Fieldhouse Pirates alum Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) has hit .293 with 21 home runs for the Chicago Cubs’ double-A Tennessee Smokies in 2023.

August 16, 2023

By Matt Betts

Canadian Baseball Network

A lot has changed down on the farm since the draft wrapped up last month, forcing the talented minds at MLB Pipeline to release a revamped Top 100 prospects ranking.

A pair of familiar faces to Canadian baseball fans find themselves on that list and even more are scattered throughout each team’s Top 30.

To save you some time perusing the web and sifting through 30 different sets of rankings, take a look below for all the Canadians among the next group of potential big leaguers.

Top 100

Milwaukee Brewers

INF Tyler Black (Toronto, Ont.)

The two Canadians ranked in the Top 100 prospects should really come as no surprise.

Canadian Baseball Network writer Tyson Shushkewich wrote earlier this week about how Milwaukee Brewers farmhand Tyler Black could be the next Canadian headed to the big leagues and he may be on to something.

Black comes in at No. 55 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 list and No. 5 in the Brewers system. Recently promoted to triple-A Nashville, Black has skyrocketed through the Brew Crew’s system since being the 33rd overall pick in 2021. Hitting .273 with 14 home runs, 48 RBIs and 47 stolen bases for double-A Biloxi earned him that promotion and his ranking.

Chicago Cubs

OF Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.)

Caissie put his talent on full display during the World Baseball Classic when he held his own as a 20-year-old. He’s carried that success into the season with the double-A Tennessee Smokies. Currently hitting .293 with 21 home runs and 76 RBIs, the big leagues might not be as far off as his age would indicate. He’s ranked No. 68 in the Top 100 and No. 3 in the Cubs system.

Top 30

Atlanta Braves

RHP Adam Maier (North Vancouver, BC) and INF David McCabe (Oshawa, Ont.)

Despite having not thrown a professional pitch, or any competitive pitch since early in the 2022 college season for the Oregon Ducks due to injury, Maier still comes in at No. 12 in the Braves Top 30. Combined with his well over slot $1.2 million signing bonus, it proves just how highly evaluators think of the right-hander.

Look down four spots and you’ll see McCabe at No. 16. All McCabe did at the University of Charlotte was hit and nothing has changed in his professional career. He has 16 home runs and 65 RBIs between Single-A Augusta and High-A Rome.

Milwaukee Brewers

INF Dylan O’Rae (Sarnia, Ont.)

Black isn’t the only Canadian turning heads in the Brewers system. O’Rae, who was recently promoted to Single-A Carolina after hitting .362 for their Arizona League affiliate, finds himself at No. 21. Just 19, he’s a longer term commitment for the organization but has clearly impressed thus far.

New York Mets

RHP Calvin Ziegler (Heidelberg, Ont.)

Ziegler and his big fastball that reaches the upper 90’s finds himself at the No.19 spot in the Mets system. It’s a system that’s much improved after the team dealt Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander at this year’s deadline, so finding himself within the Top 30 is quite the accomplishment. He hasn’t pitched this season due to surgery to remove bone spurs from his elbow in March.

Toronto Mets alum Denzel Clarke (Pickering Ont.) is the No. 6 ranked prospect in the Oakland A’s organization.

Oakland Athletics

OF Denzel Clarke (Pickering, Ont.) and INF Myles Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.)

Clarke, another World Baseball Classic Team Canada member, comes in at No. 6 in the Athletics system thanks to three strong minor league seasons since being a fourth round pick out of Cal State Northridge in 2021. So far in 2023, the former Toronto Met is hitting .261 with 12 home runs and 43 RBIs for the double-A Midland RockHounds.

To no one’s surprise, at least not Canadian baseball fans, Naylor is already ranked among the A’s Top 30 prospects at No. 9. He became the third Naylor brother to be picked within the first 40 selections in the draft last month when he was taken at No. 39, following Josh at No. 12 in 2015 and Bo at No. 29 in 2018. According to MLB Pipeline, scouts saw him as “somewhere between Josh’s raw power and Bo’s pure hitting ability when they were starting out.”

San Diego Padres

C Lamar King Jr. (Vancouver, BC) and RHP Garrett Hawkins (Saskatoon, Sask.)

Born in Canada but calling Perry Hall, Maryland his home, King Jr. signed with the Padres for $502,600 after being a fourth round pick in 2021 out of Calvert Hall College. Originally committed to Georgia Tech, he’s had a strong season with the Padres Rookie affiliate in 2023, hitting .324 and is the Friars’ No. 18 prospect.

Hawkins, a University of British Columbia alum, has put together a very good minor league career. In 123 1/3 innings he’s 8-11 with a 4.11 ERA across three levels and is currently in High-A with the Fort Wayne TinCaps as the Padres No. 21 prospect.

Texas Rangers

LHP Mitch Bratt (Newmarket, Ont.)

Canada’s starter against the United States in the WBC is the Rangers’ No. 17 prospect. Just 20 years old, Bratt owns a 3.83 ERA in 14 starts over 56 1/3 innings for High-A Hickory.

Toronto Blue Jays

INF Damiano Palmegiani (Surrey, BC), LHP Adam Macko (Stony Plain, Alta.) and OF Dasan Brown (Oakville, Ont.)

It seems fitting the Blue Jays have the most Canadians among their Top 30.

At No. 19, Palmegiani is the highest. Also a member of Canada’s WBC team, he has 14 home runs and 23 doubles at double-A New Hampshire.

Southpaw Macko, who came over with Erik Swanson in the deal that sent Teoscar Hernandez to Seattle in the offseason, is No. 23 on the Jays list. He’s been pitching in Canada this season at High-A Vancouver and is 4-4 with a 5.05 ERA, fanning 74 over 67 2/3 innings.

Brown sneaks in at No. 30 and is a teammate of Macko’s in Vancouver. Speed is the key to his game as he’s swiped 22 bases this season and has 74 over parts of four minor league campaigns.

Betts: 14 Canadians among top prospects in minors