JAYS GO DEEP
Take high school shortstop Groshans at 12th overall, well before most had him going
His hometown is named after a type of tree and there are many branches to Jordan Groshans’ game that the Toronto Blue Jays fell in love with.
The Jays selected Groshans, a native Magnolia, Texas, native with the 12th overall pick in the MLB Draft on Monday night even though most prominent baseball sites did not have the 18-yearold infielder going quite as high. Bleacher Report in their 2018 mock draft had him going 29th. Baseball America ranked him at 38th going into the draft and he was slotted 31st by MLB. So why did the Jays take a flyer on Groshans? The club’s director of amateur scouting Steve Sanders said it was for a lot of reasons, starting with his bat. The 6-foot-4, 195 pound infielder is long and athletic and has the potential to become a big power hitter.
“We’ve seen a lot of Jordan as a hitter, not only this high school season but also dating back to last summer where we got to see him hit with a wood bat against some of the better competition in the country,” said Sanders. “We just feel Jordan has a lot of the attributes that we look for both in his swing — his combination of contact, of power, of plate discipline, he’s got a great feel and approach in the box, he’s able to drive the ball to all fields and we’re confident his offensive ability will certainly translate with wood to the next level.”
It was the second year in a row — and second straight time with Sanders in charge — that the Jays used a first-round pick to take a shortstop, though many scouts believe Groshans will eventually move to third base given his size. Sanders said the organization will give Groshans every chance to develop as a shortstop. Last year, the Jays selected UNC shortstop Logan Warmoth and RHP Nate Pearson from the College of Central Florida in the first round.
“Jordan’s a big kid, certainly for a shortstop, but for being a bigger guy he moves really well, he’s got great body control and we’re confident as an 18-year-old that he’s certainly going to add strength and continue to grow and fill out as he matures,” Sanders said.
A lot of Jays fans and baseball insiders were surprised that the Jays didn’t take LHP Matthew Liberatore or some other highly touted pitching prospect still on the board when they selected Groshans. Liberatore ended up going 16th to Tampa. But the inside on Groshans is he could develop into an elite MLB power hitter.
“This is a strong draft, both offensively and on the pitching side. Ultimately we felt Jordan was the best fit for our pick, but there were a number of other players including some pitchers who we certainly considered and had interest in as well,” said Sanders.
While at Magnolia High School, Groshans had made a verbal commitment to the University of Kansas where his older brother Jaxx is a catcher, though Sanders expressed confidence that they’ll get Groshans to sign. Sanders made the point a couple of times in a conference call following the draft that Groshans’ character also had a lot to do with the Jays selecting him.
“Both on and off the field, Jordan represents a lot of the things we look for in a player,” said Sanders. “His ability on the field is undeniable. Both offensively and defensively he brings tools to the table and is somebody we believe that has the potential to be a middle of the lineup hitter at the Major League level and impact the lineup. Also, somebody that we’ve known for quite some time. Our area scout Brian Johnston, along with (regional crosschecker) CJ Ebarb, had known Jordan and his family for a long time and as a result he’s somebody we’re very comfortable with. His character, his work ethic, his values ... we’re confident he’ll fit into the organization really well.”
The Jays are deep at shortstop in the organization with Groshans joining the likes of minor league standouts Richard Urena, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Bo Bichette and Warmoth.
We just feel Jordan has a lot of the attributes that we look for ... in his swing — his combination of contact, of power, of plate discipline, he’s got a great feel and approach in the box, he’s able to drive the ball to all fields.
Blue Jays’ Steve Saunders