As the Major League Baseball season begins on Thursday, there are 12 Canadians who are on the 30 MLB rosters. They are Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Mike Soroka of Calgary, Alberta and first baseman Freddie Freeman; Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Jordan Romano of Markham, Ontario and first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of Montreal, Quebec; San Diego Padres designated hitter Josh Naylor of Mississauga, Ontario and relief pitcher Cal Quantrill of Port Hope, Ontario, St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Tyler O’Neill of Burnaby, British Columbia, New York Yankees starting pitcher James Paxton of Ladner, British Columbia, Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Nick Pivetta of Victoria, British Columbia, Houston Astros third baseman Abraham Toro of Longueuil, Quebec, Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto of Toronto, Ontario, and Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Rowan Wick of North Vancouver, British Columbia.
Of the dozen, Soroka and Paxton are to be starting pitchers this weekend. Soroka will start for the Braves on Friday against the New York Mets, and Paxton will start Saturday against the Washington Nationals. Soroka was an All-Star in 2019, as he had a record of 13 wins, four losses, 142 strikeouts, and an earned run average of 2.68. Paxton had a record of 15 wins, six losses, 186 strikeouts, and an earned run average of 3.82.
Guerrero Jr. will make the transition from third base to first base in his second Major League season. In his rookie campaign, he batted .272 with 15 home runs and 69 runs batted in. Freeman meanwhile is a native of California, but represents Canada internationally because his parents are from Ontario. In 2019, he batted .295 with 38 home runs and 121 runs batted in. However, Freeman recently had coronavirus, and may not get the start for the Braves this weekend.
Votto will start for the Reds at first base. Last season he batted .261 with 15 home runs and 47 runs batted in. He also led Cincinnati with 32 doubles and 76 walks. O’Neill is to start for the Cardinals in left field. Last season, he batted .258 with 14 home runs and 39 runs batted in.
