October 19, 2023

By Tyson Shushkewich

Canadian Baseball Network

Situated roughly one hour from the Montana border sits Vauxhall, Alta., home of the Vauxhall Academy of Baseball Jets, a farming community that boasts just over 1,200 people.

The Jets have called this small town home since the 1950’s although the club has taken a few different shapes over the years. A 1956 Jets picture hangs in the office of current coach Les McTavish, along with a team photo from 2006. The ‘56 Jets team competed in the Big Five League along with the Taber Merchants, Medicine Hat Orphans, Lethbridge Niseis, and Magrath Eagles.

The Jets now boast some of the most talented high school level players from coast to coast. They compete against other academies within Alberta while routinely venturing down to the United States to face other established schools and programs.

The Jets are currently headed by McTavish (Settler, Alta.), who has been the head coach and director of baseball operations since 2006 but has experience with numerous affiliations and teams, including the Lethbridge Bulls, the Prairie Baseball Academy Dawgs and the Junior National Team.

Under his tenure, more than 150 players have continued on to pursue playing ball south of the border, at programs, including Canisius College, Virginia Commonwealth University, and the various California State-affiliated schools spread across the state (to name a few).

On top of that, over 18 players have continued to the pro ranks. Particularly strong was the Jets’ 2017 squad which saw five players eventually find themselves playing pro ball whether it was through the draft or signing as a free agent.

Not only is it impressive to have numerous players continue on to play pro from a Canadian program but to have five individuals from one squad is outstanding, and that is not lost on the players. They appreciate what the program instilled in them as they continued on in their endeavors after graduating.

Wesley Moore – LHP

On the 2017 squad, Moore (Surrey, B.C.) was one of the team’s veterans. He split his time with the Jets and the Junior National Team program, where he impressed while facing the Blue Jays during their spring training outing and facing the Tigers on their extended trip.

Following the 2017 season with the Jets, Moore found himself headed to Cal State Northridge for two seasons before taking his talents to Kansas State to finish the 2022 campaign. Across four seasons of college ball which included sitting out a season (transfer portal rules, which also coincided with the COVID shutdown) and missing time due to Tommy John surgery, Moore pitched to a collective 5.72 ERA through 129 innings, making 24 starts through 44 appearances while collecting a 9.4 K/9 rate.

After the 2022 season, Moore found himself signing as a free agent with the Philadelphia Phillies, joining the team at 23 years old.

Speaking to Canadian Baseball Network’s Matt Betts last offseason, Moore detailed the experience of having his additional year of eligibility denied by the NCAA heading into the 2023 campaign and how he used scouting bullpen sessions at Kansas State to turn what would have been a lost season into an opportunity with the Phillies.

In his first year as a pro, Moore took full advantage of the opportunity, splitting the year between Single-A and High-A and pitching to a 1.35 ERA in 42 relief appearances. He didn’t allow an earned run until his 10th outing with the Clearwater Threshers and found himself promoted to Jersey Shore by mid-June, where he continued to impress and would allow six earned runs through the rest of the year. The 53 1/3 innings was the most he had thrown since 2019, his last year at CSUN, and he finished with an impressive 13.3 K/9 while owning a 1.144 WHIP.

From not being eligible to play for the Wildcats to dominating in his first year with the Phillies, Moore is a player to watch in 2024.

Adam Macko – LHP

Born in Slovakia but spending his high school years in Canada, Adam Macko’s journey to Vauxhall started a bit further North in Spruce Grove.

“I came over to Canada after living in Ireland and Kevin Inch held a winter camp that helped me get into the Spruce Grove White Sox,” Macko said, speaking to the Canadian Baseball Network, “I was able to hold my own on the mound and Kevin reached out to Les and helped me get a tryout with Vauxhall and the rest is history. I remember that 2017 squad being extremely professional but also fun, which translated into success for the team. Wesley Moore was our leader and under him and the Jets coaching staff, we all had one goal in mind and that was to win each and every game.”

Macko spent a few years with the Jets program, eventually getting drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the seventh round in the 2019 draft. The southpaw and his Jets teammate Damiano Palmegiani (Surrey, B.C.) were both drafted out of the program from the 2017 squad but Macko was the only one to turn pro, as Palmegiani decided to pursue a post-secondary opportunity instead during his draft year.

“I remember hearing my name get called in the draft and I was in Vauxhall at the time surrounded by my teammates. It was such a surreal experience.”

Following the 2022 season, Macko found himself on the move for the first time in his career after spending parts of four seasons (including the 2020 season) with the Mariners, as he was traded alongside reliever Erik Swanson to the Blue Jays for Teoscar Hernández.

In his first season in the Jays’ farm system (while also re-joining Palmegiani), Macko led the high-A Vancouver Canadians with 20 starts and helped the Canadians squad lock down the 2023 Northwest League Championship, starting the first game of the championship series and earning the win while going five innings and allowing just one hit while facing his former squad, the Everett AquaSox. He would finish his first season with a 4.81 ERA through a career-high 86 innings while racking up an 11.1 K/9.

Ty Penner – 3B

3B Ty Penner (Lethbridge, Alta.) spent two years with the Jets program before taking his talents to the West Coast and joining the UBC Thunderbirds.

The lefty-batter spent parts of three seasons with the NAIA program, having to deal with the COVID-19 shutdown as the club was unable to cross the border due to the quarantine restrictions. As a Thunderbird, Penner amassed a .277/.375/.473 slash line with 18 home runs, 84 RBIs, and an .848 OPS across 123 games, 119 of which he started.

During the summer, Penner would return to his hometown and suit up for the Lethbridge Bulls in the Western Canadian League. His best season with the Bulls was in 2021 when he went 33-for-94 (.354) while slugging to a .532 mark. For the 2022 summer campaign, Penner instead went to Kamloops but only suited up in 16 games before he was on to his next club – the Florida Complex League Phillies.

On Aug. 1, Penner signed with the Philadelphia Phillies as a free agent and he was off to Florida to finish the season in Rookie League ball.

This past campaign was his first full season in the pro rankings and he split his time between Rookie League and High-A, batting a collective .211 through 76 at bats while finishing the year with a .654 OPS.

Damiano Palmegiani – INF

Damiano Palmegiani was born in Venezuela but moved to Canada with his family at the age of five, settling in Surrey, B.C. His career started out with the Cloverdale Spurs but he later joined the Vauxhall Jets for his high school playing days, which also saw him suit up for the Junior National Team. He is on a prestigious list of Jets players who have heard their name called twice in the MLB Draft.

McTavish spoke about Palmegiani earlier this year with the Canadian Baseball Network, “Damiano was with Vauxhall for three years and the best words to describe him are dynamic and athletic, everything he did was those two traits.”

He was originally selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 35th round of the 2018 draft but he opted to honour his commitment to California State University-Northridge, spending two seasons with the Matadors before joining the College of Southern Nevada for the 2021 season and showcased his hitting ability, leading the team and league in multiple offensive categories. The Blue Jays once again came knocking and drafted the infielder in the 14th round this time around, with Palmegiani putting pen to paper and officially becoming a pro ball player later that summer.

He finished his draft year with the FCL Blue Jays but since 2022, Palmegiani has arguably become one of the most eye-opening prospects as he has rocketed up the farm system. The infielder finished the year with a brief cup of coffee in triple-A after collecting 19 home runs with the double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats and he is currently playing in the Arizona Fall League where his power is on display once again (two doubles and two home runs in 37 at-bats while posting a .898 OPS). Palmegiani also cracked the Team Canada World Baseball Classic roster earlier this year and although he didn’t suit up in any games, the experience and recognition seem like a stepping stone for the 23-year-old.

Heading into the 2024 season, Palmegiani is a bit of a dark horse to make the Blue Jays team out of spring training but if his bat continues to produce in triple-A next season, he could find himself in the big leagues sooner rather than later.

Garrett Hawkins – RHP

RHP Garrett Hawkins (Biggar, Sask.) spent two seasons with the Jets and credits the program for numerous qualities both on and off the field.

“That 2017 team was really special,” Hawkins said. “Everybody on that squad was extremely professional and showed up to work day in and day out. The Vauxhall program really taught you how to act like a pro and helps ensure that you have your priorities straight considering you are in a new environment or away from home like I was. Those traits really helped later on when I was at UBC and my time at Vauxhall was a great experience that helped develop my skills both on and off the field.”

Similar to Penner, Hawkins took his talents out west and spent two years with the Thunderbirds, pitching to a 3.63 ERA through 19 starts across both seasons while navigating the COVID-19 border restrictions that prevented the program from playing cross border teams. He ventured out to the MLB Draft League for its inaugural 2021 season and impressed with the Trenton Thunder, posting a 2.63 ERA through six starts and 24 innings.

His time with the Jets, UBC, and the Thunder resulted in Hawkins being drafted by the San Diego Padres in the ninth round of the 2021 MLB draft. He signed with the club and finished the year in Arizona with the Rookie League club. He made 21 starts split between single-A and high-A in 2022 but was limited in 2023 to just four starts due to an oblique injury and forearm strain which later required Tommy John surgery.