Toronto signs 5th-round outfielder Britton

June 18th, 2020

TORONTO -- The Blue Jays have officially signed Louisville outfielder Zach Britton, their fifth-round pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. The agreement, first reported by MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis, is for a signing bonus of $97,500.

Britton was selected 136th overall, which comes with a slot value of $410,100, leaving the Blue Jays with just over a $300,000 surplus relative to the slot. The club entered the 2020 Draft with a bonus pool of $9,716,500, but may need to go above the slot value to sign first-round selection Austin Martin.

On Thursday, the Blue Jays also announced the signing of second-round pick CJ Van Eyk, and that deal will come in at a value of $1.8 million, a source told MLB.com. The club also announced the signing of right-hander Trent Palmer, its third-round selection.

Britton, 21, was off to a hot start for Louisville this season through 17 games prior to play being stopped due to the coronavirus pandemic. The left-handed hitter was leading all of Division 1 with 11 doubles, hitting .322 with 12 RBIs.

Selected as an outfielder, Britton also has some experience behind the plate, where he excelled at the high school level in Indiana. While Britton was not ranked among MLB Pipeline’s Top 200 Draft Prospects, Toronto believes there’s room for his bat to grow and produce more power.

The Blue Jays have long valued success in the Cape Cod League, and Britton checked off that box in 2019 playing with the Orleans Firebirds. Britton hit .286 with an .858 OPS over those 28 games, but what stood out was his five home runs. That matches his career high at the NCAA level, set over 55 games in '19.

Any outfielder entering the Blue Jays’ system will have opportunity, as that position pool of prospects is still thin relative to the club’s catching, infield and pitching depth. Griffin Conine is the club’s top outfield prospect at No. 14, while Dasan Brown (No. 17), Anthony Alford (No. 21) and Will Robertson (No. 26) round out the top 30.

It’s common for the Blue Jays to start their college draftees from higher rounds with an assignment to Class A Short-Season in Vancouver, like last year’s fifth-rounder, college infielder Tanner Morris. The suspended Minor League season changes that landscape in 2020, but coming from college success at a program like Louisville’s, Britton should have an opportunity to move quickly to a full-season level when baseball resumes.