DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Elvis Luciano turned 19 years old five days ago and has never pitched above Rookie ball, but the Dominican right-hander finds himself with a realistic opportunity to crack the Blue Jays' 25-man roster.

Luciano hasn't been guaranteed anything in his first big league camp, but after Toronto made him a surprise selection in the December Rule 5 Draft, his career has been fast tracked. Now, Luciano has to go out and prove he deserves it.

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If successful, Luciano would become the youngest pitcher in franchise history to join the big league team. It’s pretty overwhelming for a pitcher who spent most of last year in Burlington of the Appalachian League and didn't expect to receive a chance like this for at least a couple of more years.

"It’s definitely a learning experience," Luciano said through an interpreter. "I feel blessed that I have the other players around to learn from and they’ve opened the doors for me and it’s been a really good experience so far. ... This is reality and I’m here, and that means I have to get the work done and be ready."

The Blue Jays paid $100,000 to draft Luciano from the Royals’ farm system at the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas. He has to remain on the active roster all season or be offered back to Kansas City for $50,000. Exceptions are made for stints on the injured list, but players must be active for at least 90 days to avoid any abuse of the rules.

When Toronto picked Luciano, the initial expectation was that the club might try to work out a trade with Kansas City. A side deal would allow the Blue Jays to keep Luciano in the Minors, but it's pretty clear that's not the priority.

The Blue Jays are going to take a long, hard look at Luciano in the coming weeks. Luciano, who is 9-6 with a 3.37 ERA in 29 Minor League games (20 starts) the past two seasons, will be used early in Grapefruit League games to ensure he faces Major League hitters, and unless he proves to be completely overmatched on the mound, the expectation should be that he heads north at the end of camp.

"He’s not putting pressure on himself, he’s just kind of going about his business," Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker said. "He’s very mild mannered. It’s pretty impressive for a 19-year-old. I thought he’d look a lot more nervous. He seems to be taking it in stride and seems to be comfortable here.

"We haven’t seen him face hitters at this level. Spring Training will be a good indication of where he’s really at. It’s one thing to see him in a side [session], but to watch him pitch in a game will be fun to see for me, to be honest with you. But watching him throw, I can see why he’s here."

According to Walker, Luciano has a plus fastball and a plus changeup while his slider remains a work in progress. The breaking ball will be key to his long-term development as a starter, but as a reliever, he should be able to get away with not throwing it as much.

This is a win-win scenario either way for Luciano. If he doesn't make the team, he likely heads back to the Royals to continue his development as a starter against players his own age. If he does make the Blue Jays, Luciano immediately gets to live the big league lifestyle while trying to learn on the fly.

"Maybe that’s why he has the mindset he has," Walker said. "He has nothing to lose right now. Go out there and pitch and show us what he can do, and he may end up in the big leagues."