September 20, 2023

By Trevor Fitzpatrick

Canadian Baseball Network

The accolades speak for themselves.

No. 1 on CBN’s very own 2024 Canadian draft list.

“A potential very high draft pick and/or elite level college prospect,” according to Perfect Game, which handed out a perfect 10 on their grading scale.

One of only two Canucks to attend Perfect Game’s All-American Classic back in July which featured 59 of the top high school baseball players in the United States – and two Canadians. The other is OF Dante Nori (Toronto, Ont.) who now lives in Northville, Mich. the son of former Toronto Raptors assistant coach Micah Nori.

He’s already committed to the University of Florida on scholarship and yet the scouting section of the Canadian Futures Showcase is still jam-packed full of scouts furiously writing notes each time he walks into the batter’s box.

Simply put, Brendan Lawson (Toronto, Ont.) looks good out there. Really good.

Originally eligible for the 2023 MLB draft but re-classified for the 2024 draft, the Ontario Blue Jays prospect has continued to impress nearly everyone he’s played in front of.

Those impressions will help him greatly as he looks to join the extensive list of Ontario Blue Jays major league alumni which includes Josh and Bo Naylor, Jordan Romano, Zach Pop and Jordan Balazovic.

The good impressions continue to grow as scouts and fans have watched Lawson play. An athletic shortstop standing at 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, he checks all the right boxes.

Powerful left-handed bat with exit velocities reaching 103 mph? Check. Speed? Sub-seven-second 60-yard dash – check. Great glove to both sides with a strong arm? Check. His infield throw has been clocked at 85 mph.

It’s understandable why the NCAA No. 2-ranked Florida Gators would take a chance on him even with the abundance of baseball talent already in Florida. It was an even easier choice for Lawson himself.

“They’re a winning program every year. If I go there, I know I’m going to be competing for a national championship. The coaching staff do a great job and they all seem like a family that would run through a wall for each other. I want to be a part of that.”

The talk around Rogers Centre from scouts and media the past few days has been similarly positive on Lawson’s outlook. The common name for comparison floating around – Corey Seager.

It’s easy to see why given his physicals and swing. Even Lawson himself has said he models his game after Seager, but one person remains a much bigger influence in his life.

“My dad. He loves the game and he played growing up as well. He instilled my confidence and play in me and he’s still my batting practice thrower to this day. I talk with him about everything.”

After an excellent first day at the Canadian Futures Showcase when he placed in the top percentage of each category, his Team Royal Blue played their first live game against Team Black.

Before the game, Lawson hadn’t faced live pitching for a while.

“My approach was to see as many pitches as possible. Working counts was my goal since I haven’t seen live pitching in a bit. Aside from that just trying to keep an approach of focusing on the middle [of the plate] and away while adjusting to anything inside.”

The plan worked well. Lawson contributed to a 6-3 Team Royal Blue win with an RBI double in his second plate appearance which came off the bat at 97 mph.

For Team Royal Blue, they’ll have a quick turnaround as they play Team New Blue in their second game of the day at 6 p.m.

One thing that was very noticeable about Lawson’s demeanour after the first game was that he didn’t seem tired at all. A product of his off-the-field habits that should have him feeling fresh for the next game.

“I spend all my time stretching. Especially when it gets cold out. Whenever I get a minute off or I’m back at the hotel I’m spending my downtime on stretching and staying loose.”

Aside from the second game at 6 p.m., Team Royal Blue also plays Thursday at 4 p.m. against Team Navy and Friday at 1 p.m. once again against Team Navy.

The projected No. 1 Canadian in the draft will have those games to continue to prove that he deserves a spot in Saturday’s all-star prospect game where the showcase’s best players will have a chance to play each other.

As for all the scouts in attendance at the showcase, Lawson hopes they take away one key thing about him back to their clubs.

“I’m confident. No matter what the outcome is, both at the plate and in the field, I’m confident.”