Toronto Blue Jays: Breaking down each 2020 MLB Draft pick

Austin Martin

This pick generated a lot of buzz and for good reason. The Blue Jays weren’t expecting Austin Martin to drop to fifth overall and you can bet that the phone call came pretty quickly when the selection was made.

In our initial look at Martin, the 21-year-old has many attributes that make him worthy of being a top pick but the one that sticks out is his versatility. Unfortunately, the path for the former Vanderbilt remains unclear but if he reaches his potential than the Blue Jays will get another key part of their core.

"“He’s a very exciting talent that we feel really could complement our young core well. The consistency of his at-bats, the discipline within his at-bats, the contact rate, with power, the defensive versatility — we’re excited about the overall athleticism, the character, the person that we have a long history with, knowing him back to his high school days,” Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins told reporters. “We’re extremely excited to have the potential to add him to this organization.”"

The only issue right now is that Martin’s agent Scott Boras is looking to get a little bit more than the $6.18 million slot value he would get. While there appears to be no issue with getting a deal done, Toronto hasn’t had the best track record with Boras clients who were drafted by the team.

At this point, the Blue Jays should have the advantage trying to sign him considering there is no telling when college baseball can return and Martin would probably prefer to get started on his career sooner rather than later.

MLB Network’s Dan O’Dowd said the Blue Jays got the best player in the draft while and only Spencer Torkelson was ranked higher by most experts. A main reason why is because of his approach at the plate and being able to make hard contact.

There will be an adjustment period for Martin and if he can keep his patient approach in the batter’s box, he should be able to reach his potential. O’Dowd compared Martin to Mookie Betts but Ben Zobrist has also been thrown out there as a comparable considering the number of positions he can play.

To say the Blue Jays expect him to be a starting outfielder for him down the road wouldn’t be the best approach considering there might be a position better suited for him. The organization doesn’t seem set on saying where they want him to play and keeping that flexibility will be important.