The first time the Toronto Blue Jays drafted Jon Harris he was pretty certain he was going to turn them down and attend college. After three years at Missouri State, the right-hander had a much different reaction upon being selected 29th overall by Toronto.
“I heard my name and I broke down in tears because it’s one of those childhood dreams that every kid has,” Harris told reporters on a conference call. “I look forward to fulfilling that dream in the Toronto organization. It’s a blessing in disguise to be drafted by them again.”
The Blue Jays, who chose high school right-hander Brady Singer 56th overall in the second round, initially picked Harris in the 33rd round back in 2012. At that point he was 6’0″, but he’s now 6’4″ with an improved feel for pitching.
Many expected the native of Florissant, Mo., to be selected by the time Toronto’s pick came around. Baseball America ranked him 25th among all eligible prospects, and Toronto “got a steal” in the view of MLB.com draft expert Jim Callis.
“It was a great night,” Blue Jays amateur scouting director Brian Parker said. “We actually had Jon Harris ranked significantly higher than where we picked. He kind of fell further than we thought he was going to. … We had to take advantage of it. It was one of those guys where he was just too high on our board to pass up.”
The Blue Jays were also pleased to land Singer, a hard-throwing Florida product.
“It’s a young, athletic kid with a big frame and a great fastball,” Parker said. “He’s got (fastball) life and he’s got sink and he can really command the fastball. Secondary (pitches are) probably the one thing that he needs to work on … but he can pitch with his fastball. That’s his biggest thing right now.”
While Harris heard rumours that he could be selected within the first 15 picks, he remained calm, waiting and watching at his aunt’s house in St. Louis with his mother, father, aunt, uncle and 91-year-old great grandmother.
“I had the faith that I was going to get taken,” he said. “It was just who. I wasn’t getting up or down about anything.”
Harris describes himself as a four-pitch pitcher who throws fastballs, curveballs, change-ups and sliders from a high three-quarter arm-slot. The Blue Jays expect him to sit around 92-94 mph while mixing in two breaking balls, including an above-average slider. “It’s a guy that has weapons to get people out,” Parker said.
And much like Blue Jays starter Mark Buehrle, Harris prefers to work quickly.
“I like to get the ball and go,” he said. “I don’t like to sit and waste time between pitches. I like to get what I want and deliver the ball to home plate.”
Harris excelled at Missouri State, going 8-2 with a 2.45 ERA in 103 innings this season. He struck out 116 while walking 36 and allowing two home runs. Next up he wants to improve his command and perhaps add a few pounds onto his lanky frame.
The 21-year-old has yet to visit Toronto — he doesn’t own a winter jacket, in fact — but he knows a little about the city from following its sports teams.
“I know Drake, the hip-hop artist is a Toronto guy,” Harris said. “Other than that they’ve got a decent hockey team — I follow hockey — they’ve got a halfway decent basketball team and I know their baseball team is pretty solid.”
The Blue Jays obtained the 29th pick for losing free agent Melky Cabrera to the Chicago White Sox after making him a qualifying offer. They lost their first-round pick when they signed Russell Martin to a five-year contract.
The recommended bonus for the 29th pick is $1,944,800, and the Blue Jays are allowed to spend $5,411,000 within the first 10 rounds without incurring penalties. Parker said the Blue Jays are comfortable with how signable Harris is, but the right-hander said he’s leaving the deal-making to his advisor.
“I haven’t heard anything about if there’s a deal in place or what I would get,” he said. “All I know is I’m the 29th overall pick for the Toronto Blue Jays and that’s about all I know.”
For now that’s all he needs to know. The rest can fall into place later this summer.
“Toronto’s going to be a great fit for me. It’s going to be a new home for me,” Harris said. “I’m going to do what I can to wear that Toronto blue proudly.”
Highest-drafted players on Blue Jays’ 40-man roster
Justin Smoak, 1st round, 11th pick
R.A. Dickey, 1st round, 18th pick
Chad Jenkins, 1st round, 20th pick
Marcus Stroman, 1st round, 22nd pick
Aaron Sanchez, 1st round, 34th pick
Brett Cecil, 1st round, 38th pick
Josh Donaldson, 1st round, 48th pick
Daniel Norris, 2nd round
Rob Rasmussen, 2nd round
Ryan Goins, 4th round
Steve Tolleson, 5th round
Marco Estrada, 6th round
Edwin Encarnacion, 9th round
Aaron Loup, 9th round
Matt Hague, 9th round
A.J. Jimenez, 9th round
Andrew Albers, 10th round
Michael Saunders, 11th round
Josh Thole, 13th round
Devon Travis, 13th round
Drew Hutchison, 15th round
Dalton Pompey, 16th round
Russell Martin, 17th round
Danny Valencia, 19th round
Ryan Tepera, 19th round
Jose Bautista, 20th round
Scott Copeland, 21st round
Steve Delabar, 29th round
Colt Hynes, 31st round
Kevin Pillar, 32nd round
Mark Buehrle, 38th round
