Toronto made three selections on day one of the draft, taking high floor middle-infielder Logan Warmouth, flame throwing right-handed pitcher Nate Pearson, and former Little League World Series star Hagen Danner, then drafting 99th pick, catcher Riley Adams, to start Day Two. With their fourth rounder and second pick on the day, the Blue Jays have selected 6’1″ 185 lbs shortstop Kevin Smith out of Maryland with the 129th pick in the draft.
Kevin Smith has 13 home runs and a slash line of .268/.328/.552. Adams was ranked as the 79th best prospect in this year’s draft class by Baseball America, and 91st by MLB Pipeline. Now, to the scouting reports.
Here are the scouting grades from MLB Pipeline for Kevin Smith:
Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 40 | Arm: 50 | Field: 55 | Overall: 45
Baseball America wrote this about the Jays fifth selection (129th overall):
“He has plus hands and body control and flashes plus arm strength, though some evaluators note that his arm has been inconsistent this spring. Offensively, Smith shows above-average bat speed and raw power…His power remains ahead of his hitting ability.”
Here is the scouting report from MLB Pipeline:
“He has shown some aptitude for making adjustments and improving in that regard, something he’ll have to do at the next level. He has sneaky power that shows up in games, but while he is capable of driving the ball to all fields, he gets too pull-happy. While he is a below-average runner, Smith’s instincts and hands should allow him to stay at shortstop. His arm grades out as average, but he has a quick release and is always accurate…If the bat can improve, he has the chance to be an everyday shortstop at the next level.”
MLB Pipeline’s scouting video featuring Kevin Smith is shown below:
More footage of him can be found here.
The slot value for the 129th pick is $405,100. The Blue Jays will pick next at 159th overall in the fifth round.
Lead Photo: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports