The Major League Baseball Draft took place Sunday and Monday, and a total of 19 Canadians were selected. Let’s take a look.
The first Canadian chosen was pitcher Tyler Bremner, who was selected second overall by the Los Angeles Angels. Bremner has two connections to Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman. Both of their parents were Canadian, and both of their mothers have passed away. Bremner has indicated his intent to represent Canada at the 2026 World Baseball Classic according to Rogers Sportsnet. He is the all-time strikeout leader in the University of California Santa Barbara baseball program with 295 strikeouts.
In the Competitive Balance Round A portion of the draft, the Baltimore Orioles selected outfielder Slater de Brun 37th overall. De Brun is an outfielder from Summit High School in Oregon, is Canadian, and whose mother lived in Montreal and Toronto. Then with the 41st pick, the first Canadian native was taken as the Los Angeles Dodgers selected outfielder Charles Davalan of Waterloo, Ontario. Davalan played this past year for the University of Arkansas and was known for his excellent eye at the plate. He walked eight more times (35) than he struckout (27). The Dodgers also selected British Columbia-raised pitcher Cam Leiter in the second round, 65th overall. Cam is the nephew of former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Al Leiter.
In the Competitive Balance Round B portion of the draft, the Cleveland Guardians selected pitcher Will Hynes of Toronto, Ontario, 70th overall. Hynes has committed to Wake Forest University. In the fourth round, the Blue Jays selected pitcher Micah Bucknam of Abbotsford, British Columbia. New Zealand born, Bucknam had 80 strikeouts in 62 1/3 innings last year at Dallas Baptist University. The Blue Jays also selected third baseman Tim Piasentin of Coquitlam, British Columbia in the fifth round, 143rd overall. He played this past year for the Okotoks Dawgs Academy south of Calgary, and is the first Canadian born player drafted by the Blue Jays in the 2025 MLB Draft.
The Guardians selected first baseman Riley Nelson of Toronto, Ontario out of Vanderbilt University in the fifth round, 162nd overall. Two picks later, 164th overall in the fifth round, the New York Yankees selected shortstop Core Jackson of Plympton-Wyoming, Ontario out of the University of Utah.
The Colorado Rockies drafted the next Canadian, Antoine Jean of Montreal, Quebec, in the seventh round, 197th overall out of the University of Houston. Jean was the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year, and had 110 strikeouts in 67 innings. The Yankees then selected pitcher Blake Gillespie of Lucan, Ontario in the ninth round, 284th overall. Like Jean, Gillespie had NCAA success as he had 131 strikeouts, an opponent batting average of .193, and threw a no-hitter with UNC Charlotte.
The Cincinnati Reds picked the next two Canadians. In the 10th round, 294th overall, the Reds selected first baseman Ty Doucette of Halifax, Nova Scotia out of Rutgers University. With the Scarlet Knights, Doucette led the team this past year with a .988 on base plus slugging percentage. Like Plasentin, Doucette played for the Okotoks Dawgs Academy. Then in the 12h round, the Reds selected pitcher Carson Latimer of Delta, British Columbia. He pitched for Sacramento State this past year, and has been dominant for the Edmonton Riverhawks of the West Coast League, as he has an earned run average of 0.86.
In the 13th round, 398th overall, the Kansas City Royals selected shortstop Tyson Moran of Stratford, Ontario out of the Great Lake Canadians baseball program. In the 14th round, 413th overall, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected pitcher Connor Hamilton of Calgary, Alberta. Hamilton moved to Tennessee during COVID to attend Montgomery Bell Academy.
In the 18th round, 527th overall, the Rockies selected pitcher Tyrelle Chadwick of Burnaby, British Columbia out of Illinois State. Chadwick also played for the Okotoks Dawgs Academy, and his father Ray Chadwick is the head coach of Thompson Rivers University of the Canadian College Baseball Conference. Immediately after Chadwick, the Miami Marlins selected pitcher Hayden Cuthbertson of Ladner, British Columbia in the 18th round, 528th overall, out of the University of Miami (Ohio).
Then in the 19th round, 577th overall, the Atlanta Braves selected pitcher Ryan Heppner of Richmond, British Columbia out of the University of British Columbia. The final player taken in the draft was Canadian. The Los Angeles Dodgers selected pitcher Shane Brinham of North Vancouver, British Columbia in the 20th round, 615th overall.
