September 26, 2022

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

We always made it a habit to ask the Blue Jays instructors just who impressed the most when the best high schoolers used to gather at the Rogers Centre.

It didn’t matter if it was 10 teams or eight teams someone always caught the eye of George Bell, Lloyd Moseby, Duane Ward, Tanyon Sturtze and others.

Now, that the event formerly known as Tournament 12 concluded Saturday afternoon at the Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton Park, we did the same with amateur coaches.

The various top 10 impressive players from the Toronto Blue Jays Academy Canadian Futures Showcase ...

* * *

Andrew Albers (North Battleford, Sask.).

(Parts of eight seasons in the minors, parts of five seasons in the majors -- Twins, Blue Jays, Mariners -- three seasons in Japan.)

1. Myles Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

“Did you see that arm?”

2. Michael Yusychuk (Edmonton, Alta.) Okotoks Dawgs.

“Strong make up. Plus breaking ball. Everything’s good.”

3. Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, BC) Langley Blaze.

“Showed a real good curveball. Attacked hitters. Threw a ton of strikes. And he’s so young (eligible for the 2026 draft).”

4. Esteban Dessureault (Trois-Rivieres, Que.) Academie de Baseball du Canada.

“He has a good physique. He just turned 15 and showed big-time pop.”

5. Eric Hartman (St. Albert, Alta.) Okotoks Dawgs.

“He was outstanding running the bases.”

***

6. Jake Hynes (Mississauga, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

“He’s 15 (2026 draft) and pitched with composure. He was not afraid or in awe of anyone.”

7. Austin Boylan (Barrie, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

“He has a good bat. A quick swing. He showed good pop and a good head.”

8. Marek Yeager (Meunster, Sask.) East Central Red Sox.

“Has a really nice arm and pitched well. He needs to get left-handed hitters out.”

9. Ryan Stalony (Mississauga, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

“He walked a lot and stole a lot of bases. He was wise enough not to expand the strike zone.”

10. Brayden Ricketts (Brampton, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

“He hit the ball hard most of the week.”

Also ...

Carter Beck (Carnduff, Sask.) Southeast Twins.

“Good speed. Showed a strong glove. Won a top award in his provincial league.”

* * *

T.J. Burton (Ottawa, Ont.) Showcase director and showcase evaluator.

1. Myles Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

“Best prospect in the country. Good defender, plus arm and a good hit tool. The Homerun Derby looked like he was hitting a golf ball with a tennis racquet.”

2. Jorge Valdes (Milton, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

“Best defensive outfielder in the country. Plus speed home to first, good short swing and makes hard contact.”

3. Tate Carey (Windsor, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.

“Just turned 16. Smooth quick arm up to 91 MPH. Commands the ball well. Room to grow and throw a lot harder in the near future.”

3. Reece Usselman (Langley, BC) P27 Academy.

“Commands the ball well and really competes. Good secondary stuff that plays well off his fastball. Deceptive high glove delivery which causes a lot of swing and miss.”

4. Sam Shaw (Victoria, BC), Victoria Eagles.

“A lot to like about Sam. He’s real fun to watch, plays hard and has some power. Not sure where he ends up defensively, but he’s got time.”

5. Matthew Brown (Carlisle, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

“Big strong kid with a really good arm. Would like to see him get on top of the ball more but has one of the best arms in the country.”

6. Parker Burgess (Duro-Drummer, Ont.) Toronto Mets.

“Big, strong, athletic kid. Arm works really well when he’s on time with delivery. One of best breaking balls in the country and a good change up to go with it. Needs to work on command and smoothing out delivery.”

7. Noah Konings (Brampton, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.

“Great player on both sides of the ball, he gets better every time I see him play.”

8. Makaio Cisneros (Whitby, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

“Quick smooth arm who throws a lot of strikes. Good secondary stuff to go along with high 80’s fastball. High pitchability and pitches aggressively.”

9. Matt Donnison (Niagara Falls, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.

“Big strong righthanded arm. Commands three pitches and loves to compete. Seen Fastball up to 91 and always seems poised and under control.”

10. Michael Yusypchuk (Edmonton, Alta.) Okotoks Dawgs.

“Very young polished 16-year-old who throws three good pitches for strikes. Smooth delivery and quick arm, up to 88 with a lot of room to grow.”

Honourable mention: Calvin Warrilow (Toronto, Ont.), Toronto Mets; Matt Evans (Tillsonburg, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians, Matt Sargent (Ancaster, Ont.), Noah Cantwell (Cambridge, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians and Esteban Dessureault (Trois-Rivieres, Que.) Academie de Baseball du Canada.

* * *

Corey Eckstein (Ancaster, Ont.) coach and president Ontario Blue Jays.

(Coached Abbotsford Cardinals for 15 years, winning three BC Premier League championships, was with Junior National Team for 4 1/2 years, former Kansas City Royals scout winning American League Championship and World Series ring.)

1. Myles Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

“Is there anything he can’t do? Hope this past year has shut up his critics. He is Myles Naylor, not Bo Naylor, not Josh Naylor ... Myles Naylor.”

2. Jorge Valdes (Milton, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

“Is he Dylan O’Rae (top Canadian selected in 2022) 2.0?

Great Lake Canadians RHP Matt Donnison (Niagara Falls, Ont.) has committed to Illinois State.

3. Matt Donnison (Niagara Falls, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.

“Has really elevated his game in recent months. Maintaining upper 80s and low 90s with good secondary.”

4. Sam Shaw (Victoria, BC), Victoria Eagles.

“He was the most respectful kid I got a chance to be around all week.”

5. Tate Carey (Windsor, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.

“He might be the best arm in the country for his age group (2024). Needs to figure out breaking ball but change up looked better this weekend than I’ve ever seen it.”

6. Matthew Brown (Carlisle, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

“High ceiling with high compete level.”

7. Noah Konings (Brampton, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.

“He’s a quiet assassin. Sneaky pop. No plus tools but does everything right and will be a great college player.”

8. Brayden Ricketts (Brampton, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

“You can’t deny the hit tool.”

9. Cardell Dick (Abbotsford, BC) Vauxhall Academy.

“He going to make a college coach really happy one day. Nothing flashy, but doesn’t miss a barrel and versatile enough to catch at a high level and also play multiple positions.”

10. Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, BC) Langley Blaze.

“Youngest arm in the tournament. Clean, repeatable delivery with a three-pitch arsenal. Not afraid to attack hitters. He is a must follow.”

* * *

Jeff Francis (London, Ont. resident, BC proud) Great Lake Canadians.

(Pitched at University of British Columbia, selected ninth overall in North America in 2002, parts of nine seasons in the minors, parts of 11 seasons in the majors -- Rockies, Royals, Reds, A’s, Yankees and Blue Jays.)

1. Myles Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

“He is the best player here.”

2. Reece Usselman (Langley, BC) P27 Academy.

“He has a big-time compete level and an excellent curveball.”

3. Jorge Valdes (Milton, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

“He’s fast, great bat to ball skills.”

4. Owen Fernandes (Maple Ridge, BC) Langley Blaze.

“Pitched three scoreless against Team Royal (five strikeouts). He worked both sides of the plate.”

5. Sam Shaw (Victoria, BC), Victoria Eagles.

“Can play anywhere up the middle.”

6. Lucas Alberti (Toronto, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

“Saw him get about eight hits -- think it was in one game.”

7. Noah Cantwell (Cambridge, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.

“He has a quick bat. He’s a guy who can compete and play the game.”

8. Matt Evans (Tillsonburg, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.

“He really went to school during games. He asked questions -- good questions. He picked up guys in the bullpen.”

9. Tyson Vassart (Lasalle, Man.) Winnipeg South Wolves/Home Run Sports Academy.

“He had quite a few hard hits.”

10. Connor Gaitens (Tillsonburg, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.

“I like him big time. Lots of enthusiasm. You’d see him running to the bullpen to warm up guys.”

* * *

Rich Leitch (Whitby, Ont.) coach Toronto Mets.

(Former head coach Salem University, helped Tyler Black get to Wright State -- Black was the top Canuck in 2021 draft.)

1. Noah Konings (Brampton, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.

“Best player here this week. Every time I see him he’s the same. No ups. No downs. No one knows about him or how good he can be.”

2. Myles Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

“Not much more you can say about him. Good blood lines. He has plus power, a plus arm and is a plus fielder. Unfortunately I have had to coach against all three Naylor brothers. I hope that there aren’t any more of them coming along.”

3. Tate Carey (Windsor, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.

“He’s big, he’s physical. He threw with good velocity. He was 89-91 MPH and threw all three pitches for strikes.”

4. Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, BC) Langley Blaze.

“He’s super young -- the youngest guy here. He was what five years younger than guys taking a victory lap? (A 2026 draft eligible.) He’ll shoot up some lists.”

5. Sam Shaw (Victoria, BC), Victoria Eagles.

“He has a great swing. It’s super whippy. He looks the part and he has some power.”

6. Alex Kean (Woodstock, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.

“He has super freaky power. You don’t see power like that at his age. He has deep fly ball power ... like Adam Dunn or Gareth Morgan.”

7. Matthew Donnison (Niagara Falls, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.

“He’s a similar talent to Tate Carey. He commands the zone. He came in kind of under the radar. He’s going to be a good college pitcher (committed to Illinois State) and hopefully after that will have a pro career.”

8. Austin Boylan (Barrie, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

“He’s built like a bar fridge. He caught a lot of barrels this week.”

9. Ethan Swaby (Toronto, Ont.) Toronto Mets.

“His velocity was good. He’s starting to come. He has a high spin rate.”

10. Reece Usselman (Langley, BC) P27 Academy.

“He came in as advertised. He is a typical Canadian left-hander. There is lots more in there. He was in and out, really impressive. He’s one of the best arms here.”

* * *

Brooks McNiven (Vernon, BC) coach Northshore Twins.

(Pitched seven seasons in the minors.)

1. Myles Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

“He walked a lot because he didn’t see a lot of strikes. But what did he do ... it only took him a minute to win the home run derby?”

2. Sam Shaw (Victoria, BC), Victoria Eagles.

“He made some nice plays up the middle.”

3. Tristan Desrochers (Barrie, Ont.) Ontario Royals.

“Played some real strong defence.”

4. Parker Burgess (Duro-Drummer, Ont.) Toronto Mets.

“Really like his curveball. He showed great stuff.”

5. Jacob Wallace (Pincourt, Que.) Academie de Baseball du Canada.

“He threw nice, easy and loose. He has lots of potential.”

6. Lucas Alberti (Toronto, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

“He crushed the ball against us.”

* * *

Les McTavish (Lethbridge, Alta.) coach Vauxhall Academy.

(Pitcher at Prairie Baseball Academy in its inaugural season was the first PBA player to receive a scholarship, pitched at Washington State University for four years, had most appearances in WSU history and in 1998 was Pac-10 reliever of the year.)

1. Myles Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

“The home run derby cinched it for me.”

2. Sam Shaw (Victoria, BC), Victoria Eagles.

“His compete level is high.”

3. Jorge Valdes (Milton, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

“A burner on the bases.”

4. Reece Usselman (Langley, BC) P27 Academy.

“Great pitability. Best pitcher here.”

5. Lucas Alberti (Toronto, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

“He arguably had the best game of the week with two triples and a double.”

6. Noah Konings (Brampton, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.

“Best performance of the week, he’ll probably win the MVP (and he won an hour or so later).”

7. BJ Peart (Markham, Ont.) Toronto Mets.

“He’s a good hitter, a physical specimen.”

8. Michael Yusypchuk (Edmonton, Alta.) Okotoks Dawgs.

“A right-hander with great pitchability. He’s explosive.”

9. Evan Gunn (Oshawa, Ont.) Team Ontario Astros.

“Man, he can play, plus he showed some power too.”

10. Matthew MacDonald (Kamloops, BC) Langley Blaze.

“He plays hard. He’s what we call a ‘real dirt bag,’ his uniform is always dirty.”

* * *

Dustin Molleken (Regina, Sask.), pitching coach Regina, Sask.

(Parts of 14 seasons in the minors, part of one season in the majors -- Tigers -- two years playing in Japan and has pitched for Canada.)

1. Myles Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

“Very good player. Good swing. Ball flies off the bat. Strong kid. Good arm across the infield. He’s a big-time player.”

2. Sam Shaw (Victoria, BC), Victoria Eagles.

“Great swing. Short and quick, sprays the ball around the field. An all around good player.”

3. Reece Usselman (Langley, BC) P27 Academy.

“Competes. Isn’t afraid. Great arm from the lefty side. Commands all of his pitches. A great athlete.”

4. Michael Yusychuk (Edmonton, Alta.) Okotoks Dawgs.

“Good arm. Bright future. Can command all four pitches. Pounds the strike zone.”

5. Matt Donnison (Niagara Falls, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.

“Isn’t afraid. Competes very hard. Always wants the ball. Wants to get better. Good fastball, good breaking ball.”.”

6. Tate Carey (Windsor, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.

“Very good arm. Competes hard. Attacks the strike zone. Good breaking ball. Good competitor on the mound. He’s going to be a good pitcher.”

7. Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, BC) Langley Blaze.

“Impressive at age 14. Great command on all pitches. He showed me that he was not afraid. Handled himself well. Mature. A bright future.”

8. Matthew MacDonald (Kamloops, BC) Langley Blaze.

“I really like this player. He plays the game hard. Swings the bat good. Works hard. A good teammate who is willing to get batter.

9. Carter Beck (Carnduff, Sask.) Southeast Twins.

“Great kid. Good player. Quick. He can run. Handles the bat well. I can see him playing third or the outfield. A ‘good Ol’ Sask’ boy

who is going to be a good player.”

10. Ty Doucette (Dartmouth, NS) TNXL.

“Big strong kid. Handles the bat, has some pop. Hits the ball and uses the whole field. Pretty good first baseman.”

10A. Evan Gunn (Oshawa, Ont.) Team Ontario Astros.

“He’s quick. Awesome player. Handles the bat well. An all-round good player.”

* * *

Tim Smith (Toronto, Ont.) coach Ontario Blue Jays.

(Played six seasons in the minors, three seasons Indy ball and played for Canada.)

1. Myles Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

2. Jorge Valdes (Milton, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

Toronto Mets RHP Parker Burgess (Duro-Drummer, Ont.) is bound for Illinois.

3. Parker Burgess (Duro-Drummer, Ont.) Toronto Mets.

4. Sam Shaw (Victoria, BC), Victoria Eagles.

5. Matt Donnison (Niagara Falls, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.

6. Noah Konings (Brampton, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.

7. Lucas Alberti (Toronto, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

8. Brayden Ricketts (Brampton, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

9.Tyson Vassart (Lasalle, Man.) Winnipeg South Wolves/Home Run Sports Academy.

10. B.J. Peart (Markham, Ont.) Toronto Mets.

* * *

Ashley Stephenson (Mississauga, Ont.) women’s national team assistant coach.

(Participated with the Canadian national women’s team in every IBAF World Cup between 2004 and 2018, winning six medals -- two silver (2008 and 2016) four bronze (2004, 2006, 2012 and 2018). Winner of Baseball Canada’s prestigious Jimmy Rattlesnake award. Member of the Laurier Golden Hawks Hall of Fame.)

Stephenson “On the list of 10 players who impressed this week I left Myles Naylor and a few other bigger names off because I was already aware of their abilities. The names below I didn’t know but the players impressed me.”

In alphabetical order...

Tate Carey (Windsor, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.

“I saw him throw twice and liked him both times. He is very athletic, strong and had good command of the zone with his fastball and his off-speed was able to get swings and misses.”

Vauxhall Academy Jets C Cardell Dick (Abbotsford, BC)

Cardell Dick (Abbotsford, BC) Vauxhall Academy.

“He received the ball well, had a strong arm and could also play first base. At the plate he barrelled a number of baseballs. He hit for average but also showed signs of power.”

Esteban Dessureault (Trois-Rivieres, Que.) Academie de Baseball du Canada.

“Huge power. He demonstrated in the home run Derby and during the Prospects Game that he can hit home runs. He’s young but powerful and as he learns how pitchers are going to approach him and has more plate appearances. I think will keep getting better.”

Matt Evans (Tillson, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.

“This kid loves baseball. He has above average speed and loves to show it off. He rarely took more than two pitches before swiping a bag. He’s aggressive but smart. His speed allows him to cover a lot of ground in the outfield and at the plate he is a solid line drive hitter who makes consistent contact.”

Evan Gunn (Oshawa, Ont.) Team Ontario Astros.

“Has power and speed. He made excellent contact this week and demonstrated he could hit for power. Defensively, I liked him better at second base. He has good range and a strong arm.”

Eric Hartman (St. Albert, Alta.) Okotoks Dawgs.

“He always found ways to get on base. Quality at bat after quality at bat. Doesn’t swing at a lot of pitches out of the zone and doesn’t miss many when they are in the zone. Has speed to steal a base and run down balls in the outfield.”

Alex Kean (Woodstock, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.

“Demonstrated power at the plate. You will live with the swing and miss because of his projected power. He plays first base well, moving better than expected for a big athlete.”

Noah Konings (Brampton, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.

“He can hit for power and average. He had great plate appearances proving he could hit fastballs and off-speed pitches. He is a capable defender with a good arm.”

Cameron Macleod (North Vancouver, BC) North Shore Twins.

“Has a strong baseball IQ which allows him to play multiple positions. Has good bat speed and zone awareness. He can hit for power and average.”

Jorge Valdes (Milton, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

“He has elite speed. He proved he can steal bases. He did a good job of making solid contact and has gap to gap power. Defensively, he took great routes to balls and made catches that most others wouldn’t have because of that and his speed.

” * * *

Rene Tosoni (Coquitlam, BC) coach, Coquitlam Reds.

(Seven seasons in the minors, one year in the majors -- Twins.)

1. Myles Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

“Most raw power here.”

2. Sam Shaw (Victoria, BC), Victoria Eagles.

“A real, athlete, Can play shortstop or centre. I’ve seen him play first and middle infield.”

3. Noah Konings (Brampton, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.

“He’s a great hitter. Strong swing.”

In alphabetical order...

Lucas Alberti (Toronto, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

“He’s a grinder. I saw him run into some balls.”

Austin Boylan (Barrie, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

“He tells me he’s only been playing a couple of years. He can play second or third base. He reminds me of Tyler O’Neill.”

Great Lake Canadians Noah Cantwell (Cambridge, Ont.)

Noah Cantwell (Cambridge, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.

“A third baseman. Young. He moved well. Is aggressive.”

Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, BC) Langley Blaze.

“A guy this young and he’s here with all these older guys. Showed well.”

Eric Hartman (St. Albert, Alta.) Okotoks Dawgs.

“He was under rated coming in. He impressed some people.”

Matthew MacDonald (Kamloops, BC) Langley Blaze.

“He’s a super utility guy. I’ve seen him play first, second, third and right field.”

Michael Yusychuk (Edmonton, Alta.) Okotoks Dawgs.

“Showed a great presence on the mound.”

* * *

Veteran elavuator

1. Myles Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

“He was as advertised ... he just plays ball.”

2. Noah Konings (Brampton, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.

“One of the best players I’ve seen in the past two months.”

3. Tate Carey (Windsor, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.

“Coming into his own ... exciting young arm.”

4. BJ Peart (Markham, Ont.) Toronto Mets.

“Continues to hit ... every time I see him he gets hits.”

5. Jorge Valdes (Milton, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

“Love this player ... knows his game and plays hard ... another guy that has been one of the best players I have seen the last couple of months.”

* * *

Nigel Wilson (Ajax, Ont.) coach, Ontario Yankees.

(Parts of nine seasons in the minors, three years in the majors -- Marlins, Reds and Cleveland -- six seasons in Japan and four seasons of Independent ball.)

1. Reece Usselman (Langley, BC) P27 Academy.

“Great command, probably best arm here.”

2. Ty Doucette (Dartmouth, NS) TNXL.

“He’s a left-handed hitter and he faced a lot of lefties. He did not freeze up.”

3. Lucas Alberti (Toronto, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

“He had three hits against Team Royal -- a double and two triples, knocking in three. He made sure to get good pitches to drive.”

4. Cam Gravelle (Toronto, Ont.) Ontario Royals.

“His approach at the plate was good. He was quiet and he gave balls a good ride.”

5. BJ Peart (Markham, Ont.) Toronto Mets.

“He had an excellent game our first day of the showcase (a hit in each game).”

6. Brayden Ricketts (Brampton, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.

“Saw him scorch about five balls and he has a nice wide stance.”

7. Jackson Kornylo (Whitby, Ont.) Ontario Yankees/Canada Canes Scout Team.

“His velocity was 86-87 MPH and he’s a young one (2024 draft eligible, picked up the save in the final game).

8. Jason Green (Georgetown, Ont.) Ontario Terriers.

“He had a few good at-bats and got to wear the jacket for the first time (after the initial homer).”

Wilson: “I’m not 100% sure all these kids know what is in store for them down the road. I hope they all can take advantage of this wonderful opportunity the Toronto Blue Jays have given them.”