September 22, 2023

By Trevor Fitzpatrick

Canadian Baseball Network

As William Polanco (Laval, Que.) stepped into the box in the sixth inning of the game between his Team New Blue and Team Black, the atmosphere was different.

A legend was at Rogers Centre for a surprise appearance. A legend who just had his name etched into the Toronto Blue Jays Level of Excellence only a short month ago. José Bautista was in the building.

Right-hander Nate Bennett (London, Ont.) delivered the first pitch. Ball, low.

What followed was baseball destruction in its purest form. Bennett tried to even the count with a high 85-mph fastball. As Polanco swung and made contact, it sounded like an explosion had struck the dome.

Music to Polanco’s ears, devastation to Bennett’s. The ball was hammered 368 feet over the right-centre field wall for the first home run of this year’s Canadian Futures Showcase. Team New Blue went on to win the game 9-2.

“I had talked to Bautista about that [hitting home runs] at the start of the game and then I was able to do exactly what we had talked about in the game, so I was really proud.”

The two players share more than just their power bat. Both have roots extending back to the Dominican Republic. Growing up, Polanco would spend his time split between training at home in Quebec at the Academie Baseball Canada and in the Dominican.

While some players at this year’s showcase have struggled to adapt to the wooden bats due to having only used metal ones growing up, Polanco had no such issue.

“In Quebec, we only ever used metal bats but in the Dominican Republic, we only use the wooden ones. I haven’t had to adjust since I’ve been using them since I was 14.”

A large part of the reason that Polanco took his training to the Dominican was to get in extra work during the winter months that he couldn’t in Quebec.

“We have a bunch of snow here which makes it hard to train as hard. In the Dominican, they can train outdoors year-round and they go at it hard. While I was there, I was training from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day.”

Standing at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, power has never been an issue for Polanco. Even during day one batting practice at the showcase he was pounding balls to the warning track and off the wall.

In his mind though, that wasn’t good enough. Finally hitting the home run during a live game was a big relief.

“I was mad at myself during the batting practice. I wanted to hit my first bomb inside of a major league stadium so badly,” recalled Polanco, “I refocused before this game and was awake mentally. I was so happy to finally hit it out.”

After four days at the showcase, Polanco’s home run remains one of only three and is still the longest of the three shots. The other two belong to Landon Kauffman’s (Vancouver, BC) 363-foot shot and Ryan Stalony’s (Mississauga, Ont.) 350-foot blast.

As one of only three players to hit a home run so far, it’s likely Polanco will make an appearance during the home run derby which takes place at 10 a.m. Saturday and is followed by the prospect all-star game at noon.

Still uncommitted to a college or university, Polanco is hoping that his power from the right side of the batter’s box will attract attention to his game. He is in the 2024 group in terms of draft eligibility.

Of the Academie Baseball Canada’s players, the most notable recent alumnus is Édouard Julien (Quebec, Que.) who currently plays for the Minnesota Twins.

The program also has had five other players who have gone on to be drafted and 39 college commits according to Perfect Game, a list that Polanco may join soon after his movie-like performance at this year’s showcase.