The Toronto Blue Jays made a legacy pick on Wednesday to honor the memory of a late star.
Roy Halladay’s son, Braden, was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 32nd round of the 2019 MLB Draft. Halladay wore the number 32 for Toronto from 1998-2009.
Braden pitched for Calvary Christian High School (Clearwater, Florida) all four years of high school. He had a career ERA of 2.71 in 38 games spanning 100.2 innings, striking out 102 batters and walking 48, according to MaxPreps.
He won’t sign with the Blue Jays, according to Hazel May, who tweeted that she spoke with Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins.
“He’s headed to Penn State, but we’re glad to have drafted him,” Atkins told her.
The elder Halladay holds a special place in Toronto lore. Over his 12 years with the team, he was a six-time All-Star and won the 2003 Cy Young Award. He finished his career with two Cy Youngs, seven finishes in the top five of voting, a 203-105 record and 3.38 career ERA.
In November 2017, Halladay was killed in a plane crash in which he was the lone passenger. He was an avid pilot, according to MLB.
Halladay was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame in January 2019.
The Blue Jays are honoring the memory of one of the best players in franchise history by drafting his son.
