April 26, 2022

By George Farelli

Canadian Baseball Network

The Milwaukee Brewers made the biggest splash in the Canadian talent pool by selecting former Toronto Mets INF Tyler Black (Stouffville, Ont.) 33rd overall from Wright State.

Black was the sixth college bat selected and earned a $2.2 million US signing bonus.

Yet, the Brewers were not done.

Exactly 174 picks later, the Brewers selected Okotoks Dawgs grad OF Tristan Peters from the Southern Illinois Salukis, giving him a $147,500 bonus.

The old saying after amateurs become pros is that you can’t hit with your signing bonus.

Peters (Winkler, Man.) earned Canadian Baseball Network Player of the Week honors for Week III after he led all 66 Canucks with a .462 average for the class-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Peters was 6-for-13 with a pair of RBIs. Not that teammate Black had a bad week: hitting .350 with five RBIs.

Toronto Mets grad INF Tyler Black (Stouffville, Ont.)

How the week that was went for both Peters and Black ...

_ DHing and batting second, Black doubled in a 3-2 Wisconsin win against the Quad City River Bandits before 673 fans at Fox Cities Stadium. Black hit his second double of the season on a line drive to left to knock in the game’s first run in the first. Peters did not play.

_ Batting second and playing second, Black had a pair of hits and drove in a run, while Peters had a run-scoring single in a 10-9 win over Quad Cities in front of 993 fans. Black singled in the first to give the Rattlers a first-inning lead for the second night in a row, and singled to right in the seventh. Hitting seventh and playing left, Peters walked in the second and stole third, his second of the season, singled to right in the fourth and reached on an error with none out in the ninth as the Rattlers scored two for the walk-off win. Former London Badger, RP Robert Gillies (London, Ont.) pitched a scoreless eighth, walking one.

_ Hitting second and playing second, Black had a pair of hits knocked in two as the Rattlers beat Quad Cities again -- this time 6-5 before 743 fans. Black walked in the first, hit a run-scoring double to left in the third and singled to centre to bring home the ninth-inning game winner. Peters did not play.

_ Playing second and hitting second Black singled in a run, while hitting eighth and playing right, Peters singled in a 7-3 win over Quad Cities in the opener of a make-up doubleheader. Black singled to left driving in a run in the third, walked in the fourth and was hit by a pitch in the sixth. Peters led off the fourth with a single and then stole second, his third of the season.

_ DHing and batting eighth, Peters had two hits and knocked in a run in a 5-3 Rattlers’ win for a doubleheader sweep. Peters doubled to left, driving in a run in the fifth and singled on a liner to left in the fifth. Black singled to centre in the first.

_ Playing centre and hitting eighth, Peters had a pair of hits as Quad Cities exploded for their first win of the series, an 18-1 victory in front of 2,720 fans. Peters singled to centre in the third and was thrown out trying to stretch his hit into a double and singled on line drive to right. Gillies worked the ninth allowing two runs on one hit and two walks. Black was hitless.

Player/Class/Team AB R H HR RBI AVG

Tristan Peters - A Wisconsin 13 4 6 - 2 .462

Charles Leblanc - AAA Jacksonville 20 6 9 2 8 .450

Andy Yerzy - AA Amarillo 17 3 7 1 4 .412

Jordan Procyshen - AA Frisco 10 2 4 - 2 .400

Adam Hall - AA Bowie 18 5 7 - 4 .389

Kole Cottam - AA Portland 22 3 8 1 2 .364

Edouard Julien - AA Wichita 11 4 4 - 3 .364

Tyler Black - A Wisconsin 20 5 7 - 5 .350

(Minimum 10 ABs)

Best Pitching

Garrett Hawkins RHP - Low A Lake Elsinore

GM W SV ER ERA H IP K WHIP

1 1 - 1 1.80 3 5.0 6 .060

For the second week in a row, the best performance by a minor league Canadian arm was produced by a young prospect, and in this case it was Garrett Hawkins from the San Diego organization. A native of Biggar, Sask., he was a ninth-round selection in the 2021 draft, and is currently active in his second pro season. On April 23, he had an excellent start for Lake Elsinore Storm in an 8-6 win over the Fresno Grizzlies, pitching five innings giving up three base hits and only one earned run, while striking out six and earning his first win of the season. His record in three outings with the Storm in Low A California League, now stands at 1-0 with a 2.03 ERA.

Canadian Baseball Network

Minor League Player of the Week

Week I - INF Charles Leblanc (Laval, Que.).

Week II _ OF Denzel Clarke (Pickering, Ont.

Week III _ OF Tristan Peters (Winkler, Man.)