The Toronto Blue Jays chose Deck McGuire in the 1st round of the 2010 draft

Despite, the fact I was screaming “Choice is the right choice” over and over again, Michael Choice went one round earlier (to the Brewers) , forcing the Jays to make another selection for their first round selection. Their pick? Right-handed pitcher Deck McGuire from Georgia Tech.

Initially, I felt like JP Ricciardi was back with the Blue Jays, choosing a college pitcher, with a low 90’s fastball. My initial reaction of disappointment on Twitter , however, led to a lot of positive  feedback regarding the 6’6” right-hander.

With that said, the truth is that I do owen Alex Anthopoulos an apology, and perhaps it wasn’t a Ricciardi move at all. For instance, as the National Post comments on the 2009 ACC Pitcher of the Year:

The Toronto Blue Jays sent a dozen scouts to watch Deck McGuire pitch this year, and everyone agreed he was worth the risk of a top draft pick […]  McGuire has a fastball in the low 90s and a power slider. Scouts say he has excellent command and a good feel for his changeup. McGuire also throws strikes with his curveball and harder slurve. He’s an excellent competitor who doesn’t fold with runners on base.

And as 1BlueJaysWay detected:

In 2008 he was 8-1 with a 3.46 era, 70 K’s in 78 innings pitched.

In 2009 he was 11-2 with a 3.50 era, 118 K’s in 100.1 innings pitched.

And lastly, as the Globe and Mail observed:

McGuire has one of the strongest arms in the draft class and his fastball can attain speeds of up to 98-miles-an-hour.

Adding to his resume, is the fact that last year he went 11-2 with a 3.50 ERA in 16 starts, striking out 118 while only walking 41 in just over 100 innings. Pretty impressive stuff if you ask me.

That being the case, I stand corrected – Perhaps Deck McGuire was the right choice… if anything, it’s a pretty amazing name.