By Jonathan Hodgson

Canadian Baseball Network

Calgary native Jordan Procyshen will strap on the catcher’s gear again this spring with new colours, as he announced on his personal twitter page on Wednesday that he has signed a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Procyshen was named to the Johnny Bench Award watch list in 2014 as a junior at Northern Kentucky University (NCAA Div. 1; Horizon League) and that June was a 14th round draft selection of the Boston Red Sox. A native of Okotoks, Alta., Procyshen played five seasons in the Red Sox organization, reaching double-A Portland in 2017.

Procyshen was a South Atlantic League (class-A) all-star in 2015 with the Greenville Drive. The left-handed hitter posted a .285 average with two home runs, eight doubles and 28 RBIs in the first half with Greenville and was promoted to class-A Advanced Salem for the second half. Following a full season in Salem in 2016, Procyshen received a non-roster invite to major league spring training from the Red Sox in 2017.

Procyshen battled to stay healthy at times, having been placed on the disabled list four times in his five seasons. After playing 2017 at double-A, he spent the bulk of his time in 2018 in Salem before being released by the Red Sox in August.

Procyshen is a homegrown product of the Okotoks Dawgs, joining as a 13-year old in 2007 and graduating from the Academy in 2011, leaving to begin his college career at Northeastern Junior College in Colorado. He returned to Okotoks both summers of his college career, playing in 88 regular season games over parts of four seasons (2010-13) with the Dawgs summer collegiate team in the Western Major Baseball League (now known as the Western Canadian Baseball League). He was called up from the Dawgs Academy to play with the Dawgs WCBL team in both 2010 and 2011.

For his professional career, Procyshen carries a .238 average with 11 home runs and 113 RBIs in 296 games over five seasons while throwing out 35% attempted base stealers (108-309). Procyshen returns to Okotoks during his off seasons to join the Dawgs Academy as a catching coach.