O’Halloran and Shaw selected by Blue Jays on Day Two of MLB Draft

Junior National Team alum Greg O’Halloran (Mississauga, Ont.) was selected in the fifth round of the 2023 MLB Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday. Photo: Baseball Canada

July 10, 2023

Baseball Canada

OTTAWA, Ont. – A pair of Junior National Team alums were taken by the Toronto Blue Jays on day two of the Major League Baseball Draft with University of Michigan left-hander Connor O’Halloran (Mississauga, Ont.) chosen in the fifth round while outfielder Sam Shaw (Victoria, BC) went to the Jays in the ninth round.

Canisius College right-handed pitcher Matt Duffy (Burlington, Ont.) was the first Canadian off the board on the day when the Boston Red Sox used their fourth-round selection on him while Saskatoon-born outfielder Avery Owusu-Asiedu was taken by the Philadelphia Phillies in the ninth round out of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

A pair of Canadians went back-to-back in the 10th round with Cleveland taking lefty Matt Wilkinson (Ladner, BC) before Pier-Olivier Boucher (Saint-Joseph-de-Bauce, Que.) went one pick later to Atlanta.

A three-year member of the Junior National Team from 2017 to 2020, O’Halloran represented Canada at the 2019 COPABE U-18 Pan Am Championships in Panama along with the 2019 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup in Gijang, South Korea.

Shaw also represented Canada on two occasions, both coming in 2022, first at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup in Florida before wearing the maple leaf at the WBSC Americas U-18 World Cup Qualifier in Mexico.

The 2023 MLB Draft wraps up on Tuesday with rounds 11to 20 beginning at 2 p.m. E.T.

Canadians selected in 2023 MLB First-Year Player Draft

*3B Myles Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) – Oakland Athletics – Competitive Balance Round A (39th overall) Junior National Team/Ontario Blue Jays

RHP Matt Duffy (Burlington, Ont.) – Boston Red Sox – Round 4 (115th overall) Canisius College

*LHP Connor O’Halloran (Mississauga, Ont.) – Toronto Blue Jays – Round 5 (157th overall) University of Michigan

*OF Sam Shaw (Victoria, BC) – Toronto Blue Jays – Round 9 (274th overall) Victoria Eagles

OF Avery Owusu-Asiedu (Saskatoon, Sask.) – Philadelphia Phillies – Round 9 (283rd overall) Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

LHP Matt Wilkinson (Ladner, BC) – Cleveland Guardians – Round 10 (308th overall) Central Arizona

OF Pier-Olivier Boucher (Saint-Joseph-de-Bauce, Que.) – Round 10 (309th overall) Southern Illinois U Carbondale

*Junior National Team alumni