September 20, 2024

By Tyson Shushkewich

Canadian Baseball Network

Toeing the rubber is a task Logan Forgie (Ottawa, Ont.) is used to. He has been doing it for years with the Ontario Blue Jays.

However, getting the start for Team Red at the Canadian Futures Showcase is new territory for the southpaw as he faced Team New Blue to kick off the afternoon of Day 2 of game action at the Rogers Centre.

“I think my outing went well,” said Forgie, speaking to the Canadian Baseball Network. “It’s always fun to pitch at the Rogers Centre in front of scouts and the crowd.”

Facing tough competition on Team New Blue, Forgie was up to the task. The first batter he faced produced a weak ground ball to the shortstop for his first out of the game.

He notched his first strikeout of the day shortly after, a high fastball to get a swinging strike and collected his second K shortly after with a fastball down the middle for a swinging strikeout. The inning was over in a hurry as he used just 15 pitches to get through the top of the Team New Blue lineup.

His second inning was a bit more challenging, as some defensive miscues and a couple of singles saw two runs score. Forgie finished the inning with a walk and a strikeout (called out looking) and his day was done.

“I know the second inning got away from me a bit but I think we as a team were able to bounce back well and get out with limited damage,” said Forgie.

This isn’t Forgie’s first foray at the Showcase. The left-hander was on Team Navy last year and made one appearance out of the bullpen – earning the only win for his club in the tournament. He didn’t allow a hit or a run while walking two and striking out four.

“Going into this year’s Showcase, I had a better understanding of the demands both on and off the field and was more prepared for it,” said Forgie. “You get a bit used to people watching in the stands and the pressures of being on the diamond when there are scouts and coaches present. I just do my best to go out and execute.”

This summer, Forgie continues to make a name for himself on the biggest stages a Canadian baseball player could find themselves on.

The Ontario product was named to the Junior National Team to represent the country at the WBSC Americas Pan American Championship in Panama last month. He made one appearance out of the bullpen against Cuba and struck out two batters through a clean inning of work.

Forgie was also named to the Canadian Premier squad that will be heading down to Jupiter, Florida for the Perfect Game WWBA World Championship from October 10-14th.

“It’s such a high honour to be named to the team (Canadian Premier) and it will be a really good experience to face top-level talent from the United States.”

Forgie is currently uncommitted and isn’t eligible for the MLB draft until 2026 but he continues to work towards his goal of playing baseball at the next level, whether that is professionally or for a post-secondary program.

For that, Forgie thanks his Dad for being a guiding hand as he continues to get better on the baseball diamond.

“Heading into next season, I want to continue getting my velocity up and get to the same level with all my pitches whether I am in windup or the stretch,” said Forgie. “I have to credit my Dad (Troy) for being there every step of the way, helping me train, helping with my mechanics, just everything in between. He has been a big part of my baseball journey and I cannot thank him enough.”