Article: Toronto Blue Jays Select Jake Cook 81st Overall in 2025 MLB Draft

[Daniel Labude]

The Toronto Blue Jays selected Jake Cook with their second overall pick in the 2025 MLB draft. He is a 22-year-old OF/P out of Southern Mississippi University. He was ranked 111th overall on the Jay's Centre Mock Baseball Draft Board.

Jake Cook Scouting Report from our draft expert Jamie Cameron:

"Cook is an exceptional athlete with some of the better supplementary tools in the entire draft class and outstanding questions about the quality of his offensive profile. Standing at 6'3, 185 pounds, Cook is a wiry athlete with double plus speed. He's an absolute burner. This gives him outstanding range in the outfield, which is paired with a strong arm that should allow him to stick in center field for the foreseeable future.

Offensively, bat-to-ball skills are the major headline here. A slap hitter, Cook has excellent contact ability, with a ridiculous 6.3 K% in 2025. There's little extra base impact to speak of. If Cook hits enough, the speed, defense, and bat-to-ball ability will give him a chance for a solid pro career. Cook hit .350/.436/.468 (.905) in 60 games for Southern Miss in 2025."

Cook hit .350/.436/.468 in his only full season of hitting at the University of Southern Mississippi. His first season was spent as a pitcher and his second season he only got into four games in the field with no plate appearances. He has elite speed and defensive abilities in the outfield. Even though the stolen bases haven't shown up yet, expect that part of his game to grow. Likewise, he only hit three home runs this past season in college, but he has a very good projectable frame at 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds. With power slated to be a projectable project, contact ability is where he excelled. Only striking out 19 times this past season versus 31 walks. As of now, he projects as a contact hitting, plus defender with great speed in the outfield.

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What do you think of the selection of Cook? Let us know in the comments!

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[Owen Hill]

The return of Bradley Zimmer?

[Spanky__99]

I feel they love the tools and are saving money for tomorrow. Intriguing/interesting is correct.

[Laika]

Have to think they can coach more power out of this guy. 

He doesn't *look* like he needs to be a slap hitter.