MLB playoffs: Outside of Jays, who is the most Canadian team?
Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team alum Jordan Romano (Markham, Ont.) will close games for the Toronto Blue Jays in the postseason. Photo: Amanda Fewer
October 6, 2022
By Kevin Glew
Canadian Baseball Network
The Toronto Blue Jays will be Canada’s team during the major league playoffs.
There’s no question about that.
With their 92 regular season wins, they secured the first American League wild-card spot and will now play the Seattle Mariners in a best two-of-three series at Rogers Centre starting on Friday.
But when Canuck fans don’t have their eyes glued to the Blue Jays, they can be on the lookout for the Canadian talent employed by the other 11 teams competing in this year’s postseason.
But which of the other squads has the most Canadian content?
We researched that question, and here’s your answer:
1. Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays have never had three more prominent Canucks on a post-season roster. On the field, Blue Jays fans will be able to cheer on Montreal-born slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr., flame-throwing closer Jordan Romano (Markham, Ont.) and middle reliever Zach Pop (Brampton, Ont.).
Infielder Otto Lopez, who spent part of his youth in Montreal, also made a strong impression with the Blue Jays in the last week of the season, going 6-for-9, but he’s unlikely to be on the post-season roster.
And as you will see below, the Canadian talent in the Blue Jays’ organization doesn’t end on the field.
Players: 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Montreal, Que.), RHP Zach Pop (Brampton, Ont.), RHP Jordan Romano (Markham, Ont.)
Major league coach: Jimmy Van Ostrand (Richmond, B.C.), mental performance coach; Alex Andreopoulos (Toronto, Ont.), bullpen catcher
Minor league players: OF Dasan Brown (Oakville, Ont.), C Nicolas Deschamps (Quebec City, Que.), INF Otto Lopez (Montreal, Que.), OF Jean-Christophe Masson (Levis, Que.), RHP Alex Nolan (Burlington, Ont.), 3B Damiano Palmegiani (Surrey, B.C.)
Executives: Andrew Tinnish (Ottawa, Ont.), vice-president, international scouting and baseball operations; Marnie Starkman (Mississauga, Ont.), executive vice-president, business operations; Mike Shaw (Oakville, Ont.), director, team travel and clubhouse operations.
Front office staff: Charlie Wilson (Toronto, Ont.), director, minor league operations; Spencer Estey (Toronto, Ont.), coordinator, research and development; Alex Robson (Ayr, Ont.), systems engineer; Anna Coppola (Windsor, Ont.), executive assistant to the GM; Gabrielle Campos (Brampton, Ont.), assistant, research and development; Jeremy Reesor (Stouffville, Ont.), director baseball operations; Clare Padmore (Toronto, Ont.), biomechanist; John Meloche (Pakenham, Ont.), analytics developer; Liam Stevenson (Toronto, Ont.), coordinator, research.
Scouts: Jamie Lehman (Brampton, Ont.), Kory Lafreniere (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.), Jon Lalonde (Midland, Ont.), Kevin Briand (Montreal, Que.), Jay Lapp (London, Ont.), Adam Arnold (London, Ont.), Jasmin Roy (Longueuil, Que.), Rene Tosoni (Port Coquitlam, B.C.), Patrick Griffin (Oakville, Ont.), Anthony Lucchese (Toronto, Ont.), Matt McCue (Bradford, Ont.) assistant scouting, Tommy Farah (Ottawa, Ont.) pro scouting analyst, Megan Evans (Brooklin, Ont.) assistant, pro scouting and operations.
And the media relations team of: Richard Griffin (Oakville, Ont.) Adam Felton (Georgetown, Ont.) and Rodney Hiemstra (Listowel, Ont.).
Ontario Terriers alum Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) will likely start a Wild-Card Series game for the Cleveland Guardians.
2. Cleveland Guardians
The American League Central-winning Guardians are the only team with two starting Canadians on their roster. Ontario Terriers and Junior National Team alum Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) led the Guardians and set a career-high with 15 wins this season. He also hurled a career-best 186 1/3 innings and posted a strong 3.38 ERA. The Canuck right-hander will likely be the Guardians’ No. 3 starter against the Tampa Bay Rays after 2020 American League Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber and right-hander Triston McKenzie.
Playing behind Quantrill for the Guardians will be Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team alum Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.). He, too, established several career-highs in 2022, belting 20 home runs and driving in 79 in 122 games, playing primarily first base and DH. It will be tough for Naylor to top his 2020 post-season performance when he went 5-for-7, with three doubles and a home run, for the Guardians in two games against the New York Yankees in their Wild-Card series.
Naylor’s younger brother, Bo, was also added to the Guardians’ roster on October 1. Guardians manager Terry Francona indicated on Wednesday that the 22-year-old catcher, who looked good in his first taste of big league action, may be added to the club’s post-season roster.
Players: C Bo Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.), 1B-DH Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.), RHP Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.)
Minor league players: C Zach Fascia (Brampton, Ont.), LHP Erik Sabrowski (Edmonton, Alta.), RHP Cade Smith (Abbotsford, B.C.), LHP Adam Tulloch (Toronto, Ont.), RHP Jacob Zibin (Langley, B.C.)
Minor league coordinator: Stephen Osterer (Ottawa, Ont.), pitching resource coordinator
ABC alum Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.) may suit up for the Seattle Mariners in the post-season.
3. Seattle Mariners
Like the Guardians, the Mariners, who broke a 21-season playoff drought, could have two Canadians on their post-season roster.
Overall, infielder Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.) struggled for the Mariners this season, but he did come through with some clutch hits down the stretch. After beginning the season as a starting infielder, seeing action at second base and third base, the 25-year-old was demoted to triple-A in early August when his batting average dipped to .180. He was recalled three weeks later, but he didn’t fare much better in September and October, batting just .179 in 23 games. He has, however, been one of the club’s best pinch-hitters, going 4-for-12 (.333 batting average).
During one 16-game stretch from August 17 to September 24, reliever Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.) did not allow a run. This has earned him a prominent role in the M’s bullpen. In fact, he pitched a scoreless inning and was the club’s winning pitcher in their walk-off 2-1 win over the Oakland A’s on September 30 that clinched them their first post-season berth since 2001. Since joining the M’s bullpen on July 9, the 24-year-old right-hander owns a 2.35 ERA in 34 appearances and has struck out 43 batters in 30 2/3 innings.
Players: Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.), Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.)
Major league staff: Carson Vitale (Victoria, B.C.), major-league field coordinator
Minor league players: OF Tanner Kirwer (Sherwood Park, Alta.), LHP Adam Macko, (Stony Plain, Alta.), RHP Brendan McGuigan, (Toronto, Ont.), LHP Ben Onyshko, (Winnipeg, Man.)
Langley Blaze alum Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, B.C.) is unlikely to return from his hamstring injury in time to play for the St. Louis Cardinals in their Wild-Card Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
4. St. Louis Cardinals
It’s been a rough season for Canadian slugger Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, B.C.) who missed time due to hamstring, neck, leg, shoulder and wrist issues. Most recently a hamstring injury has sidelined him since September 17 and it’s unlikely that he’ll be activated in time for the Cardinals’ Wild-Card series against the Philadelphia Phillies, which begins on Friday. In 96 games this season, O’Neill batted .228 with 14 home runs and 56 RBIs. He is a combined 0-for-5 in four games in two previous post-seasons with the Cardinals.
Also, of note, for the third consecutive post-season, Windsor, Ont., native Stubby Clapp will coach first base for the Cardinals, while Jamie Pogue (Guelph, Ont.) will serve as the club’s bullpen catcher.
Player: Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, B.C.) - on injured list
Coaches: Stubby Clapp (Windsor, Ont.), first base coach; Jamie Pogue (Guelph, Ont.), bullpen catcher
Scout: Jason Bryans (Tecumseh, Ont.)
Minor league players: RHP Mike Brettell (Fonthill, Ont.), 3B Brandon Hernandez (Montreal, Que.), 3B Francisco Hernandez (Montreal, Que.), RHP Nick Trogrlic-Iverson (Oakville, Ont.)
Atlanta Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos (Montreal, Que.) has built Atlanta Braves clubs that have won the National League East division for five consecutive seasons. Photo: YouTube
5. Atlanta Braves
It was just over seven years ago that Blue Jays fans were chanting “Thank you, Alex!” to their GM, Alex Anthopoulos, at Oriole Park at Camden Yards as the Blue Jays clinched their first American League East division title since 1993. The Montreal native has since moved on to the National League and his Braves have won a World Series (2021) and five division titles (2018 to 2022) during his reign as general manager and president of baseball operations.
Unfortunately for the Braves, they enter this postseason without Canadian right-hander and PBF Redbirds and Junior National Team alum Mike Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) who was shut down in late September due to elbow inflammation after six minor league rehab starts. The Canuck righty had been working his way back from twice tearing his Achilles tendon. He has not pitched in the big leagues since August 3, 2020.
Player: RHP Mike Soroka (Calgary, Alta.), shut down for the season
Executive: Alex Anthopoulos (Montreal, Que.), president, baseball operations and general manager
Minor league players: RHP Cedric De Grandpre (St-Simon, Que.), RHP Indigo Diaz (North Vancouver, B.C.), RHP Landon Leach (Toronto, Ont.), RHP Adam Maier (North Vancouver, B.C.), INF David McCabe (Oshawa, Ont.), LHP Adam Shoemaker (Cambridge, Ont.),
Minor league coach: Michael Saunders (Victoria, B.C.), outfield/baserunning coordinator; Mike Steed (Beamsville, Ont.), pitching coach, class-A Augusta GreenJackets
Off-field Canadian talent: Michael Copeland (Whitby, Ont.), lead developer, baseball systems
Right-hander Jameson Taillon, who pitched for Canada at the 2013 World Baseball Classic and whose parents are Canadian, will be a key member of the New York Yankees’ starting rotation in the post-season. Photo: USA Today Sports
6. New York Yankees
Right-hander Jameson Taillon topped Yankees pitchers and set a career-high with 14 wins this season. This should be enough to garner him a start in the Bombers’ first playoff series. Though raised in The Woodlands, Tex., Taillon is a dual American/Canadian citizen. Both of his parents were born north of the border and he pitched for Canada in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. His 32 starts in 2022 are the second-most by an American League pitcher. He also tossed 177 1/3 innings and struck out 151 batters.
There’s also no shortage of Canadians working in the Yankees’ organization. The club employs a trio of Canuck scouts - Steve Wilson (Victoria, B.C.), Shawn Hill (Georgetown, Ont.) and Denis Boucher (Laval, Que.). They also boast a Canadian broadcaster in Nancy Newman (Toronto, Ont.), who sits in the same chair Mel Allen once sat.
Player: Jameson Taillon (The Woodlands, Tex.) WBC eligible
Scouts: Steve Wilson (Victoria, B.C.), Shawn Hill (Georgetown, Ont.), Denis Boucher (Lachine, Que.), Cory Melvin (Doug Melvin’s son)
Broadcaster: Nancy Newman (Toronto, Ont.) New York Yankees Magazine, host, YES Network
Off the field Canadian talent: Jessica (Lack) Ventura (Calgary, Alta.), class-A Tampa Yankees, manager, partnership and community activation; Andrew Wright (Woodstock, N.B.), director of Dominican Republic operations
Rob Thomson (Corunna, Ont.) is the first Canadian to manage a team in the major league post-season since the 19th century. Photo: Twitter
7. Philadelphia Phillies
To find the last Canadian to be a field manager in the major league post-season, you have to go back to the 19th century when Bill Watkins (Brantford, Ont.) led the National League’s Detroit Wolverines to a World Series title in 1887. Rob Thomson (Corunna, Ont.) is hoping he can lead the Phillies to a similar fate.
The 2019 Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, who guided the Phils to a 65-46 record after taking over for Joe Girardi on June 2, has no shortage of post-season experience. During his close to three decades as a coach in the New York Yankees’ organization, he earned five World Series rings and was the Bombers’ third base coach on their most recent World Series-winning squad in 2009. He was also a bench coach on multiple Yankees squads that advanced to the post-season.
Thompson will share his post-season wisdom with his players, but if they’re looking for further inspiration, perhaps they can call former general manager and now senior advisor and part-owner, Pat Gillick, down for a pep talk. He has three World Series rings -two with the Toronto Blue Jays (1992-93) and one with the Phils (2008) - on his Hall of Fame resume.
Major league manager: Rob Thomson (Corunna, Ont.)
Executive: Pat Gillick (Canadian citizen), senior advisor and part-owner
Minor league players: C Ryan Leitch (Whitby, Ont.), 3B Ty Penner (Lethbridge, Alta.), INF Anthony Quirion (Dixville, Que.), RHP Noah Skirrow (Cambridge, Ont.),
Scouts: Alex Agostino (St-Bruno, Que.)
Ellen Harrigan (Beeton, Ont.) is the Los Angeles Dodgers senior director, business adminstration.
8. Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers don’t have a player born in Canada, but first baseman Freddie Freeman’s parents were born north of the border, and he played for Canada in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. Last off-season, most assumed the veteran slugger and 2020 National League MVP would re-sign with the World Champion Braves, but the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement and Freeman inked a six-year, $162-million contract with the Dodgers. And he certainly didn’t disappoint. This season, he batted .325 and led the National League in on-base percentage (.407), runs (117), hits (199) and doubles (47).
The Dodgers also employ Beeton, Ont., native Ellen Harrigan who is one of Major League Baseball’s most respected executives. After beginning her career with the Blue Jays as an administrative aide in player development in 1981 and later becoming the general manager of the club’s New York Penn League affiliate in St. Catharines, Harrigan moved on to the Dodgers and has risen through the organization’s ranks to hold a number of key executive positions. Now in her 22nd season with the club, she is currently the team’s senior director, baseball administration.
Player: Freddie Freeman (Villa Park, Calif.), WBC eligible
Executive: Ellen Veronica Harrigan (Beeton, Ont.), senior director, baseball administration
Minor league players: 1B Max Hewitt (Midhurst, Ont.), RHP Lucas Wepf (Georgetown, Ont.)
Toronto native Elizabeth Benn is the New York Mets director of major league operations, a position which makes her the highest ranking female executive in baseball operations in the franchise’s history. Photo: Radio Canada
9. New York Mets
Determination and resilience are two words that describe Elizabeth Benn (Toronto, Ont.), who was hired to be the New York Mets’ director of major league operations on February 28. It’s a position that makes her the highest-ranking female executive in baseball operations in the franchise’s history. Benn was often the only female on her High Park Little League teams in Toronto when she was growing up and more than once it was suggested to her that she didn’t belong. But she persevered and her passion for the sport and commitment to breaking barriers to ensure that women are able to obtain prominent positions in pro baseball have made her a leader and an inspiration. And some of her determination appears to have rubbed off on the Mets, who won 24 more games in 2022 than 2021 and are headed to the playoffs for the first time in six years. They will play the San Diego Padres in a Wild-Card Series that starts on Friday.
Executive: Elizabeth Benn (Toronto, Ont.), director of major league operations
Major league coach: Eric Langill (Kirkland, Que.), bullpen catcher
Minor league players: RHP Jonah Tong (Markham, Ont.), RHP Mathieu Voros (Anjou, Que.), RHP Calvin Ziegler (Heidelberg, Ont.)
Durham Lords alum Chris Kemlo (Bowmanville, Ont.) is a scout with the San Diego Padres. Photo: Durham Athletics
10. San Diego Padres
Prior to the August 31, 2020 trade deadline, the Padres were unquestionably Canada’s team south of the border. But on deadline day that year, they shipped Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) and Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) to the Guardians as part of the package for right-hander Mike Clevinger. Then, on the same day, they swapped Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.) to the Mariners for reliever Taylor Williams. Then on Dec. 29, 2020, they dealt outfield prospect Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) to the Chicago Cubs as part of the deal for right-hander Yu Darvish. But despite being down four Canucks thanks to these transactions, the club is still well-stocked with Canadian prospects thanks in large part to highly regarded scout Chris Kemlo (Bowmanville, Ont.).
Scouts: Chris Kemlo (Bowmanville, Ont.), Taylor Bratton (Oakville, Ont.), Lou Pote (Okotoks, Alta.)
Minor league players: RHP Garrett Hawkins (Biggar, Sask.), C Lamar King Jr. (Vancouver, BC), RHP Carter Loewen (Abbotsford, BC).
Toronto native Jonathan Erlichman is the Tampa Bay Rays’ process and analytics coach. Photo: Twitter
11. Tampa Bay Rays
With the sixth lowest payroll in baseball, the Rays need to find any advantage they can to compete in the tough American League East division. This is where Toronto native Jonathan Erlichman, the club’s process and analytics coach comes in handy. The Princeton math major worked five-plus years in the Rays’ front office, including 2017 and 2018 as the club’s director of analytics, before being promoted to his current role. The Torontonian, who interned with the Blue Jays, wears a uniform as part of manager Kevin Cash’s coaching staff and is going to go over every statistical detail to help the Rays find an edge this postseason.
Coach: Jonathan Erlichman (Toronto, Ont.), process and analytics coach
Minor league players: RHP Conor Angel (Lachine, Que.), RHP Trevor Brigden (Toronto, Ont.)
Jim Stevenson (Leaside, Ont.) has become a key scout for the Houston Astros. Photo: Twitter
12. Houston Astros
Forty-two years ago, Melville, Sask., native Terry Puhl set a then National League Championship Series record with 10 hits in 19 at bats (.526 batting average) in the Astros’ epic five-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Until Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.) had a pinch-hit at bat in the 2020 American League Championship Series, Puhl was the last Canadian to appear in a post-season game with the Astros.
There will not be a Canuck on the Astros’ post-season roster this season, but rest assured that Puhl, one of the team’s newly minted Hall of Famers who still lives in the area, will be at Minute Maid Park cheering on his old club.
Scout: Jim Stevenson (Leaside, Ont.)