Elliott: This Canuck draft better than expected, almost as good as 2015

C ANDREW YERZY (PORT HOPE, ONT.) OF THE TORONTO METS WITH HIS PARENTS PATRICIA AND DAVID.

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

Each year since 1995 we have compiled a Baseball America-style list of the top Canadians expected to be drafted next year. 

In ye olde days we used to have a top 25 list.

First there were unlimited rounds (the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Houston Astros used to battle on into the 75th round before one or the other would yell ‘OK I give’). Then there were regularly regulated drafts of 50 rounds when the deadline for signing was two weeks before NEXT YEAR’S draft.

Slowly things changed: the signing deadline moved from 50 weeks after the draft to Aug. 15 and then July 15. The length of the draft was shortened from 50 to 40 rounds. Losing rounds 41-thru-50 cost an average of eight Canadians each year a chance at pro ball (based on the previous five years).

While the window to be selected narrowed the talent level grew. 

From 2000 until this spring Canadians selected in the first 30 selections included in RHP Jameson Taillon (The Woodlands, Tx.) to the Pirates in 2010, LHP Adam Loewen (Surrey, BC) to the Orioles and LHP Jeff Francis (North Delta, BC) to the Rockies in 2002, RHP Phillippe Aumont (Gatineau, Que.) to the Mariners in 2007, Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) to the Marlins and RHP Mike Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) to the Braves last year, Brett Lawrie (Langley, BC) to the Brewers in 2008, C Kellin Deglan (Langley, BC) to the Rangers in 2010, INF Scott Thorman (Cambridge, Ont.) to the Braves in 2000 and this year RHP Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) to the Padres. 
 
Some years it would be a top 20 depending upon the flow of talent.

After the World Series in early November we started to bear down and ask about players for this June. We discussed players and I was about to say goodbye when he said “good luck with your top 10 list.”

Top 10?

“If there are that many, it’s not like last year (when 30 Canadians were selected),”

Ah that seed of self doubt wasn’t good news. 

What if we had a top 20 and only 16 were chosen?

Or if there was a top 15 and only 11 or 12 were chosen?

What if we picked a top 10 and only seven or eight Canadians were selected? 

A month to go we asked an over/under number from scouts who covered Canada. The average numbers ranked from 14-to-17. The highest total anyone picked was 21.

So, while most experts called it a down year, while others said it was a “vanilla” draft for Canadians what did Canadian high schoolers and collegians do?

They went out and impressed scouts on both sides of the border.

A total of 27 Canadians were selected and a free-agent sign so this was almost as good as last year’s with nine players in the first 10 rounds the same as a year ago.

And 12 of the 17 who signed received six-figure signing bonus ... from a dollar over $99,999 to two with seven figures.

A recap of those who signed ...

_ The San Diego Padres drafted and signed Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.), a former Ontario Terriers RHP, went eighth over all of 1,216 players selected in North America despite not throwing a pitch this spring due to Tommy John surgery in March of 2015 withh the Stanford Cardinal. Stanford continually said he would he expected back soon in March and May yet he threw bullpens for the Boston Red Sox, the Padres and others. He turned down the chance to throw for the Philadelphia Phillies, signing a $300,000 bonus over his slot value at $3,963,045.

_ The Arizona Diamondbacks selected C Andrew Yerzy (Toronto, Ont.) former the Toronto Mets in the second round and scout Doug Mathieson gave him a $1,214,100 signing bonus.

_ The Diamondbacks chose RHP Curtis Taylor (Port Coquitlam, BC) from the British Columbia Thundbirds in the fourth and signed him to a $496,000 bonus. Mathieson was in on that evaluation as well.  

_ Next the Texas Rangers chose Charles Leblanc (Laval, Que.) from the Pitt Panthers in the fourth. He signed a $415,000 bonus.

_ Then, the Minnesota Twins new Canadian scout Walt Burrows drafted Jordan Balazovic (Mississauga, Ont.) from the Ontario Blue Jays in the fifth round for $515,000. 

_ Houston Astros scout Jim Stevenson chose INF Abraham Toro-Hernandez (Greenfield Park, Que.) from the Seminole State College Trojans. He signed for $250,000.

_ The Detroit Tigers grabbed OF Jacob Robson (Windsor, Ont.) of Mississippi State in the eighth round. The Tigers have Robson, an Ontario Blue Jay grad, a signing bonus of $181,600.

_ The Cincinnati Reds chose RHP Alex Webb (Surrey, BC) from UBC in the ninth round. Scout Bill Byckowski (Etobicoke, Ont.) gave the college senior a $5,000 bonus.

_ The Tigers were busy in the ninth chosing INF Daniel Pinero (Toronto, Ont.) from the Virginia Cavileers. The Tigers gave the former Ontario Blue Jay $169,600.

_ The Diamondbacks were back again selecting a Canuck in the 11th when Mathieson chose RHP Jake Polancic (Langley, BC) from the Langley Blaze. He received a $100,000 bonus.

_ The Chicago White Sox chose RHP Bryan Saucedo (Toronto, Ont.) from Davenport University in the 14th.  After two seasons in California as a position player he was converted and impressed off the mound earning a $100,000 bonus.
 
_ After the first 11 drafted Canadians signed the Blue Jays didn’t sign OF Clayton Keyes (Calgary, Alta.) of the Okotoks Dawgs, the 12th Canadian chosen. The Astros then chose in the 20th round Louis-Phillipe Pelletier (Montreal, Que.) also scooped up from Seminole State and also selected by Stevenson. He received $60,000.

_ Mathieson and the Diamondbacks were at it again in the 23rd chosing 1B Luke Van Rycheghem (Kent Bridge, Ont.) from the Ontario Blue Jays. The DBacks gave Van Rycheghem a $100,000 bonus.

_ The Reds chose 1B Bruce Yari (Waterloo, Ont.) from UBC and Byckowski signed him. Putting into perspective what UBC has accomplished -- by having a third player drafted -- of 1,500 college programs in North America, UBC is in the top .35% for having three players selected in the top 25 rounds. There are less than 55 schools in NCAA Div. 1 baseball that had a better draft than UBC.   

_ The Twins and Burrows chose LHP Matt Jones (Whitby, Ont.) of Toronto Mets in the 28th and gave him a $70,000 bonus.

_ The Blue Jays chose RHP Brayden Bouchey (White Rock, BC) in the 33rd round from University of Louisiana at Monroe and gave him a $20,000 bonus.

_ The Pirates waited until the 33th round to chose RHP Austin Shields (Dundas, Ont.) of the Great Lake Canadians. He was given a signing bonus of $205,000

So 17 drafted players signed -- plus the Milwaukee Brewers landed free agent Jeremy Newton (Toronto, Ont.) from UBC and 

Unsigned
Blue Jays 17th OF Clayton Keyes (Calgary, Alta.) Okotoks Dawgs/Canadian Jr National Team
A’s 23rd RHP Christian Lindsay-Young (Hamburg, NY) Niagara County Community College
Red Sox 28th RHP Jordan Scheft (Irvine, Calif.) Saddleback College
Mets 28th RHP William Sierra (Montréal Que.) Les Ailes du Quebec/Canadian Junior National Team
Mariners 30th OF Tyler Duncan (Sooke, BC) Victoria Eagles/Canadian Junior National Team/C-Crowder College
Nationals 30th OF Tristan Clarke (Brampton, Ont.) Eastern Oklahoma State College/C-New Orleans
Cardinals 30th RHP Josh Burgmann (Nanaimo, BC) Vauxhall Academy/Canadian Junior National Team/C-Washington
Astros 33rd OF Toby Handley (Whitby, Ont.) Stony Brook University
Red Sox 39th OF Jake Wilson (New Lowell, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians/C-Bowling Green
Blue Jays 40th RHP Carter Loewen (Abbotsford BC) Abbotsford Cardinals/Canadian Junior National Team/C-Hawaii