Blue Jays sign defensive whiz shortstop who also batted .362 but slipped through draft

Billy Heyen

Blue Jays sign defensive whiz shortstop who also batted .362 but slipped through draft image

The Toronto Blue Jays made a shrewd post-draft signing on Tuesday.

According to multiple reports, the Blue Jays signed shortstop Maddox Latta.

Latta played at Cal State Fullerton. This spring, he was named the Big West's Defensive Player of the Year.

And not only can he pick it. Latta can swing it, too.

He batted .362 with a .989 OPS for the Titans. Latta stole 14 bases, too.

MOREKyle Schwarber is the hero of MLB's first All-Star Game Home Run Derby tiebreaker

He smacked 15 doubles, and he walked more than he struck out.

Latta measures up at 5-foot-11, 175 pounds, so he likely profiles as a speedy, glove-first shortstop in pro ball.

But if Toronto can keep any of that bat around, it'll be a huge steal to snag Latta after the 20 rounds of the MLB Draft were over.

MORE MLB NEWS:

Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle