MLB Postseason: Who should Canadians cheer for?

Left-hander James Paxton (Ladner, BC) will be a key starting pitcher for the New York Yankees this post-season. Photo: USA Today Sports

October 1, 2019

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Twenty years ago, the New York Yankees defeated the Atlanta Braves in the 1999 World Series, and there was not a single Canadian player on either of the teams.

If a rematch were to happen this year, two Canadian starting pitchers could face off in Game 1 of the Fall Classic. Braves rookie right-hander Mike Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) has been outstanding this season, posting a 13-4 record and a 2.68 ERA in 29 starts. Meanwhile, James Paxton (Ladner, B.C.) has been equally unhittable for the Yankees over the past two months. The 6-foot-4 lefty has won his last 10 decisions and posted a 2.25 ERA during that stretch.

And those are just two of the Canadians who could suit up in this year’s post-season. Montreal native Russell Martin will serve as the Los Angeles Dodgers back-up catcher in his 10th post-season appearance. Meanwhile Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, BC) and Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.) could crack the St. Louis Cardinals and Houston Astros playoff rosters respectively.

So unlike the 2018 MLB post-season, there will be plenty Canadian content both on the field and working nervously in non-playing roles for clubs.

So as we listen to Toronto native Dan Shulman (Thornhill, Ont.) call the games for ESPN Radio, which of the 10 playoff teams should Canadians cheer for?

We have ranked the 10 playoff teams according to Canadian content below:

1. New York Yankees

It will likely pain many Toronto Blue Jays fans to see their American League East rival Yankees anointed “Canada’s team” for the playoffs, but the reality is they have the most Canucks working in their organization of the post-season clubs.

The Bombers will be led by Paxton on the mound, who registered a career-best 15 wins and struck out 186 batters in 150 2/3 innings during the regular season. He left his final regular season start with “glute tightness” but he’s still the odds-on favourite to start Game 1 for the Yanks in their American League Division Series (ALDS) against the Minnesota Twins.

On top of Paxton, the Yankees employ a trio of Canuck scouts, a Canadian broadcaster and some strong northern talent on their minor league clubs.

Player: LHP James Paxton (Ladner, BC)

Scouts: Steve Wilson (Victoria, BC), Shawn Hill (Georgetown, Ont.), Denis Boucher (Laval, Que.), Cory Melvin (Doug Melvin’s son).

Broadcaster: Nancy Newman (Toronto, Ont.) New York Yankees Magazine, host, YES Network.

Minor league players: C Kellin Deglan (Langley, BC) (.257 batting average, nine home runs and 32 RBIs combined) at Double A Trenton Thunder and Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre Railriders.

1B Mitch Robinson (Surrey, BC) (.159, 3, 16) Single A Staten Island Yankees and Single A Charleston RiverDogs.

OF Jake Sanford (Cole Harbour, NS) (.238, 7, 27) Single A Staten Island Yankees.

1B Kyle MacDonald (Mississauga, Ont.) (.354, 2, 11) Rookie Class Gulf Coast Yankees - West

Off the field Canadian talent: Assistant minor league strength and conditioning coordinator Mike Kicia (Edmonton, Alta.)

Digital media coordination, community relations, Jessica Lack (Calgary, Alta.) class-A Tampa Yankees.

2. Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee Brewers vice-president of special projects Gord Ash (Toronto, Ont.) delivers his Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame induction speech in St. Marys, Ont., in June. Photo: Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame

It was 30 years ago yesterday that homegrown executive Gord Ash celebrated his first American League East Division title as the Blue Jays assistant general manager.

Tonight, the Milwaukee Brewers, showcasing a team that the 2019 Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee helped construct as former assistant GM, will battle Max Scherzer and the Washington Nationals in the National League Wild-Card game.

And Ash, who is now the club’s VP of baseball projects, is far from the only Canadian with their fingerprints on this year’s Brewers’ squad. Fellow Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee and now Brewers’ senior advisor Doug Melvin (Chatham, Ont.) was the club’s general manager from 2002 to 2015. The Brewers also employ five scouts with Canadian ties.

The Brewers are set to play the Washington Nationals in the National League Wild-Card game tonight.

Executives: Doug Melvin (Chatham, Ont.) and Gord Ash (Toronto).

Scouts: Taylor Green (Comox, BC), Pete Orr (Newmarket, Ont.), Marty Lehn (White Rock, BC), Jean Philippe Roy (Quebec City, Que.), Jeff Simpson (son of Baseball America founder and Canaidna HOFer Alan Simpson).

Minor leaguer: RHP Tyler Gillies (London, Ont.) (5-2, four saves, 3.17) class-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.

3. Atlanta Braves

Four years ago yesterday, Blue Jays fans were chanting “Thank you, Alex!” to their GM, Alex Anthopoulos, at Oriole Park at Camden Yards as the Blue Jays clinched their first American League East division title since 1993. The Montreal native has since moved on to the National League and his Braves have won two consecutive division titles during his reign as general manager.

Atlanta Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos (Montreal, Que.) built a team that won 97 games and finished first in the National League East division in 2019. Photo: YouTube

The ace of the 2019 Braves’ pitching staff is PBF Redbirds and Junior National Team alum Mike Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) whose dominant first full major league season has not only made him a Rookie of the Year candidate, but a strong Cy Young Award contender. Soroka pitched on Sunday, so he’s unlikely to start the Braves’ playoff opener against the Cardinals on Thursday. That nod is likely to go to left-hander Dallas Keuchel, who was scouted and signed by Leaside, Ont., native Jim Stevenson for the Houston Astros back in 2009.

Braves slugger Freddie Freeman, whose parents were born in Canada, will man first base for the Braves. He set career highs in home runs (38) and RBIs (121) this season.

Executives: GM Alex Anthopoulos (Montreal, Que.)

Players: RHP Mike Soroka (Calgary, Alta.), Freddie Freeman, Fountain Valley, Calif. - WBC eligible

Assistant trainer: Mike Frostad (Calgary, Alta.)

Minor leaguer: RHP Indigo Diaz (North Vancouver, BC) (1-0, 3.48) Rookie Class Gulf Coast Braves.

4. St. Louis Cardinals

If Tyler O’Neill is added to the St. Louis Cardinals’ playoff roster, he’ll become the second outfielder from Maple Ridge, BC, to suit up for the Cards in the post-season. But it will be tough to top Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Larry Walker’s 2004 playoff power output for the Cards. In 15 post-season games for the National League pennant-winning Cardinals that year, Walker belted six home runs, which is the most by a Canadian.

Windsor, Ont., native Stubby Clapp will coach first base for the St. Louis Cardinals in the major league post-season.

After managing the triple-A Memphis Redbirds to back-to-back Pacific Coast League titles, Windsor, Ont., native Stubby Clapp will now participate in the big league post-season as the first base coach with the Cardinals.

Player: Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, BC)

Coaches: Stubby Clapp (Windsor, Ont.), bullpen coach Jamie Pogue (Guelph, Ont.)

Scout: Jason Bryans (Tecumseh, Ont.)

Minor leaguers: RHP Mike Brettell (Fonthill, Ont.) (5-10, 5.76) Single A Peoria Chiefs.

3B Francisco Hernandez (Montreal, Que. (.224, 7, 22) Rookie Class Gulf Coast Cardinals and class-A Palm Beach Cardinals.

5. Los Angeles Dodgers

Russell Martin (Montreal, Que.) will play in his fourth post-season as a Los Angeles Dodger. Photo: USA Today Sports.

This will represent Montreal native Russell Martin’s fourth trip to the post-season as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers and his 10th appearance in the playoffs overall. The veteran catcher ranks first among Canadians in many all-time statistical playoff categories, including games, hits, doubles and at bats. But despite his numerous trips to the post-season, Martin, who will serve as the Dodgers back-up catcher, has never played a World Series game. The Dodgers won a National League-best 106 games during the regular season, so this could be the year Martin gets his first taste of Fall Classic action. The Dodgers will face the winner of the National League Wild-Card Game between Brewers and the Washington Nationals in the NLDS.

Player: Russell Martin (Montreal, Que.)

Executive: Ellen Veronica Harrigan (Toronto, Ont.)

Minor leaguers: LHP Rob Zastryzny (Edmonton, Alta.) (4-8, 6.53) Triple A Oklahoma City Dodgers Double A Tulsa Drillers.

C Jordan Procyshen (Calgary, Alta.) (.207, 8, 21) Double A Tulsa Drillers and class-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.

6. Minnesota Twins

New Westminster, BC native Justin Morneau (right) has served on the broadcast crew for the Minnesota Twins this season.

The Minnesota Twins don’t have a good track record against the New York Yankees in the playoffs. Former slugger Justin Morneau (New Westminster, BC) can attest to this. He was part of the 2004 Twins squad that were ousted by the Bronx Bombers in the American League Division Series. They were also defeated by the Yankees in the 2003, 2009 and 2010 post-seasons. Morneau, who’s working as a broadcaster and special assistant with the Twins, hopes the outcome this year will be different.

Largely thanks to efforts of Walt Burrows (Brentwood Bay, BC), the Twins’ minor league system is well-stocked with Canadian talent.

Scout: Walt Burrows (Brentwood Bay, BC)

Broadcaster: Justin Morneau (New Westminster, BC)

Minor leaguers: RHP Jordan Balazovic (Mississauga, Ont.) (8-5, 2.69) Single A Ft. Myers Miracle and Single A Cedar Rapids Kernels.

1B-OF LaRon Smith (Spruce Grove, Alta.) (.281, 0, 1) Rookie Class Gulf Coast Twins.

LHP Niall Windeler (Toronto, Ont.) (0-1, 4.91) Rookie Class Gulf Coast Twins.

7. Houston Astros

ABC alum Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.) could become the first Canadian position player to suit up for the Houston Astros in the playoffs since Terry Puhl (Melville, Sask.). Photo: J.P. Antonacci

Thirty-nine years ago, Melville, Sask., native Terry Puhl set a then NLCS record with 10 hits in 19 at bats (.526 batting average) in the Astros’ epic five-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Puhl is the last Canadian to appear in a post-season game with the Astros.

ABC alum Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.) could change that if he is added to the Astros’ post-season roster. Scouted by fellow Canadian Jim Stevenson (Leaside, Ont.), Toro was the Astros’ Minor League Player of the Year and he batted .218 with two home runs in 25 games in the big leagues after being recalled on August 22.

The Astros will play the winner of the American League Wild-Card Game between the Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland A’s in the ALDS.

Player: 3B Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.) (.218, 2, 9) with Astros

Scout: Jim Stevenson (Leaside, Ont.)

Minor leaguers: Abraham Toro (.324, 17, 80) at Triple A Round Rock Express and Double A Corpus Christi Hooks.

RHP R.J. Freure (Burlington, Ont.)(5-7, Three saves, 4.08) Single A Quad Cities River Bandi

8. Tampa Bay Rays

Toronto native Jonathan Erlichman served as the Tampa Bay Rays’ process and analytics coach this season.

With the lowest payroll in baseball, the Tampa Bay Rays need to find any advantage they can to compete in the tough American League East division. This is where Toronto native Jonathan Erlichman, the club’s process and analytics coach comes in handy. The Princeton math major worked five-plus years in the Rays front office, including 2017 and 2018 as the club’s director of analytics, before being promoted to his current role. The former Blue Jays intern wears a uniform as part of manager Kevin Cash’s coaching staff and is going to go over every statistical detail to help the Rays find an edge over the Oakland A’s in the American League Wild-Card game on Wednesday.

Coach: Jonathan Erlichman (Toronto, Ont.) Process and Analytics coach, Rays.

Minor league player: RHP Trevor Brigden (Toronto, Ont.) (3-1, one save, 2.45) Rookie Class Princeton Rays.

9. Oakland A’s

Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Matt Stairs (Fredericton, N.B.) had four, 20-home run seasons and back-to-back 100-RBI campaigns for the Oakland A’s between 1996 and 2000. And prior to his legendary game-winning pinch-hit home run for the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the 2008 NLCS, Stairs had nine at bats for the A’s in their 2000 ALDS loss to the New York Yankees.

The A’s don’t have a Canadian slugger like Stairs on their big league roster, but the club’s Canadian scout Matt Higginson (Grimsby, Ont.) is always on the lookout for one. The A’s will battle the Rays in the American League Wild-Card game set for Wednesday night.

Scout: Matt Higginson (Grimsby, Ont.)

Kitchener, Ont., native Dick Callaghan has served as the Oakland A’s P.A. announcer for more than 1,000 games. Photo: Oakland A’s/Twitter

P.A. announcer: Dick Callahan (Kitchener, Ont.)

Minor leaguer: T.J. Schofield-Sam (Brampton, Ont.) (.203, 0, 6) Arizona Rookie League A’s Gold, A’s Green.

10. Washington Nationals

Yes, they are the former Montreal Expos, but that does not endear them to most Montrealers. When the club wore throwback Expos uniforms this season, it sparked widespread outrage from Expos loyalists. And despite the team’s roots, you have to look pretty hard to find the Canadian content in their ranks.

Medical staff: Dr. Keith Pyne (Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.) chairman, medical services advisory board.

Minor league player: OF Eric Senior (Toronto, Ont.)(.252, 2, 18) class-A Auburn Doubledays.