Five '25 Picks Who Could Join The C's This Year

With the Draft in the bag, these are five players recently picked who might head north this summer

By Tyler Zickel

July 17, 2025

The 2025 MLB Draft has come and gone, and the Toronto Blue Jays have added new names and faces to an ascendant farm system that has already logged many successes this year. While the Draft use to have a more immediate impact on the Canadians roster during the short-season era,

We’ve rounded up five names – and borrowed heavily from Blue Jays beat writer Keegan Matheson – to make a list of 2025 picks who might make a trip to Vancouver to finish up the season #atTheNat.

Micah Bucknam, RHP (Fourth round, No. 112)

Bucknam is at the top of the list for several reasons, most notably because he’s from Abbotsford. The last Canadian citizen to pitch for the C’s was Connor O’Halloran (2024-25), but the last local native son to don a C’s jersey was North Van’s Will McAffer. At 21, Bucknam has enough collegiate experience to make a smooth transition to the pro ranks once he’s on-boarded at the Player Development Complex in Dunedin.

The Keegan File
Bats/throws: R/R
School: Dallas Baptist University
Calling Card: Bucknam grew up in Canada and played his high school ball in British Columbia, but he was born in New Zealand. The Blue Jays originally drafted Bucknam in 2021 (16th round), but he did not sign. Bucknam’s signature pitch is his high-spin slider, which sits in the mid-80s but can reach up to touch 91 mph with tight movement. That should immediately become his swing-and-miss pitch in pro ball.
Quote: “He’s got some of the best feel for spin in the college class.” -- MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis. This tracks with the Blue Jays’ preference to find college arms who have at least one MLB-ready pitch, which allows them to attack their secondary weapons right away. A year ago, we saw this with Trey Yesavage (first round) and Khal Stephen (second round).

Eric Snow, SS (Sixth round, No. 172)

College infielders are often some of the first players drafted who get a crack at pro ball soon after they’re selected, and Snow fits the bill. All his stats at Auburn make it clear; this kid can compete at the plate. Snow reminds us of another college infielder drafted by the Blue Jays who joined the C’s down the stretch; former seventh round pick Nick Goodwin, whose first career High-A homer came in the clinching game of the 2023 Northwest League Championship Series. Could Snow be the next draft pick to contribute to a Canadians pennant?

The Keegan File
Bats/throws: R/R
School: Auburn
Calling Card: Snow fits the Blue Jays’ trend of targeting complete all-around college infielders at this stage of the Draft. Snow also brings some versatility defensively and should be able to handle the lower levels quickly at 21.
Quote: "When you get so many pieces clicking and going, Eric has really solidified himself from that standpoint. He's just a complete college baseball player. Not only do you have a great glove, but the short bat. He's ready to go and he'll ambush you. Offensively, defensively, he can steal a base. It's his third year of college. He's really playing his best baseball when it matters most." -- Auburn head baseball coach Butch Thompson (via 247 Sports, Jason Caldwell)

Trace Baker, RHP (13th round, No. 382)

College arms are hedged bets in this era of high velocity and gravity-defying spin. It’s hard to know how long they’ll last before an inevitable arm injury delays their progress through the system, and the Blue Jays have been bit especially hard by the prospect injury bug over the last 18 months. But when things go right – and there’s no reason to think they won’t – guys like Baker are the bread and butter of late summer success in the full season minors. He’s an established college pitcher with command of his arsenal and a sense of “pitchability” that will play well right away in the pro ranks. Think of former C’s lefty Mason Fluharty, who was a fifth round pick in 2022 out of Liberty and immediately debuted with the Canadians that season before surging through the system and making his MLB debut this year.

The Keegan File
Bats/throws: R/R
School: UNC Wilmington
Calling Card: Baker opened the year in the rotation at UNC Wilmington but soon moved into the bullpen, and he found plenty of success with a 2.24 ERA and 54 strikeouts over 52 1/3 innings overall. Baker doesn’t come with dominant swing-and-miss stuff, but given his build and an impressive arsenal of pitches for a reliever, the Blue Jays could entertain the idea of starting him again. At 21, Baker is another advanced college arm who could quickly make his way into game action in the Blue Jays’ system.

Noah Palmese, RHP (14th round, No. 412)

NCAA schools get most of the shine, but there are stockpiles of talent in the NAIA ranks. Palmese is a perfect example of that, dominating for Webber International and making it clear he’s ready for the next challenge. While he’ll likely spend some time in Florida using the state-of-the-art facilities at the PDC to lay a foundation for his pro career, he could very well slot into the C’s bullpen come mid-August.

The Keegan File
Bats/throws: R/R
School: Webber International University
Calling Card: Palmese racked up the NAIA honors in 2025, first being named a First-Team All American and later winning the NAIA Ball Reliever of the Year Award. Palmese clearly has a knack for missing bats, and he’ll be yet another bullpen development project for the Blue Jays’ staff. Palmese should also have a shot at pitching in pro games soon.

Jake Casey, OF (15th round, No. 442)

We’re suckers for multi-generational baseball families, and Casey is another addition to an ever-growing lineage of Blue Jays MiLBers with big league dads. Sean Casey’s son joins the likes of Cavan Biggio, Griffin Conine, Kacy Clemens and other former Canadians whose fathers played in the show (not to mention Vladdy and Bo, who skipped Vancouver on their road to MLB). You’ll read Casey’s eye-popping stats at Kent State this year below, and it’s clear after a short adjustment to pro pitching in the FCL and Florida State League Casey could join us on Ontario Street for some late summer fun.

The Keegan File
Bats/throws: L/R
School: Kent State
Calling Card: The Blue Jays have always loved baseball family ties, so it’s no surprise that they scooped up Jake Casey, son of three-time All-Star Sean Casey, who played 12 seasons in the big leagues. Jake bounced back from Tommy John surgery a year ago to put together a massive final season with Kent State, where he hit .356 with 17 home runs and a 1.236 OPS over 56 games. With his ability to drive the ball in the air, Casey will be an interesting development project for the Blue Jays as they try to unlock even more power from his raw talent. He was also Kent State’s first player in school history to be invited to the MLB Draft Combine.
Quote: "This is an incredible honor for Jake and a testament to his hard work and dedication. To be the first player in our program's history to receive this invitation is truly special. Jake has represented Kent State with class and excellence throughout his career." -- Kent State head baseball coach Jeff Duncan