Laika

Many teams wouldn't care about injury risk. He can pitch a bit, have TJS, then they can finalize his development. Probably just has insane $$$ demands. His scouting report makes it seem like the secondaries are way behind and there is little command

Yeah I just started it. Help me out

He was probably the best draft eligible contact hitter in the SEC and he did hit 8 homers so it could be 40 pop or something. Stat scouting here, obviously. They actually have college leaderboards on Fangraphs now, interestingly. I just noticed that.

He was 139th on the Perfect Game draft board. Tiny college SS. Five foot eight. About 1.03 Alejandro Kirk's high. Under slot? Seems like a utility man prospect more than anything.

How does a guy named JACK BAUER drop at all? c'mon.

The Jays already have a deal with the twin, where they take him is not relevant.

Personally I think they should go slightly under slot on every pick this draft then just give Ross Atkins a nice bonus for being in 1st at the All Star break. Maybe take him out to Ruth's Chris for lunch. Let him get dessert.

Yeah and Parker could even be slightly under slot

You never know. Generally yes high school players will be overslot at this point but he could be slot or under as a Canadian going to the Jays.

Tim Piasentin Lefty 1B/3B from Okotoks, Alberta. Okotoks is fun to say. Classic profile... big power but hit tool questions. Has an arm but probably too big for 3B down the road.

explain

Pinning the Day 1 draft thread on the main page for another day or two as well.

*4th rounder it looks like an MLB slider for sure not sure why he wasn't more dominant with his velo and that slider but probably just the obvious things (inconsistent velo and command of everything, poor extension, dead zone fastball movement, etc.)

Moved it back to main forum for the day

Micah Bucknam. Ranked 131 by MLB, picked 112 One of the best Canadian prospects in the 2022 Draft, Bucknam turned down the Blue Jays as a 16th-rounder to attend Louisiana State. He worked just 16 innings in two seasons in Baton Rouge because of command issues, enjoying more success in two summers in the Cape Cod League before transferring to Dallas Baptist. He became the Patriots' No. 1 starter and has some of the best feel for spin in the college ranks. Bucknam's tight 85-88 mph slider can reach 91, features high spin rates and is a legitimate wipeout pitch, while his low-80s curveball has more depth and is nearly as effective. His fastball stands out more for its velocity, usually ranging from 92-96 mph, than its life or ability to miss bats. He achieves some fade with his upper-80s changeup, though it's too firm and he struggles to land it for strikes. Bucknam has a strong 6-foot-1 frame and has improved his control as a junior, though he still gets into trouble when he catches too much of the plate. To succeed as a starter at the next level, he'll have to improve his fastball command and refine his changeup. If not, he could thrive as a reliever who relies heavily on his breaking pitches.

Have to think they can coach more power out of this guy. He doesn't *look* like he needs to be a slap hitter.

Yeah the best part of the draft is Harold Reynolds comparing 7 different kids to Mookie Betts

Martin's comps are funny in hindsight. But same could be said of any flopped prospect.

If Ross wants to get tricky and try to turn a mid SP into an Ace, the only candidate is Gausman. He is only owed $22M in 2026. He is the only Jays SP with a whiff rate that could play somewhere in a playoff rotation. Something like the Rangers wanting to get out of the $100M left to DeGrom, but they want to backfill the rotation for 2026, so they take Gausman back. Plus prospects duh.

Looks like Berrios' contract is backloaded as well, $24M AAV in 2027 and 2028. With some escalators. He could get of these IP ones. The contract is a brick, unfortunately. You just take what performance you get from him. By all indications he's great in the clubhouse and popular and a good example so there are some non-monetary reasons to enjoy him. 2027-2028 Escalators up to $5M $1M each for 300, 350 innings pitched across 2025-2026 $500,000 each for 375, 400 innings pitched across 2025-2026 $2M for a Cy Young in 2025-2026 $1.5M for finishing 2nd-5th in Cy Young 2025-2026 $750,000 for finishing 6th-10th in Cy Young 2025-2026

I asked ChatGPT how good his broad jump is: how good would a 10 foot 8 inch broad jump be by professional athletic standards ChatGPT said: A 10-foot 8-inch broad jump (128 inches) is a very impressive result by professional athletic standards — particularly in sports that test explosiveness, such as football, track & field, and basketball. Here's how it stacks up: 🔹 NFL Combine Comparison (Standing Broad Jump) The standing broad jump is a key test at the NFL Combine, especially for positions requiring explosive lower-body power (e.g., defensive backs, wide receivers, linebackers). Average by position: Defensive backs: ~10'2" Wide receivers: ~10'1" Running backs: ~9'11" Linebackers: ~9'9" Elite scores: Anything 10'6" and up is considered excellent — top 10-15% at the combine. ✅ So 10'8" would be an elite-level score — often recorded by some of the most explosive athletes in the NFL Combine. 🔹 Track & Field (Running Long Jump vs. Standing) Track & field athletes jump much farther, but that's with a run-up (not a standing start). Standing broad jump isn't a standard event, but elite jumpers still typically hit 10–11 feet, so a 10'8" jump is strong even among track athletes, especially for a football-style test. 🔹 Summary 10'8" broad jump = elite-level explosiveness, particularly for: NFL hopefuls or pro football players High-level sprinters Olympic-level athletes (in explosive disciplines) It's well above average and indicates excellent lower-body power and explosiveness.

They probably think they can coach more power out of Cook. He doesn't look like a twig. I don't think this is a Billy Hamilton or Chandler Simpson thing. Get him in the gym. Ten, twenty more pounds of muscle in the next couple of years. Fix the stance and swing; get him more upright. Forget about the bunts for now. Weighted bats, damage - see what happens.

It's not unpopular it's just unrealistic. Everyone in baseball can see Berrios' declining stuff and diminished upside. No GM is going to think about him as a playoff SP. Toronto barely thought about him as a bonafide playoff SP back in 2023, rather infamously. He is a "get there" guy in the rotation. A guy to eat 32 starts every year. I don't think there is an MLB team that wants his salary going forward for what he provides. At best he's a non-asset. Most people here would enjoy upgrading on Berrios, somehow, but it's just too fantastical.