TORONTO -- These days, Blue Jays fans are left looking to the future, whether they want to or not.
There’s a lot to like, though, in a farm system that’s grown stronger at the top and done a much better job of developing pitchers in recent years. Cole Carlon, the Blue Jays’ top pick in the 2026 MLB Draft (No. 39 overall), represents that next wave of talent.
After Carlon met with the media for the first time Tuesday since signing his deal with the Blue Jays, this is what you need to know:
Carlon’s path to Toronto:
Carlon and Blue Jays area scout Adam Arnold, who’s based in Arizona, built a good relationship throughout the scouting process. Carlon also had a great resource at Arizona State in his pitching coach, Jeremy Accardo, who pitched five seasons for the Blue Jays from 2006-10.
“I’m relentless,” Carlon said. “I’m going to go out there, compete, get to two strikes as soon as I can and try to get as many outs as possible, any way I can. I really just love going out there to compete and going right after guys with my stuff.”
Carlon singled out Tigers ace Tarik Skubal as a pitcher he models his game after, both big lefties. Skubal threw bullpens at ASU during the offseason, too, so Carlon was able to watch one of the best pitchers on the planet work and pick his brain about what goes into a successful big league career.
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After shifting from ASU’s bullpen to the rotation in his junior year, Carlon’s Draft stock skyrocketed and he was projected by many public rankings to be picked higher than No. 39. Scott Boras, who represents Carlon, continued to praise the Blue Jays’ organization, calling this pick “a feather in Toronto's cap."
“Normally in the Draft, when you have Cole’s abilities, they’re going at much higher levels,” Boras said. “The benefit here is that his late development was not as widely known as you’d expect. What you saw his junior year was, frankly, something where I think that few in this Draft had those abilities.”
The upside:
A fastball that lives in the upper 90s with one of the best sliders in the Draft -- a true wipeout pitch -- is a fine place to start.
“One of my friends texted me after, and I was laughing about the way he put it. He said that ‘He’s got two October pitches,’” said director of amateur scouting Marc Tramuta. “I felt like that was a good characterization of the fastball and slider that are currently in place. We just like the big physicality at 6-foot-5. We think there’s some athleticism to his delivery.”
Like Boras said, Carlon’s development came late in the process. He is, by Draft standards and especially at his age (21), a “fresh arm.” He also stands 6-foot-5, 230 pounds. There’s nothing but upside here.
Building out the rest of Carlon’s arsenal will be the key to succeeding in the big leagues, but with his fastball and slider alone, Carlon should carve through the lower levels of the Minor Leagues when he gets his start in pro ball.
Next steps for Carlon:
It’s easy to dream of another quick mover after Yesavage shot from Single-A to the World Series in 2025, touching every level of the Blue Jays’ system in the process. That’s going to grab the attention of the next guy that comes along, too.
“My goal is to be a big leaguer as soon as possible,” Carlon said. “I’m happy they have the ability to put a guy like me, who just got drafted, in the position to become a big leaguer next year. That was definitely awesome to see. That’s my goal, to be pitching in the big leagues as soon as I can. I’ve still got to run my own race, and I’ll get there when I get there.”
Coming off 83 2/3 innings last season at ASU, which was already a spike in workload as he moved from the bullpen, don’t expect to see Carlon pitching much this season, if at all. He could very well start the 2027 season on Yesavage’s path, though, making only brief stops in Single-A Dunedin and High-A Vancouver as the Blue Jays get him on their program. It’s a program that, all of the sudden, is producing some great results with pitchers just like Carlon.