Tag: MLB draft

Six CPBL players selected in 2019 MLB draft

Among the 25 Canadian players selected in this year’s draft — including 12 total high schoolers — all six players selected out of Ontario high schools are representatives of the Canadian Premier Baseball League, and were chosen from the Ontario Blue Jays, Great Lake Canadians and Toronto Mets organizations.

Dasan Brown was not only the first CPBL player off the draft board, but the first Canadian of the entire class, when the Toronto Blue Jays selected the speedy Ontario Blue Jays outfielder in the third round, with the 88th overall pick.

Brown is one of the fastest players in the 2019 Draft class — if not the fastest — with 70-grade speed according to MLB Pipeline, and 80-grade speed according to Baseball America, and the athletic outfielder has been consistently ranked as the best Canadian prospect this year. He should be a plus defender, and though there is much room for improvement at the plate, he was heavily scouted facing professional competition with Team Canada, giving an easy glimpse into his future.

“Dasan is a quick-twitch athletic outfielder who has the ability to change a game with the speed he plays at,” said OBJ 18U manager Joe Ellison. “His athleticism has been something we’ve seen since he was 15 years old, but his hard work has paid off in the cages to improve his ability to hit, and hit with power, over the last three years. He’s also the type of player who doesn’t shy away from leading a team both on and off the field.”

The second CPBL player selected in the draft was another Ontario Blue Jays player — also a representative of the Canadian Junior National Team — infielder TJ Schofield-Sam, who was taken by the Oakland Athletics in the 12th round, the 374th overall selection.

“TJ is easily one of the best hitters I’ve ever coached,” Ellison said. “He is a pure hitter, no matter the count, pitcher, field or score. TJ is going to give you a great at-bat, and come through in the most clutch situations. His approach is mature, well beyond his age, and he has incredible plate coverage and discipline.

“He is a quiet leader who takes his leadership onto the field and lets his performance lead the way.”

A third OBJ player came off the board in the 40th round with the 1203rd pick of the draft, when the Washington Nationals selected shortstop Jaden Brown, a Mississauga native who is committed to the University of Kentucky.

“Jaden is an incredible athlete, who is as physical as he is athletic,” Ellison said. “He brings explosive actions to everything that he does, and contributes to every team he’s a part of. He features plus power, plus speed, and plus arm strength from shortstop. He’s a leader both on and off the field, and continues to be one of the hardest-working players in our program.”

Owen Diodati, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound left-handed-hitting backstop from Niagara Falls became the third CPBL player taken off the draft board and the third Canadian selected by the Blue Jays when Toronto called the Great Lake Canadians catcher’s name in the 29th round, with the 867th overall pick.

“He’s been one of our hardest workers,” GLC director of baseball operations Chris Robinson said of Diodati. “He’s just the type of kid you don’t bet against. He’s a really mature kid on and off the field in terms of his approach to the game. Offensively, he’s got that professional approach already.

“I know there were some questions of whether he could catch, and I was impressed with how he went about that. He went and spent his entire off-season with a little bit of a chip on his shoulder to prove that he could catch, and it’s pretty cool today getting drafted as a catcher. That’s a cool thing for Owen because I know that’s something he believes in and he really wants to fulfill.”

Added Diodati: “The Blue Jays were one of the teams that really believed in me as a catcher and thought I could do well back there and stay behind the plate regardless of what the bat is and what usually happens to guys like me in pro baseball.

“That was something I talked to [Robinson] about from the very start – I wanted to catch. For them to believe in me and to draft me as a catcher, it’s definitely special. It speaks to the hard work I put it, but also drives me and fuels me to keep working, because I know it’s possible if I really want to do it.”

Two Toronto Mets players round out the total of CPBL representatives selected in the draft. Ryan Leitch, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound catcher from Whitby with a commitment to Marshall University was taken in the 29th round of the selection process by the Cincinnati Reds.

 

“Just being selected was the most exciting part of the draft, honestly,” the 17-year-old said. “Hearing my name being called was special. I’ve always dreamed about hearing, ‘Ryan Leitch, selected by a team,’ and then to hear it finally happen, it’s just surreal. I was at a loss for words when it happened.”

Leitch was followed by fellow Toronto Mets player Keegan Pulford-Thorpe, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound left-handed pitcher, committed to Central Florida University, who was taken by the San Diego Padres in the 33rd round.

“It was really exciting,” Pulford-Thorpe said. “I was actually just sitting down working on some homework, because I have an assignment due, and I got a call from an unknown number who I didn’t have a contact for. I didn’t really think much of it, so I picked it up and it was [Canadian scout] Murray Zuk from the Padres calling me, telling me I’d been drafted. Then I went on my phone and saw different messages from people, and it was an amazing feeling.”

Great Lake Canadians catcher Owen Diodati selected by Blue Jays in 2019 MLB Draft

Being selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in Major League Baseball’s draft was a dream come true for Great Lake Canadians catcher Owen Diodati.

The 6-foot-3, 210-pound left-handed-hitting backstop from Niagara Falls became the third Canadian Premier Baseball League player taken off the board and the third Canadian selected by the Blue Jays when Toronto called his name in the 29th round on Wednesday, with the 867th overall pick.

Though Diodati discussed his options with the Blue Jays during the selection process, the 17-year-old plans to fulfill his commitment to the University of Alabama.

“I had some discussions with [the Blue Jays on Tuesday] where it got really serious and it was a really hard decision for me to go to school,” Diodati said. “They made a pretty significant offer financially and it was a hard decision, so I didn’t think it would end up how it did, that they would still choose me.

“It says a lot about them as an organization and who they are as people. It was an exciting day for me, and it means a lot more coming from the Blue Jays especially because I don’t think there’s anyone I had a relationship with like the Blue Jays, and from top to bottom I knew everyone, and it was really special.”

Great Lake has seen firsthand how hard Diodati has worked to get to the point where he was able to have a decision to make between an impressive collegiate opportunity and professional baseball, and couldn’t be more proud of the young player.

“He’s been one of our hardest workers,” GLC director of baseball operations Chris Robinson said of Diodati. “He’s just the type of kid you don’t bet against. He’s a really mature kid on and off the field in terms of his approach to the game. Offensively, he’s got that professional approach already.

“I know there were some questions of whether he could catch, and I was impressed with how he went about that. He went and spent his entire off-season with a little bit of a chip on his shoulder to prove that he could catch, and it’s pretty cool today getting drafted as a catcher. That’s a cool thing for Owen because I know that’s something he believes in and he really wants to fulfill.”

Added Diodati: “The Blue Jays were one of the teams that really believed in me as a catcher and thought I could do well back there and stay behind the plate regardless of what the bat is and what usually happens to guys like me in pro baseball.

“That was something I talked to [Robinson] about from the very start – I wanted to catch. For them to believe in me and to draft me as a catcher, it’s definitely special. It speaks to the hard work I put it, but also drives me and fuels me to keep working, because I know it’s possible if I really want to do it.”

As Diodati continues his baseball career beyond the CPBL and the Canadian Junior National Team, the Canadians are confident in what he will bring with him to the next level.

“He’s going to work,” Robinson said. “That’s something that [Diodati’s parents] Jodi and Ryan have instilled in him and something that we saw immediately when he came here. So that’s what it’s going to be again, whether with the Jays or down in Alabama, he’s going to keep working.

“He’s got such a great disposition to him and he’s a great teammate, he keeps things light, but he’s the type who leads by example when he’s in the weight room or when he’s on the field or whatever. We’ll see similar things from him as he moves forward.”

Diodati was one of just 25 Canadians selected in the 2019 draft, and one of six CPBL players chosen, joining Ontario Blue Jays Dasan Brown, TJ Schofield-Sam and Jaden Brown, taken in the third, 12th and 40th rounds, respectively, and Toronto Mets Ryan Leitch and Keegan Pulford-Thorpe, selected in the 29th and 33rd rounds.

“It’s something I dreamed of since I was a little kid, and coming from the Blue Jays it means even more because that’s who I grew up watching,” Diodati said. “It’s so classy for them to make that pick after not working out a deal. And three years from now, when my draft year comes around again, it makes that relationship that much stronger. Today was amazing, and getting picked was a childhood dream come true.”

Ontario Blue Jays TJ Schofield-Sam and Jaden Brown selected in 2019 MLB Draft

TORONTO — After Dasan Brown became the first Canadian off the draft board on Tuesday during Major League Baseball’s annual selection process — taken in the third round by the Toronto Blue Jays — it wasn’t long before a number of familiar names were called.

The second Canadian Premier Baseball League player selected in the draft was another Ontario Blue Jays player — also a representative of the Canadian Junior National Team — infielder TJ Schofield-Sam, who was taken by the Oakland Athletics in the 12th round, the 374th overall selection.

“TJ is easily one of the best hitters I’ve ever coached,” said OBJ 18U manager Joe Ellison. “He is a pure hitter, no matter the count, pitcher, field or score. TJ is going to give you a great at-bat, and come through in the most clutch situations. His approach is mature, well beyond his age, and he has incredible plate coverage and discipline.

“He is a quiet leader who takes his leadership onto the field and lets his performance lead the way.”

Schofield-Sam is a 6-foot-1, 185-pound left-handed hitter who was drafted as a third baseman by the A’s. The 17-year-old from Brampton is committed to Chipola College in Florida and competed at the Blue Jays annual showcase for college-eligible players — Tournament 12 — on three occasions.

“The Athletics are getting a hitter, and a very talented one at that,” Ellison said. “I believe he can hit at any level you put him at. TJ will continue to offer a lineup a ton of disciplined at-bats with the ability to drive baseballs out of the park. Oakland is getting a great player with a great work ethic who loves to hit and has the ability to become a big part of their organization.”

A third OBJ player came off the board in the 40th round with the 1203rd pick of the draft, when the Washington Nationals selected shortstop Jaden Brown, a Mississauga native who is committed to the University of Kentucky.

“Jaden is an incredible athlete, who is as physical as he is athletic,” Ellison said. “He brings explosive actions to everything that he does, and contributes to every team he’s a part of. He features plus power, plus speed, and plus arm strength from shortstop. He’s a leader both on and off the field, and continues to be one of the hardest-working players in our program.”

Ellison is excited to see what Brown – also a member of Team Canada – has to offer at his next stop, wherever his baseball career takes him.

“Whether it is with Washington or the University of Kentucky, Jaden is going to give them a ton of plus tools to work with,” the 18U OBJ manager said. “His ability to hit, hit with power, run and throw will be assets to anyone’s team or program. Jaden has the tools to become an impact player at the next level, whether that be college or professional. He will continue to be the hardest worker and most determined to succeed.”

The OBJ organization couldn’t be more excited to follow its players as they take the next steps in their careers and see what the future holds.

“It’s hard to put into words exactly how proud we are of these players for achieving what they’ve always dreamed of,” Ellison said. “They’ve been with us for years and we’ve had the opportunity to watch them grow up and develop right in front of our eyes. We couldn’t be more happy for not only these extremely talented players, but for their families as well. We wish them nothing but success at the next level.”

Dasan Brown, Schofield-Sam and Jaden Brown were three of the six Canadian Premier Baseball League players selected in the 2019 draft. Great Lake Canadians catcher Owen Diodati was selected by the Blue Jays in the 29th round, while Toronto Mets catcher Ryan Leitch was taken by the Cincinnati Reds in the same round, and Mets left-hander Keegan Pulford-Thorpe was chosen by the San Diego Padres in the 33rd round of the selection process.

Dasan Brown a third-round pick of the Toronto Blue Jays

TORONTO – As the second day of Major League Baseball’s draft began on Tuesday, Dasan Brown quickly became the first Canadian taken off the board when the Toronto Blue Jays selected the speedy Ontario Blue Jays outfielder in the third round, with the 88th overall pick.

Consistently ranked atop the 2019 draft class as the selection process approached, Toronto had an inordinate amount of familiarity with Brown, a native of nearby Oakville. Not only had the Blue Jays seen him playing games in the Canadian Premier Baseball League with the OBJ program, and with the Canadian Junior National Team, but they also hosted him three times at their annual showcase for the best college-eligible players in the country, Tournament 12.

It was over those years that Brown showcased his propensity for growth, learning how to hone in on the tools that will help to carry him as he moves forward in his baseball career, as well as how to deal with the failures that baseball brings.

“When I first started playing with the Blue Jays, I just needed somewhere to play,” Brown said. “And [OBJ coaches] Sean Travers, Eddie Largy, Mike Steed, all those guys really took me in and helped me to understand it’s a game but you have to use your brain, you have to trust yourself, and trust your abilities. Once you can do that, the sky’s the limit.

“[Baseball Canada’s director of national teams] Greg Hamilton with [Team Canada] had a real calm approach with us. He really let us play and that’s what helped my development, just being about to go out there and make mistakes, go out there and struggle a little bit, so that I can bring myself up. It’s helped me.”

Witnessing Brown’s upbringing in Canadian baseball and seeing him on a plethora of occasions are the reasons the young player feels the Blue Jays believed in him enough to make him the top Canuck in the Draft.

“It helped a lot,” Brown said. “Just them knowing what kind of player they’re getting. They’ve seen the ups, they’ve seen the downs, so trying to take that neutral [look] and go to the next step of my life and potentially have the opportunity to [play professionally], I’m looking forward to it.”

Kory Lafreniere, Toronto’s coordinator of amateur scouting, was the scout who selected Brown on Tuesday, after years of seeing the young player in action.

“It was a cool moment just because he’s been with me through this entire process so just hearing that call, that’s pretty cool,” Brown said. “He basically said, ‘We’re glad to have you.’ I’ll have to make a decision, but this opportunity is something different, something special, so just being able to enjoy this and moving forward and making a decision, I’m looking forward to it.”

Brown is one of the fastest players in the 2019 Draft class — if not the fastest — with 70-grade speed according to MLB Pipeline, and 80-grade speed according to Baseball America, and the athletic outfielder has been consistently ranked as the best Canadian prospect this year. He should be a plus defender, and though there is much room for improvement at the plate, he was heavily scouted facing professional competition with Team Canada, giving an easy glimpse into his future.

“Dasan is a quick-twitch athletic outfielder who has the ability to change a game with the speed he plays at,” said OBJ 18U manager Joe Ellison. “His athleticism has been something we’ve seen since he was 15 years old, but his hard work has paid off in the cages to improve his ability to hit, and hit with power, over the last three years. He’s also the type of player who doesn’t shy away from leading a team both on and off the field.”

Brown earned his first shot at Team Canada late in ’17 and helped his country to a bronze medal at the COPABE U18 Pan Am Championships in Panama last fall. But in between, he had an eye-opening experience in his first glimpse of Minor League Spring Training, something he believes will help him as he moves forward.

“My very first Spring Training trip in 2018, we were coming out of the winter, so we were in gyms, batting cages, all that,” Brown said. “We went onto the field, and I was 16 at the time, and we were playing grown men.

“These guys had been [playing outside] for a couple weeks, and you can’t have a child’s mindset when you’re going into that environment. So it really forced me to grow up and forced me to understand that I’m not going to be the best player right now, but it just matters the progress I make.”

Brown will look to take that mindset with him as he makes his next move. The 17-year-old outfielder is committed to Texas A&M, and the Blue Jays will have to pull him away from the Aggies. The slot value for the No. 88 pick in the Draft is $678,600.

“Wherever Dasan ends up, whether it be with a professional organization or at Texas A&M, he will succeed,” Ellison said. “Dasan’s work ethic and athletic ability will carry him throughout the remainder of his baseball career, no matter the level. Wherever he ends up after this week, that organization is getting a first-class kid with incredible talent and athletic ability that could produce at the highest level as he continues to develop.”

A version of this story originally appeared on BlueJays.com.

The inexact science that is Major League Baseball’s Draft

What happens if the draft doesn’t turn out the way you thought it might?

No surprise there. It happens to almost everyone.

Many excited players, disappointed draftees and unselected players, their families, coaches and friends all have one thing in common – the draft didn’t turn out exactly as they had planned it. Maybe they invested too much in the imprecise nature of rankings, or maybe school and money were bigger factors than everyone thought, but no matter the reason, nothing is as it would seem.

“Although the industry and many of the analytical teams have made tremendous strides to make the draft process more scientific and data-driven, it still remains an inexact science,” said Clint Longenecker, Cleveland Indians assistant director of amateur scouting and former Baseball America draft guru, ahead of the 2017 draft.

“Even with millions of dollars dedicated to the amateur scouting process every season, there are so many factors that create a wide variety of scouting opinions. After the first few players picked at the top of the draft every season, there is very little consensus.”

Of the many thousands of players seen each year by numerous scouts, cross checkers and other evaluators, only a small percentage earn the privilege of hearing their names throughout the selection process. And in all likelihood, most of them thought they would be higher up the list.

“The problem with the draft is that if you build it up and create a focus around it with the kids, by and large you’re setting them up for disappointment,” Baseball Canada’s director of national teams Greg Hamilton said, also ahead of the ’17 selection process. “Let’s face it, when you look back and track it, how many players out of the country are going to go high enough to where they’re going to be incredibly excited about the selection?

“You’re not getting too many kids who are…expecting the 40th round – they’re thinking way above and beyond that. It’s not easy to go in the top 10 rounds or 15 rounds or 20 rounds.”

Head coach of the Canadian Junior National Team, Hamilton often gets to work with the best of the best prospects from north of the border, including several of the Canadian Premier Baseball League’s top players. With many members of his squad eligible for each draft, he looks to offer a realistic outlook to his players each year.

“I try to temper expectations,” the Team Canada coach said. “I tell them that a lot of it is outside their control, [and] to enjoy their senior year, and go out and play because they love to play the game. Work on the things that they need to work on and if the draft comes, it’s meant to be. It’s all about timing…sometimes it’s meant to be out of high school and other times it’s not.”

With expectations abound and results remaining to be seen, many great players will be left off of the final draft list, perhaps overlooked by teams or maybe because they don’t fit the mould of what each organization has room for.

***

So how does it work, exactly?

“One of the longest-tenured and most respected scouting directors crystallized the variance in player preference when he said, ‘Nobody in the game is smarter than anybody else, we just see players at different times and have different risk tolerances,’” Longenecker said. “Seeing a player on the right – or wrong – day can lead to a wide range of opinions of that player within the industry.

“Some teams may have a player who goes in the third round valued in the eighth round because they didn’t see him on the right days. Not to mention if some teams prefer raw, toolsy and high-upside athletes who have star-level tools and potential, but a very small chance of achieving that ceiling, while others in the game might prefer lower-ceilings with higher probabilities.”

Those are just the factors under consideration when draft boards – and many ranked lists – are lined up purely based on talent. But, there’s more to it than that.

“The other complicating factor of signability enters the equation,” Longenecker said. “Many of the top high school players in the country will bypass their opportunities to go pro, sometimes turning down more than a million dollars, for the chance to go to school and play college baseball.

“A player’s makeup and medical history are just a couple of the other factors in the process that can create extreme heterogeneity within the draft process. Another is team-specific fits. Sometimes very talented players who fit in the top half of the first round for some teams will be much, much lower – or off some teams’ boards – because of arm actions or deliveries, etc.”

While Canadian players have occasionally had the reputation in the past of being easier to sign than their American counterparts, several have been sliding down draft boards in recent years for good reason. Young players from north of the border are continually getting better scholarship opportunities than previously, and on a larger scale.

“That’s what happened with a bunch of the Canadian kids,” one National League scout said of a previous year’s selection process. “When they’re drafted now, they’re more [comparable to] Americans than they used to be. In the past, you could draft a Canadian kid in almost any round and he would sign.

“What’s happening now is these scholarships are getting good and the money – because of slotting – isn’t that good after the fifth round for high school kids. There were a lot of good kids getting drafted later but they really aren’t going to sign because it’s not good business.

“That’s just because baseball in Canada has evolved a little bit, where now the kids have got good scholarships and because of the way slotting is, it’s hard. You can’t sign a kid for a hundred thousand anymore.”

***

In 2014, Ontario Blue Jays hurler Zach Pop was one of the country’s top-ranked hurlers heading into the draft. A strong commitment to Kentucky inflated his asking price from organizations, sliding him to the 23rd round of the draft – where he was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays – and the right-hander ended up joining the Wildcats and putting himself in an even better position for this year, following his junior season.

“Going in, I put a very hefty price tag on myself to deter me away from university,” Pop said. “I had a great university option at the University of Kentucky…and I knew that was a great scholarship opportunity. Not too many people get that, so I thought, hey why not take advantage of it, because the draft is going to be there in three years.”

The selection process for Canadians has certainly changed over the years. Canada’s first-ever first-rounder Chris Reitsma, currently a scout for the Baltimore Orioles, knows how different things are now, but is also excited for the opportunities young players are afforded.

“In the past Canadian kids have probably been easier to sign, just because the exposure and the experience haven’t been there as much as for someone playing in the States,” Reitsma said. “Now that’s not the case, obviously with our junior national team program and what we’ve put them through and the knowledge we try to instill in them.”

Another scout added: “Kids are getting better scholarships and it’s harder to turn them down unless they get a little bit more money. It’s changed over the last three or four years – the Canadian kids are getting more exposure than they used to and schools are starting to see that there are some good players here so the scholarships have gotten better.

“Not everybody is going to a junior college – a lot of guys are going to four-year schools, and better four-year schools.”

With or without the draft, nothing should take away from what many young Canadians are doing on the diamond. While every Canuck selected should definitely bask in the excitement and prestige of being chosen by a major league team, success should most certainly not be measured by the number on MLB’s Draft Tracker.

“I try to make sure that the perception isn’t failure if it doesn’t end up being what they hope for out of high school,” Hamilton said. “The kids that we’re dealing with have accomplished a lot anyway. At the minimum, they’re out with the national team and for the most part, they have scholarships.

“That puts them in an enviable small percentage of players who play the game in this country and they should be proud of that. The draft is all bonus.”

Three CPBL players selected in Major League Baseball’s draft

Three Canadian Premier Baseball League players were chosen in Major League Baseball’s first-year player draft this year, with Noah Naylor chosen in the first round, Eric Cerantola selected in the 30th round, and Denzel Clarke taken in the 36th round.

Naylor, an Ontario Blue Jays catcher and infielder, was taken by the Cleveland Indians with their first pick in the selection process, 29th overall. The selection made him the highest CPBL player ever chosen in the three-year history of the circuit. Committed to the Texas A & M Aggies, the slot value for the 29th overall pick is $2,332,700.

Ranking among the best high school players eligible for the draft throughout the months leading up to the event, the native of Mississauga and Team Canada mainstay was also the first player from the entire country taken in the 2018 process, and the only Canadian selected on the opening night of the draft.

“He’s really ready,” Baseball Canada’s director of national teams Greg Hamilton said of Naylor. “He plays the game with an ease to it, he doesn’t get too high and he doesn’t get too low…He plays very consistent and very determined and very level. There is a fire in there…

“He’s got everything that you’re looking for – he slows the game down offensively and defensively, he’s a special hitter, he’s a different hitter than his brother, but he’s going to be a really good hitter and a really good player.” 

Cerantola, a right-hander in the Great Lake Canadians organization, was the highest-ranked Canadian high school pitching prospect entering the process, and with a strong commitment to Mississippi State University, the Oakville native was chosen with the 900th overall pick by the Tampa Bay Rays.

Clarke, an outfielder from the Toronto Mets organization, was chosen by the New York Mets with the 1,070th overall pick, just the 15th Canadian player selected in a year that would see only 19 players from north of the border chosen. The native of Pickering is committed to Cal State Northridge.

Among those selected, five players chosen are alumni of programs currently playing in the CPBL, though they all graduated from their respective programs before the league began. Toronto Mets grad Tristan Pompey was the second Canadian off the board, taken by the Miami Marlins in the third round out of the University of Kentucky. Ontario Blue Jays alum RJ Freure was taken in the sixth round by the Houston Astros out of the University of Pittsburgh. Great Lake Canadians grad Michael Brettell was chosen by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 15th round out of Central Michigan University.

Nick Trogrlic-Iverson, who was a member of the Fieldhouse Pirates organization before joining the Langley Blaze and then moving on to Central Arizona College, was also taken in the 15th round just two picks after Brettell, chosen by the Milwaukee Brewers. OBJ grad Ryan Rijo was taken in the 37th round by the Philadelphia Phillies out of New Mexico Junior College.

***

In the second season of the CPBL last year, Toronto Mets right-hander and native of Pickering, Ont., Landon Leach was the first Canuck off the board, selected with the first pick of the second round by the Minnesota Twins, 37th overall. The righty signed for $1,400,000 and is currently at extended spring training in Fort Myers, Florida. 

Great Lake Canadians shortstop Adam Hall quickly followed Leach in the draft, when the Baltimore Orioles chose the Bermuda-born Londoner with the 60th overall pick, also in the second round. Hall is also currently at extended spring training, in Sarasota, after signing for $1,300,000.   

Ontario Blue Jays outfielder and Mississauga’s own Cooper Davis was chosen by his hometown Toronto Blue Jays in the 25th round and was the 15th Canuck chosen, 759th overall. In the fall, Davis fulfilled his commitment to Vanderbilt University in Nashville and is currently headed to the super regional round of the College World Series with his team. 

Dondrae Bremner, a Toronto native and shortstop in the Mets program, was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 31st round of the draft, 917th overall, as the 17th player from north of the border whose name was called. Bremner fulfilled his commitment to Cincinnati, where he just finished his freshman season. 

***

The four CPBL players selected last year follows the inaugural season of the league, in which 12 Canadian high schoolers were chosen in the draft, and all six hailing from Ontario coming from the CPBL. Toronto Mets catcher Andrew Yerzy was the first one off the board in 2016, selected by the Diamondbacks in the second round, 52nd overall, and eventually signing for $1,214,100. 

Ontario Blue Jays righty Jordan Balazovic was taken in the fifth round two years ago, 153rd overall, by Minnesota, eventually signing for $515,000. OBJ catcher Luke Van Rycheghem was chosen by Arizona in the 23rd round and signed for $100,000. Mets southpaw Matt Jones was taken by the Twins in the 28th round and signed for $70,000. 

Great Lake right-hander Austin Shields was selected by the Pirates organization in the 33rd round of the 2016 draft and signed for $205,000 just before the deadline. His Canadians teammate and outfielder Jake Wilson was taken in the 39th round by the Red Sox, and opted to fulfill his commitment to Bowling Green State University, where he has already earned a number of accolades through his freshman and sophomore seasons. 

Noah Naylor selected in the first round of the 2018 draft

Major League Baseball’s first-year player draft began on Monday night and with the 29th pick of the first round, the Cleveland Indians made Ontario Blue Jays catcher and infielder Noah Naylor the highest Canadian Premier Baseball League player taken in the selection process in its three-year history. 

Ranking among the best high school players eligible for the draft throughout the months leading up to the event – also committed to the Texas A & M Aggies – the native of Mississauga and Team Canada mainstay was also the first player from the entire country taken in the 2018 process, and the only Canadian selected on the opening night of the draft.

“He’s really ready,” Baseball Canada’s director of national teams Greg Hamilton said of Naylor. “He plays the game with an ease to it, he doesn’t get too high and he doesn’t get too low…He plays very consistent and very determined and very level. There is a fire in there…

“He’s got everything that you’re looking for – he slows the game down offensively and defensively, he’s a special hitter, he’s a different hitter than his brother, but he’s going to be a really good hitter and a really good player.” 

Naylor’s first-round selection follows the 2015 draft, when the Miami Marlins took his older brother Josh – also a graduate of the Ontario Blue Jays and Canadian Junior National Team programs – in the first round with the 12th pick. 

“I have been gifted with some amazing coaches and amazing players as teammates to play with, so I’m definitely going to miss that, whichever way I go,” the younger Naylor said during the off-season. “I’m going to take the time I have with them and make the most of it and play every day like it’s my last with these guys.”

***

In the second season of the CPBL last year, Toronto Mets right-hander and native of Pickering, Ont., Landon Leach was the first Canuck off the board, selected with the first pick of the second round by the Minnesota Twins, 37th overall. The righty signed for $1,400,000 and is currently at extended spring training in Fort Myers, Florida. 

Great Lake Canadians shortstop Adam Hall quickly followed Leach in the draft, when the Baltimore Orioles chose the Bermuda-born Londoner with the 60th overall pick, also in the second round. Hall is also currently at extended spring training, in Sarasota, after signing for $1,300,000.   

Ontario Blue Jays outfielder and Mississauga’s own Cooper Davis was chosen by his hometown Toronto Blue Jays in the 25th round and was the 15th Canuck chosen, 759th overall. In the fall, Davis fulfilled his commitment to Vanderbilt University in Nashville and is currently headed to the super regional round of the College World Series with his team. 

Dondrae Bremner, a Toronto native and shortstop in the Mets program, was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 31st round of the draft, 917th overall, as the 17th player from north of the border whose name was called. Bremner fulfilled his commitment to Cincinnati, where he just finished his freshman season. 

***

The four CPBL players selected last year follows the inaugural season of the league, in which 12 Canadian high schoolers were chosen in the draft, and all six hailing from Ontario coming from the CPBL. Toronto Mets catcher Andrew Yerzy was the first one off the board in 2016, selected by the Diamondbacks in the second round, 52nd overall, and eventually signing for $1,214,100. 

Ontario Blue Jays righty Jordan Balazovic was taken in the fifth round two years ago, 153rd overall, by Minnesota, eventually signing for $515,000. OBJ catcher Luke Van Rycheghem was chosen by Arizona in the 23rd round and signed for $100,000. Mets southpaw Matt Jones was taken by the Twins in the 28th round and signed for $70,000. 

Great Lake right-hander Austin Shields was selected by the Pirates organization in the 33rd round of the 2016 draft and signed for $205,000 just before the deadline. His Canadians teammate and outfielder Jake Wilson was taken in the 39th round by the Red Sox, and opted to fulfill his commitment to Bowling Green State University, where he has already earned a number of accolades through his freshman and sophomore seasons. 

Eleven CPBL players to represent Canada against Dominican Summer League prospects

The Canadian Junior National Team is just about set to depart for its third trip of the season, and final tour before Major League Baseball’s draft begins on June 4, and among the 30 young players invited to match up against Dominican Summer League prospects are 14 who hail from Ontario, and 11 members of Canadian Premier Baseball League teams.

Among those 11 CPBL players, four represented Team Canada at the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s U18 Baseball World Cup last September right at home in Thunder Bay, with Noah Naylor representing the Ontario Blue Jays, Eric Cerantola and Griffin Hassall hailing from the Great Lake Canadians program, and Denzel Clarke from the Toronto Mets organization. Fellow league members Dasan Brown, Jaden Brown, Blake Buckle, Daniel Carinci, Owen Diodati, Keegan Pulford-Thorpe and TJ Schofield-Sam will join the quartet in the Dominican, and all 11 players are following up a spring trip with the Canadian squad to Florida in April.

On the upcoming trip, Team Canada will play 13 games in nine days against clubs in the Dominican Summer League clubs from organizations that include the New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Pittsburgh Pirates. Baseball Canada’s director of national teams and manager of the junior squad Greg Hamilton leads a coaching staff that includes former national team member Chris Begg, and Robert Fatal, attending as a guest coach.

The Junior National Team program has travelled to the Caribbean baseball hotbed every year since 2011, with the trip providing young Canadian players with a truly unique baseball opportunity.

“The Dominican Summer League camp is a very important component to our Junior National Team program that will provide an invaluable experience to our players,” Hamilton said. “Players will be challenged with an intense schedule, while also dealing with elements in the Dominican Republic that they don’t face at home. The strides taken at this camp will better prepare our team for success going forward.”

In addition to providing an excellent development opportunity for players, the Dominican Summer League camp will aid in the selection process of Canada’s roster for the COPABE U18 Pan Am championships that will take place from November 23 to December 2 in Panama City, Panama. The event also serves as a qualifier for the 2019 WBSC U18 Baseball World Cup.

Naylor comes home for Tournament 12

Noah Naylor is coming home.

Following a whirlwind summer of showcase baseball, travelling from coast to coast south of the border, matching up against some of the top competition for next year’s draft, and taking the spotlight on a number of major league stages, the 17-year-old catcher is finishing his season in front of friends and family right in his own backyard.

Highlighting the list of young players in attendance, the Mississauga native will take centre stage at the fifth-annual Tournament 12, an event Naylor will be participating in for the third time. The showcase will follow his first appearance at a U18 Baseball World Cup, where Team Canada plays host in Thunder Bay, Ont., to squads from around the world.

“I look forward to T12 every year,” Naylor said. “Playing at a big-league ballpark, Rogers Centre, I love the park. I’ve been around it for a while, but playing in that event, around some great talent, and being around some great coaches, it’s definitely something to look forward to each year, getting different opinions and advice, and meeting new people. I’m going to try to make the most of this one.”

The Blue Jays-hosted event will bring the backstop’s summer season to an end, after appearances at other big league stadiums like Wrigley Field for the Under Armour All-America Game, Petco Park for the Perfect Game All-American Classic, and Marlins Park for Major League Baseball’s High School Home Run Derby during the All-Star Game festivities, among an array of other events, games with the Ontario Blue Jays, and trips with the Canadian Junior National Team.

“This summer has been crazy,” Naylor said. “You’re on a plane every other day. I mean, I look forward to every event, and all of them were very fun and I was thankful to be a part of them. It was a great summer, and especially being able to just spend it with my dad [Chris], travelling with him, it’s something I’ll always remember.”

Away from the rest of his family for much of the summer, Naylor was grateful for the time with his father, as well as a visit from his older brother Josh – also a former Tournament 12 participant, and the Marlins’ 12th-overall pick in the 2015 draft – who ventured to Petco Park to see his little brother while he was close by playing in the California League. His mom Jenice, as well as his aunt, grandmother and cousin were all able to make it to Marlins Park for the derby, also there to see  Josh represent Canada and the Padres in the Futures Game at the same time.

“The only thing that they were able to go to was the home run derby in Miami,” Naylor said of his whole family, though his little brother Myles missed out on Marlins Park, playing in Cooperstown at the time. “That was about it. But that was great, having not just my whole family there, but my Canadian family as well, like [2015 first-rounder Mike] Soroka and [2016’s eighth-overall pick Cal] Quantrill [both Futures Game participants] behind me while I was hitting, hearing them yell and cheering me on. It was a great feeling.”

Among the events the left-handed hitting catcher experienced this year, Naylor most enjoyed taking centre stage at the home of the Marlins, where he led the first round of derby competition with 15 home runs, got to watch his brother and fellow Canadians compete in the Futures Game, and spent some time talking to big leaguers and all-stars Aaron Judge, Miguel Sano, Salvador Perez and Max Scherzer during MLB’s Home Run Derby.

“The home run derby was definitely a highlight of the summer, overall, that was just an amazing experience,” Naylor said. “And to be able to watch Josh play as well, in the Futures Game, that was fun. Also, I can’t really pick one over the other, but playing in both the Under Armour All-America Game, and at the Perfect Game [event in San Diego], I was very honoured to have been selected for that. Being part of that is something that I’ll take with me forever…

“I had never been to Wrigley or Petco before, and that was amazing. They gave us first-class treatment, and being part of that is indescribable. And going back to Marlins Park [after having been there when Josh originally signed with Miami], definitely reliving another moment, but this time it was for me. I loved everything about it. That was amazing. Being around the big league guys, it was unreal.”

Looking forward to finishing the summer on home soil in Thunder Bay and at Rogers Centre, Team Canada is equally excited to have the 5-foot-11, 190-pound hitter on the squad. And while comparisons have been and will continue to be drawn to his older brother, Greg Hamilton, Baseball Canada’s director of national team, appreciates both the similarity and differences the younger Naylor brings to the table.

“Noah brings a lot to the team,” Hamilton said. “He slows the game down, he plays under control, he plays with confidence, he’s a good, complete hitter, he gives you a good at-bat. I look at him as a good hitter with some power, as opposed to his brother, whose power kind of defined him but he was also so good hitter. I see the inverse with Noah, being a good hitter with some power. Your eyes don’t pop out with the power, where with Josh it was the power.

“They’re different personalities too. One’s going to run overtop of you and step on you to beat you, and the other competes very well. With Josh it was a vicious competitive streak, and a good kid outside of it but he was going to be a real tough, hard-nosed kid on the field. Noah plays pretty level, and plays with ease, and he has a more laid-back type personality, but he has a really good chance to be a really good hitter.”

While the younger Naylor enjoys having a sibling he can glean advice from, and who knows exactly the kinds of situations he is facing, he wants to forge a path of his own as he moves forward, though the Texas A&M commit isn’t quite sure what direction that might take him.

“I’m still in the midst of creating my own identity,” Naylor said. “Having Josh going through this whole thing before me has been helpful. He’s told me about all of his experiences, and I’m just trying to make it all my own and build my career around me, and give thanks to everybody who’s helped along the way.”

Growing up as a player with the Ontario Blue Jays, and entering his third year with Team Canada, Naylor is grateful to each program for its contributions to his evolution as a player, both on and off the field.

“I owe a lot to both teams, the Ontario Blue Jays and Team Canada,” he said. “The coaching staffs, they’ve definitely played a big part in my game and helping me become the player I am today. I’m very thankful for everybody who’s been a part of my journey, and I’ll always be thankful for that.”

Sean Travers, director of player development for the OBJ program, has seen firsthand the growth and progress in Naylor over the past decade, and couldn’t be more proud of the player and young man he’s become.

“Noah always shows people, if they say he can’t do something, he goes and does it,” Travers said. “He’s one of the most humble kids I’ve ever been around with this kind of fanfare, but his confidence is on another level. He’s thankful for every opportunity he gets, he takes advantage, and he doesn’t take things for granted. He really appreciates everything that happens for him…He’s just a special kid with special ability, who doesn’t take anything for granted, and he’s one of the hardest workers I’ve ever been around.”

Heading into next year as Canada’s top draft prospect, Naylor has been on the radar north of the border for some time, and has shown exactly what got him there and why that’s where he should stay.

“From the beginning, he received and caught the baseball well, relatively speaking for his age and this level,” Hamilton said. “He caught the ball with ease and soft hands and balance, and young catchers tend not to catch the ball. That’s the No. 1 prerequisite as a catcher, and right from the start he was able to catch the ball with balance and ease and comfort.

“It’s one thing to me that more than anything, shows that he could stay back there. And he’s got arm strength, he’s just working on the release and getting consistency as the arm strength is there. He works on release and consistency of throws, and doesn’t try to do too much, and the arm is going to play. It’s a position where you’d like to see him stay.”

Beyond his final Tournament 12, his last several months with the OBJ program, and as a member of Canada’s junior team, Naylor will look to continue impressing all those around him, and have a blast doing it.

“I’m just going to live day by day on the field and see what happens,” he said. “Every time I’m on the field I look forward to showing everybody what I have, and I’m just having so much fun playing the game.”

Cerantola one of country’s top young arms at Tournament 12

The Eric Cerantola on display at Rogers Centre during the fifth-annual Tournament 12 this year is an incredibly different one than the right-hander who put himself on the map at last September’s event.

From not knowing what the Blue-Jays hosted showcase was or what the prestigious tournament entailed, to taking the spotlight in the event just a year later, Cerantola knows that he has come a long way in a short time.

“Tournament 12 was a great experience and I really loved playing at Rogers Centre,” he said. “Honestly, I wasn’t quite familiar with what it was at the beginning of the year, but it was a really good experience, and good exposure at the same time. From last T12 to this one, I’ve matured a lot physically. My stuff has gotten better, I have cleaner mechanics, and it’s a lot better than it was last year.”

After joining the Great Lake Canadians program before last season began, the Oakville native’s appearance at Tournament 12 gave him a shot at the Canadian Junior National Team, with which he has become a mainstay. Between Team Canada and Great Lake, he has emerged as one of Canada’s top young arms, with more on the horizon.

“He’s grown a lot,” said Greg Hamilton, Baseball Canada’s director of national teams. “He’s got some gifts, obviously. You can’t take credit for teaching some of the things he brings to the table…He’s got size, he’s got an easy arm, he’s got great plane, and he spins the breaking ball.

“It’s just a matter of growing into that understanding and realization of the talent he has, and not getting too caught up in being in a hurry for all that to come together, and making changes rapidly…He’s got the makings of everything you’re looking for in a real, legitimate arm.”

Cerantola’s arrival on the Canadian baseball scene was fast and furious, making strong impressions everywhere he’s been. The 6-foot-5, 195-pound hurler is grateful for the coaching and experiences he’s had with the GLC program, after his previous team folded and left him without a diamond to call home.

“Joining the Great Lake Canadians was a really good decision for me,” Cerantola said. “Before, I was with the Ontario Diamondbacks, and they don’t exist anymore, so I was looking for a place to play. The GLC saw me at a tournament in Oakville…when I started looking for a team, I gave them a call, and they were interested, so I went there to join them.

“I’ve evolved a lot as a pitcher since I joined their program. My mechanics, velocity-wise, everything has gone up and the mechanics are much cleaner, and overall everything has improved quite a bit.”

Beyond crediting his parents Lucy and Franco Cerantola for allowing him every opportunity he’s been afforded, the young pitcher is thankful for the experience and wisdom that has been passed onto him from GLC pitching coordinator Adam Arnold, who’s enjoyed watching the teenager’s progress.

“We continue to work on keeping athleticism in the delivery, and having a plan and a purpose, starting right when he picks up the baseball,” Arnold said. “We had Eric start throwing from a hands-over-head delivery to create some rhythm and fluidity throwing the baseball. That gave him a chance to start separating over the rubber, be on time, and ultimately sync his body.

“He started to show some consistency with it, working more freely with a better tempo and the athleticism, natural strength, and ability followed along…As he has matured as a baseball player, his daily process, mentality, and plan when he picks up a ball have given him a chance to iron out some of the smaller day-to-day adjustments it will take to be successful in this game.”

As he continues to get better and grow, Cerantola believes that he has truly begun to learn how to pitch.

“My biggest asset is my pitchability,” the righty said. “With my stuff, my breaking balls and my off-speed stuff to go with my fastball, that’s what my best offering is. And I try to go out there and compete every single outing.”

Facing pros, and heading into the U18 Baseball World Cup in Thunder Bay with Team Canada just before Tournament 12, Cerantola has been helped over the last year by facing a higher calibre of competition than ever before, elevating his game.

“The junior team has been a great opportunity to get to face professional batters, and to get to learn really how to pitch against those kind of batters,” the Mississippi State commit said. “It’s completely different than being at home, playing against other high school players. You really have to bring out that third pitch and learn how to locate. If you don’t locate, the mistakes are bigger. But it’s been fun.”

When his team’s run in Thunder Bay comes to an end, Cerantola will return to the event that has been the highlight of his young career, looking to put everything he’s gained over the last year on display on his hometown stage.

“T12 last year was a really fun experience and the best thing I’ve done over the last couple of years so far,” Cerantola said. “I don’t think I’ve had anything quite like that, and our team made it that way. The team was a really fun group, and then add the fact that you’re playing in a major league stadium, there’s no better feeling than that.”