The 2024 Major League Baseball season started last Wednesday in South Korea between the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Kings. However, the season starts for the other 28 teams on Thursday. Let’s take a look at the best 11 Canadian Major League Baseball players on rosters to start the season.
Matt Brash
The relief pitcher from Kingston, Ontario is with the Seattle Mariners. He led Major League Baseball with 73 games in 2023. Brash had a record of nine wins, four losses, with 24 holds, four saves, 107 strikeouts, an earned run average of 3.06 and a WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) of 1.33.
Freddie Freeman
The All-Star first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers led the Major Leagues with 59 doubles last season. Freeman also batted .331 with 29 home runs, 102 runs batted in, scored 131 runs and had 211 hits, two triples, 23 stolen bases, 72 walks, 361 total bases, five sacrifice flies, an on base percentage of .410 and a slugging percentage of .567.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
The All-Star first baseman from Montreal, Quebec is with the Toronto Blue Jays. In 2023, he batted .264 with 26 home runs and 94 runs batted in, scored 78 runs and had 159 hits, 30 doubles, five stolen bases, 67 walks, 267 total bases, four sacrifice flies, an on base percentage of .345, and a slugging percentage of .444.
Edouard Julien
The second baseman from Quebec City, Quebec was a rookie with the Minnesota Twins in 2023. He batted .263 with 16 home runs and 37 runs batted in, scored 60 runs, and had one triple, three stolen bases, 64 walks, 155 total bases, one sacrifice bunt, three sacrifice flies, an on base percentage of .381, and a slugging percentage of .459.
Bo Naylor
The catcher from Mississauga, Ontario is with the Cleveland Guardians. In 2023, he batted .237 with 11 home runs and 32 runs batted in. Naylor scored 33 runs and had 47 hits, 13 doubles, five stolen bases, 30 walks, 93 total bases, one sacrifice fly, an on base percentage of .339, and a slugging percentage of .470.
Josh Naylor
The first baseman from Mississauga, Ontario is with the Cleveland Guardians. In 2023, he batted .308 with 17 home runs and 97 runs batted in. Naylor scored 52 runs and had 139 hits, 31 doubles, 10 stolen bases, 33 walks, 221 total bases, seven sacrifice flies, an on base percentage of .354, and a slugging percentage of .489.
Tyler O’Neill
The outfielder from Maple Ridge, British Columbia is with the Boston Red Sox. In 2023 with the St. Louis Cardinals, O’Neill batted .231 with nine home runs and 21 runs batted in. He scored 27 runs, and had 55 hits, 14 doubles, five stolen bases, 96 total bases, with an on base percentage of .312, and a slugging percentage of .403.
James Paxton
The starting pitcher from Ladner, British Columbia is with the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 2023 with the Red Sox, Paxton had a record of seven wins and five losses with an earned run average of 4.50. He had 101 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.31.
Nick Pivetta
The starting pitcher from Victoria, British Columbia is with the Red Sox. In 2023, Pivetta had a record of 10 wins and nine losses with an earned run average of 4.04. He had 183 strikeouts, one save, two holds, and a WHIP of 1.12. The holds came in a 3-2 Red Sox win over the New York Yankees on June 9 and in a 3-1 Red Sox win over the Chicago White Sox on June 23. The save came in a 9-5 Red Sox win over the Kansas City Royals on September 2.
Jameson Taillon
The starting pitcher is with the Chicago Cubs. In 2023, Taillon had a record of eight wins and 10 losses with an earned run average of 4.84. He had 140 strikeouts, one save, and a WHIP of 1.28. The save came in a 10-6 Cubs win over the Milwaukee Brewers on September 30.
Abraham Toro
The third baseman from Longueuil, Quebec is with the Oakland Athletics. In 2023 with the Milwaukee Brewers, Toro batted .444 with two home runs and nine runs batted in. During 21 plate appearances and 18 at bats, he scored four runs and had eight hits, two walks, 14 total bases, an on base percentage of .524 and a slugging percentage of .778.
