In recent years, I’ve written and talked a lot about the brilliance of the Cardinals’ 2009 draft. The team’s bounty that year included Shelby Miller (first round), Joe Kelly (third), Matt Carpenter (13th), Trevor Rosenthal (21st) and Matt Adams (23rd).

Well, it’s time to consider a new entry in the "Best Recent Draft" category: The Blue Jays’ 2010 haul in Alex Anthopoulos’ first draft as general manager. Two of their picks that year will be among the six rookies on the Jays’ Opening Day roster.

The Jays had seven of the first 80 selections in ’10 due to free-agent departures and the failure to sign a pick, left-hander, James Paxton, the previous year. They had drawn industry-wide attention by dramatically increasing the size of their scouting staff. And even though they whiffed on their first choice at No. 11 overall, Georgia Tech right-hander Deck McGuire, they hit on a bunch of others, including several high school pitchers – the highest-risk category in the draft.

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Consider the Jays’ best picks, a number of whom were used in trades that helped form the current major-league roster:

*Right-hander Aaron Sanchez, Barstow (Calif.) H.S., No. 34 overall. Sanchez, the Jays’ No. 2 prospect according to Baseball America, will open the season in the team’s rotation.

*Right-hander Noah Syndergaard, Legacy H.S., Mansfield, Texas, No. 38 overall. Syndergaard, part of the trade that brought R.A. Dickey to Toronto, is the Mets’ No. 1 prospect.

*Right-hander Asher Wojciechowski, The Citadel, No. 41 overall. Wojciechowski was sent to the Astros in a 10-player trade that helped the Jays land J.A. Happ, who ultimately brought them Michael Saunders. He will be in the Astros’ rotation to start the season.

*Left-hander Justin Nicolino, University (Fla.) H.S., second round. Nicolino, part of the blockbuster that brought Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle to Toronto, is the Marlins’ No. 3 prospect.

*Right-hander Sam Dyson, University of South Carolina, fourth round. Dyson, lost to the Marlins on a waiver claim in Jan. 2013, has made 38 appearances in the majors over the past three seasons, all but one as a reliever, with a 4.02 ERA.

*Left-hander Sean Nolin, San Jacinto College, sixth round. Nolin, part of the trade that brought Josh Donaldson to Toronto, is the Athletics’ No. 8 prospect.

*Outfielder Dalton Pompey, John Fraser (Ont.) H.S., 16th round. Pompey will open the season as the Jays’ starting center fielder.

The Jays in 2010 also drafted a high-school third baseman out of Las Vegas in the 18th round, but that player chose to attend the University of San Diego instead.

His name: Kris Bryant.