*Tyler O'Neill has, indeed, followed fellow Maple Ridge, B.C., native Larry Walker's path to the majors. The 22-year-old slugger is batting in the middle of the order for the St. Louis Cardinals, the same squad Walker finished his big league career with. O'Neill has also homered in each of his last three games with the Cardinals, and with his major league success, we dug out the following story written by J.P. Antonacci that was published on October 13, 2016 from our CBN archives.*

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By: J.P. Antonacci

Canadian Baseball Network

Don’t look now, but there’s another power-hitting outfielder from Maple Ridge working his way to the major leagues.

The British Columbia town that produced Larry Walker is also home to Tyler O’Neill, who slugged 24 home runs and knocked in 102 runs for the Double-A Jackson Generals during the 2016 season.

Those numbers earned the 21-year-old Seattle Mariners prospect the organization’s Ken Griffey Jr. Minor League Hitter of the Year award.

“I wanted to come into Double-A and prove to everyone that I belonged there. After this year, I want to be in (Triple-A) Tacoma, and I want to do the same thing there,” O’Neill told reporters after a pregame award ceremony October 1 at Safeco Field.

In 130 games with the Generals, O’Neill walked 62 times and struck out 150 times. That was a marked improvement on the 137 strikeouts and 29 walks he registered in just 106 games the previous year in Single-A Bakersfield.

An almost 60-point jump in his on-base percentage – to go along with a .293 batting average – suggests that O’Neill’s batting eye is maturing, which is something the club had asked him to work on heading into the season.

“Obviously, the walking more was a big part of my development program. I think I attuned it my own way, taking more pitches that were off the plate to get me into a better count,” he said.

“At Bakersfield, I had a lot of strikeouts and not a lot of walks. At Double-A, tougher pitching, tougher travel and the ball didn’t travel as well. I really had to play to the best of my ability and use everything I could to my advantage, and I feel like I did that.”

Also part of O’Neill’s learning experience at Double-A was adjusting to how pitchers changed their approach to him as the season wore on.

“The first half, I could sit on a lot of pitches. It was a little different in the second half. I was getting mixed a little harder. But I made my own adjustments, and it ended up well,” he said.

“I think it’s just all mental recognition. Just wait for a cookie and don’t miss it.”

Signed by veteran Mariners scout Wayne Norton of Port Moody, BC, O’Neill was a 2013 third-round draft pick out of Garibaldi Secondary School in Maple Ridge.

The Langley Blaze alumnus has tasted victory early in his professional career. He won gold with Team Canada at the 2015 Pan Am Games, and the Generals were the 2016 Southern League champions.

“Everybody just came together,” he said of the Southern League title. “It’s not just because of one guy or another guy. It’s a full team effort. You need guys on base to get the RBIs, and everybody pulled through.”

O’Neill began his summertime stint with the Peoria Javelinas of the Arizona Fall League in memorable fashion, crushing a 390-foot home run to left centre off a tee during the annual Bowman Hitting Challenge on October 7.

“I just want to keep doing (in Arizona) how I ended (the season),” he said. “Just playing hard and to the best of my ability, and using everything I learned this season against the higher prospects in baseball.” 

O’Neill can consider himself in that elite company, after Baseball America recently ranked the Canadian as the No. 4 prospect in Double-A.

Looking ahead, he hopes his next appearance at Safeco will be as part of the Mariners’ lineup.

“I want to come to spring training and make a statement there,” O’Neill said.

“I was kind of a hit-or-miss guy at the end of 2015. Now, I’m more of an all-around player. I feel I’m a complete player now. I’m going to show everybody that I am.”