Two Canucks land in Baseball America's top 50 RHP prospects

Mike Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) has been ranked as the eighth-best right-handed pitching prospect by Baseball America. Photo: Amanda Fewer

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Two Canadians have been ranked among the top 50 right-handed pitching prospects by Baseball America.

Both Canucks - Mike Soroka (Calgary, Alta.), ranked No. 8, and Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.), ranked No. 41, - are former Junior National Team members and seem to be on the cusp of big league breakthroughs in 2019.

No. 8 - Mike Soroka (Calgary, Alta)

Soroka made his major league debut on May 1, 2018 and allowed just one run in six innings to out-duel Noah Syndergaard and lead the Atlanta Braves to a 3-2 win over the New York Mets at Citi-Field. The 20-year-old right-hander would impress in three major league starts in 2018, posting a 1-1 record and a 3.68 ERA in 14 2/3 innings, before being sidelined with a shoulder injury.

A first-round pick (28th overall) by the Braves in the 2015 MLB draft, Soroka enjoyed an All-Star campaign with class-A Rome in 2016, which earned him a promotion to double-A Mississippi in 2017 where he recorded 11 wins and a 2.78 ERA and was named Braves' Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Prior to being called up by the Braves in 2018, Soroka was 2-0 with a 1.99 ERA with 24 strikeouts in four starts with triple-A Gwinnett.

Ontario Terriers and Junior National Team grad Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) is No. 41 on Baseball America’s recently released list of the top right-handed pitching prospects.

No. 41 - Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.)

Selected eighth overall by the San Diego Padres in the 2016 draft, Quantrill is entering his fourth professional season after a successful collegiate career at Stanford. The 6-foot-3 right-hander, who is the son of Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer Paul Quantrill, turned 24 in February and fared well (3-1, 3.48 ERA in six starts) in his first taste of triple-A action in 2018. He has spent the bulk of the last two seasons in double-A San Antonio.

In January, he was presented with Baseball Canada’s Canadian Futures Award at the organization’s annual banquet at the Marriott City Centre Hotel at the the Rogers Centre. He seems like a good bet to crack the Padres’ big league roster at some point in 2019.