Ontario 2023 Watch

December 14, 2020
Cam Black-Araujo
PBR Ontario Scout

To see the 2023 Ontario Rankings, CLICK HERE

Jesse Dale C / 3B / Forest Hill Collegiate Institute, ON / 2023

Is No. 12 in the rankings too early to consider a sleeper? In this case, Jesse Dale of the Ontario Blue Jays very easily could have found himself in the top ten. The 6-foot, 173-pound catcher stood out early in 2020 as one of the top players at the Fergie Jenkins Showcase and was no doubt one of the most physical at the event. He gets the front foot down early from the right-side, uses his lower-half and finishes with strong hands and wrists through the zone, typically trying to do damage with a pull-oriented swing. There’s current strength and feel to hit from Dale. The offensive side seems to be ahead, but the catching isn’t holding him back either as you’ll see pop times in the 2.00’s and arm strength behind the dish. It’s a strong frame and it looks like Dale can stick at the position moving forward.

Kalayo Shaw SS / 2B / St. Martins catholic , ON / 2023

Rankings StateRank: 14 / POS: 5

Report: Playing on a team that’s heavy with some of the top 2023s, sometimes Kalayo Shaw can slip one’s mind but with all the tools in his game he’s one of the more exciting prospects in the class. The 5-foot-11, 160-pound middle infielder has established himself as one of the most athletic players in the class, running an impressive 6.70 back in early August. It’s a quick bat from the right-side and the ball jumps off the barrel for Shaw whose shown power potential throughout the summer. He has a strong arm across the infield as well and moves well side-to-side. It’s a well-rounded game from Shaw right now who will look to add strength over the next couple years and really tap into some of the additional power in his game.

Evan Bertoia C / Nelson, ON / 2023

Rankings StateRank: 18 / POS: 5

Report: Evan Bertoia, a 6-foot, 165-pound catcher from the Burlington Bulls, is a name who really jumped onto the radar towards the end of the summer. He’s an athletic, left-handed hitting catcher who moves well, has feel for the position and plenty of room to add strength. There’s arm strength and twitch behind the plate and he gets rid of the ball quickly, creating one of the top pop times in the class. The bat currently lags behind the defense but when he finds barrels, he can make the ball travel. More consistency with the hit tool and mechanics in the box will have Bertoia setup well moving forward as he begins to fill out and add strength.

Ryan Marton RHP / 3B / Bayviewglen independent school, ON / 2023

Rankings StateRank: 46 / POS: 11

Report: The 2023 right-hander is a presence when he walks off the bus at 6-foot-3, 253-pounds and brings that with him to the field. At the plate, hands start back, gets loaded with a leg kick and generates bat speed through the zone and produced a 92 mph exit velo. He’s balanced and gets good extension to his finish. It’s a simple approach and the whip and power he can create is something to not go unnoticed. He fielded his position well and the arm worked with carry from third base, which he carried over to the mound where he worked with a fluid arm action and was able to get on top of his fastball that was 82-84. The curveball worked at 66-69 and had gradual shape and threw one with depth and proper rotation. Marton does a lot of things well and the 2023 has strong fundamentals to work with moving forward.