Langley Blaze and Junior National Team grad Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, B.C.) belted a three-run home run for the Baltimore Orioles against the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday. Photo: Baltimore Orioles

March 2, 2025

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Some Canadian baseball news and notes from the past week:

O’Neill goes deep for Orioles

Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, B.C.) became the first Canadian to hit a home run in Grapefruit League action this year when he belted a three-run shot in the second inning off Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Andrew Bash on Thursday. The home run helped the O’s to an 11-8 win at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota.

O’Neill signed a three-year, $49.5 million contract with the Orioles in December after spending 2024 with the Boston Red Sox.

Heading into the 2025 regular season, the 29-year-old slugger has 109 big league home runs, which is the 10th most by a Canadian. Former Minnesota Twins third baseman Corey Koskie (Anola, Man.) ranks ninth on that list with 124 homers. So, there’s a good chance O’Neill will pass him this season.

With the Red Sox in 2024, O’Neill topped the club with 31 home runs. That total also tied him with Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) for the most major league homers by a Canadian last season. A Langley Blaze and Junior National Team alum, O’Neill played his first six major league seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals from 2018 to 2023.

Peters homers for Rays

Outfielder Tristan Peters (Winnipeg, Man.) became the second Canadian to homer in Grapefruit League action when he clubbed a game-tying, solo shot off Detroit Tigers right-hander Matt Seelinger in the bottom of the ninth in the Rays’ 7-7 tie with the Tigers on Thursday.

Peters entered the contest as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning for right fielder Kameron Misner. An Okotoks Dawgs alum, Peters also had a single in the eighth inning to finish 2-for-3. He is now 5-for-10 in five games for the Rays this spring.

The left-handed hitting outfielder received an invite to the Rays’ big league camp after he batted .238 with 12 home runs and eight stolen bases in 123 games for the triple-A Durham Bulls in 2024. He is also one of the top defensive outfielders in the Rays’ organization.

Last season was Peters’ second in the Rays’ system after being acquired from the San Francisco Giants following the 2022 season. The 25-year-old Canuck was selected in the seventh round of the 2021 MLB draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. He spent parts of two seasons in the Brewers’ organization prior to being traded to the Giants.

Terriers and Junior National Team alum Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) made his first spring start for the Marlins on Thursday. Photo: Marlins

Quantrill has rough first start with Marlins

Veteran right-hander Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) was roughed up for four runs on four hits in 2/3 of an inning by the Cardinals in his first start with the Miami Marlins on Thursday.

“It won’t go down as one of my best ones,” Quantrill told reporters about his start after the game. “But it’s early and we’ll get it all solved.”

Quantrill struggled to throw strikes (just 13 of 28 pitches were strikes) and he felt his timing was off on the mound. But he has traditionally been a slow starter in spring training. In the past four springs, he hasn’t had an ERA lower than 4.32.

With six big league seasons with the San Diego Padres, Cleveland Guardians and Colorado Rockies under his belt, Quantrill signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Marlins on February 12.

Quantrill, who turned 30 on February 10, went 8-11 with a 4.98 ERA in 29 starts for the Rockies last season and was non-tendered following the campaign.

In all, the Terriers and Junior National Team alum is 43-34 with a 4.07 ERA in 161 appearances (123 starts) in his major league career.

Hicks catches Alcantara for second straight start

After drawing rave reviews for his performance catching 2022 National League Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara last Sunday, Liam Hicks (Toronto, Ont.) was back behind the dish calling pitches for Alcantara on Friday.

Alcantara, who missed the 2024 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery, started and tossed two scoreless innings in the Marlins’ eventual 7-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves.

Alcantara also threw a scoreless inning with Hicks catching him last Sunday.

“He impressed me, the way he called pitches, the way he handled (things) behind the plate,” Alcantara told the Miami Herald about Hicks after his start on Sunday.

Hicks was 0-for-2 on Friday and 1-for-2 last Sunday. He is 1-for-6 so far this spring, but the Toronto Mets alum has impressed with the quality of his at bats.

“His plate discipline is excellent,” Marlins’ VP of baseball operations Peter Bendix told the Miami Herald about Hicks. “He has got a real chance to make our team.”

The Marlins selected Hicks in the Rule 5 draft from the Tigers in December. That means Hicks must be on the Marlins’ Opening Day roster or be offered back to the Tigers.

Hicks was chosen in the ninth round of the 2021 MLB draft by the Texas Rangers. He has since played parts of four minor league seasons. He split 2024 between double-A in the Rangers’ and Tigers’ organizations and batted .264 with a .379 on-base percentage (OBP) with six home runs in 113 games.

Soroka makes Grapefruit League debut with Nats

Michael Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) was outstanding in his Grapefruit League debut with the Washington Nationals yesterday. He didn’t allow a hit in three scoreless innings against the Cardinals. He also struck out three batters.

“I felt pretty good,” Soroka told MASN Sports after the game. “I felt a little amped up early. I was kind of throwing through a couple things and just couldn’t quite find that tensionless delivery that I kind of found earlier. Then kind of clicked it all into place at the back end of the first inning and let it ride. So I felt pretty good about the adjustments I made. That’s just kind of everything I guess you could ask for in your first time out there.”

Soroka signed a one-year, $9-million contract with the Nationals on December 19. One of the primary reasons he signed with the Nats is that they are willing to give him the opportunity to be a starter again.

The Junior National Team alum was dealt to the Chicago White Sox by the Braves in November 2023. After a rough beginning to the 2024 season as a starter, he was moved to the White Sox bullpen where he rediscovered his form. In 16 relief appearances, he posted a 2.75 ERA and struck out 60 batters in 36 innings.

In total, in parts of five major league seasons, the 27-year-old Soroka owns a 17-18 record and a 3.67 ERA in 69 appearances (52 starts).

Romano looks good in debut

Former Toronto Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano (Markham, Ont.) looked strong in his Grapefruit League debut for the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday. Entering the game against the New York Yankees at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Fla., in the fifth inning, Romano retired all three batters he faced, striking out two of them.

Romano signed a one-year, $8.5-million deal with the Phillies on December 9 after the Blue Jays declined to offer him arbitration.

The 31-year-old reliever underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow last July and appears to have fully recovered. A two-time All-Star, Romano posted a 6.59 ERA and registered eight saves in 15 appearances for the Blue Jays in 2024 before being sidelined.

In all, the Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team grad recorded 105 saves in six seasons with the Blue Jays prior to signing with the Phillies.

Smith strikes out the side in spring debut

Cade Smith (Abbotsford, B.C.) picked up right where he left off last season when he struck out the side in his 2025 Cactus League debut for the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday. The 25-year-old right-hander entered the game against the Cubs in the third inning and promptly struck out Cubs catcher Carson Kelly. He later fanned first baseman Jonathon Long and DH Carlos Perez.

That type of dominance is nothing new for Smith who struck out 103 batters in 75 1/3 innings in his rookie season with the Guardians in 2024.

In January, the MLB Network ranked Smith as the second-best reliever in baseball after he posted a 6-1 record and a 1.91 ERA in 74 relief appearances in 2024.

Last season, Smith topped all Canadian pitchers in ERA, games, holds (28), WAR (2.5), WHIP (0.90) and opponents’ batting average (.190). Among rookie major league relievers, he ranked first in innings pitched, tied for first in wins and second in games, strikeouts and holds. His dominance continued in the playoffs when he appeared in nine games for the Guardians, which set a record for most by a Canadian pitcher in a single postseason. His 12 strikeouts in the American League Division Series were a Division Series record for a reliever.

Black suffering from back tightness

Back tightness has prevented infielder Tyler Black (Stouffville, Ont.) from appearing in Cactus League games for the Milwaukee Brewers this spring. MLB.com reports that he has been hitting off a tee and hopes to be ready for game action this week.

Heading into spring training, the versatile Black was a good bet to crack the Brewers’ big-league roster after making his major league debut last season. In 18 games with the Brewers in 2024, the Toronto Mets and Butler Prospects alum went 10-for-49 (.204 batting average) with three stolen bases and seven walks. He spent the bulk of the season with the triple-A Nashville Sounds. In 102 contests with the Sounds, he belted 14 home runs, stole 20 bases and registered a .375 OBP.

Chosen 33rd overall in the 2021 MLB draft by the Brewers, Black has played four seasons in the Brewers’ minors and owns a .272/.402/.453 slash line with 37 home runs and 93 stolen bases in 315 games.

Caissie reassigned to minor league camp by Cubs

Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) was optioned to minor league camp by the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday. The prized outfield prospect, who underwent core surgery in October, had been sidelined by a left groin strain this spring. It’s still a safe bet, however, that Caissie, who MLB Pipeline ranks as the Cubs’ No. 2 prospect, will make his big-league debut in 2025.

Chosen by the Padres in the second round of the 2020 MLB draft, Caissie was dealt to the Cubs that same year. Since then, the left-handed hitting Canadian has played four seasons in the Cubs’ organization. In November, Caissie, 22, was added to the Cubs’ 40-man roster.

The Fieldhouse Pirates and Junior National Team alum spent the 2024 season with the triple-A Iowa Cubs and batted .278 with 19 home runs, 75 RBIs and 11 stolen bases, while posting an .848 OPS, in 127 games. His performance earned him the Canadian Baseball Network’s Randy Echlin Award, as the top Canuck hitter in the affiliated minor league ranks.

Brigden signs with Goldeyes

Former Tampa Bay Rays prospect Trevor Brigden (North York, Ont.) has signed with the independent American Association’s Winnipeg Goldeyes.

The 6-foot-3 right-hander was released by the Rays last August after posting a 7.64 ERA in 32 relief appearances for the triple-A Durham Bulls. Despite his high ERA, he still managed to register 45 strikeouts in 35 innings.

An Ontario Terriers and Okanagan College alum, Brigden was taken in the 17th round of the 2019 MLB draft by the Rays and pitched five seasons in their organization.

Remembering Frank Colman

Former Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees outfielder Frank Colman (London, Ont.) was born on this date in 1918. Colman won the Intercounty Baseball League’s batting crown and MVP award, while leading his hometown London Majors to a championship in 1936. His efforts attracted the interest of several pro clubs, including the International League’s Toronto Maple Leafs in 1941. After hitting .300 with the Leafs in 1942, Colman had his contract purchased by the Pirates. He toiled with the Pirates for parts of five seasons, including 1944, when he hit .270 and knocked in 53 runs in just 252 at bats.

In 1946, the Yankees signed him, and he made his pinstripes debut on September 22 that year, the same day as Yogi Berra. The Canuck outfielder, who roomed with Berra, also belted two pinch-hit homers for the 1947 World Champion Bronx Bombers.

Colman returned to the minors the following season and eventually re-signed with the Maple Leafs, where he served as a player-coach from 1951 to 1953. He returned to his birth city in 1954 to fulfill a similar role with the London Majors. The following year he purchased the Majors and guided them to a championship in 1956.

Colman passed away in 1983 and was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame posthumously in 1999.