According to the Canadian Baseball Network on Thursday, there were five Canadians taken in the 2020 Major League Baseball draft. That number may seem low in 2020 compared to previous years. However, due to coronavirus, there were only five rounds in the 2020 Major League Baseball Draft. So, in actuality, the fact that there were five Canadians drafted is a remarkable achievement.
The first Canadian selected was Owen Caissie of Burlington, Ontario, who was selected in the second round, 45th overall, by the San Diego Padres. An outfielder, Caissie played for Notre Dame High School in Burlington, Ontario. He is known for hitting a gigantic home run against the Toronto Blue Jays in a preseason game last year while playing for the Canadian National Junior Team.
Caissie was followed by shortstop Trei Cruz of Toronto, Ontario. The son of former Blue Jays outfielder Jose Cruz Jr., Trei Cruz was selected in the third round, 73rd overall, by the Detroit Tigers. Trei Cruz played last year with Rice University.
Two more Canadians were drafted in the third round. With the 82nd pick, David Calabrese of Maple, Ontario was selected by the Los Angeles Angels. Calabrese, an outfielder, played with St. Elizabeth Catholic High School in Thornhill, Ontario this past year. Then with the 88th pick, Jordan Nwogu of Ottawa, Ontario was selected by the Chicago Cubs. Nwogu has played the last three years with the University of Michigan Wolverines as an outfielder.
The final Canadian selected was Logan Hofmann of Muenster, Saskatchewan. A right-handed pitcher, Hofmann played this past year with Northwestern State University and was selected in the fifth round, 138th overall, by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
