Despite trading their first pick, the Blue Jays 2020 draft class is trending well

Fun fact, we’re a month and change away from the 2023 MLB Draft.

Over the past three drafts, the Blue Jays have done a great job finding good players, and the COVID shortened 2020 draft is no better example of that.
In a series of three articles, we’ll look at every player drafted in the past three draft classes.. Let’s start with the 2020 draft class.
5th overall pick: Austin Martin
It was quite a surprise to many when Austin Martin fell to the Blue Jays in the 2020 draft. In fact, looking at mock drafts at the time, most had him going second or third in the draft.
Unfortunately for Martin, he hasn’t quite lived up to his draft position. The Blue Jays aggressively promoted the then 22-year-old to Double-A, where he slashed .281/.424/.383 with two homers in 250 plate appearances with the Fisher Cats.
However, he and Simeon Woods Richardson were packaged to the Minnesota Twins for starter José Berríos. With the Twins Double-A team in 2021, he slashed .252/.399/.381 with three homers in 168 plate appearances for a 120 wRC+.
In 2022, he repeated the level but significantly regressed. In 406 plate appearances, the then 23-year-old slashed .241/.367/.315 with two homers for an 89 wRC+. It’s also worth noting that Martin stole 34 bases in 39 attempts, but his professional career hasn’t fared too well so far.
Martin has missed all of the 2023 season due to a UCL sprain (something that has plagued the 2020 Blue Jays draft class) …

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Author: Brennan Delaney / Blue Jays Nation

The Leafs showed they are capable, but changes are needed to achieve greatness

Eight days.
That is all it took to wipe away all of the goodwill that came from the Leafs getting past the first round for the first time in nearly two decades. Once Sam Reinhart scored the overtime winner to put the Panthers up 3-0 in the second round, it was a matter of when, not if, the Leafs would see their playoff aspirations end in disappointment. And for the fifth time since this era began, Toronto was sent packing in front of their home fans.
As the dust settles on another season of shortcomings in the spring, the Leafs simultaneously did and did not deserve to have the outcome they got in the second round.
Toronto got the bulk of the scoring chances and offensive zone time, which should have resulted in at least one instance of a game where they got more than two goals. Having said that, they made it too easy for the Panthers to execute their gameplan and Sergei Bobrovsky made more saves than both Ilya Samsonov and Joseph Woll could. It certainly did not help that Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and John Tavares each combined for a goal on 67 shots in this series when just a few more could have made the difference. Now why does that last sentence sound familiar?
Much like the past seven years of this era of Leafs ho …

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Author: Michael Mazzei / The Leafs Nation

Eyes on Knies, Grebyonkin’s great season, Tverberg on the board: Leafs Prospect Roundup

Eyes on Knies, Grebyonkin’s great season, Tverberg on the board: Leafs Prospect Roundup

We are now less than a week away from the NHL trade deadline, and with the Leafs having already taken their big swing with the Ryan O’Reilly trade, the focus has shifted from whether or not top prospect Matthew Knies could be on the move to if and when he’s going to sign with Toronto.
Knies and the Gophers wrapped up their regular season schedule with a weekend set against #3 Ohio State. After a relatively quiet one-assist showing in Friday’s win, he was in the middle of everything on Saturday.
Things didn’t start off so great as Knies was assessed a five-minute major for checking to the head in the first period, and linemate Jimmy Snuggerud earned a five-minute major of his own. The infractions allowed Ohio State to get out to a two-goal lead early in the second, but Knies and his linemates made amends and then some.
After Sabres prospect Aaron Huglen brought the Gophers within one, Minnesota’s top trio got to work and quickly tied the game. Logan Cooley made a heads-up play in the neutral zone to spring Snuggerud for a clean entry down the right wing, and sensing an opportunity, Knies darted past his man to the far post, arriving at the per …

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Author: Nick Richard / The Leafs Nation

Raptors draft: Will Masai Ujiri go back to Indiana for star PG?

Raptors draft: Will Masai Ujiri go back to Indiana for star PG?

The Toronto Raptors traded away their second-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft in the Jakob Poeltl trade (as well as a protected first-round pick), but they still have sole possession of their first-round pick. After trading their 2022 first to acquire Thad Young, Masai Ujiri needs to hit a home run in 2023. Toronto […]
Raptors draft: Will Masai Ujiri go back to Indiana for star PG? – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

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Author: Mike Luciano / Raptors HQ

Five NCAA free agent targets for the Toronto Maple Leafs

Five NCAA free agent targets for the Toronto Maple Leafs

The NCAA playoffs are still a while away, but things are starting to really ramp up in hockey’s top college ranks.
And that includes looking towards the future. Some of the top college players each year sign entry-level deals with NHL teams as an inexpensive way of adding depth. We don’t typically see many high-quality players go the free-agent route, but Tyler Bozak is a notable one that comes to mind as one that worked out for the Blue and White. Last year, the Toronto Marlies added Dryden McKay, who was coming off of one of the best statistical careers by a goaltender in recent NCAA history.
There aren’t any must-have prospects this year, but we know Kyle Dubas and Co. love scouring the United States for quality, developed talent. They’ll have options this year, depending on need. The theme this year, like most years, is depth, but there’s also a chance to add some skill and size to the lineup, too.
Here’s a look at five NCAA free agents the Toronto Maple Leafs could look to target this spring:
Jason Polin, RW (Western Michigan)
Polin is the big kahuna right now. The 23-year-old Western Michigan captain is having a dominant season, scoring 23 goals and 35 points in his first 28 games as a seni …

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Author: Steven Ellis / The Leafs Nation

Raptors trading multiple picks for Jakob Poeltl would be a big mistake

Raptors trading multiple picks for Jakob Poeltl would be a big mistake

The NBA trade deadline is a couple of weeks away, and the Toronto Raptors are one of the teams who have been in the rumor mill regularly. The Raptors must make a decision to either go all in to make the playoffs or tank the season to get Scoot Henderson or Victor Wembanyama, potentially. Toronto […]
Raptors trading multiple picks for Jakob Poeltl would be a big mistake – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

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Author: Pirasanth Gunasekaram / Raptors HQ

Raptors trade rumors: Fred VanVleet being eyed by Western contender

Raptors trade rumors: Fred VanVleet being eyed by Western contender

The Toronto Raptors could be just a few days away from doing what was previously unthinkable and trading away Fred VanVleet. Teams all across the league want to acquire VanVleet and bring his unique veteran presence and deadly 3-point shot over to their mix. VanVleet just fired his agent, which could be a precursor of […]
Raptors trade rumors: Fred VanVleet being eyed by Western contender – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

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Author: Mike Luciano / Raptors HQ

Up and down weekend for Knies, Abruzzese stays hot for Marlies: Leafs Prospect Roundup

Up and down weekend for Knies, Abruzzese stays hot for Marlies: Leafs Prospect Roundup

We are now just a little over a month away from the NHL’s trade deadline, and much of the talk surrounding the Leafs has been centered on how they can improve their current roster before March 3rd.
Speculation about potential trade targets naturally leads to discussion regarding exactly what the Leafs have in terms of trade assets and which ones they might be willing to move. The Leafs will almost certainly have their 2023 and 2024 first-round picks on the table, but will they will be willing to move off the organization’s top prospect in Matthew Knies if that’s what it takes to land an impact player for a crucial playoff run? What about other highly regarded young pieces like Nick Robertson, Topi Niemelä, or Fraser Minten?
What the Leafs have working in their favor is that despite a lack of high draft picks in recent years, there is depth in their prospect pool, and many of their recent picks have performed well enough to raise their stock, not only in the eyes of the Leafs but amongst other NHL organizations as well. Will other teams have interest in some of the Leafs’ middle-tier prospects like Ty Voit or Nick Moldenhauer, who are both putting toget …

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Author: Nick Richard / The Leafs Nation

Is this the year for the Leafs to overpay, Sandin vs. Liljegren and a tip of the hat to a legend: Leaflets

Is this the year for the Leafs to overpay, Sandin vs. Liljegren and a tip of the hat to a legend: Leaflets

It’s Saturday morning and we’re hours away from the Leafs vs. Habs. It feels good. It feels like the these two teams are never good at the same time, but that also hasn’t stopped the Habs from knocking off the Leafs before so it’s not a game to be taken for granted. If the Leafs can beat up on just one lottery team, this is the one they should commit to.
Now here are the stray thoughts rattling around in my head…
It’s time for the Leafs to go all-in (but in a smart way)
On the Leafs Morning Take yesterday, Nick Alberga was discussing possible Leafs trade targets with Frank Seravalli. One of the players that was swiftly dismissed in the conversation was Bo Horvat. Then not a minute later it was mentioned that Boston could be a possible landing spot for Horvat. The belief is that the price on Horvat is more than the Leafs are willing to pay, but at the same time, the Bruins would be willing to pay it. So let’s break that down.
The Bruins find themselves in a situation where their prospect pool is even more drained than the Leafs. They have a very similar draft pick situation, and their salary cap situation is even more …

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Author: Jon Steitzer / The Leafs Nation

Raptors solve two biggest issues in 2023 NBA Mock Draft

Raptors draft: Will Masai Ujiri go back to Indiana for star PG?

The Toronto Raptors might be just a bit further away from their ultimate dream of acquiring Victor Wembanyama in the 2023 NBA Draft, but that doesn’t mean that Masai Ujiri and the rest of the organization are going to have a barren cupboard of players to pick. The Raptors will need to enter the draft […]
Raptors solve two biggest issues in 2023 NBA Mock Draft – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

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Author: Mike Luciano / Raptors HQ