BLUE JAYS pick righty Deck McGuire with the 11th overall pick

TORONTO -- The Toronto Blue Jays have taken right-hander Deck McGuire with the 11th pick in the baseball draft.

The six-foot-six junior from Georgia Tech throws a fastball in the 91-93 m.p.h. range with a power slider and changeup.

It's the second straight year the Blue Jays used their first pick on a college pitcher -- they took right-hander Chad Jenkins last year.

The pick is the first for new general manager Alex Anthopoulos and amateur scouting director Andrew Tinnish.

Their stated goal in the draft is in finding athletic players with superstar potential, and they are willing to accept more risk to get that type of talent.

The Blue Jays also have the 34th, 38th and 41st picks on the first day of the draft.

For people who love D in hockey, the Jays could conceivably have the best starting rotation in baseball in 3-5 years.

"Best rotation" might be a stretch, they still would have to beat out my Red Sox rotation, but Romero, Marcum, Drabek, Cecil, Morrow potentially McGowan, and this recent pick along with last year's could from a very solid rotation. Good depth.

2 Canadians have gone so far:

Jameson Taillon (Canadian citizen born in Texas) to Pittsburgh

Kellin Deglan (Langley, BC) to Texas.

Big Ev wrote:"Best rotation" might be a stretch, they still would have to beat out my Red Sox rotation, but Romero, Marcum, Drabek, Cecil, Morrow potentially McGowan, and this recent pick along with last year's could from a very solid rotation. Good depth.

I guess that's exactly why they did it. Romero is an undisputed stud, so he's the number one, Marcum is a number two guy, McGowan would be a perfect #1, but we should put him at 3 seeing as how many set-backs he's had. 4th is Cecil and the 5th spot is between Drabek, Morrow and this pick.

I like those odds of having a powerful 5 starting rotation.

SpezDispenser wrote:

Big Ev wrote:"Best rotation" might be a stretch, they still would have to beat out my Red Sox rotation, but Romero, Marcum, Drabek, Cecil, Morrow potentially McGowan, and this recent pick along with last year's could from a very solid rotation. Good depth.

I guess that's exactly why they did it. Romero is an undisputed stud, so he's the number one, Marcum is a number two guy, McGowan would be a perfect #1, but we should put him at 3 seeing as how many set-backs he's had. 4th is Cecil and the 5th spot is between Drabek, Morrow and this pick.

I like those odds of having a powerful 5 starting rotation.

Don't forget Litsch...

Oh yeah....Litsch. I completely forgot about him. Nice call PKC.

The Jays have picked 4 pitchers so far (Round 1 + Round 1 Compensatory):

RHP Deck McGuire (Georgia Tech)

RHP Aaron Sanchez (Barstrow HS, CA)

RHP Noah Syndergaard (Legacy HS, TX)

RHP Asher Wojciechowski (The Citadel, SC)

Apparently Wojciechowski has the tools to become a closer in the majors, just what the Jays need.


On a side note, the Red Sox picked LHP Anthony Ranaudo out of LSU at #39. He was the top ranked college pitcher before getting injured this season. Jared Cowen anyone? lol

Big Ev wrote:The Jays have picked 4 pitchers so far (Round 1 + Round 1 Compensatory):

RHP Deck McGuire (Georgia Tech)

RHP Aaron Sanchez (Barstrow HS, CA)

RHP Noah Syndergaard (Legacy HS, TX)

RHP Asher Wojciechowski (The Citadel, SC)

Apparently Wojciechowski has the tools to become a closer in the majors, just what the Jays need.


On a side note, the Red Sox picked LHP Anthony Ranaudo out of LSU at #39. He was the top ranked college pitcher before getting injured this season. Jared Cowen anyone? lol

Wow, he fell to 39.

We took pitchers all the way down? Oh well, if it's one thing you can never have enough of it's pitching.

I guess Anthopolous likes his hitters (most HR in the majors this year), so he is focusing on pitching.

Although, JP Ricciardi effed up in 2005 when he drafted Romero instead of Troy Tulowitski, although Romero is developing nicely.

Big Ev wrote:I guess Anthopolous likes his hitters (most HR in the majors this year), so he is focusing on pitching.

Although, JP Ricciardi effed up in 2005 when he drafted Romero instead of Troy Tulowitski, although Romero is developing nicely.

Romero's awesome, there may not have been a wrong choice when all is said and done.

Big Ev wrote:I guess Anthopolous likes his hitters (most HR in the majors this year), so he is focusing on pitching.

Although, JP Ricciardi effed up in 2005 when he drafted Romero instead of Troy Tulowitski, although Romero is developing nicely.

I dont think he did, staff aces are much harder to find that shortstops ....

Just look at the Jays plucking up Alex Gonzalez on the cheap as a FA

Alex Gonzalez is only good for defence, he's just off to a hot start with the bat. I watched him in every Sox game for the most part last year, he is almost bad as John McDonald.

Tulowitzki is a potential franchise shortstop, the Jays could have used him as their shortstop of the future used to be Russ Adams lol.

Romero's gaining ground but there's still a gap between him and Tulo. He has looked great so far this year, though.

Big Ev wrote:Alex Gonzalez is only good for defence, he's just off to a hot start with the bat. I watched him in every Sox game for the most part last year, he is almost bad as John McDonald.

Tulowitzki is a potential franchise shortstop, the Jays could have used him as their shortstop of the future used to be Russ Adams lol.

Romero's gaining ground but there's still a gap between him and Tulo. He has looked great so far this year, though.

Don't forget the Jays won the bidding war with that Cuba shortstop kid.

SpezDispenser wrote:

Big Ev wrote:Alex Gonzalez is only good for defence, he's just off to a hot start with the bat. I watched him in every Sox game for the most part last year, he is almost bad as John McDonald.

Tulowitzki is a potential franchise shortstop, the Jays could have used him as their shortstop of the future used to be Russ Adams lol.

Romero's gaining ground but there's still a gap between him and Tulo. He has looked great so far this year, though.

Don't forget the Jays won the bidding war with that Cuba shortstop kid.

Good point, I read in Sports Illustrated that the Yankees wanted him badly -- wanted to groom him to replace Jeter.

SDH89 wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

Big Ev wrote:Alex Gonzalez is only good for defence, he's just off to a hot start with the bat. I watched him in every Sox game for the most part last year, he is almost bad as John McDonald.

Tulowitzki is a potential franchise shortstop, the Jays could have used him as their shortstop of the future used to be Russ Adams lol.

Romero's gaining ground but there's still a gap between him and Tulo. He has looked great so far this year, though.

Don't forget the Jays won the bidding war with that Cuba shortstop kid.

Good point, I read in Sports Illustrated that the Yankees wanted him badly -- wanted to groom him to replace Jeter.

Really? I heard he had the potential to be awesome, but I didn't hear that kind of lip service. That's pretty sexy. The Jays might be amazing sooner rather than later.