Elliott: 2023 Draft Blog Day III
July 11, 2023
By Bob Elliott
Canadian Baseball Network
Former Great Lake Canadian INF Dylan O’Rae (Sarnia, Ont.) was top Canuck selected a year ago.
First Two Days _ There were seven Canucks selected in the first 10 rounds over the first two days.
A year ago, nine Canucks went in the first 10 rounds led by top man INF Dylan O’Rae (Sarnia, Ont.), a third rounder from Great Lake Canadians, who went to the Milwaukee Brewers, followed by Vancouver-born C Lamar King, who went in the fourth to the San Diego Padres, INF David McCabe (Courtice, Ont.), a former Ontario Blue Jay and Team Ontario Astro, a fourth rounder went to the Braves; FieldHouse’s INF Nate Ochoa (Burlington, Ont.) a sixth rounder, to the Nationals, Toronto Mets’ RHP Jonah Tong (Markham, Ont.) drafted by the New York Mets, former UBC Thunderbird RHP Adam Maier (North Vancouver, BC) a seventh rounder to Atlanta; C Gavin Logan (Oyen, Alta.) selected in the ninth round by the Arizona Diamondbacks, 1B Matt Coutney (Edmonton, Alta.) went in the 10th to the Los Angeles Angels and so did RHP Jacob Zibin (Langley, BC) to the Guardians.
Outside of 2022, the seven selections in the first 10 rounds is the most since 2016 — when nine Canadians were drafted in the first two days.
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Blue Jays 11th round pick (334) _ RHP Grant Rogers, McNeese State. The 6-foot-7, 230-pound Rogers was 12-1 with a 1.82 ERA in 15 starts. He walked 18 and struck out 88 in 103 2/3 innings while holding opposing hitters to a .213 batting average.
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Blue Jays 12th round pick (364) _ RHP Chay Yeager Pasco Hernando Community College. Yeager made 15 starts going 9-3 with a 3.76 ERA. The 5-foot-11, 180-pounder walked 37 and struck out 102 in 69 1/3 innings.
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Blue Jays 13th round pick (394) _ OF Brennan Orf Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. This spring, the 6-foot-4 230 pounder batted .351 with 17 doubles, two triples, 19 homers and 48 RBIs in 53 games. He was a Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference selection.
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Blue Jays 14th round pick (424) _ RHP Joe Vogatsky James Madison University. The reliever was 4-1 with a 3.34 ERA and five saves in 21 appearances. He walked 15 and struck out 36 in 29 2/3 innings.
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Time was major-league organizations could have an unlimited spots for their minor leaguers. For example in 2005 Toronto had affiliates at triple-A Syracuse, double-a New Hampshire, class-A Dunedin, class-A Charleston, class-A Auburn, rookie-class Pulaski, the rookie class Gulf Coast League and the rookie-class Dominican team.
If we remember right, each March 220 minor leaguers would roll into the Englebert Complex.
Now, each team has two fewer minor-league stops, which the size of the total roster in the minors being 180 players. And next year it is going to 160.
Point is -- if you think it is tough to be drafted this July, it is is going to be tougher next year.
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Canada’s eight pick 15th rounder (440) _ C Brady Cerkownyk of Connors State Cowboys to the Detroit Tigers. Cerkownyk, a former Mississauga Tiger, batted .470, hit 27 homers -- both second in all of JUCO play. He led with 107 RBIs and slugging with a mark of .985.
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Blue Jays 15th round pick (454) _ RHP Kelena Sauer, San Diego State. This spring the 6-foot-3, 230 pounder was 0-2 for the Aztecs with 12 saves and a 4.22 ERA as he walked 11 and fanned 36 in 32 innings.
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Jays 16th round pick (484) _ C Jackson Hornung, Skidmore College. The 6-foot-2, 215-pounder led the Thoroughbreds with a .423 average in 39 games as he hit eight doubles, three triples, 12 homers and 41 RBIs. He had a 1.363 OPS for the Division III school in Saratoga, NY.
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Jays 17th round pick (514) _ 1B Sam Kulasingam, Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. The 6-foot-2, 190 pounder hit .426 where the baseballs fly almost as high as the jets. Kulasingam had 28 doubles, four triples, six homers and 51 RBIs. In 59 games he had an OPS of 1.193. This summer, playing for the Newport Gulls in the New England College summer league he hit .383 with two doubles, two homers, 15 RBIs and a .982 OPS in 21 games.
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Canada’s ninth pick 18th rounder (543) _ LHP Jeremy Pilon (Salaberry-De-Valleyfield Que.) of the Academie Baseball Canada was also with the Junior National Team, but had an injury after one outing. He has committed to pitch for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
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Jays 18th round pick (544) _ OF Chase Brunson, San Clemente HS (CA), who is 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds.
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Jays 19th round pick (574) _ RHP Aaron Munson Angelo State University. The 5-foot-10 180-pound Munson was 11-2 with a 3.63 ERA in 18 starts. He walked 25 and struck out 115 in 101 2/3 innings. He held opposing hitters to a .225 average.
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Jays 20th round pick (604) _ LHP Kai Peterson Sierra Junior College. A 6-foot-1, 190 pounder, was 9-2 with one save and a 3.86 ERA in 19 games -- 16 starts. He struck out 127 men in 84 innings and has committed to Rice University.
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Two Day totals
Players selected _ 9
By Organization _ Toronto Blue Jays 2, Atlanta Braves 1, Boston Red Sox 1, Cleveland Guardians 1, Detroit Tigers 1, Oakland A’s 1, Philadelphia Phillies 1, Tampa Bay Rays 1.
By Amateur team _ Academie Baseball Canada 2, FieldHouse Pirates 1, Great Lake Canadians 1, Mississauga Tigers 1, Okotoks Dawgs 1, Ontario Blue Jays 1, Terriers 1, Victoria Eagles 1, Victoria Mariners 1.
By Province _ Ontario 4, British Columbia 2, Quebec 2, Saskatchewan 1.
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Former ABC line-driver hitter INF Emilien Pitre (Repentigny Que.) of Kentucky Wildcats,
Looking ahead to 2024 _ And now it is 51 1/2 weeks until baseball’s best gather at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Tex.
Right now the leaders in the clubhouse are INF Emilien Pitre (Repentigny Que.) of Kentucky Wildcats, INF Brendan Lawson (Toronto, Ont.) of the Ontario Blue Jays and Académie de Baseball du Canada RHP Jacob Wallace (Pincourt, Que.).
Pitre was considered Kentucky’s best hitter this spring -- by some scouts. He hit .318 with 16 doubles, one triple, a homer and 51 RBIs. He had a .853 OPS in 61 games.
Lawson is ranked No. 6 on Perfect Game’s list of top high schoolers for 2024 and has committed to Florida. We don’t remember Adam Loewen (Surrey, BC) being ranked that high. Both Wallace and Lawson are members of the Junior National Team.