoth as a safe pick who can hit for average and can provide OBP, speed and some power. Some scouts have suggested that he might be better suited to second base at the pro level, something Warmoth doesn’t particularly welcome.
“I’m not hoping to move,” Warmoth told MLBDD. “If it’s the decision of the organization and it’s best for them, I’ll be glad to do whatever it takes to get to the next level. (But) I believed in my talent as a shortstop, I played my three years in Carolina and thought I played pretty well at short. I believe in my talents there, so we’ll see when that time comes.”
He was a switch-hitter in high school but hits exclusively from the right side now. His power came on late in his college career.
Controlling the strike zone and getting on base are considered strengths and he is an above-average base stealer. Defensively, he has above average hands and range.
His brother Justin is an anchor at Orlando CBS affiliate WKMG and his father is Orlando ABC affiliate WFTV’s weeknight anchor Greg Warmoth.
Pearson stands six-foot-six, 245 pounds and can hit triple digits with his fastball on a consistent basis.
The word is he will be a closertype relief pitcher with an above average fastball and slider but with also a curve and change up, the latter two pitches have said to be inconsistent so far.
Pearson, 20, attended Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School in Spring Hill, Fla.
As a senior he went 9–1 with a 1.75 earned run average (ERA) and 117 strikeouts and hit .318 with nine home runs and 30 runs batted in (RBI). In his first year of college ball, he attended Florida International University where he made 19 appearances with one start, going 1–1 with a 2.70 ERA and 33 strikeouts. After one year at FIU, he transferred to the College of Central Florida and in his first year there had a 1.56 ERA and 118 strikeouts and was named the JUCO pitcher of the year by Perfect Game.
The Minnesota Twins opened the draft by selecting Southern California high school shortstop/ outfielder Royce Lewis with the No. 1 overall pick.