This Blue Jays prospect has some of the best raw tools in the Fall League

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – In the span of time it takes to fold a bag of all-dressed chips and pop on a clip, Jake Cook ran the 30-yard dash at the MLB Draft Combine in June 2025. Zooming to an event-best time of 3.51 seconds, it was a lightning quick snapshot of how fast his rise has been.

One of the first terms that scouts and evaluators offer up when describing Cook’s game is “raw.” Originally recruited to Southern Miss as a two-way player, he first redshirted in 2023 and then threw just three innings the following year, but did touch 96 mph on the mound. He focused solely on the batter’s box in 2025 and hit .350 while manning center field.

“I didn't even play in the fall,” said Cook. “I got into spring intrasquads and did my thing and my roommates were like, ‘Bro, if you keep playing like that, you're gonna get drafted.’ I was like, ‘Guys, chill, I’m just trying to play this year, just trying to start.’”

Those wheels – and raw tools – got the minds of the Blue Jays’ Draft contingent racing. Toronto popped the Mississippi native in the third round of the Draft a month later and have watched as he’s blossomed into one of four ranked prospects across baseball to earn an 80-grade run tool.

Cook has been off to the races to begin his tenure with the Mesa Solar Sox, swiping five bags in four games, tied with teammate Jake Casey (TOR No. 23) for the most stolen bases in the Arizona Fall League through play Friday. The Blue Jays’ No. 20 prospect has also run a .364 average and .500 on-base percentage in that span, including an 108.7 mph single, his hardest-hit ball at any level in 2026.

But the Fall League will also serve as a chance for Cook to get more reps in center field, a vital part of his development. The tantalizing look at his tools was apparent in the Solar Sox’s 11-10 defeat to the Scorpions at Scottsdale Stadium on Friday afternoon, as he misplayed a ball in center field, leading to an inside-the-park home run for his former travel ball teammate growing up, Dakota Jordan (SF No. 7). One inning later, Cook showcased that high-octane arm strength, cutting down the potential game-tying run at the plate for an outfield assist.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen an athlete like that,” said Blue Jays farm director Joe Sclafani of Cook back in March. “I didn’t realize how good his arm was, and center field is going to be plus. … If we can get him out there regularly and he stays healthy, he has a chance to be pretty special.”

Cook doesn’t do much slow. But before he could run, he had to walk his way back from a hamstring injury that he sustained during Spring Training, keeping him out of game action until May 2. An offensive rhythm took time to find as he hit just .217 with a .643 OPS through his first two months of play. But the left-handed hitter turned things up a notch down the stretch, posting a .270 average and .796 OPS over his final 42 games for Dunedin.

“A lot of swing changes this year, just trying to figure out what worked for me,” said Cook. “I finally got to a point where I was comfortable with my swing and rode it out for the rest of the year.”

It would be hard to blame Cook if he eschewed extra-base hits and focused on merely slapping the ball where the defense wasn’t. But that’s not his style. He ran a 29.5 percent line-drive rate in his debut year, tops among all Blue Jays Minor Leaguers with at least 300 plate appearances.

“I know I've got that in my tool bag,” said Cook of the slash-hitting style. “If that's who I have to be, I can be that guy whenever I want to. But I know – and the Blue Jays know – that I've got more in the tank. So we're really trying to explore the power potential, the exit velos and stuff like that just to try to maximize who I can be.”

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So who is Jake Cook the finished product as a baseball player when all’s said and done?

“I think I've got the potential to be a five-tool guy, do everything – steal bases, hit home runs, play great defense. But I mean, I'm just not there yet,” said Cook. “I gotta keep working every day.”