July 15, 2026
With their 17th round pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, the Toronto Blue Jays’ selected hard throwing relief pitcher Landon Waters out of the University of Mississippi.
“I was a little surprised, I hadn’t talked to a Blue Jays’ scout in quite a while,” said Waters. “Just talking to my agent throughout the day about what potential team might take me – and the Blue Jays’ never came up. So, it was a surprise but I’m super excited to get everything started.”
The Waters pick came after a solid senior season at Ole Miss where he pitched 24 innings, with an ERA of 3.00, a WHIP of 1.42, and 25 strikeouts.
“They say there’s no other league that prepares you like the SEC,” explained Waters. “It’s such a high level of competition. Each week, it’s guys who are getting drafted, as you face really good prospects. It demands both the physical and mental side of the game.”
Waters views himself as a fierce competitor on the mound, “In my mind, no matter who is in the box, I’m going at them with strike one,” stated Waters. “That’s the main thing. From there, I’ll decide what pitch to throw, but in my mind I’m better than the hitter. In my mind, I’m getting this guy out no matter what. Obviously, it doesn’t work every time, but I feel if you have confidence in yourself, conviction in yourself, and you’re throwing good pitches, you’re far more likely to be successful.”
The righty currently uses a three-pitch mix of: a 4-seam fastball, a cutter, and a slider.
Waters works off his cutter every outing, “My cutter is kind of like a shorter breaking ball,” explained Waters. “It’s the pitch I use to get ahead in counts. It’s not just a fastball, if you throw too many fastballs, they’ll hit them. I think having the cutter is a big part of my success. I can get ahead with it, I can use it later in counts, and I feel like I can throw it anytime.”
Working exclusively out of the bullpen, Waters enjoys the increased opportunities to pitch as a reliever.
“I really like that you can throw more than once a weekend,” said Waters. “I really like that if I pitch on a Friday, I can turnaround and pitch again on Saturday or Sunday. Throwing back-to-back days is really fun. I like to just go out there even though it isn’t as many innings, I enjoy the extra appearances.”
Pitching in the SEC should give Waters a leg up when facing professional hitters.
“It’s the transition of guys using metal bats to wood bats,” stated Waters. “I feel that’s an even bigger advantage to the pitcher. Obviously, the hitters get better, but I feel like it’s a lot harder for hitters to transition from using metal to wood; plus the pitching is getting better. I feel they prepared me well. You know an SEC hitter will hurt you, if you leave things over-the-plate, or you constantly miss your spots. I feel like playing at that level and having to adapt to better competition is going to help me a lot.”
Getting ready to embark on rookie-camp in Dunedin, Waters is excited to meet his new teammates and coaches.
“I’m looking forward to the development standpoint and improving my own game,” said Waters. “But also, just being able to take in the experience, meeting new guys, meeting new coaches, maybe hearing new perspectives that will make my game better.”
Be sure to follow Landon Waters journey in the Toronto Blue Jays’ organization.