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TORONTO — It may take a half-decade or so, but the Toronto Blue Jays believe they’ve added another impact bat to the pipeline.

Despite the organizational track record and previous year’s splurge on college players, many signs were pointing to Jays amateur scouting director Steve Sanders going the prep route with the 12th pick in Monday’s 2018 MLB Draft, and that’s exactly what he did, selecting Texas high school shortstop Jordan Groshans.

Even in one of the most unpredictable draft processes around, the 6-foot-4, 190-pounder going so early was a bit of a surprise.

But despite the 28th-overall ranking by FanGraphs prospect analysts, a 31st-overall placement by MLB Pipeline, and the No. 50 spot from ESPN’s Keith Law, Sanders believes in Groshans’ bat so much that he couldn’t pass on the product of Magnolia High School, about a 45-minute drive northwest of Houston.

“Both offensively and defensively, he brings tools to the table, and somebody we believe that has the potential to be a middle-of-the-lineup hitter at the major-league level and impact the lineup,” Sanders said shortly after making the selection Monday night.

Defensively, Sanders seemed to indicate they’ll leave Groshans at shortstop for now, but most believe he’ll end up at third base as his body matures and his 6-foot-4 frame fills out, placing even more pressure on the bat to carry the profile.

“It’s not something that we know right now,” Sanders said of the long-term defensive home. “Jordan is a shortstop and we certainly plan to give him opportunities to play there. We think he’s certainly capable and has the skills to go out and play short. He’s also got the ability and we’ve seen him play some third base over the summer. Like a lot of guys, that’s probably something that will be played out over time, but we’re certainly excited right now to add another impactful high school shortstop to the system.”

The Jays have had eyes for the right-handed hitter for some time now, as far back as last summer’s showcase circuit where the power stood out in a big way.

But scouts say he’s turned himself into more of a complete player this spring.

“We’ve seen a lot of Jordan as a hitter, not just this spring with his high school season but also dating back to last summer where we got to see him hit with a wood bat against some of the better competition in the country,” Sanders said. “We just feel Jordan has a lot of attributes we look for, both in his swing, his combination of contact, power, plate discipline, he’s got a great feel and approach in the box, he’s able to drive the ball to all fields, and, again, we’re confident his offensive ability will translate with wood at the next level.”

Not only will Groshans’ progress be interesting to monitor in the coming years, the Jays also passed on a number of higher-ranked options, including left-hander Matthew Liberatore, a player everyone had pegged as a top-10 talent but ended up slipping to the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays at No. 16, and right-hander Brady Singer, a Jays pick in the second round as a high schooler in 2015, who fell from consensus top-five pick to the Kansas City Royals at No. 18.

“There were a lot of good players available,” Sanders said of the choices. “This is a strong draft both offensively and on the pitching side. Ultimately, we felt Jordan was the best fit for our pick, but there were a number of other players, including some pitchers, that we certainly considered and had interest in, as well.”

Now, the Jays will go about the process of trying to sign Groshans, who’s committed to the University of Kansas.

The slot value of the pick is $4.2 million, but there’s some belief the Jays might be hoping to get him signed for less in order to use the savings later in the draft.

“I think we’re certainly confident that we’ll be able to work something out and have Jordan join the organization,” Sanders said. “College commitments are certainly something we’re aware of going into the draft.”

In the second round, with pick No. 52, the Jays added another bloodline player to their stable, selecting Duke outfielder Griffin Conine, son of former major leaguer Jeff Conine, who played 2,024 games over 17 seasons.

Conine was once projected to be a top-10 pick, but his junior season with the Blue Devils did not go smoothly and his stock dropped quite a bit while he was swinging and missing all too often.

Seen as one of the top power bats in the draft, Conine's an interesting package of tools if he can hone the approach as he develops, and he should be an easy sign, with slot value for pick No. 52 at $1.35 million.

When the draft resumes Tuesday night, the Jays will be on the clock again with pick No. 88 in the third round.

3B/SS Jordan Groshans, Magnolia High School (Texas)

Age: 18 (11/10/1999)

Height: 6-foot-4 | Weight: 190

Pre-draft rankings: FanGraphs (28); MLB Pipeline (31); ESPN’s Keith Law (50)

MLB PIPELINE’S TAKE: “Groshans has a quick right-handed stroke and has a track record of catching up to and punishing quality fastballs on the showcase circuit. With his strength, balance and mature approach, he makes consistent hard line-drive contact. Once he fills out his rangy 6-foot-4 frame and adds some loft to his swing, he could have plus power. An average runner out of the batter’s box and quicker once he gets going, Groshans is athletic for his size but won't stay at shortstop after he leaves Magnolia. His solid arm will play anywhere in the infield, where he probably fits best at third base but may have a chance to stick up the middle at second, and he has the makeup to get the most out of his ability.”

OF Griffin Conine, Duke

Age: 20 (07/11/1997)

Height: 6-foot-1 | Weight: 195

Pre-draft rankings: ESPN’s Keith Law (49); MLB Pipeline (50); FanGraphs (50)

MLB PIPELINE’S TAKE: “Conine came into 2018 with a good chance to join Marcus Stroman as the only first-round choices ever out of Duke, but a rough first half to his junior season means that probably won't happen. He rallied later in the spring and showed that he's still one of the better power hitters available in the 2018 Draft, capable of driving the ball out to all fields thanks to his bat speed and the loft he generates with his left-handed swing. There already were concerns about his propensity to swing and miss, however, and they've been exacerbated this spring as he has tried to lift nearly every pitch he saw out of the park. With his power potential and solid arm strength, Conine fits the right-field profile. He can flash average run times but hasn't showed that kind of speed this spring. Even with modest quickness, he's a sound defender on the outfield corners."