January 29, 2024

By Matt Betts

Canadian Baseball Network

Every year when the calendar flips, it begs the question among Canadian baseball fans of who will be the next Canuck to break into Major League Baseball.

In 2023, the Minnesota Twins promoted infielder Edouard Julien (Quebec, Que.) in April. The former Auburn Tiger and Academie du Baseball Canada standout rewarded them by hitting .263 with 16 home runs, 37 RBIs and an .840 OPS over 338 at bats.

It was Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.) who burst on to the scene in 2022 for the Seattle Mariners and since then, he’s established himself as one of the top relievers in their bullpen with arguably the best slider in all of baseball.

So, back to that question. As I stare out the window into the gloomy skies of an Ontario winter, a few names pop into my head of who might be the next Julien or Brash.

How about Tyler Black?

The first, and likely most obvious, is Milwaukee Brewers prospect Tyler Black (Stouffville, Ont.).

Black shared the organization’s Minor League Player of the Year in 2023 with Jackson Chourio, who months later inked an eight-year, $82-million contract with the club.

While the big bucks may not be deposited in his bank account just yet, Black has a legitimate chance to either head north with the Brewers at the end of spring training or be penciled into the lineup at some point in 2024.

MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis has the Toronto Met grad ranked as the fifth best third base prospect in the game but it may be his defensive versatility with the ability to play third, second and centre field getting him to American Family Field sooner than later.

During the 2023 season, Black made it all the way to triple-A Nashville and hit .310. In 123 games across two levels he also swiped 55 bases, another asset he’s admitted to putting a focus on as he progresses through the system.

As for Callis’s take? He has his ETA pegged some time in 2024.

Caissie to the north side?

Chicago Cubs fans continue to clamour for a Cody Bellinger signing and while that may still come, there’s another left-handed slugger the organization is high on.

Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.), just 21 years old, has slugged his way to the top of the Cubs’ prospects rankings. He’s No. 4 for those keeping track at home.

Caissie spent all of 2023 at double-A Tennessee where he hit .289 with 22 home runs, 84 RBIs and a .917 OPS.

If there’s an area of concern, it would be with the swing and miss as he struck out 164 times.

With fellow top outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong having already made his big league debut last season, could Caissie be next in line?

Cade Smith in Cleveland?

Pinning down the next pitcher to make their debut is no easy task.

No Canadian hurler is ranked among the Top 100 prospects in baseball like the aforementioned Black (46) and Caissie (47).

But could the Cleveland Guardians promote one Canadian after cutting ties with another.

If so, cue Cade Smith (Abbotsford, B.C.).

After the team decided to part ways with right-hander Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.), who eventually landed in Colorado, Smith could find himself in the Guardians’ bullpen at some point soon.

Smith, who signed as a free agent out of the University of Hawaii after being passed over in the shortened 2020 draft, had a strong 2023 across double-A and triple-A, posting a combined 5-3 record with a 4.02 ERA and 15 saves, while striking out 95, in 62 2/3 innings.

It helps his case that the Guardians selected his contract from triple-A Columbus in November and he’s currently on their 40-man roster.