Jake Cook wasn’t a big-name prospect when the Toronto Blue Jays selected him in the third round of the 2025 MLB Draft.

But his name is getting known now.

And in lickety-split fashion.

Cook, a 23-year-old center fielder, was drafted out of Southern Miss after hitting .350 in 60 games in his only full college season in 2025. He is one of eight Blue Jays prospects playing for the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League, and through just his first four games, he has dazzled running the bases and with his defensive skills.

Considered a potential five-tool player with a lot of raw talent still to be developed, the 6-foot-3 Cook has one season of Class-A baseball behind him and a seemingly promising future ahead of him.

The talent already is there on the speed side.

MLB Pipeline labeled Cook the fastest runner in the 2025 draft class, giving him an 80-grade speed on the scouting scale that goes from 20 to 80. He is one of only four ranked prospects to earn an 80.

Formerly a two-way player – he gave up pitching after the 2024 season – the left-handed Cook is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 20 player in the Blue Jays’ system, with an expected arrival in the majors in 2028.

And according to MLB Pipeline, his 30-yard dash time of 3.51 seconds was the second-fastest in the history of the MLB Draft Combine.

At Single-A Dunedin in 2026, Cook appeared in 72 games, hitting .250 with five home runs, 40 RBIs, 56 runs and a .367 on-base percentage. He got off to a slow start after being hampered early by a hamstring injury sustained in spring training.

With the Solar Sox, he is hitting ,364 (4-of-11) with two runs, an RBI, two walks and five stolen bases in five tries. After focusing on pitching for the first part of his college career, Cook still is learning the art of stealing bases, so those numbers should rise with experience.

The contingent the Blue Jays sent to the Arizona Fall League is heavy on pitchers. Cook and fellow outfielder Jake Casey (No. 23 Toronto prospect) are there, as is catcher Aaron Parker. The remainder are pitchers: left-hander Brandon Barriera, joined by right-handers Jake Bloss (No. 11), Gilberto Batista, Fernando Perez and Yondrei Rojas.

If you aren’t familiar with the Arizona Fall League, MLB teams do not have individual entries. Instead, major league teams pool their players.

With the Solar Sox, the Blue Jays prospects are teaming with prospects from the Los Angeles Angels, Athletics, Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox.

Regular-season play in Arizona runs through Nov. 11, with playoffs scheduled for the following three days.