July 17, 2022

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

There are many reasons that this website exists.

The first is this annual draft of high school and collegians as all 30 teams replenish their farm systems.

Another reason is a man named Warren Bechard.

In the late 1990s, we ran our Canadian Baseball Network college player of the week -- which meant looking up the website of each and every school which had Canadians as part of its program.

Many a night Warren and I exchanged long emails. He offered encouragement. He predicted awards for the site and myself. I called him a dreamer. His dreams came true. He always preached enthusiasm and hard work.

So as we begin our annual Draft Day Blog, we dedicate this page to the late Bechard (Brantford, Ont.), who passed away June 3 at the age of 76.

A Michigan Man …. Warren Bechard (Brantford, Ont.) former Ontario schoolboy triple jump record holder.

Often he would tell me the story about the traveller carrying a heavy load up a steep hill. He met another traveller coming down the hill ... his mission accomplished. I think the rest of the story went like this ...

“Can you tell how steep this hill will be and for how long?” the weary traveller headed up the hill asked.

“All the way to the top, all the way to the top.”

The work effort and the “all the way to the top,” approach goes for playing ball, any other sport, work or you fill in the blank.

Bechard passed a love of the game and a work ethic to his son, Jess Bechard, who attended high school in Masillon, Ohio and was a 41st round draft choice of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Kent State’s hit machine … Jess Bechard.

Jess headed to Kent State University where he set hitting records for the Golden Flashes and the MAC conference. His four-year numbers at the time dwarfed opposing players with a Kent and MAC record of 304 hits (45 more than the runner-up), 83 doubles (15 more than the next best), 120 extra base hits, 209 runs (21 more than the runner-up), 490 total bases and 181 RBIs. He finished with 29 homers, eight triples, a .370 average and a 1.020 OPS.

2B Jess hit .347, with eight homers and 34 RBIs to earn a spot on the first Canadian Baseball Network all-Canadian team in 2000.

Warren Béchard was a proud graduate of the University of Michigan and a three-year letter winner as a member of the track and field team competing in the triple jump discipline. He set the Canadian schoolboy record of 48 3/4 at J.W. Little Stadium in London.

Warren told me of a couple of his teammates were snapping towels at each other in the locker room. The coach admonished them and pretended to leave. The two resumed fooling around, but the wise coach doubled back and said “LOOK I CAN REPLACE YOU TWO IN A HEART BEAT. KIDS ARE LINED UP AROUND THE BLOCK TO COME HERE.”

And thus ended the goofing around.

For hours he would throw batting practice at scenic Cockshutt Park to his son Jess, only taking a break to watch the geese fly overhead. Jess guesses he took 300 swings a day -- roughly half off a tee and the rest from his father. His batting practice pitching exploits earned him the nickname Satch (as in rubber-armed Satchel Paige.

His obit in the Brantford Expositor described him as Brantford’s most accomplished batting practice pitcher and when former Kent State coach Rick Rembielak heard the news his response was “not my buddy Satch?”

“I would argue that no one in Canada threw more batting practice than my father did ... the only guy who would have him beat would be Jesús Figueroa, the lefty who threw BP for the Jays all those years,” Jess said. “My father did it without an L screen and he threw when he was black and blue with bruises when I hit line drives off his hip, his leg or his chest.”

A Celebration of Life is planned for Aug. 13 (1-to-3 p.m.) at Toll Funeral Home, 55 Charing Cross Street, Brantford. Messages of condolence may be left at www.arbormemorial.ca/en/toll ...

Deepest sympathies to his mother Marie, devoted partner Maureen Wills, siblings Greg (Laurie) and Paulette (Randy), son Jess, uncle Jim, and many nieces and nephews.

And now ... on with our annual blog ... Day I

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Tonight, Day 1, 7 p.m. ET with the first 80 selections can be watched on MLB Network and MLB.com as club’s make their selections for Round 1 plus two compensation picks, competitive balance Round A, Round 2 and competitive balance round B, and six second-round compensation picks.

Monday, Day II: 2 p.m. ET with the third 3-to-10th round via a conference call.

Tuesday, Day III: 2 p.m ET, rounds 11-to-20.

Last year a total of 19 Canucks were drafted -- two did not sign -- while 13 signed for six-figure signing bonuses. Plus seven mire signed free agent contracts for the set on amount of $20,000.

Former Toronto Mets INF Tyler Black (Stouffville, Ont.) led the way going 33rd overall in North America and finishing as the sixth college hitter selected. He was given a $2.2 million signing bonus from the Milwaukee Brewers.

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Canada’s best year ever _ 2002 when 48 Canucks were selected including Walleye Chiefs Grad LHP Adam Loewen (Surrey, BC) fourth overall in North America to the Baltimore Orioles), North Delta Blue Jays LHP Jeff Francis (ninth overall to the Colorado Rockies) and Etobicoke Rangers C Joey Votto (44th to the Cincinnati Reds).

Also that draft year saw future major leaguers selected like RHP Jesse Crain (Twins), Team Ontario C Chris Leroux (Devil Rays), Team Ontario LHP David Davidson (Pirates), C Luke Carlin (Tigers), Langley Blaze RHP Scott Matheson (Phillies), ABC INF Russell Martin (Dodgers), Ontario Blue Jays C George Kottaras (Padres) and London Badger C Chris Robinson (Mets).

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Who the experts like:

Baseball America final 500 projection (July 12, 2002)

126. Jacob Zibin Langley Blaze/TNXL Academy RHP, Langley, BC

149. Eli Saul Sacramento State RHP, Vancouver, BC

154. Adam Maier Oregon RHP, North Vancouver, BC

199. Lamar King Calvert Hall HS, Perry Hall, MD

314. David McCabe Charlotte 1B, Oshawa, Ont.

403. Turner Spoljaric Toronto Mets/National Junior Team, Lisle, Ont.

454. Matt Coutney Old Dominion, Edmonton

489. Matthew Grabmann Okotoks Dawgs/TNXL Academy, Dartmouth, NS

Perfect Game top 600 final rankings (July 14, 2022)

72. Jacob Zibin RHP Langley Blaze/TNXL Academy Langley BC C-Kentucky

138. Lamar King Calvert Hall College Perry Hall MD C-Georgia Tech

188. Eli Saul RHP Sacramento State Vancouver BC

189. Blake Gillespie RHP Ontario Nationals/Team Elite Lula GA Georgia

231. Adam Maier RHP Oregon North Vancouver BC

341. Matthew Grabmann RHP Oregon Dartmouth NS

358. Micah Bucknam RHP Abbotsford BC C-LSU

394. Jonah Tong RHP Toronto Mets/Georgia Premier Academy Markham, Ont. C-North Dakota State

409. Jackson Soucie LHP Midland Redskins Cambridge Ont. C-Wabash Valley

431. Nathaniel Ochoa SS Burlington, Ont. FieldHouse Pirates/C-Alabama

486. Owen Diodati OF Alabama Niagara Falls Ont. C-Oregon

492. David McCabe 1B Charlotte Oshawa Ont.

578. Adam Tulloch LHP Arizona State Weston Fla.

604. Dylan Oborne RHP Ontario Terriers, Pompano Beach, Fla. C-Florida Atlantic

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The Last time the Jays picked 23: Well, this is there first time ever in with slot. Toronto picks after the St. Louis Cardinals and before the Boston Red Sox.

The last time that the Jays were in this neighbourhood they had the 22nd pick over-all -- twice -- as they chose RHP Marcus Stroman from Duke (giving him a $1.8 million bonus) in 2012 and SS Logan Warmoth of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2017 ($2,820 million). The other time they were in this range was was when Tom Goffena ($36,000) was selected 25th overall in 1977.

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At the draft table: Each year a club sends a representative to man the phones and usually call the 2nd pick, once the commissioner is done on Day 1.

Zero Canadians on the list but the Jays have brought in Shawn Green to Los Angeles from Tustin, Calif. to represent them.

Former Blue Jays 1B Fred McGriff will represent the Braves in Los Angeles.

Former Jays include Fred McGriff of the Atlanta Braves and Mike Timlin of the Boston Red Sox, Bill Stoneman, who guided the Anaheim Angels to the 2002 World Series season lived more of his first 60 years in Canada (pitching for the Montreal Expos, working for Royal Trust in Mississauga, living in Georgetown and then being hired by John McHale to return to the Expos -- in the front office.

Two other faves are Colorado Rockies’ Clint Hurdle, who delves into career advice and Texas Rangers’ Tom Grieve, who hit a game-tying homer in the top of the ninth for the New York Mets in the Expos’ home opener in 1978. Lenny Randle doubled in the 10th for a 3-2 win.

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Now picking 23rd ... The Blue Jays selected LHP Brandon Barriera, from American Heritage High in Plantation, Fla. the first high schooler since the Jays chose INF Jordan Groshans 12th over-all in 2018.

The 6-foot-2, 180-pounder, Barriera was ranked 15th by Perfect Game and MLB Pipeline. By going in the 23rd spot has a signing slot of $3.08 million.

So add Barriera to former first-rounders like Roy Halladay, Shawn Green, Chris Carpenter, Vernon Wells, Lloyd Moseby, Alex Rios, Shannon Stewart, Aaron Hill, Marcus Stroman, Noah Syndergaard, Steve Karsay, Joe Musgrove, Ricky Romero, Aaron Sanchez, Felipe Lopez. John Cerutti, Brett Cecil, Alek Manoah, Ed Sprague, Billy Koch, Gabe Gross and Travis Snider.

On the Perfect Game circuit, Barriera was noticed often and recognized open ... earning all-Region honors in Florida four times, making all tournament team at 21 different events and his team won three championships.

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Scouting reports

MLB Pipeline

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 55 | Overall: 55

American Heritage High School in Plantation, Fla., has churned out a good number of pro players, from All-Star Eric Hosmer to Red Sox prospect Triston Casas. Pitchers have been tougher to come by, with Shaun Anderson the one big league arm to come from the school, via the University of Florida. Barriera -- a smaller lefty with electric stuff who threw very well on the summer showcase circuit, including a perfect inning at the high school All-American Game in Denver -- has a very good chance of being the next. It was more of the same for him this spring, though he made his last start on April 19 as he shut things down out of caution, not injury.

While there are high school pitchers in this class who are more projectable, there aren’t that many who have better stuff than Barriera. His fastball sits in the low-90s and touched as high as 96 mph over the course of the summer. He has a low-80s slider that misses a lot of bats, and his changeup, which he sells with excellent arm speed, has the chance to be plus in the future.

Barriera, who reminds some longtime scouts of former Yankee great Ron Guidry, throws a ton of strikes and goes right after hitters. The only concern around the Vanderbilt recruit is about his size and whether he will hold up as a starter, but his stuff and feel for the strike zone have had scouts running to south Florida all spring and puts him firmly in first-round conversations talent-wise.

Jays first-round pick Brandon Barriera tries on his Toronto cap after being introduced to commissioner Rob Manfred.

Baseball America

Brandon Barriera

Barriera isn’t a physically imposing pitcher by any means, but he more than makes up for his smaller, 5-foot-11, 171-pound frame with electric arm speed and standout athleticism on the mound. Barriera has one of the fastest arms in the class, and he uses that arm speed to throw a fastball that sits in the low 90s and regularly touches 96. This spring Barriera peaked at 98-99 mph, so pure stuff isn’t a question. On top of that fastball, Barriera has shown a slider in the low-to-mid 80s. The slider features a lot of horizontal movement with late turn and sharp bite at its best, and he shows good feel to land the pitch for strikes. It’s a 2,500-2,600 rpm offering and routinely gets plus grades from evaluators. The fastball/slider combination is Barriera’s bread and butter currently, but he has also shown solid feel for a firm changeup in the mid 80s. He doesn’t use the pitch often, but it has shown at least average potential and because he throws it with the same electric arm speed as his fastball, it could be a deceptive offering against better hitters at the next level. Barriera will also mix in a slower, mid-70s curveball at times to give him a four-pitch mix. Barriera fills up the strike zone and throws with a loose and fluid but whippy arm action. There’s a slight head whack in his finish, but he stays balanced and fields his position well. The Vanderbilt commit is praised for his intense and competitive demeanor on the mound, and while he doesn’t have much in the way of physical projection, he has plenty of stuff and the control that should give him a chance to start. Barriera will need to prove his durability and that his stuff can hold up to the rigors of a professional schedule, but he is a real first round talent and one of the best lefthanded pitchers in the class.

Perfect Game

Keeps getting better, up to 95 with run and sink, 86 mph SL at PG National, pretty much the same at 2021 WWBA 17U and 2021 PG 17U National Elite.

SS Josh Kasevic of Oregon was the Blue Jays second-round pick.

And picking 60th ... the Blue Jays chose SS Josh Kasevich from Oregon with Toronto’s second-round pick. The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder was ranked 46th by Baseball America and 67th by MLB Pipeline

Slot: $1.22 million.

Numbers at Oregon: Batted .383 with 10 doubles, a triple, seven home runs, 44 RBIs and an .8282 OPS in 61 games.

Scouting reports

Josh Kasevich

MLB Pipeline

The University of Oregon has produced some solid offensive talent in recent years, with outfielder Aaron Zavala going in the second round in 2021 and infielder Spencer Steer being selected in Round 3 in 2019. It’s Steer who comes up the most when talking about Kasevich, a talented shortstop for the Ducks who came off a very successful summer as one of the best hitters in the wood bat Northwoods League and continued to show outstanding bat-to-ball skills this spring.

Kasevich has the chance to be a solid hitter from the right side of the plate at the next level. He has outstanding plate discipline and makes a ton of contact, walking nearly as much as he struck out at Oregon in 2021 and more than he struck out during his time in the Northwoods League. He uses all fields well and while he’s definitely hit over power, there is the chance he could grow into a little more pop in the future.

While he’s just an average runner, Kasevich has every chance to stick at shortstop and is considered perhaps the best defender in the Pacific Northwest. His arm is above-average and very accurate and he has excellent hands and footwork to go along with it. All of his skills play up because of his instincts and if his bat continues to come along, he could go in the top

Baseball America
HT: 6-1 | Wt: 187 | B-T: B-R
Commit ouisiana State
Age At Draft: 18.6
BA Grade: 55/Extreme
Tools: Hit: 55. Power: 55. Run: 40. Field: 40. Arm: 50.
A 6-foot-1, 187-pound infielder, Toman stands out for his power potential from both sides of the plate, but he earned mixed reviews for his performance over the summer showcase circuit. Scouts had vastly different thoughts on his ability as a hitter depending on where they saw him, and those who saw him at his best and his worst were likely wondering which extreme was the real Toman, or whether the truth was somewhere in between. At his best (like at the Area Code Games), Toman found barrels from both sides of the plate and drove the ball with authority and impact, and at his worst he swung and missed with frequency and looked overmatched at the plate with poor swing decisions out of the zone. Toman has plenty of strength currently, with bat speed and a leveraged swing that is geared to elevate baseballs. He works from an open stance that features a bit of a toe tap to close before firing his hands with an uphill path. Toman has been scouted heavily this spring and impressed evaluators in-game and during batting practice, to the point where many in the industry view him as one of the better hit/power high school players in the class. A below-average runner and fringy defender, Toman has a chance for second or third, but could move to the outfield as well. He is committed to Louisiana State.

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Picking 77th with their first of back-to-back compensation picks, the Jays chose ... switch-hitting 6-foot-1, 190-poind SS Tucker Toman, a high schooler from South Carolina..

Ranked: 12th by Perfect Game, 35th by MLBPipeline, 40th by Baseball America

Slot: $846,500

Scouting reports:

Perfect Game

Tucker Toman is a 2022 3B/SS with a 6-1 187 lb. frame from Columbia, SC who attends Hammond. Well proportioned strong athletic build. Switch-hitter, best raw bat speed is from the left side, hits from an open stance with a powerful swing and outstanding bat speed, big-time power potential, consistent timing and squared up contact. Right handed swing has come a long ways, more of a line drive approach, gets to his front side well, still has very good bat speed, near 100% chance to continue to switch hit at the upper levels. 6.99 runner in the sixty. Has sound fundamental defensive actions in the infield, comes through the ball well and stays balanced, makes accurate throws and plays under control. Projects as a third baseman at present but might be able to play second base as well. Verbal commitment to Louisiana State. Named to play in the Perfect Game All-American Classic.

Baseball America

INF Cade Doughty

LSchool: ouisiana State

HT: 6-1 | Wt: 195 | B-T: R-R

Drafted: Tigers ‘19 (39)

Age At Draft: 21.3

BA Grade: 50/High

Tools: Hit: 55. Power: 50. Run: 50. Field: 45. Arm: 55.

Doughty has been a pillar for LSU baseball since arriving on campus in the fall of 2019. Following the shortened Covid spring in 2020, Doughty’s second year in the purple and gold was an impressive one. He hit .308 with 13 doubles and 11 home runs. The 2022 campaign began where 2021 ended. With Doughty adding strength to his frame, the 6-foot-1 195-pound righthanded hitter has worked himself into a solid-average raw power grade, driving balls into gaps with higher exit velocities than seen before, adding additional power to an already-potent LSU lineup. Doughty stands in with a slight crouch and the barrel rested on his shoulder. Prior to the release of the pitch, he likes to sink in to his lower half before letting his hands work. Doughty doesn’t possess the lightning-quick bat speed seen in other high-round prospects, but more times than not, his timing is right, and his barrel stays in the zone with slight lift and proper extension. He has expanded the zone a bit more in 2022, as the punchouts increased from a year ago, with 49 in 238 at-bats. Seeing a heavy dose of plus sliders with high-velocity fastballs that the SEC has to offer, Doughty has proven in his time at Baton Rouge he can perform against the country’s top arms. When his plate discipline is on point, he is in the discussion of the upper-tier bats in this year’s class. On the defensive side, the Tigers have used Doughty primarily at second base with a start at third on occasion. His range isn’t quite there for shortstop, but his solid-average arm is more than capable to handle third. There is room for improvement on the dirt—Doughty has a .931 fielding percentage—but his athleticism and baseball IQ are enough to be hopeful that Doughty will be able to stay on the infield moving forward. An average runner, Doughty won’t collect a high number of stolen bases but will capitalize on defensive mishaps as he has throughout his career at LSU. Doughty is a gritty, high-makeup player on and off the field. He suffered a dislocated shoulder diving after a grounder in late May, but made it back for regionals. Look for Doughty to come off the board quickly in July due to the resume he’s produced in college baseball’s toughest conference.

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Choosing 78th the Jays selected ... 2B Cade Doughty from LSU, a 6-foot-1” 195 pounder

Ranked: 55th by MLB Pipeline, 56th by Baseball America.

Slot: $833,200.

Scouting Report

Baseball America

Cade Doughty

School: Louisiana State3B:

HT: 6-1 | Wt: 195 | B-T: R-R

Previously Drafted: Tigers ‘19 (39)

Age At Draft: 21.3

Tools: Hit: 55. Power: 50. Run: 50. Field: 45. Arm: 55.

Doughty has been a pillar for LSU baseball since arriving on campus in the fall of 2019. Following the shortened Covid spring in 2020, Doughty’s second year in the purple and gold was an impressive one. He hit .308 with 13 doubles and 11 home runs. The 2022 campaign began where 2021 ended. With Doughty adding strength to his frame, the 6-foot-1 195-pound righthanded hitter has worked himself into a solid-average raw power grade, driving balls into gaps with higher exit velocities than seen before, adding additional power to an already-potent LSU lineup. Doughty stands in with a slight crouch and the barrel rested on his shoulder. Prior to the release of the pitch, he likes to sink in to his lower half before letting his hands work. Doughty doesn’t possess the lightning-quick bat speed seen in other high-round prospects, but more times than not, his timing is right, and his barrel stays in the zone with slight lift and proper extension. He has expanded the zone a bit more in 2022, as the punchouts increased from a year ago, with 49 in 238 at-bats. Seeing a heavy dose of plus sliders with high-velocity fastballs that the SEC has to offer, Doughty has proven in his time at Baton Rouge he can perform against the country’s top arms. When his plate discipline is on point, he is in the discussion of the upper-tier bats in this year’s class. On the defensive side, the Tigers have used Doughty primarily at second base with a start at third on occasion. His range isn’t quite there for shortstop, but his solid-average arm is more than capable to handle third. There is room for improvement on the dirt—Doughty has a .931 fielding percentage—but his athleticism and baseball IQ are enough to be hopeful that Doughty will be able to stay on the infield moving forward. An average runner, Doughty won’t collect a high number of stolen bases but will capitalize on defensive mishaps as he has throughout his career at LSU. Doughty is a gritty, high-makeup player on and off the field. He suffered a dislocated shoulder diving after a grounder in late May, but made it back for regionals. Look for Doughty to come off the board quickly in July due to the resume he’s produced in college baseball’s toughest conference.

Elliott: 2022 Draft Blog, Day I