Blue Jays Take Four Canadians at MLB Draft
The top selection of the four was 12th Round pick Ryan Kellogg out of Whitby, Ontario. The 6'6" left-handed pitcher is just 18-years-old and is graduating from Henry Street High School in the coming days. Despite getting drafted by the Blue Jays, this pick is a flyer by Toronto to see if they can somehow intrigue the soon-to-be Arizona State Sun Devil from heading to the desert.
In a pair of recent outings back east, Kellogg struck out 11 in five innings of work allowing just a pair of hits while failing to issue a lone walk.
Playing for Team Ontario's U18 squad, Kellogg might have slipped too far down the draft board to take the Blue Jays up on their offer here as ASU is a strong NCAA program within a strong PAC-12 Division I circuit. This might be a tough sign for Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos.
To listen to LHP Ryan Kellogg chat with Jeff Blair of Sportsnet Radio about his potential future with the Blue Jays, Click here
Drafted in the 17th Round, the Blue Jays went with another LHP in Shane Dawson, a crafty pitcher out of the Drayton Valley (hour out of Edmonton, AB). His baseball collegiately has been played at Lethbridge Community College, where they play a mix of Canadian and America talent, this selection is an interesting one - but a lefty is always an intriguing selection.
In the 26th Round of the 2012 MLB First-Year Player Draft, the Blue Jays took Canadian high-school standout Nathan DeSouza who also played amateur baseball in Ontario. Out of Milton, ON, DeSouza is a speedy outfield prospect listed at 5'11", 175 pounds with room to grow. Still young at just 18 years of age, the Blue Jays may watch DeSouza head to school to gain some experience, put a few pounds on his frame and see if he can't shoot up the draft board in a few years.
The final Canadian-born player selected by Toronto came in the 39th round as Shaun Valeriote out of Guelph, Ontario heard his name called by GM Alex Anthopoulos.
The 6'1", 200 pound third baseman has been attending Brock University studing Sports Management and now he'll get a shot at seeing how to manage a pro baseball career should he sign on the dotted line with his hometown Blue Jays.
With the four players selected by the Blue Jays in this year's draft combined with the class of 2011, Toronto has taken nine Canadian-born players over the past two years proving their commitment to amateur baseball in our country while working to help a handful of bright young athletes get their shot at the bright lights of Rogers Centre in the coming years.
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