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Top Blue Jays prospect will take mound in Vancouver Canadians’ opener

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Toronto Blue Jays first-rounder Jon Harris’s journey to the big leagues will start at Nat Bailey Stadium.

The Blue Jays have assigned the big right-hander to the Vancouver Canadians, their single-A affiliate, and Harris will make his first professional start Friday in the C’s home opener against the defending Northwest League-champion Hillsboro Hops.

On June 8, the Jays snagged the 21-year-old from Missouri State University with the 29th pick in the 2015 MLB draft. Toronto’s scouting staff didn’t expect Harris — the 13th pitcher selected  in the draft — to still be around.

“We actually had Jon Harris ranked significantly higher than where we picked,” Brian Parker, the Jays’ amateur scouting director told the National Post. “He kind of fell a little further than we thought he was going to. He was one of those guys, as you’re sitting there watching the draft, you’re like, ‘If this guy keeps falling, we had to take advantage of him.’ He’s one of those guys that was just too high on our board to pass up.”

It was actually the second time Harris had heard his name called by the Blue Jays. Toronto first drafted him in the 33rd round of the 2012 draft when he was a stringy six-foot, 160-pound student at Hazelwood Central High School in Florissant, Missouri.

Harris chose the university route over the pros — and the decision has paid off.

The Blue Jays signed their first-rounder to a deal that will pay him $1,944,800.

The 21-year-old sprouted three inches and packed on 30 pounds to his frame during his three years at Missouri State. He was 19-9 over three NCAA seasons with a 3.09 earned-run average and 243 strikeouts in 43 games.

He was 8-2 with a 2.45 ERA in his final year. His 116 strikeouts in 103 total innings ranked 12th in the NCAA.

The Canadians meet Hillsboro on Friday, 7:05 p.m., at Nat Bailey Stadium

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Filed under: Now, Sports, STAFF Tagged: AL East, American League (MLB), Baseball, Brian Parker, Class-A Short-Season Baseball, College Athletics, College Baseball, Florissant, Hazelwood Central High School, Jon Harris, Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball, Missouri State University, Nat Bailey Stadium, National Collegiate Athletic Association, National Post, Professional Baseball, Sports, Toronto Blue Jays, United States, Vancouver Canadians

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