October 6, 2023

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

To the chagrin - but, perhaps, not the surprise - of Canadian baseball fans, the Toronto Blue Jays were swept in their Wild-Card series against the Minnesota Twins.

The Blue Jays’ abysmal performance can be blamed on their questionable use of analytics, horrid baserunning, and the fact that they could only muster one run in two games against the Twins.

The Twins - with Edouard Julien (Quebec, Que.) batting leadoff - will now play the Houston Astros in one of the American League Division Series.

So, are the Twins the most “Canadian” team left in the playoffs?

I think so.

But I researched that question, and here’s a look at the Canadian content on each of the eight teams remaining in the major league playoffs.

1. Minnesota Twins

No Canadian had batted leadoff for a major league team in the post-season since Terry Puhl did it for the Houston Astros against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1981 National League Division Series until Julien was the first batter to walk to the plate for the Twins against the Blue Jays in their Wild-Card series on Tuesday. Julien went 1-for-6 with a run and a walk in the two-game sweep of the Blue Jays.

After an outstanding performance hitting atop Canada’s lineup at the World Baseball Classic, Julien continued to swing a hot bat with the triple-A St. Paul Saints to start the 2023 season, which quickly earned him a promotion to the Twins. All he did with the Twins during the regular season is set a record for most home runs by a Canadian second baseman in a major league season with 16. He also led Twins’ regulars in on-base percentage (.381) and was second in OPS (.839).

Players: INF Edouard Julien (Quebec, Que.), RHP Jordan Balazovic (Mississauga, Ont.), made 18 regular season relief appearances but is not on playoff roster

Executive: Justin Morneau (New Westminster, B.C.), television analyst and special assistant to baseball operations.

Coach: Justin Willard (Brampton, Ont.), pitching coordinator

Minor league players: RHP Curtis Taylor (Port Coquitlam, B.C.), RHP Christian MacLeod (Sydney, N.S.)

Scout: Walt Burrows (Brentwood Bay, B.C.)

2. Atlanta Braves

It was just over eight years ago that Blue Jays fans were chanting “Thank you, Alex!” to their GM, Alex Anthopoulos, at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, as the Blue Jays clinched their first American League East division title since 1993. The Montreal native has since moved on to the National League and his Braves have won a World Series (2021) and six division titles (2018 to 2023) during his reign as general manager and president of baseball operations.

Unfortunately for Canadian baseball fans, the Braves will play the Philadelphia Phillies in their National League Division Series without right-hander and PBF Redbirds and Junior National Team alum Michael Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) who was shut down in early September due to a right forearm injury. This season, the Canuck righty had made his first seven major league appearances since August 3, 2020 after twice tearing his right Achilles tendon.

Player: RHP Michael Soroka (Calgary, Alta.), shut down for the season

Executive: Alex Anthopoulos (Montreal, Que.), president, baseball operations and general manager

Minor league players: RHP Cedric De Grandpre (St-Simon, Que.), RHP Adam Maier (North Vancouver, B.C.), INF David McCabe (Oshawa, Ont.), OF Pier-Olivier Boucher (St. Joseph-de-Bauce, Que.), LHP Adam Shoemaker (Cambridge, Ont.)

Minor league coaches: Michael Saunders (Victoria, B.C.), outfield/baserunning coordinator; Mike Steed (Beamsville, Ont.), pitching coach, High-A Rome Braves

Off-field Canadian talent: Michael Copeland (Whitby, Ont.), lead developer, baseball systems

3. Philadelphia Phillies

In 2022, Rob Thomson (Corunna, Ont.) became the first Canadian skipper to manage a team in the big league post-season since Bill Watkins (Brantford, Ont.) led the National League’s Detroit Wolverines to a World Series title in 1887. Thomson led the Phillies to a National League pennant last season but they lost to the Houston Astros in the World Series.

The 2019 Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee guided the Phils to a 90-72 record during the regular season and a two-game sweep over the Miami Marlins in their Wild-Card series. This sets up a National League Division Series rematch with the Braves that begins on Saturday. The Phils ousted the Braves in four games last year.

Thomson has no shortage of post-season experience on his resume. During his close to three decades as a coach in the New York Yankees’ organization, he earned five World Series rings and was the Bombers’ third base coach on their most recent World Series-winning squad in 2009. He was also a bench coach on multiple Yankees squads that advanced to the post-season.

Thompson will share his post-season wisdom with his players, but if they’re looking for further inspiration, perhaps they can call former general manager and now senior advisor and part-owner, Pat Gillick, down for a pep talk. He has three World Series rings - two with the Toronto Blue Jays (1992-93) and one with the Phils (2008) - on his Hall of Fame resume.

Major league manager: Rob Thomson (Corunna, Ont.)

Executive: Pat Gillick (Canadian citizen), senior advisor and part-owner

Minor league players: C Ryan Leitch (Whitby, Ont.), INF/OF Ty Penner (Lethbridge, Alta.), LHP Wesley Moore (Surrey, B.C.), INF Anthony Quirion (Dixville, Que.), RHP Noah Skirrow (Cambridge, Ont.),

Scout: Alex Agostino (St-Bruno, Que.), Les McTavish (Stettler, Alta.)

4. Arizona Diamondbacks

This is the Arizona Diamondbacks’ fourth trip to the post-season since Jeffrey Royer (Toronto, Ont.) became a general partner with the club in 2004 and with their sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers in their Wild-Card Series, it was D-Backs’ first series win while Royer has been involved. The D-Backs will now face the Dodgers in a National League Division Series that begins on Saturday. A hugely successful businessman, Royer is a private investor with interests in telecommunications, medical device manufacturing, professional sports and real estate.

Royer, who was at the Rogers Centre during the D-Backs series against the Blue Jays in mid-July, is one of two Canadians to co-own a major league club. Jeff Mallett (Victoria, B.C.) is part-owner of the San Francisco Giants.

It’s also interesting to note that Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Dave McKay (Vancouver, B.C.) is the D-Backs first base coach. McKay is the only Canadian to coach for three different major league teams in the post-season. McKay was a coach with the Oakland A’s (1986 to 1996) and St. Louis Cardinals (1996 to 2011) before joining the D-Backs in 2014.

Major League Coach: Dave McKay (Vancouver, B.C.), first base coach

General Partner: Jeffrey Royer (Toronto, Ont.)

Minor league players: C Gavin Logan (Medicine Hat, Alta.), RHP Eli Saul (Vancouver, B.C.)

Scout: Jason Chatwood (Innisfail, Alta.)

5. Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers don’t have a player born in Canada on their roster, but first baseman Freddie Freeman’s parents were born north of the border, and he played for Canada in the 2017 and 2023 World Baseball Classics. Prior to the 2022 season, Freeman inked a six-year, $162-million contract with the Dodgers. And he certainly hasn’t disappointed. This season, he batted .331 and led the National League with 59 doubles. He also had 29 home runs, 102 RBIs and a .410 on-base percentage (OBP).

The Dodgers also employ Beeton, Ont., native Ellen Harrigan who is one of Major League Baseball’s most respected executives. After beginning her career with the Blue Jays as an administrative aide in player development in 1981 and later becoming the general manager of the club’s New York Penn League affiliate in St. Catharines, Harrigan moved on to the Dodgers and has risen through the organization’s ranks to hold a number of key executive positions. Now in her 23rd season with the club, she is currently the team’s senior director, baseball administration.

Player: Freddie Freeman (Villa Park, Calif.), WBC eligible

Executive: Ellen Veronica Harrigan (Beeton, Ont.), senior director, baseball administration

Minor league players: 1B Max Hewitt (Midhurst, Ont.), RHP Lucas Wepf (Georgetown, Ont.)

6. Texas Rangers

Prior to this year, the last time the Texas Rangers advanced to the post-season was in 2016 when they were swept in the American League Division Series by the Blue Jays on Josh Donaldson’s walk-off “mad dash” to home plate in the 10th inning in Game 3 at Rogers Centre.

Seven years later, they seem to be on a mission. Managed by veteran Bruce Bochy, the underdog Rangers swept the Tampa Bay Rays in their Wild-Card series, winning both games by a combined score of 11-1. They will now face the American League East division-winning Baltimore Orioles, who won 101 regular season games, in the best-of-five ALDS.

The Rangers don’t have any Canadians on their big league roster, but they seem to be stockpiling Canuck catchers and left-handers for the future (See below).

Minor league players: LHP Mitch Bratt (Newmarket, Ont.), C Liam Hicks (Toronto, Ont.), LHP Thomas Ireland (Regina, Sask.), C Konner Piotto (Abbotsford, B.C.), C Jordan Procyshen (Calgary, Alta.)

Minor league staff: Ryan Bench (Fonthill, Ont.), lab intern, Texas Rangers Arizona Performance Center

7. Baltimore Orioles

There might be at least one Canadian cheering for the Orioles this post-season. That would be Vancouver native Dan Vertlieb, who is the Beverly Hills Sports Council agent of O’s superstar catcher Adley Rutschman. Vertlieb helped negotiate a then record $8.1 million signing bonus for Rutschman after he was selected first overall by the O’s in the 2019 MLB draft. Given Rutschman’s performance this season, it was money well spent by the O’s.

Vertlieb is also the agent for Canadian Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.) who enjoyed an outstanding season for the Seattle Mariners. The 24-year-old right-hander topped the American League with 78 appearances and finished with a 9-4 record and a 3.06 ERA with 107 strikeouts in 70 1/3 innings. With Vertlieb by his side, Brash should be in line for a large raise this off-season.

Minor league player: INF Adam Hall (London, Ont.)

8. Houston Astros

Forty-three years ago, Melville, Sask., native Terry Puhl set a then National League Championship Series record with 10 hits in 19 at bats (.526 batting average) in the Astros’ epic five-game series against the Phillies. Until Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.) had a pinch-hit at bat in the 2020 American League Championship Series, Puhl was the last Canadian to appear in a post-season game with the Astros.

There will not be a Canuck on the Astros’ post-season roster this season, but rest assured that Puhl, one of the team’s most recent Hall of Famers who still lives in the area, will be at Minute Maid Park cheering on his old club.

Scout: Jim Stevenson (Leaside, Ont.)