Jon Harris

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #29 prospect in 2018
  Harris passed on signing with the Blue Jays out of high school as a 33rd-round pick to become a three-year starter at Missouri State, elevating his stock to become a first-round pick (No. 29 overall) of the Blue Jays in 2015. Harris has proven to be durable but also very hittable, and he joined fellow righthanders Conner Greene and Sean Reid-Foley with their struggles last year in Double-A New Hampshire. Harris throws a lot of strikes but doesn't have the stuff to miss bats, either in or out of the strike zone. His fastball sits in the low-90s and he fills up the strike zone but made too many mistakes with his fastball command, which got him into trouble last year. Harris throws a curveball, slider and changeup that are all fringe-average pitches, flashing better at times but none of them was a reliable, consistent pitch for him in 2017. If Harris can improve his fastball command and bring up at least one of his secondary pitches, he could reach the big leagues as a fifth starter.
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  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #10 prospect in 2017
  Harris flirted with being a top-10 pick in a soft crop of college starting pitchers in the 2015 draft. As it turned out, he wasn't a team's first choice until the 29th overall pick, where Toronto snatched him and signed him for just less than $2 million. The Blue Jays had picked him out of high school as well in the 33rd round. Harris had a poor pro debut (6.75 ERA) but finished 2016 in high Class A after adopting several changes to his delivery. The Blue Jays simplified Harris' leg kick and got him to lengthen his stride out front, giving him a bit more effective velocity and allowing him to better repeat his delivery. He has better plane to his fastball and still has the same clean arm action as before, and he threw more quality strikes this year with all four of his pitches. Harris will pop a 97 mph fastball at times but sits 90-94. His changeup and upper-70s curveball flash above-average, as the curve has some depth and the changeup has good life, while his cutter-type slider lacks consistent tilt but has solid mid-80s power. His lack of a true plus pitch makes it hard for him to rack up swings-and-misses; increased strength could help the quality of his stuff. Harris needs a plus pitch to be a potential No. 3 starter and innings-eater. More realistically, he profiles as a solid No. 4 who could reach Double-A in 2017.
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  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #6 prospect in 2016
  The Blue Jays drafted Harris in the 33rd round out of a Missouri high school and followed as he attended Missouri State, where he became a weekend starter as a freshman. Harris helped the Bears to a school-record 49 wins in 2015. Projected as a top 15-20 selection, Harris tumbled on draft day, and the Jays were as stunned as anybody. They signed him for slot with the 29th overall pick. In a college draft class light on starting pitching, Harris impressed scouts for his athleticism, projectable frame, sound delivery and four-pitch mix. He still has strength gains to make, more important to maintain his delivery and the quality of his stuff than to add velocity. He pitches with an above-average fastball in the 90-93 mph range and has touched 95 with life to the fastball, particularly standing out for its armside life. He'll spin both a 12-to-6 curveball and a slider that has some depth as well, and his changeup gives him an average weapon. The Blue Jays attribute Harris' poor debut to fatigue; they weren't happy about it but aren't panicking either. Harris has to get stronger and prove he has the durability to fulfill a mid-rotation ceiling. He should spend 2016 at Class A with his workload likely to be closely monitored.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #25 prospect in 2015 draft
  Harris turned down the Blue Jays' offer as a 33rd-round pick out of high school. It was a wise choice, as Harris was physically immature and unable to maintain his velocity for long at all. He stepped into the Bears' weekend rotation as a freshman and had immediate success, but he's now a significantly more physical pitcher and the fastball that quickly dipped to the mid-80s when he was in high school now sits at 91-93 mph all day and he will touch 95. Harris mixes in a pair of breaking balls, a 12-to-6 curveball that flashes plus and a solid-average slider that he is able to throw for strikes. His changeup is a potentially average pitch as well, and some scouts have seen each secondary pitch flash plus. Harris missed two starts with an ankle injury but pitched a complete-game shutout in his return from injury, answering any questions about his health. Harris has pitched deep into games consistently this year. He's worked into the eighth inning of eight of his last nine starts and was averaging 110 pitches an outing this year. Harris' control is still shaky at times--he's walked 3.2 batters per nine innings but he also generates lots of swings and misses (10.8 strikeouts per nine innings).

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Midwest League #13 prospect in 2016
  Harris ran up a 6.75 ERA in a rough pro debut in 2015 that he attributed to fatigue after a long college postseason. He re-established himself as one of the Blue Jays' best pitching prospects this season and earned a late-July promotion to high Class A Dunedin. Harris' fastball sits 93-94 mph with late life and has touched 96. None of his other pitches are plus, but he can throws strikes with his 12-to-6 curveball, hard slider with depth and average changeup. Harris has improved the angle on his fastball so that he now works more consistently down in the zone. He drives down through his delivery, while staying tall. Harris has great makeup and a tremendous work ethic, with room to carry another 15-20 pounds on his lean, broad-shouldered frame.
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  Ranked Northwest League #18 prospect in 2015
  Look beyond the putrid numbers for Harris, who dominated for a surprising Missouri State team this spring but wore down both late in the spring and again in his pro debut. He signed for $1.94 million as the 29th overall pick in June. Harris is a physical and aggressive righthander with a fastball he can push to 95 mph and that sits 91-93. His curveball has 12-to-6 movement and flashes plus, and he throws a changeup that shows average. He has good feel for the slider and it shows good depth. Listed at just 160 pounds, Harris has a lean, 6-foot-3 frame that could carry another 20 pounds. His athleticism and flexibility allow him to repeat his delivery easily. "Filthy, filthy," one NWL manager said of Harris' stuff. "He has good movement on his fastball, with good armside run."

• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: Harris flirted with being a top-10 pick in a soft crop of college starting pitchers in the 2015 draft. As it turned out, he wasn't a team's first choice until the 29th overall pick, where Toronto snatched him and signed him for just less than $2 million. The Blue Jays had picked him out of high school as well in the 33rd round. Harris had a poor pro debut (6.75 ERA) but finished 2016 in high Class A after adopting several changes to his delivery. Scouting Report: The Blue Jays simplified Harris' leg kick and got him to lengthen his stride out front, giving him a bit more effective velocity and allowing him to better repeat his delivery. He has better plane to his fastball and still has the same clean arm action as before, and he threw more quality strikes this year with all four of his pitches. Harris will pop a 97 mph fastball at times but sits 90-94. His changeup and upper-70s curveball flash above-average, as the curve has some depth and the changeup has good life, while his cutter-type slider lacks consistent tilt but has solid mid-80s power. His lack of a true plus pitch makes it hard for him to rack up swings-and-misses; increased strength could help the quality of his stuff. The Future: Harris needs a plus pitch to be a potential No. 3 starter and innings-eater. More realistically, he profiles as a solid No. 4 who could reach Double-A in 2017.