Elliott: Draft Blog, Day I -- Completed
The 2024 draft day blog is dedicated to Jerry O’Hearn, father of Michigan’s Keegan O’Hearn (Oshawa, Ont.)
July 14, 2024
By Bob Elliott
Canadian Baseball Network
First things first: Jerry O’Hearn was like 1,000 other Canadian fathers.
He loved his son, he wanted what was best for his son and he loved the game of baseball.
So, his son Keegan O’Hearn signed with the Terriers a mere pup of a young boy playing with older, taller players.
Keegan grew and grew. And then he grew some more.
He both pitched and played outfield for the Junior National Team under coach Greg Hamilton. Keegan, a graduate of the Oshawa Legionaires program, went to private tryout camps a year ago. Scouts came to see him pitch at Historic Kinsmen Stadium.
And in the end, he signed to play for the storied University of Michigan Wolverines program, where former Terrier LHP Connor O’Halloran (Mississauga, Ont.) excelled.
Keegan’s former coach Rick Johnston took Jerry to Ann Arbour last year to see Michigan play a doubleheader against Eastern Michigan during fall ball schedule. Freshman Keegan singled in his first at-bat and was 1-for-2 with a walk in his first game wearing Michigan colors. And Jerry was there enjoying Keegan’s first hit in blue and maize uniform.
On Oct 23, 2023, Jerry O’Hearn, father, friend, good guy and ball fan, passed.
As if Keegan didn’t have enough to deal with, he underwent Tommy John surgery last fall. Now on the pathway back, he starts throwing at the end of the month.
This 2024 draft blog page is dedicated to Jerry O’Hearn (Oshawa, Ont.).
We know he’ll be watching the draft unfold the next few days from upstairs. No doubt if any man deserved a front row seat on a baseball cloud with all the other fathers and grandfathers who loved watching their sons and grandsons play the game.
* * *
Previous Dedications
2022 _ Warren Bechard (Brantford, Ont.) -- whose son Jesse Bechard held most Kent State Golden Flashes hitting record andwhen retired. Warren was a constant promoter and supporter of this website and constant sign of encouragement as we started what many called a “niche prokect.” . He was an enthusiast.
2023 _ Lynda Loewen wife of former first round LHP Adam Loewen (Surrey, BC) who passed at age 37 on Dec. 10, 2021. Loewen was selected fourth overall in North America in 2002 by the Baltimore Orioles and made the majors three times: A) as a starter, B) as an outfielder and C) as a lefty reliever.
And in 2022, we wrote in memory of Warren Bechard (Brantford, Ont.) whose son led Kent State Golden Flashes in every hitting category but home runs when he left the program. Warren led the way in compliments sent our way when we were barely trying to get this niche website off the ground.
Kentucky INF Emilian Pitre (Repentigny, Que.).
* * *
And the bad news: This is not a banner year for Canadians.
We did our usual poll of scouts and executives asking how many would be drafted. The average answer was 5-to-7. Wow. That’s a low total. One scout was an outlier going with 11.
As Moose Johnson, the legendary Blue Jays scout always used to say “there are always surprises in the draft.”
The top Canucks are OF Dante Nori (Northville, Mich.) who we project to be the first to go. He’s the son of former Toronto Raptors scout and assistant coach Micah Nori.
In the next group are INF Brendan Lawson (Toronto, Ont.) an Ontario Blue Jays grad, C Nathan Flewelling (Red Deer, Alta.) currently of the Sylvan Lake Gulls, Kentucky Wildcats 2B Emilien Pitre (Repentigny, Que.), reliever LP Pelletier (Quebec, Que.) of the Louisiana-Monroe Rajin Cajuns, B.J. Ryan’s old school and RHP Josiah Romeo (Caledon, Ont.) of the Mississauga Tigers.
“They are all there in a pack,” said one established cross checker. “You could throw a blanket over them all and they’d all fit. Any of them could emerge first. My guess it will be a busy time ... say fourth to seventh round for all these guys. Unless of course one of the high school kids asks something that does not fit into a club’s budget.”
Lawson has committed to Florida, Romeo to Florida State and Flewelling to Gonzaga. As former MVP and Minnesota Twins Hall of Famer Justin Morneau (New Westminster, BC) told me 100 years ago, “You don’t make your money on draft day -- you make it in the majors. Sign. Get out there and get your foot in the door.”
“If one of these guys wants to sign, he could go in the second or third,” said an American League scout. “Remember it only takes one guy, one voice in the war room to fall in love with a player and win an argument.”
Some scouts like Pitre better than Nori. Some like Flewelling better than either. Usually in the case of a tie -- there is no tie goes to the runner you are either out or safe -- but there often ties in draft rooms. And college players usually win those over a high schooler? Why? Because the college player is more of a finished product and has fewer bad habits. Of course, if he’s the No. 3 hitter he could be asked to bunt over two guys in the first inning.
That’s why Tyler Black went so high a couple of years ago -- he was rated the sixth best hitter in North America. Black could rake.
* * *
Five drafts ago in 2019: 26 Canadians (12 high schooler and 14 collegians) were drafted including future majors leaguers RHP Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.) who went in the fourth round from Niagara University to the San Diego Padres and INF Edouard Julien (Quebec, Que.), 18th round, to the Minnesota Twins from Auburn University.
Blue Jays farmhand OF Dasan Brown (Oakville, Ont.)
Other drafts were OF Dasan Brown (Oakville, Ont.) in the third from the Ontario Blue Jays and the Junior National Team; OF Jake Sanford (Cole Harbour, NS) of Western Kentucky University, third, New York Yankees; RHP RHP Josh Burgmann (Nanaimo, BC) University of Washington, fifth, Chicago Cubs; LHP Adam Macko (Stony Plain, Alta.) Vauxhall Academy, fifth, Seattle Mariners; INF TJ Schofield-Sam (Brampton, Ont.) 12th, A’s, Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team; 1B Matt Lloyd (Okotoks, Alta.) 15th, Reds, Indiana University; LHP Antoine Jean (Montreal, Que.) 17th, Twins, Academy Baseball Canada and Junior National Team; RHP Trevor Brigden (Toronto, Ont.), 17th, Tampa Bay Rays, Okanagan College; RHP Tanner Jesson-Dalton (Lethbridge, Alta.) 17th, Cubs, Sacramento State; LHP Niall Windeler (Toronto Ont.) 18th, Twins, University of British Columbia; C Raphael Pelletier (Mascouche, Que.) 25th, Rangers, Junior National Team; OF Jean Christophe Masson (Levis, Que.) 26th, ABC and Junior National Team; RHP Matt Gill (Simsbury, Conn.) 27th, Reds, Boston College; RHP Indigo Diaz (Vancouver, BC) 27th, Atlanta Braves, Michigan State; 1B Kyle MacDonald (Mississauga, Ont.) 27th, Yankees, Arkansas State; RHP Eli Saul (Vancouver, BC) 29th, Rangers, UBC Thunder and Junior National Team; C Owen Diodati (Niagara Falls, Ont.), 29th, Toronto Blue Jays, Great Lake Canadians and Junior National Team; C Ryan Leitch (Whitby, Ont.) 30th, Reds, Toronto Mets and Junior National Team; OF Noah Myers (Wyoming, Ont.) 30th, Blue Jays. Wabash Valley; RHP Braden Halladay (Odessa, Fla.) 32nd, Blue Jays, Calvary Christian; LHP Keegan Pulford-Thorpe (Newmarket, Ont.) 33rd, Padres, Toronto Mets and Junior National Team; LHP Thomas Little (Lethbridge, Alta.) 33rd, Phillies, Vauxhall; RHP Logan Hofmann (Muenster, Sask.) 35th, St. Louis Cardinals, Colby College; INF Trei Cruz (Toronto, Ont.) 37th, Nationals, Rice University and INF Jaden Brown (Mississauga, Ont.) 40th, Nationals, Ontario Blue Jays and the Junior National Team.
* * *
TOP CANUCKS DRAFTED AS TOP CANADIAN YEAR BY YEAR ,,
* * *
RHP Jordan Romano (Markham, Ont.)
Ten drafts ago, in 2014: A total of 17 Canadians (eight high schoolers and nine collegians) were selected, including Toronto Blue Jays relievers and Jordan Romano (Markham, Ont.) 10th round, Toronto Blue Jays, Oral Roberts University and Zach Pop (Brampton, Ont.) a 23rd rounder selected by the Blue Jays, from the Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team.
The other drafts included: Top over-all Canuck OF Gareth Morgan (North York, Ont.) 1st, Mariners, Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team; RHP Brock Dykxhoorn (Goderich, Ont.) 6th, Astros, Central Arizona College; C Chris Shaw (Winnipeg, Man.) 10th, Cardinals, Midland College; C Jordan Procyshen (Calgary, Alta.) 14th, Red Sox, Northern Kentucky University; LHP Ben Onyshko (Winnipeg, Man.) 16th, Brewers, Vauxhall and Junior National Team; LHP John McLeod (Calgary, Alta.) 21st, Orioles, Wake Forest; 3B Mitch Robinson (Cloverdale, BC) 22nd, Marlins, Langley Blaze and Junior National Team; 3B Robert Byckowski (Etobicoke, Ont.) 22nd, Reds, Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team; LHP Kurtis Horne (Sooke BC) 31st, Mets, Langley Blaze and Junior National Team; OF Austen Swift (Etobicoke, Ont.) 35th, A’s, Ontario Blue Jays; RHP Cody Chartrand (Nanaimo, BC) 36th, Lewis-Clark State College; OF Michael Foster (Pickering, Ont.) 38th, Northeastern University; INF Louis-Philippe Pelletier (Montreal, Que.) 38th, Academy Baseball Canada; INF Brad Antchak (Delta, BC) 39th, Astros, Northeastern Oklahoma A@M College and OF Julian Service (Whitby, Ont.) 40th, White Sox, Howard College.
Plus three free agents signed: RHP Zak Miller (White Rock, BC) Angels, Arizona State, C Ben Mitchell (Calgary, Alta.) Rays, Northwest Nazerene and C Robert Tavone (Scarborough, Ont.), Braves, Urbana University.
LHP James Paxton (Ladner, BC) is so good he can pitch with an eagle on his back … well not really, but a bald eagle landed on his during the anthem before a start against the Twins.
* * *
In 2009, 15 drafts ago the draft saw: 43 Canadians (27 high schooler and 16 collegians) in 50 rounds. The draft featured LHP James Paxton (Ladner, BC) a first round pick by the Toronto Blue Jays. Paxton was drafted from Kentucky, but the Jays failed to reach agreement.
The other drafted Canucks were LHP Jake Eliopoulos (Newmarket, Ont.), 2nd, Toronto Blue Jays, Brantford Red Sox and Junior National Team; INF Wes Darvill (Langley, BC), 5th, Cubs, Langley Blaze and Junior National Team; RHP Steven Inch (Edmonton, Alta.) 6th, Phillies, Vauxhall; OF Chad Stang (Surrey, BC) 8th, Brewers, Midland College; OF Josh Garton (Guelph, Ont.) 12th, Reds, Volunteer State College and Guelph Royals; SS John Gourley (London, Ont.) 13th, Pirates, Eastern Wayne HS, Goldsboro, NC; Adam Nelubowich (Stony Plain, Alta.) 14th, Mariners, Vauxhall; C Peter Bako (Mississauga, Ont.) 15th, Diamondbacks, Connors State; INF David Narodowski (Vancouver, BC) 15th, Pirates, University of Kansas; INF Jeff Hunt (Cambridge, Ont.) 15th, Dodgers, Terriers and Junior National Team; LHP Mitch Clarke (Kitchener, Ont.) 19th, Reds, Terriers; Chris Tremblay (Montreal, Que.) 19th, Padres, Kent State University; LHP Jon Hesketh (Langley, BC) 20th, Mariners, University of New Mexico; RHP Jerome Werniuk (Toronto, Ont.) 20th, Rangers, Ontario Prospects and Junior National Team; SS Terrence Dayleg (Surrey, BC) 22nd, Marlins, Western Kentucky University; RHP Mike Monster (Kelowna, BC) 25th, Reds, Langley Blaze; LHP Jay Johnson (Sussex Corner, NB) 25th, Orioles, Prairie Baseball Academy; OF Chandler McLaren (Guelph, Ont.) 29th, Brewers, Terriers; OF Royce Consigli (Welland, Ont.) 30th, A’s, Niagara Rebels; RHP Brandon Petite (Glace Bay, NS) 30th, Astros, Vauxhall and Junior National Team; RHP Colin Kleven (Langley, BC 33rd, Phillies, Langley Blaze and Junior National Team; RHP David Kington (Coquitlam, BC) 34th, Cardinals, Southern Illinois University; SS Jonathan Fernandez (Toronto, Ont.) 34th, Toronto Blue Jays, Guillford Tech Community College; OF Bobby Wagner (Coquitlam, BC) 38th, Cubs, Panola College; RHP Paul Barton (Qualicum Beach, BC), 39th, Reds, Parksville Royals and Junior National Team: RHP Rory Young (Chase, BC) 39th, Astros, Cochise College; OF Jonathan Gilbert (Quebec, Que.) 40th, Toronto Blue Jays, Academie Baseball Canada; C Larry Balkwill (Chatham, Ont.) 41st, Tigers, Windsor Selects and Junior National Team; C Mike Reeves (Peterborough, Ont.) 42nd, Toronto Blue Jays, Ontario Blue Jays; OF Marc Bourgeois (Granby, Que.) 42nd, Twins, Chipola College; C Brooklyn Foster (Langley, BC) 43rd, Diamondbacks Cochise College; INF Maxx Tissenbaum (Toronto, Ont.) 43rd, Toronto Mets and Junior National Team; SS Kyle Dhanani (White Rock, BC) 43rd, Brewers, Thompson Rivers University; RHP Francois Lafreniere (St. Bruno, Que.) 43rd, Phillies, Academie Baseball Canada; INF Kevin Mailloux (Windsor, Ont.) 45th, Mariners, Canisius College; C Dale Anderson (Strathmore, Alta.) 45th, Rangers, College of Southern Idaho; RHP Brandon Kaye (Langley, BC) 45th, Toronto Blue Jays, Douglas College; RHP Jordan Wong (Calgary, Alta.) 46th, Brewers, Vauxhall, RHP Jonathan Paquet (Ancienne Lorette, Que.) 46th, Les Ailes du Quebec and Junior National Team, OF Andrew Ruck (Whitby, Ont.) 48th, Padres, Team Ontario; RHP Jeff Gibbs (Toronto, Ont.) 48th, Toronto Blue Jays and RHP Burke Siefrit (Spruce Grove, Alta.) 50th, Toronto Blue Jays, Vauxhall.
Plus four free agents signed: INF Max Ayarza (Bocas del Toro, Panama) Astros, St. Clair College (Ont.), RHP Leon Boyd (Surrey, BC) Armstrong State, Toronto Blue Jays; INF Jeremiah Sammy (Toronto, Ont.) Lamar, Rockies and 1B Randy Schwartz (Kleinburg, Ont.) Toronto, Ont.), Toronto Blue Jays.
* * *
In 2004, 20 drafts ago the draft had 39 Canadians (22 high schooler and 17 collegians) in 50 rounds.
Mike Nickeas (Vancouver, BC) was the top Canuck from Georgia Tech going in the fifth round to the Texas Rangers. He broke in with the New York Mets.
Mariners’ scout Wayne Norton (Port Moody, BC) chose Michael Saunders (Victoria, BC).
Other future big leaguers were Mariners 3B Michael Saunders (Victoria, BC) to the Mariners in the 11th round from Tallahassee Junior College, LHP Andrew Albers (North Battleford, Sask.) in the 12th and LHP R.J. Swindle (Vancouver, BC) from Charleston Southern in the 14th.
The other drafts included RHP Craig Langille (Bedford, NS), 7th, Brewers, Moncton; LHP Phillipe-Alexandre Valiquette (Montreal, Que.) 7th, Reds, Academy Baseball Canada; OF Sebastien Boucher (Gatineau, Que.) 7th, Mariners, Bethune-Cookman; INF Cale Iorg (Toronto, Ont.) 16th, Rays, Karns HS, Knoxville, Tenn.; RHP Alexandre Periard (St-Eustache, Que.) 16th, Brewers, Academy Baseball Canada; RHP Jordan Thomson (Toronto, Ont.) 17th, Giants, Northeastern University; RHP Robert Scott (Saanich, BC) 20th, Toronto Blue Jays, Victoria Mariners; OF Timothy Smith (Scarborough, Ont.) 21st, New York Mets, Team Ontario and Junior National Junior Team; INF Steven Hornostaj (Waterloo, Ont.) 24th, Montreal Expos, Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Junior Team; RHP Steven Ryder-Carter (Windsor, Ont.) 26th, A’s, Coastal Carolina; OF Adam Parliament (Penticton, BC) 26th, Braves, El Paso Community College; RHP Ryan Paterson (Duncan, BC) 29th, Brewers, Parksville Royals; INF Issael Gonzalez (Montreal, Que.) 30th, Pirates, Academy Baseball Canada; RHP Jamie Richmond (Mississauga, Ont.) 31st, Braves, Mississauga Majors; RHP Morgan Brinson (Victoria, BC) 32nd, Giants, White Rock Tritons; RHP Clayton Caulfield (Toronto, Ont.) 32nd, Braves Ontario Blue Jays; RHP Krzystof Dabrowiecki (Toronto, Ont.) Brewers, Team Ontario and Junior National Team; LHP Chris Lemay (Winnipeg, Man.) 34th, Dodgers, National Baseball Institute; 3B Rene Tosoni (Port Coquitlam, BC) 34th, Twins, Coquitlam Reds and Junior National Team; C Chris Topot (Calgary, Alta.) 35th, Brewers, Prairie Baseball Academy; RHP Tim Grant (Vancouver, BC) 35th, Giants, Dartmouth College; RHP John Mariotti (Toronto, Ont.) 36th, Angels, Gulf Coast Junior College; RHP Sebastien Vendette (Laval, Que.) 36th, Marlins, Academy Baseball Canada and Junior National Team; C Brian Blackburn (London, Ont.) 42nd, Orioles, Kellogg Community College; LHP Jonathan Hesketh (Langley, BC) 42nd, Blue Jays, Langley Blaze; LHP Adam Daniels (North Vancouver, BC) 43rd, Cubs, Eastern Oklahoma State Junior College; RHP Omar Kadir (Surrey, BC) 44th, Padres, Prairie Baseball Academy; 3B Adam Campbell (Surrey, BC) 45th, Red Sox, University of British Columbia; RHP Louis Metzner (Whitby, Ont.) 46th, Brewers, Langley Blaze; RHP Jared Johnson (Kelowna, BC) 46th, Marlins, Central Arizona College; 3B Sean Cunningham (Kelowna, BC) 47th, Padres, Ontario Blue Jays; LHP Morgan Carlile (Summerside, PEI) 48th, Mets, Team PEI and Junior National Team; LHP Nicholas Bleau (Mercier, Que.) 49th, Twins, Gulf Coast Community College; C Joel Collins (Richmond Hill, Ont.) Expos, 50th, Team Ontario and Junior National Team and 1B Jordan Lennerton (Langley, BC) 50th, Toronto Blue Jays, Langley Blaze and the Junior National Team.
Canucks drafted in the first 200 picks all-time list
A total of six free agents signed: C Jean Luc Blaquiere (Montreal, Que.) with the Mets, Academy Baseball Canada; RHP Rob Findlay (Etobicoke, Ont.) Rays, Etobicoke Rangers; INF Emmanuel Garcia (Montreal, Que.) Mets, ABC; Toronto-born INF Anthony Granato (Burlingame, Calif.) Cubs, Virigina Commonwealth, INF Ivan Naccarata (Montreal, Que.) Mets, LSU and Ben Van Iderstine (Nipawin, Sask.) Brewers, Iowa State.
* * *
In 1999, 25 drafts ago there were 49 Canadians (30 high schooler and 19 collegians) in 50 rounds.
The top man was one of three Canucks to win an MVP: C Justin Morneau (New Westminster, BC) who went in the third round to the Twins from the North Delta Blue Jays and the Junior National Junior Team. Plus strikeout artist LHP Erik Bedard (Navan, Ont.), who went in the sixth round to the Orioles from Norwalk Community Technical College and flame thrower RHP Rich Harden (Victoria, BC) 38th, to the Mariners from the Victoria Rockets.
Other selections included: LHP Phil Devey (St. Jerome, Que.), Dodgers. University of Southwestern Louisiana; OF Alex LeFlore (Montreal, Que.), 6th, Reds, Pinellas Park HS, Largo, Fla.; RHP Reggie Laplante (Beauport, Que.) 6th, Yankees, Academie Baseball Canada; LHP Todd Shiyuk (Tsawwassen, BC) 10th, Padres, University of Alabama-Huntsville; 1B Craig Monroe (Thornhill, Ont.) 11th, Pirates, University of Maryland; C Chris Barskie (Langley, BC) 11th, Angels, New Mexico State University; RHP Brad Rogers (Nanaimo, BC) 12th, Orioles, Nanaimo Pirates; OF Brock Ralph (Raymond, Alta.) 15th, Orioles University of Wyoming; RHP Vance Cozier (Ajax, Ont.) 17th, Giants, St. Bonaventure University; RHP Eric Charron (Montreal, Que.), 24th, Expos, Academie Baseball Canada; OF Shayne Ferrier (Milton, Ont.) 25th, Angels, Southwest Missouri State University; RHP Sean Lynn (North York, Ont.) 26th, Padres, Seminole State Jr. College; OF Andy Rempel (Abbotsford, BC) 27th, Mariners, Abbotsford Cardinals and Junior National Team; RHP Mike Keirstead (Musquash, NB) 28th, Dodgers, Saint John Alpines and Junior National Team; OF Bryce Coppieters (Raymond, Alta.) 29th, Rockies, Prairie Baseball Academy; RHP Alex Groleau (Longeuil, Que.) 30th Expos, Academie Baseball Canada; OF Rob Pregnolato (Burlington, Ont.) 30th Brewers, Palm Beach Atlantic University; RHP Ryan Brnardic (La Salle, Ont.) 30th, Dodgers, Windsor Selects; RHP Charles Tasiaux (Cap-Rouge, Que.) 31st Blue Jays, Academie Baseball Canada; OF Kevin Virtue (London, Ont.) 32nd Orioles, Ontario Blue Jays; OF Aaron Fera (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.) 32nd, Blue Jays, Georgia College & State University; SS Joe Yakopich (Amherstbrug, Ont.) 33nd Diamondbacks Windsor Selects; RHP Shawn Hill (Georgetown, Ont.) 33rd, Padres, Etobicoke Rangers; C Eric Langille (Kirkland, Que.) 34th, Expos, Des Moines Area Community College; 3B Nom Siriveau (Vancouver, BC) 34th, Dodgers, Northeastern Oklahoma A@M Jr. College; LHP Doug Dimma (Richmond Hill, Ont.) 36th, Toronto Blue Jays, Etobicoke Rangers and Valdosta State University; RHP Ryan Harris (Woodstock, NB) 37th, Dodgers, Team New Brunswick; RHP Robert Findlay (Etobicoke, Ont.) 37th, Toronto Blue Jays, Ontario Blue Jays; C Trent Roehler (Windsor, Ont.) 38th, White Sox, Fort Hays State; RHP Mike Tisdale (Peterborough, Ont.) 38th Toronto Blue Jays, Ontario Blue Jays; RHP Jonnie Mazzeo (Kingston, Ont. - Canada’s 1st capital) 41st, Expos Kingston Ponies; OF Tyson Munn (Surrey, BC) 42nd, Mariners, White Rock Tritons; 1B Grant Mullin (Corunna, Ont.) 42nd, Rockies, Courtright; RHP Robert Harrand (Regina, Sask.) 42nd, Dodgers, Swift Current/Saskatchewan Selects; C Ryan Hay (Niagara Falls, Ont.) 43rd Mets, Ontario Blue Jays; BHP Brendon Stafford (Gloucester, Ont.) 45th Toronto Blue Jays, Ottawa Bases; C-1B Pat Tobin (Pickering, Ont.) 46th Orioles, Ontario Blue Jays; RHP Brooks McNiven (Vernon, BC) 46th Toronto Blue Jays, Kelowna Cubs; OF Chris Jorgenson (New Bridgen, Alta.) 47th, Diamondbacks, Prairie Baseball Academy; RHP Judd Richardson (Terra Cotta, Ont.) 47th, Orioles, Brantford Red Sox; RHP Mike Roga (Pickering, Ont.) 48th, Orioles, Ontario Blue Jays; OF Vincent White (Beaconsfield, Que.) 48th, Mets, Academie Baseball Canada; RHP Mark Leith (Vancouver, BC) 49th, Mariners, Vancouver Mounties; RHP Vince Perkins (Victoria, BC) 49th, Orioles, Parksville Royals CF Eric Bernier (Laval, Que.) 49th, Mets Academie Baseball Canada and National Junior Team.
Eight free agents signed: RHP Martin Berube (Montreal, Que.) of the Academy Baseball Canada was signed by the Orioles; 3B Pat Deschenes (Quebec, Que.), Mets, Academy Baseball Canada; OF Jean-Sebastien Langlois (Ste-Foy, Que.) Braves, Academy Baseball Canada; SS Steve Lowe (Victoria, BC) to Cleveland from Southeast Missouri State; LHP Pierre-Luc Marceau (St-Constant, Que.) to Cleveland and INF Pete Orr (Newmarket, Ont.) Galveston Junior College; OF Shawn Pearson (Guelph, Ont.) Blue Jays, Old Dominion and LHP Danny Prata (Repentigny, Que.) Giants, Seminole (Fla.) Community College.
* * *
Jays go with college pick as first rounder: Blue Jays scouting director Shane Farrell selected RHP Trey Yesavage from East Carolina Pirates. The 6-foot-4, 225 pounder attended the same school as former Jays No. 1 pick Jeff Hoffman, who was dealt to the Colorado Rockies in the Troy Tulowitzki deal in 2015. With the Rockies, he was 10-16 in 68 games -- making 38 starts. However, this year with the Philadelphia Phillies, he has a 1-2 record with a 1.12 ERA and nine saves. He’s walked 10 and struck out 52 in 40 1/3 innings. For his efforts, he has been selected to the All-Star Game.
East Carolina is also home to two-time Toronto Blue Jays draft Lee Delfino (Oshawa, Ont.), a Brantford Red Sox slugger and now a FieldHouse Pirates coach. It is also where RHP Gavin Williams, a first rounder, now with the Guardians attended as well as former major leaguers and where Jharel Cotton, Butch Davis, Seth Maness, Jerry Narron and Sam Narron played.
Yesavage was a dominant 11-1 in 15 starts with a 2.02 ERA. He held opponents to a .154 batting average walking 32 and striking out 145 in 93 1/3 innings for the 45-17 Pirates.
MLB Pipeline rated Yesavge as the 11th best pick on its 250 combined list of high schoolers and college players.
Both Baseball America and Perfect Game ranked Yesavge as 10th best.
Scouting report ….
AGE 20 BATS R DOB 07/28/2003
THROWS R HT 6’ 4” WT 225
TWITTER @treyyesavage
Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 60 | Splitter: 60 | Control: 50 | Overall: 55
East Carolina will have a pitcher selected in the top two rounds for the third time in four drafts, with Yesavage following in the footsteps of 2021 first-rounder Gavin Williams and 2022 second-rounder Carson Whisenhunt. A reliever as a freshman, he moved into the Pirates’ rotation last spring and was a consensus second-team All-American. He dominated as a junior, finishing among NCAA Division I leaders in ERA (2.02, fourth), strikeouts (145, fifth) and average-against (.154, second) while establishing himself as a top-15 pick.
The American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year, Yesavage has a quality four-pitch arsenal highlighted by a mid-80s slider/cutter with more depth than lateral movement. His fastball parks at 93-95 mph and peaks at 98, overcoming a lack of life with plenty of carry from a high arm slot. He also has a low-80s spike curveball and a splitter with similar velocity, and both miss bats as well.
More physical than athletic at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, Yesavage has some effort in his delivery but it doesn’t prevent him from throwing strikes. Improved fastball command has keyed his success in 2024 after his heater got pounded at times in the past when he didn’t locate it up in the zone. He now looks like a mid-rotation starter after refining the consistency and control of his stuff.
Baseball America
School: ECU Committed: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.0
Yesavage made the back end of the BA 500 out of high school in the 2021 class thanks to a fastball that had touched 96 but fairly raw aspects in his game otherwise. He pitched out of the bullpen for ECU in 2022 and transitioned to a starting role in 2023 when he was one of the best pitchers in the American Athletic Conference. In 14 starts and 76 innings Yesavage posted a 2.61 ERA with a 33.9% strikeout rate and 7.4% walk rate—which was a significant improvement from the 17.2% mark he posted the previous year. Listed at 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, Yesavage has a fastball that averages 94 mph and has been up to 98, and he also mixes in a firm mid-80s slider, a power curveball in the low 80s and a low-80s changeup he deploys more against lefthanded hitters.
* * *
And the top Canuck pick … is OF Dante Nori (Northville, Mich.), the son of former Toronto Raptors scout and assistant coach Micah Nori. Dante was born at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. He goes 27th overall to the Philadelphia Phillies. Slot money is $3.2 million.
Kind of like one former Michigan man to another: Phillies president Dave Dombrowski, who used to run the Detroit Tigers, signing one of Michigan’s best. Nori was ranked 48th on MLB Pipeline’s top 250 draft prospects list, He is committed to Mississippi State University.
We have managed to get a few lines in on the probable top pick … so if you have time
Nori, son of ex-Raptor assistant, a prospect with plus speed and power
Ex-Raptors Lowry and DeRozan will be following Nori, son of ex-Raptor coach
Dante Nori climbed the ladder in more ways than one
And the No. 2 Canuck …. 2B Emilien Pitre (Repentigny, Que.), who went in the second round (58th overall) to the Tampa Bay Rays. Pitre helped lead the Kentucky Wildcats to the College World Series in Omaha. I’ve never met Pitre and certainly haven’t covered him, but man, he sounds like he would have been a dream to cover a la DH Paul Molitor, LHP Mike Flanagan or LHP Mark Buerhle. He has a sense of humor.
We saw a clip earlier in the spring — of course now we can’t find it — where he was mic’d up and told the interviewer, “Hey, I dream in French.” You can’t find where he explains each position en Francis to Kentucky fans.
Pitre, who played for Junior National Team program in 2020 before heading to Kentucky in the fall of 2021, is the highest pick from the province of Quebec since RHP Phillippe Aumont (Gatineau, Que.). Aumont was a first rounder in 2007 (11th overall) to Seattle. That covers some ground if you are counting along at home as I know Maxime Lamarche, proud leader of Baseball Quebec, is, along with the Quebec scouting and sandlot community.
Kentucky coach Nick Mingione has often called Pitre “perhaps the best all-around player he’s coached in his 20 years in college ball.”
All you need to know about Pitre
* * *
Blue Jays second pick: The Jays chose another college arm in RHP Khal Stephen from Mississippi State. He was 8-3 in the SEC with a 3.28 ERA in 16 starts. He walked only 21 and struck out 107 in 96 innings as a junior.
He spent 2023 at Purdue going 7-4 with a 5.21 ERA with 66 walks in 76 innings as he made 14 starts. As a freshman he was 3-4 with an 8.29 ERA in 23 games striking out 38 in 33 2/3 innings.
MLB Pipeline had Stephen ranked 88th on its top 250 prospects, while Baseball America listed him 105th.
* * *
Two Canucks in the first 58 picks: In what was supposed to be a down year Day I saw a pair of Canadians go in the first 58 picks in North America (Dante Nori was No. 27 to the Phillies and Émilien Pitre to Tampa Bay at No. 58). Not that it has never happened, but it has only happened twice since 2016.
In 2021, when Tyler Black (Stouffville, Ont.) of Wright State went 33rd overall to the Milwaukee Brewers and Great Lake Canadians’ Calvin Ziegler (Heidelberg, Ont.) went 46th to the Mets.
You have to go back to 2016 to find RHP Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) who was selected eighth overall by the Padres and C Andy Yerzy (Toronto, Ont.) who went 52nd to the Arizona Diamondbacks to find the other most recent time it happened.
* * *
Canadians selected on Day I: Two.
By Province: Ontario 1, Quebec 1.
By Organizations: Academy Baseball Canada 1, Junior National Team 1, Toronto Raptors 1.