December 6, 2021

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

The Canadian Baseball Network (CBN) announced the winners of its 2021 awards for top Canadian minor league hitter and pitcher, top foreign/independent ball hitter and pitcher and Scout of the Year on Monday.

Otto López (Montreal, Que.), who hit .315 in 113 games in double-A and triple-A in the Toronto Blue Jays’ organization, is the Randy Echlin Award winner, as the top minor league hitter in the affiliated ranks, while right-hander Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.), who had a breakout season in the Seattle Mariners’ organization, was named the Wayne Norton Award winner as the Canadian minor league pitcher of the year.

In the foreign or independent ball ranks, Quebec City, Que., native David Glaude, of the Frontier League’s Équipe Québec, was named the Murray Zuk Award winner, as offensive player of the year, while Brock Dykxhoorn (Goderich, Ont.), of the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL), received the Claude Pelletier Award, as top pitcher.

Texas Rangers scout Takeshi Sakurayama, who drafted and signed left-hander Mitch Bratt (Newmarket, Ont.) in the fifth round of the 2021 MLB draft, is the winner of the Jim Ridley Memorial Award, as scout of the year.

López was born in the Dominican Republic but lived in Montreal from ages 10 to 14. During that time, he secured Canadian citizenship, which allowed him to suit up for Canada at the 2019 Pan Am Games qualifying tournament. The 23-year-old infielder/outfielder split the 2021 season between double-A and triple-A in the Blue Jays’ system and topped Canadian minor league (affiliated) players in batting average (.315), hits (142), total bases (197) and games (113). On August 17, he made his major league debut when he pinch-hit for pitcher Alek Manoah in the fourth inning in the Blue Jays’ 12-6 loss to the Washington Nationals. He was initially signed as an international free agent by the Blue Jays in July 2016.

To read Danny Gallagher’s feature article about Lopez, click here.

Brash went a combined 6-4 with a 2.31 ERA in 20 appearances (19 starts) between High-A and double-A in the Mariners’ organization this season. Most impressive, however, was his 142 strikeouts in 97 1/3 innings. In 2021, the Kingston Thunder and Niagara University alum topped all Canadians in the affiliated minor league ranks in strikeouts and finished second in ERA and innings pitched. For his efforts, he was called up by the Mariners on September 28 during their push for a Wild Card spot, but he didn’t get into a game. A fourth-round pick of the San Diego Padres in 2019, the Canuck righty was also named the Mariners’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year and to Baseball America’s Minor League All-Star Team.

To read Kevin Glew’s feature article about Brash, click here.

Glaude (Quebec City, Que.) enjoyed his strongest pro season in 2021, topping all Canucks in the independent or foreign pro ranks in RBIs (75) and total bases (186) and finished third in runs (79), hits (116) and home runs (13). He also batted .308 and had 31 stolen bases for Équipe Québec, a Frontier League squad that due to the COVID-19 pandemic spent their first 77 games on the road. This was the 27-year-old Glaude’s fourth pro season after he played three college campaigns for the Missouri Western Griffons.

To read Bob Elliott’s feature article about Glaude, click here.

Dykxhoorn (Goderich, Ont.) was dominant for the Chinese Professional Baseball League’s Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions in 2021. In 27 appearances, including 26 starts, the 6-foot-8 right-hander posted a 17-4 record and a 1.83 ERA, while fanning 157 batters in 181 2/3 innings. His WHIP was also an impressive 0.886. Dykxhoorn ranked at the top of almost every significant pitching statistical category for Canucks in the foreign or independent ranks, including wins, innings pitched, strikeouts and WHIP. The 27-year-old righty was selected in the sixth round of the 2014 MLB draft by the Houston Astros and he toed the rubber for parts of five seasons in their organization before heading overseas.

To read J.P. Antonacci’s feature article about Dykxhoorn, click here.

Sakurayama selected and signed Toronto Mets and Junior National Team lefty Mitch Bratt (Newmarket, Ont.) in the 2021 MLB draft. Bratt was chosen in the fifth round which made him the second Canadian high schooler selected and the fourth Canuck taken overall. A full-time scout with the Texas Rangers since 2012, Sakurayama, who is based in Hartford, Conn., is the club’s Northeast area scout, covering New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, Vermont and Canada. He is the fifth non-Canadian based scout in the 28-year history of the award to be honoured.

To read Bob Elliott’s feature article about Sakurayama, click here.

Nine baseball experts were polled for the Canadian Baseball Network’s annual awards. Each award has been named after a Canadian who has made significant and long-lasting contributions to baseball. Randy Echlin (1950 to 2011) was a judge and former head of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame Selection Committee, while Wayne Norton (1942 to 2018), Murray Zuk, Claude Pelletier and Jim Ridley (1944 to 2008) have served as legendary scouts in Canada.

The Canadian Baseball Network is regarded as the premier source of information on Canadian prospects and minor leaguers. George Farelli is the site’s minor league statistician.