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Ontario Scout Blog: May's Standouts

June 2, 2024
Cam Black-Araujo/Michael Stavraky/Phill Jankulovski
Prep Baseball Staff

Our staff was all over the province this past month getting a look at players in-game following a long offseason of indoor training and our winter showcase circuit. Our staff saw well over 300 players throughout our showcase season that stretched from February - April and we've now had the ability to get outdoors and see how those players and their tools perform in a game situation.

Our scouting staff took in dozens of games over the past month with video analysis going live on our social channels and below we'll begin to breakdown some of the standout players from the first month of the season. The list includes several high-profile names who are already paired up with college programs, but we also highlight a ton of uncommitted talent who've had a hot start to the summer and will be sure to generate interest from college programs during tournament play.

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‘28 RHP Westin Merritt (Whitby Canadians/Uncommitted): Our staff got its first look at Westin Merritt early in May at the 15U Best of the West tournament and the 2023 OBA Player of the Year quickly asserted himself as one of the top 2028 prospects in the province. We got another look this past week as he pitched up an age-group against 15U players and went 2.1 innings. Lacked command out of the gate with several walks in the first inning but didn’t allow a ball in play during the inning as he picked up all three outs via the strikeout. The body already physically stands out at 6-foot, 160-pounds and the fastball sat 79-81, while touching a couple 82s, and paired it with a breaking ball at 64-67mph. The arm talent is undeniable and will be a fun watch throughout his high school career.

‘24 3B/C Brayden Ricketts (Ontario Blue Jays/Indiana): Ricketts continues to stand out as one of the top draft-eligible bats in the province and doesn’t take an at-bat off, constantly making himself a tough out for opposing pitchers. It’s a smooth left-handed swing that’s able to find both the gaps with ease and rarely takes pitches over the plate as he looks to do damage with pitchers' mistakes. Continues to be a staple in the middle of the Junior National Team order and the bat has impressed each time our staff has seen him this spring.

‘24/25 RHP Sam Fraiberg (Ontario Blue Jays/Uncommitted): Fraiberg has really jumped onto the scene this spring as he impressed at the Ontario Blue Jays Scout Day and followed it up with a quality showing last weekend against the Team Ontario Astros. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound right-hander lives in the 85-87mph range and the pitch plays well when working up in the zone. Also flashes a sweeping slider at 75-76mph with feel for the pitch. Allowed some hard contact last weekend with pitches left over the middle of the zone but overall it was a quality outing for the Ontario Blue Jays product. An uncommitted senior who’s also eligible as a 2025 and will be worth a look from college coaches over the summer.

‘24/25 RHP Hank Lloyd (Ontario Blue Jays/Uncommitted): Our staff has seen Lloyd twice over the past week and is another intriguing uncommitted 2024/25 arm out of the Ontario Blue Jays program. The right-hander turned in another strong start this past Thursday as he ran his fastball up to 89mph, sitting 85-88mph along with a downer breaking ball in the mid-70s. The frame stands out at 6-foot-4, 200-pounds and shows the ability to get outs even when he doesn’t have his best stuff or with velocity a couple ticks down.

‘24/25 RHP Ian Roberts (Fieldhouse Pirates/Uncommitted): On a 17U Fieldhouse loaded with offensive talent, Roberts is an easy standout on the mound and is a highly intriguing uncommitted 2024/25 within the province. The FB played well for the 6-foot-2, 190-pound right-hander, generating plenty of whiffs, while sitting 85-88 T89. Paired it with a vertical breaking ball at 70-72mph and used it to help setup the fastball up in the zone. Intriguing profile on the mound with a good two-pitch mix right now. Another uncommitted Ontario arm who will be sure to generate interest from college coaches over the summer with tournaments south of the border.

‘26 SS Robert Omidi (Fieldhouse Pirates/Uncommitted): Omidi continues to show why he’s the top 2026 positional player in the country and provides our staff with quality content each time we see him. Playing up an age with 17U’s, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound left-handed hitter consistently puts balls in play and shows the ability to drive the ball with relative ease, especially to the pullside. Advanced tools in the box and has no issues handling velocity. Average runner right now and handles himself well at third base with good footwork and 83mph throws across the diamond. Will be a fun watch throughout his high school career and should create plenty of buzz late in the summer and into the fall as college recruiting opens up.

‘25 OF Quinn Carson (Fieldhouse Pirates/Uncommitted): The Future Games alum and uncommitted talent continues to flash his extra-base and will make his second appearance at the Canada Cup later this summer representing Ontario. While there’s some swing and miss in there from the 6-foot-3, 200-pound right-handed hitter, his power and ability to impact a ball is up there with the best in the province. Ran a 6.83 at last summer’s Future Games, up to 90mph in the outfield and generates upper-90s exit velocities. Quality metrics across the board, along with the frame/body, should have him on the radar of Division I coaches in need of a 2025 outfielder.

‘25/26 SS Matthew Kolodzeij (Fieldhouse Pirates/Uncommitted): It’s been a huge start to the spring/summer for Kolodziej as he’s quickly thrust himself into the national scene. Recently cracked Ontario’s 2024 Canada Cup team and jumped up to No. 3 in our 2025 rankings this past month, coming in at No. 452 in the North American rankings. 6-foot-2, 185-pound shortstop with hitter-ish tentendies from the left side. Good approach at the dish and consistently hits the ball hard to all fields. Also handles himself well at the shortstop position with good range and a mid-80s arm across the diamond. A must follow in Canada’s 2025 class.

‘25/26 OF Kenyon Sikkema (Fieldhouse Pirates/Uncommitted): Sikkema is another name who’s really jumped onto the scene early this spring with his projection at 6-foot-4, 190-pounds. The physical left-handed hitter flashed some power at last month’s Ontario Youth Team Tryouts as he generated mid-90s exit velocities with the wood bat, as well as a peak distance of 339ft. The left-on-left outfielder will be a fun watch the rest of the summer and will surely get looks from college programs as the Fieldhouse Pirates head south for summer tournaments. Sikkema will also be representing Ontario at the 2024 Canada Cup in Fort McMurray, Alberta.

‘24/25 OF Ryan Stalony (Ontario Blue Jays/Uncommitted): Started the month with the Canadian Junior National Team on their trip to the Dominican Republic being one of their most productive bats and has only carried that into CPBL play. In his first games back our staff has already seen multiple HRs and XBH. An athletic RHH at 6-foot-1, 180-pounds that does not get cheated in the box, will fight deep into counts, work at-bats and has the possibility to do damage at any point in the AB. Stalony has the makings to become an impact player at the next level and continues to solidify himself as one of the top uncommitted OFs in the country.

‘25/26 OF Raine Kreklewetz (Ontario Blue Jays/Uncommitted): A strong contender to be a player with a breakout season. After putting a strong showing at OBJ Scout Day in April, Raine continued to show well into the first month of play. The looseness and easiness we saw indoors continued to play in game. Mature approach at the plate and will make pitchers work. There is a feel to hit there and the ability to find ways to get on base, as our staff saw at the Ontario Youth Team 40-Man Camp. There is a lot to like in Raine’s game and it will not be a surprise to continue seeing him perform as the season goes on.

‘27 OF/C Galen Hudel (Great Lakes Canadians/Uncommitted): Galen Hudel has quickly established himself as one of the better bats in Ontario’s class of 2027. Physically mature for his age standing at 5-foot-11, 185-pounds, and possesses the ability to hit the ball to all parts of the field, but tends to draw more power to his pull-side. The young outfielder has acquired several XBHs early on this spring and is a staple in a strong GLC lineup. He works counts and has shown his ability to hit in-game. There is a lot to dream on with the young, physical outfielder and we believe he will be fun to watch as the season goes on, and as he progresses in his career.

‘24/25 RHP Aiden Taggart (Fieldhouse Pirates/Utah): Taggart continues to solidify himself as one of the better right-handers in Ontario's class of 2024 with a pair of impressive starts in the CPBL, while also appearing on the first two Canadian Junior National Team trips this year. Standing at 6-foot-3, 200-pounds, Taggart’s FB sits 87-89mph with 2400rpm+ coupled with two downer breaking balls that are spun for strikes. He continues to be an uncomfortable at-bat for hitters and will be able to stick at the next level.

‘25/26 LHP Logan Forgie (Ontario Blue Jays/Uncommitted): Recently slotted in at No. 5 in Ontario’s class of 2025 rankings, Forgie continues to impress our staff with his pure pitchability on the mound. The 6-foot-1, 217-pound LHP continues to show he is truly an uncomfortable AB by racking up 9 Ks through 3 innings at the CPBL showcase weekend. The FB sits 85-88mph with armside-run and gets on hitters quick, but his most impressive pitch might be the CB which sits in the mid-low 70s (2600rpm+) and generates a ton of swing and miss. He also possesses a wipeout slider that generates 2500rpm+. There is a lot to like from Ontario’s top-ranked left-hander in the class of 2025 and he still remains uncommitted.

‘27 C/RHP Gino De Santis (Great Lakes Canadians/Uncommitted): Gino is another young up-and-coming LHH who continues to impress our staff early on this spring. Standing at a mature 6-foot, 190-pound frame, Gino boasts a patient approach and consistently works deep into counts. He possesses some pull-side juice as we’ve seen this year and also shows strong defensive capability behind the dish with a natural feel for the catcher position. We have also briefly seen him on the bump, where he pitched one inning and sat low 80s with the ability to locate the FB up in the zone. There are present tools in Gino’s game as he continues to show why he's ranked No. 2 in Ontario’s class of 2027.

UPCOMING EVENTS

SHOWCASE STATE DATE LOCATION
2024 New England Academic Games (Invite Only) ON 07/09 Yale
Future Games (Class of 2026/27) NATIONAL 07/24 LakePoint Sports
Junior Future Games (Class of 2028/29) NATIONAL 07/24 LakePoint Sports
Senior Future Games (Class of 2025) NATIONAL 07/24 LakePoint Sports
2024 Toronto Summer ID ON 07/30 Dan Lang Field
2024 Midwest Super Sophomore Games (Invite Only) ON 08/02 Indiana University - Bart Kaufman Field
2024 Fergie League Showcase ON 08/24 Welland Stadium

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