Elliott: Calabrese still atop draft list
By Bob Elliott
Canadian Baseball Network
Another draft list.
Another week for David Calabrese on top of the leader board.
Calabrese (Maple, Ont.) of the Ontario Blue Jays is the top ranked Canadian on Baseball America’s top 300 ranking of high schoolers and collegians. He still occupies top spot on the Canadian Baseball Network draft list.
He impressed evaluators with his speed both in the field and at the plate on the spring trip to Florida. So much so, he moved up 48 spots on the top 300 list.
Of course, the Canadian Junior National Team was supposed to make a trip to the Palm Beaches this month, but that has been scratched, like everything else, due to the coronavirus (COVID-19).
The draft is always a mystery. More so this June. Has it been cut down to five rounds due to a lack of revenue as ownership claims? Or is it 10 rounds? Either way it is bad for Canadian players.
The general rule figuring out what round a ranked player could go in is subtract the compensation picks and divide by 30. This year there are not any comp picks after the first round, but there are 14 competitive balance selections and then six compensation picks after round two.
Calabrese is ranked 67th on the top 300, which would make him the last pick of the competitive balance round B -- one choice ahead of the compensation round selections after the second round -- if the draft falls the way it could. Except it NEVER, EVER does. Some players/agents ask for too much of a signing bonus. Some clubs under estimate a player’s worth.
Whatever, it is a good space for Calabrese to be.
The Canucks listed in the top 300
No. 67 _ OF David Calabrese (Maple, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays/Canadian Junior National Team/C-University of Arkansas.
No. 125 _ INF Trei Cruz (Houston, Tex.) Rice University.
Cruz was born in Toronto when his father played for the Toronto Blue Jays and like his father went on to play for the Rice University Owls.
No. 176 _ OF Jordan Nwogu (Ann Arbour, Mich.) University of Michigan.
The 6-foot-3, 235-pounder was born in Ottawa after his father graduated from the University of Ottawa.
No. 226 _ RHP Noah Skirrow (Stoney Creek, Ont.) Liberty University
Was coming into his own this spring before the season was cut short. Participated in a combined no hitter.
No. 227 _ OF Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) FieldHouse Pirates/Canadian Junior National Team/C-Michigan
Won Tournament 112 home run derby and has impressed with his physicality.