Blue Jays select catcher Riley Adams in the 3rd round

With the 99th overall pick of the 2017 MLB Draft, the Blue Jays selected catcher Riley Adams from the University of San Diego, continuing to add to their organizational depth behind the plate.

Defensively, the first thing to note is that Adams is listed at 6'4" or 6'5", which is unusually tall for a catcher. In fact, it's basically the upper extent of the range of past catchers, along with the likes of Joe Mauer, Sandy Alomar Jr and Matt Wieters. So it's certainly not impossible for him to remain behind the plate and be good, but it does raise questions.

The flip side is that he's very athletic behind the plate, and has a strong arm that plays well, so the building blocks are there for him to stick behind the plate. There is mechanical work to do, particularly in his receiving game where his size works against him a little bit in framing pitches in the zone. The good news is that this is considered something that can be significantly developed in pro ball.

Offensively, power is his best attribute, which flows from a very smooth right-handed swing (see below) from and that classic slugger size. He swings from a really wide base, which apparently is an attempt to emulate fellow USD product Kris Bryant.

The other thing to note is that if he were not to stick behind the plate, he wouldn't move automatically to first base, as his athleticism and arm could play in an outfield corner, and if his bat took off he could profile as a regular there (it's not a high probability outcome, but as a fallback that's to be expected). He's also a younger college pick, turning 21 later this month.