C Nathan Flewelling, 3rd round (94th) – Tampa Bay Rays — Signed $774,000
Name: Nathan Flewelling
Hometown: Innisfail, Alta.
Born: Red Deer, Alta.
Height/Weight: 6’ 1” 190 lbs.
Bats/Throws: L-R.
Slot Money: $776,500
Scout: James Bonicci
Teams: CarStar Braves/Junior National Team/TG DBacks/Sylvan Lake Gulls.
Coaches: Josh Zanolli, Greg Hamilton, Todd Greene, Jason Chatwood.
Committed: Gonzaga University.
Previous Teams: Team Alberta, St. Joseph’s Baseball Academy.
Previous Coaches: Dwayne Lalor, Chris James and Harold Northcott, Scott Murray, Curtis Flewelling.
On the road: Impressed at Reds pre-draft workout at Goodyear, Ariz. launching home runs.
Interested teams: Had pre-draft work outs for the Blue Jays, Padres, Cubs, Twins, Tigers, Astros, Brewers and Dodgers. And he wound up being drafted by the Rays. Tampa Bay had a cross checker fly into Alberta to scout Felwelling. That sounds the old-fashioned way. If Flewelling signs Rays scout James Bonicci will get the credit.
Rankings: Listed 326th by Perfect Game (June, 2024) ... Ranked 218th on Perfect Game’s top 400 (April 2024) ... Sat 420th on Baseball America’s top 500 ... Listed fifth best in Alberta.
Good genes: “My father, Curtis Flewlling was a high level ball player, my mother,Erin Flewelling, played high school sports and my sister Avery is an accomplished volleyball player.”
The most influential people in my baseball life: My dad.
The most influential person in my baseball career, besides my father: “Jason Chatwood (who attended Gonzaga and coaches Sylvan Lake), He has always helped me through everything and given great advice.”
Best day on the ball field: “Winning Provincials in Bantam with all of my buddies.” He won the Alberta title twice.
When scouts talk to you whom do they say your game reminds them: “Adley Rutschman, I've heard.”
2024 season, at MLB Combine at Chase Field _ Ranked No. 1 in Batting Practice Max Exit Velocity on Day I at 112.4 MPH ... With Sylvan Lake in Western Canada League _ Hit .329 with five doubles, four homers and 19 RBIs … In 19 games he had a 1.062 OPS … With Junior National Team on Dominican tour _ Hit .231 (6-for-26) with a double, homer, two RBIs and an .913 OPS.
2023 season with TG DBacks _ Batted .444 (4-for-9) with an RBI and an .899 OPS at Hoover, Al. to earning all-tournament team at Perfect Games 16U National Elite Championship ... With Team New Blue at Canadian Futures Showcase ... 11 total homers in two rounds six in the final -- to edge Gianluca Montanaro (Aurora, Ont.) by one -- and secure the event’s championship belt in his second time to the event.
2022 with Team Alberta _ Hit three-run triple as Alberta blanked British Columbia 4-0 in the semi-final at Canada Summer Games.
Honours
2024 season _ Prep Baseball Canada Player of the Year … Preseason Underclass Rawlings/Perfect Game All American All-Region First Team for Canada/Puerto Rico area ... 2023 season, TG DBacks _ Earned All Tournament Team honors at Perfect Game 16U National Elite Championship In Hoover, Ala. and WWBA 2025 Grads or 16U National Championship at Marietta, Ga. ... Won Canadian Futures Showcase Derby at the Rogers Centre … 2019 season _ Voted Alberta’s 13U Player of the Year.
Scouting reports
Baseball America
Nathan Flewelling, C, St. Joseph Catholic HS, Red Deer, Alb.
The combine is a perfect event for a player like Flewelling. He is a young-for-the-class Canadian prospect seen infrequently by evaluators and was not on the showcase circuit. It’s a chance for him to showcase his toolset in front of plenty of scouts and high-level decision makers. He made the most of that opportunity.
Despite his age, Flewelling’s 112.4 mph max exit velocity in batting practice was tied for second (with PA prep Chase Harlan) among the entire field of players behind only LSU’s Jared Jones (113.4). Jones will be 21 a few weeks after the draft and Flewelling has a 17.7 age on draft day. That sort of raw power production for a player of his age is tantalizing, and reinforces the 70-grade power projections scouts have put on him. Flewelling has lots of natural strength and a simple, repeatable swing in the righthanded batter’s box.
He showed well in catcher drills as well, with above-average pop times in the 1.93-1.95 second range and solid carry on his throws to the second base bag.