Baseball Canada announced that 10 Canadians made Major League Baseball (MLB) opening day roster, as the big league season opened Thursday, 1 April.
Right-handed pitcher Zach Pop, a Rule 5 Draft acquisition, made the 26-man roster of the Miami Marlins.
Left fielder Josh Naylor and relief pitcher Cal Quantrill will start their first full season, with the Cleveland Indians. They both played on the Canadian National Team in past WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cups.
Gold Glove left fielder Tyler O'Neill, who represented Canada at the inaugural WBSC Premier12, enters his fourth MLB season with the St Louis Cardinals.
Former National League MVP Joey Votto is set to start his 15th season in a Cincinnati Reds uniform.
Left-handed starting pitcher James Paxton returned to the Seattle Mariners, the club he made his MLB debut in 2013, after spending the last couple of seasons with the New York Yankees.
Right-handed reliever Jordan Romano is set to be a valued member of the Toronto Blue Jays bullpen, while fellow righty Nick Pivetta is looking to establish himself as a member of the Boston Red Sox rotation.
Pitchers Mike Soroka (Atlanta Braves) and Rowan Wick (Chicago Cubs) will start the season on the injured list.
In 2020, ten players who call Canada their home played in the big leagues. A modern-day record 26 Canadians appeared in the big leagues in 2011.
There are six Canadians on big league coaching staffs including Stubby Clapp (First Base Coach) with the St. Louis Cardinals, Jonathan Erlichman (Process & Analytics Coach) with the Tampa Bay Rays, Dave McKay (First Base Coach) with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Rob Thomson (Bench Coach) with the Philadelphia Phillies, Jimmy VanOstrand (Mental Performance Coach) with the Toronto Blue Jays and Carson Vitale (Major League Field Coordinator) with the Seattle Mariners.
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