Shushkewich: Four under the radar Canadian MLB prospects to watch

Great Lake Canadians and Junior National Team alum Dylan O’Rae (Sarnia, Ont.) was a third-round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2022 MLB draft.

September 22, 2023

By Tyson Shushkewich

Canadian Baseball Network

Almost every MLB team has a Canadian player somewhere in the organization, whether it is one of the 10 players drafted earlier this summer in Rookie League ball or an established veteran like Joey Votto, who has cemented himself as a prominent figure on the Cincinnati Reds.

Everywhere one looks, there are many talented Canadians suiting up in professional baseball.

While the likes of prospects Tyler Black (Stouffville, Ont.) and Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) find themselves on the Top 100 prospect list via MLB Pipeline, there are numerous Canadians who had impressive campaigns in 2023 that deserve a little bit of time in the spotlight with the minor leagues slowly starting to wind down (if not already over).

David McCabe (3B) - Atlanta Braves

A fourth-round selection in the 2022 MLB draft, David McCabe (Oshawa, Ont.) finished that season with the single-A Augusta GreenJackets and he returned to North Carolina to continue his professional career this season.

Through 42 games, the switch hitter posted a .267 average with a .874 OPS, collecting eight home runs along the way. Through his first 14 games, McCabe went 14-for-47 at the plate and was trending in the right direction before a rough patch at the end of April and into early May saw his average dip below the Mendoza line. This stretch was limited though, as the former Ontario Blue Jay would go on a torrid run through the rest of May, collecting 25 hits and 18 RBIs through 19 games while posting a .352 average and a .690 SLG, eventually earning a promotion to high-A to join the Rome Braves.

In Rome, McCabe appeared in 81 games and hit .281 with an .816 OPS, both of which were the third-highest tallies on the squad. His nine home runs also saw him tied for third on the squad with his 50 RBIs slotting in at fourth, with the switch-hitter finding ways to hit to all parts of the field and get on base with power.

Defensively, McCabe spent most of the season at the hot corner, posting a .905 fielding percentage with 22 errors. His calling card on the field is his arm, which is considered a plus and one of the main reasons the club has him playing third base.

After such a strong campaign at the plate, McCabe currently finds himself ranked at No. 16 on the Braves top prospect rankings and there is a strong chance he will begin next season in double-A, another step in the right direction for the Ontario product. Standing at 6-foot-4, I wouldn’t be surprised if he eclipses the 20-home-run mark next season as well as he continues to carve a way towards the big league stage.

Dylan O’Rae (2B) – Milwaukee Brewers

The highest ranking Canuck drafted last season (third round), infielder Dylan O’Rae (Sarnia, Ont.) decided to forego his commitment to the University of Illinois and turn pro with the Brewers, inking a $597,500 USD bonus.

A product of the Junior National Team, the Langley Blaze, and the Great Lake Canadians, O’Rae had a cup of coffee in rookie ball after the draft and returned to the ACL Brewers to start the 2023 season. Through 37 games, the lefty-batter produced a .362/.523/.408 slash line with a .930 OPS and 15 RBIs. He also added five extra-base hits and walked at a 22.5% clip with a .431 BAbip, cementing himself as one of the top bats on the squad.

In mid-August, the Brewers promoted O’Rae to single-A Carolina and he would immediately go on a six-game hit streak, adding two RBIs while walking six times. While the streak would fall in game seven, O’Rae would go on to collect a hit in almost every game to finish out the year, going hitless just two more times the rest of the way. Overall, he would finish with a .362 average, a .930 OPS, and walked 40 times compared to 23 strikeouts, continuously finding ways to get on base and finish the season on a high note.

Coming in at No. 19 on the Brewers top prospect list, O’Rae doesn’t boast a ton of power but makes up for it with his contact and plus speed (44 stolen bases this year). He still has a lot of development in his future but the 19-year-old is trending in the right direction, regardless of whether he starts the 2024 campaign in single-A or high-A.

Erik Sabrowski (LHP) – Cleveland Guardians

Hailing from Edmonton, Alta., southpaw Erik Sabrowski was a Padres draft pick back in 2018 but injuries and the cancelled COVID campaign have limited him to just two professional seasons over the past five years.

The left-hander has undergone two different Tommy John procedures since turning pro and he had a late start to the 2023 season while rehabbing the second surgery, making his debut on June 2 for the double-A Akron RubberDucks. He joined Cleveland via the 2021 Minor League Rule 5 Draft, with the Guardians using their first-round selection on the Alberta product after a successful campaign in high-A with the Padres organization (1.86 ERA through eight appearances).

Despite the late start, Sabrowski excelled in a relief role for the RubberDucks, compiling a 2.49 ERA through 20 outings and 21 2/3 innings pitched. A bit wild at times with his 7.5 BB/9, Sabrowski was able to use his fastball and curveball to keep hitters off balance to the tune of a 5.4 H/9 and 11.6 K/9 while allowing just six earned runs on the year. He didn’t allow a run until his ninth appearance of the season and only allowed runs in three games all season long, racking up strikeouts in all but four outings as well.

The RubberDucks failed to make the playoffs but Sabrowski’s season is not over as he will reportedly be heading to the Arizona Fall League slated to begin in early October. This makes sense given his late start to the year, as he will be able to log some additional innings while likely working on his command against some of the best prospects in the game.

While he is on the older side of players heading to Arizona given the injury setbacks, the 2023 season was a big year for the 6-foot-4 southpaw, who showed that when healthy, he can be a strikeout machine on the mound.

Tristan Peters (OF) – Tampa Bay Rays

A seventh-round selection out of Southern Illinois University, Tristan Peters (Winkler, Man.) was entering his third professional campaign in 2023 and joining his third team since being drafted in 2021 by the Brewers. The outfielder has an interesting history, as he has already been traded twice in his career, once from Milwaukee to San Francisco (in exchange for veteran Trevor Rosenthal) and then this past offseason from San Francisco to Tampa Bay, where he currently plays.

The Okotoks Dawgs alum spent the entire 2023 season in double-A with the Montgomery Biscuits, suiting up in 93 games while missing almost a month early in the season with an oblique injury. Through 363 at-bats, Peters compiled a .276/.361/.422 slash line while posting a .358 wOBA and a 112 wRC+. Peters would finish the year with a .783 OPS and also added seven home runs and 46 RBIs.

In the outfield, the Biscuits had the Manitoba product working all three spots but he found the most success in left field, where he collected six outfield assists through 361 1/3 innings of work with zero errors.

Looking ahead, Peters will be in tough company with a strong Rays’ farm system boasting some top outfield prospects but the left-handed batter could be due for a bump up to triple-A to start next season. A quick stop in Montgomery may also be in the cards but if he can produce early, he may just force the organization’s hand for a promotion sooner rather than later.