North Carolina shortstop Blue Jays’ top pick
The son and brother of Florida TV anchormen, the Toronto Blue Jays are hoping that University of North Carolina i nfielder Logan Warmoth will be their anchor at shortstop for many years to come.
The Jays selected t he UNC star with the 22nd overall pick in the MLB draft on Monday night, their first of two first- round picks. Toronto then took right- handed flamethrower Nate Pearson of the College of Central Florida with the 28th overall pick, a selection they received as compensation for Edwin Encarnacion, who signed in the off season with Cleveland.
Warmoth, a 6-foot, 190- pound Orlando, Florida 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 went on. Warmoth was ranked 19th by Baseball America heading into t he 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 eventually as a pro he might be switched to second base, something Warmoth wouldn’t 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 t hree 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 6- foot- 6, 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 he 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 selecti ng Southern California high school shortstop/outfielder Royce Lewis with the No. 1 overall pick.
According to MLB. com, Lewis was ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 5 prospect and has t he most complete package of tools of any player in the class. He is an incredible athlete with a knack for getting the barrel of the bat on the ball. Lewis, 18, was selected over two- way stars Hunter Greene and Brendan McKay and RHP Kyle Wright. RHP Greene, who is a position player and RHP, went second overall to the Cincinnati Reds where he’s likely to be developed as a pitcher, while MacKenzie Gore, a LHP out of Whiteville ( N.C.) HS, went third overall to the San Diego Padres. McKay, a first baseman out of the University of Louisville, was taken fourth by the Tampa Bay Rays. Wright was taken fifth by the Atlanta Braves.
The Blue Jays are looking to restock their farm system, which has been somewhat depleted by trades in recent years. In Baseball America’s organization talent rankings, the Jays are 20th. One of the Jays’ biggest draft success stories in recent years was the selection of outfielder Kevin Pillar, picked in the 32nd round, 979th overall, in 2011. Prior to Monday’s draft, Pillar tweeted: “For anyone who feels like they were overlooked or under valued.. out work, out prepare & out hustle... believe in URself and stay the course.”