McFarland: Resilient Lloyd earns national team MVP honour
Okotoks Dawgs alum Matt Lloyd (Toronto, Ont.) was named the 2023 MVP of the Canadian men’s national team earlier this month. Photo: Baseball Canada
*This article was originally published on Alberta Dugout Stories on November 28. You can read it here.
November 29, 2023
By Joe McFarland
Alberta Dugout Stories
If you would have told Matt Lloyd about the trials and tribulations he would see in 2023, he might not have believed you.
Coming off an injury-shortened 2022 season with the double-A Chattanooga Lookouts, the Dawgs Academy grad was hoping to continue to climb up the Cincinnati Reds’ depth chart.
However, he was released during Spring Training and ended up finding a home with the Sioux City Explorers of the independent American Association.
Instead of getting down on himself, Lloyd put together a great season with the Explorers and was a key member of Canada’s roster at the Pan Am Qualifier in Argentina.
After hitting .308 with a home run while playing flawless defence in four games at a brand new position, he was named the Men’s National Team Most Valuable Player during the Baseball Canada Awards in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.
“It means a lot to be recognized for my work and efforts at a national level,” Lloyd told Alberta Dugout Stories.
“It is an extreme honour to receive the award and it will always be something that I am proud of.”
He’s hoping his solid campaign also becomes a springboard for things to come in 2024.
LOOKING BACK
A 15th round selection of the Reds in the 2019 MLB draft, Lloyd was enjoying early success in the professional ranks.
He spent his first summer with the Pioneer League Billings Mustangs before the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the 2020 season.
Lloyd jumped a couple of levels in 2021, heading to Chattanooga to hit .235 with seven home runs and 14 runs batted in over 32 games.
The Dawgs Academy grad went back to Tennessee in 2022, eyeing another possible promotion when a freak accident in May cut his season short.
He underwent surgery, then went right to work on rehab and cleaning up his game, hoping to pick up where he left off with the Reds.
CHANGING HIS APPROACH
Despite his best efforts, Lloyd was among the first cuts of the Reds on March 15. He looked around for other offers, eventually landing with the Explorers.
Lloyd took full advantage of the opportunity, hitting .321 with 14 home runs, 61 RBIs and 17 stolen bases in 88 games.
He was chosen as the league’s Batter of the Week a few times, and represented the Explorers in the American Association All-Star Game in Milwaukee.
More than than the on-field success, the Indiana University alum was also basking in the chance to learn as much as he could.
“My mindset shifted into just having fun and enjoying the game,” Lloyd said. “I got to learn how to play third base in-depth as this was my first year getting to play the majority of the time there.”
The Explorers finished the season with a 52-48 record, which was good enough for second in the West Division and a spot in the playoffs.
After sweeping Fargo-Moorhead in their best-of-three, Sioux City lost in three games to the Kansas City Monarchs, who went on to claim the Miles Wolff Cup finals.
For his part, Lloyd hit .294 with a home run and two RBIs in five playoff games.
“The highlight of the year for me was how tight-knit our locker room became as the year went on,” he said. “I believe that led to our success as a team and allowed us to compete in the playoffs at a high level, giving us a chance to make a run.”
FOR THE MAPLE LEAF
Lloyd was able to put up the great numbers despite missing about a week of action as he joined Baseball Canada for the Pan Am Games Qualifier in Buenos Aires, Argentina in June.
He was joined by fellow Dawgs product Jordan Procyshen (Calgary, Alta.) and Albertan Landen Bourassa (Lethbridge, Alta.) as they helped Canada put together a 3-1 record.
However, the tournament’s three-team tie-break system left the Canadians on the outside looking in for the final game, where Panama earned a spot in the 2023 Pan Am Games with a 9-3 win over Argentina.
Lloyd, who has represented Canada previously as part of the Junior National Team, says it was an honour to once again don the maple leaf.
“It’s very special to me to be able to represent my country playing baseball,” said Lloyd, who also manned Canada’s hot corner for the first time. “I will always wear the uniform with pride and give my best effort for Canada.”
It’s something Lloyd didn’t want to take for granted, hoping that he will get the call again in the years to come.
STILL GOT IT
As he was putting an end to the 2022 calendar year, Lloyd said he was planning to ease back into playing with the plan to earn a promotion to the triple-A Louisville Bats.
“I want to make it hard for them to not want to call me up,” he said.
While it didn’t happen as planned, the 27-year-old is proud of how he was able to bounce back from some major obstacles and stay healthy for the entire season.
“It is extremely rewarding for my work to come to fruition,” he said. “It confirms that, coming off an injury, I can still play this game at a high level and it fuels me to keep moving forward into next year.”
To get himself more exposure, he signed on with Mayos de Navojoa of the Mexican Pacific Winter League, where he’s hitting .308 with four home runs and 19 RBIs in 31 games.
His bottom line is simple: he wants to play baseball in 2024, regardless of where and at what level it might be.
“I want to play this game for as long as I can because I know, one day, it will all be over,” Lloyd said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what the year brings and to continue to move forward in the game and in life.”