Toronto Blue Jays select high-school prospect Kendall Williams 52nd overall

The Toronto Blue Jays added a second pitcher on the first day of the draft, taking right-hander Kendall Williams with the No. 52 pick

The Toronto Blue Jays added to their depleted pitching ranks by selecting Alek Manoah from West Virginia with the No. 11 pick. They followed that up by taking another big right-hander in Kendall Williams, who was a standout this year for IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.

Williams is a bit of a risk for the Blue Jays, as he reportedly has a firm commitment to Vanderbilt University. However, Baseball America’s JJ Cooper says that the Jays will more than likely land the righty.

It sure seems like there’s a good chance that the 18-year-old is planning on skipping out on college:

Williams made the decision to transfer to IMG ahead of his sophomore campaign. In his final high school season, he had a blemish-free 5-0 record along with a 1.05 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 40 innings. He also only allowed a single home run over that stretch.

The 6-foot-6 hurler has both a four- and two-seam fastball as well as a slider, curveball, and changeup in his arsenal.

"“While he started the spring a bit slowly velocity-wise, at 87-91 mph, it’s been ticking up, sitting 91-92 mph and regularly touching 94 mph, as he did throughout his NHSI shutout in March. It plays up because of its steep plane and angle and there should be more consistent velocity to come as he matures. He’s been throwing both a slider and curve this spring, with success, with some scouts thinking the curve will ultimately work better coming from his high three-quarter slot. He has some feel for a future average changeup, though he doesn’t have to throw it much in high school.” – MLB.com"

The Blue Jays have steadily been adding more talent to their pitching ranks over the last few years. Of their top 15 prospects, six of them are pitchers. All of those individuals are right-handed.

Williams is still very young and will have years to progress into a great prospect for the Blue Jays. According to several draft pundits, he projects to become one of the top arms in the organization’s system in a short amount of time.