With their very last pick in the 2021 MLB Draft (No. 602 overall), the Blue Jays selected Luke Holman, a young right-hander with an inspiring story who should have been off the board well before the final round.

Holman was ranked as the No. 172 prospect in the class by MLB Pipeline coming out of Wilson High School in Pennsylvania, and several teams discussed selecting him high enough to sign him away from his commitment to play NCAA ball at the University of Alabama. Holman’s father, Craig, who played eight seasons in the Minor Leagues with the Phillies (1991-98), told the Reading Eagle that his son declined two offers much earlier in the Draft.

• Draft Tracker

If there’s anything that makes a young prospect a “classic Blue Jays pick,” it’s having family connections to pro ball. That begins with their young core of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio and Lourdes Gurriel Jr., but the examples spread into their farm system, as well. Toronto also leaned heavily on pitching in this year’s Draft, using 14 of its 19 picks on the mound.

Holman was seeking something closer to a $1 million signing bonus to pull him away from Alabama, but he didn’t get it. Now a 20th-round pick of the Blue Jays, it may be unlikely that Holman signs, but this represents the type of “just in case” pick organizations make towards the tail end of their Draft. In the unexpected case that Toronto is unable to sign one of its higher-drafted players and end up with bonus pool money available, it’s nice to have a high-upside high school prospect to negotiate with.

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Holman has already overcome a great deal to reach this point in his career at just 18 years old. When he was younger, Holman beat large cell lymphoma. He underwent chemotherapy for a year, and after recovering, dedicated himself to building his body back up. He has become one of the best young prospects in his area and the star of his high school team.

“Nothing really held me back,” Holman told the Reading Eagle. “Nothing ever crushed my dreams. I knew if I just put in a bunch of work, I’d still have a chance. I feel like I had to put in extra work after chemo and everything. I got bigger and stronger. That helped a lot.”

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The main attraction with Holman is his 6-foot-4 frame, which has even more room to add strength as he matures physically. His fastball currently sits in the lower-90s with a nice spin rate, and he also has an impressive breaking ball with a changeup that he’s still developing. As with so many young arms the Blue Jays target, his natural athleticism is an asset, too.

The Blue Jays’ negotiations with their top drafted players will need to play out before any possible deal with Holman is considered, and while it’s likelier he suits up for Alabama this coming season and enjoys a nice NCAA career before re-entering the Draft down the road, his talent and story are well worth acknowledging this year.