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Sean Keys Promoted to Toronto Blue Jays; Slated to Play First Base and Bat Sixth in Today’s Game Against the Rangers
6/27/2026 10:50:00 AM | Baseball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Former Bucknell baseball standout Sean Keys, who was the 125th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2024 MLB Draft, was promoted to MLB by the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday. Keys will start at first base and bat sixth in Toronto's game against the Rangers at 3:07 p.m. today. Keys' promotion was first reported on Friday by Keegan Matheson of MLB.com, and he was officially activated on Saturday.
Keys was a star at Bucknell, and he became the 13th Bison player to be taken in the MLB Draft and the highest draft pick by round in team history. Andy Nezelek was a fifth-round selection but was taken 112th overall by the Atlanta Braves in 1986, when there were fewer teams in the league and before the onset of compensation-round picks. Keys became the second-highest selection by overall pick in Bucknell history, and he is the program's first draftee since Connor Van Hoose went to the New York Yankees in the eighth round in 2018.
Keys would become the first Bucknell player to appear in an MLB game since Matt Daley pitched for the Colorado Rockies and New York Yankees from 2009-14. He would become the third Bison since 1953 to debut, and the first position player since infielder Tom Upton spent three seasons with the St. Louis Browns and Washington Senators in the early 1950s.
In three seasons for the Bison from 2022-2024, Keys slashed a career .358/.476/.711 in 360 at-bats. In Bucknell's record books, Keys' is the program leader in slugging percentage (.711), third in home runs (27), fourth in on-base percentage (.476), sixth in batting average (.358) and seventh in RBI (124).
Keys wrapped up his time with the Bison with a brilliant 2024 season, culminating in Patriot League Player of the Year, First Team All-Patriot League, and ABCA/Rawlings All-East Region Second Team honors.
Keys has moved through the ranks of the Blue Jays organization quickly in 2026. He began the season with the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats before getting promoted to the Buffalo Bisons on June 5. Keys immediately shined in Triple-A, where he has 18 hits, seven home runs and 20 RBI in just 18 games.
He picked up a hit in each of his first two games with the Bisons. It took him nine games to hit his first home run, but the momentum picked up as he followed with home runs in each of the following two games. He hit a walk-off home run a week ago, and he homered three times in his last two games before his promotion.
Keys was a star at Bucknell, and he became the 13th Bison player to be taken in the MLB Draft and the highest draft pick by round in team history. Andy Nezelek was a fifth-round selection but was taken 112th overall by the Atlanta Braves in 1986, when there were fewer teams in the league and before the onset of compensation-round picks. Keys became the second-highest selection by overall pick in Bucknell history, and he is the program's first draftee since Connor Van Hoose went to the New York Yankees in the eighth round in 2018.
Keys would become the first Bucknell player to appear in an MLB game since Matt Daley pitched for the Colorado Rockies and New York Yankees from 2009-14. He would become the third Bison since 1953 to debut, and the first position player since infielder Tom Upton spent three seasons with the St. Louis Browns and Washington Senators in the early 1950s.
In three seasons for the Bison from 2022-2024, Keys slashed a career .358/.476/.711 in 360 at-bats. In Bucknell's record books, Keys' is the program leader in slugging percentage (.711), third in home runs (27), fourth in on-base percentage (.476), sixth in batting average (.358) and seventh in RBI (124).
Keys wrapped up his time with the Bison with a brilliant 2024 season, culminating in Patriot League Player of the Year, First Team All-Patriot League, and ABCA/Rawlings All-East Region Second Team honors.
Keys has moved through the ranks of the Blue Jays organization quickly in 2026. He began the season with the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats before getting promoted to the Buffalo Bisons on June 5. Keys immediately shined in Triple-A, where he has 18 hits, seven home runs and 20 RBI in just 18 games.
He picked up a hit in each of his first two games with the Bisons. It took him nine games to hit his first home run, but the momentum picked up as he followed with home runs in each of the following two games. He hit a walk-off home run a week ago, and he homered three times in his last two games before his promotion.
Tuesday, June 09
Tuesday, June 09
Thursday, June 04
Sunday, May 31