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Best Moments Of 2019: Amateur Canadian Draft Picks

A handful of great moments took place in the 2019 season for amateur baseball in Canada. The year featured great individual performances, memorable games and tournaments, and at the apex of it all, 12 Canadian high schoolers were selected in the Rule 4 draft.

A total of six draftees came from the province of Ontario, a pair from Alberta, one from British Columbia, and three more from Quebec. It was a solid overall class with a 20.8 average round of selection. The top pick being Oakville’s Dasan Brown going in the 3rd round to the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Top Three Picks

Dasan Brown (3rd round), Adam Macko (7th round) and TJ Schofield-Sam (12th round) all went the pro route signing for a total of $1,370,000. Ontario Blue Jays teammates, Brown and Schofield-Sam had strong spring’s leading up to the draft with the Canadian Junior National Team and the Blue Jays. Both were impressive against the Toronto Blue Jays in the annual Spring Training Game, CPBL opening weekend, and the ProCase. Brown, as mentioned, signed with his hometown team, while Schofield-Sam signed with the Oakland Athletics.

Vauxhall’s Adam Macko, the top amateur pitching prospect in the country, signed with the Seattle Mariners, forgoing the opportunity to go to Purdue University. The Lefty pitched to a 3.09 era in 23.1 innings split between both Rookie Ball and Low A in his first taste of pro ball.

The Next Five Picks

Out of Quebec, Antione Jean, Raphaēl Pelletier and J-C Masson were the next three Canadians off the board. Jean was taken by the Minnesota Twins in the 17th round, Pelletier by the Texas Rangers in the 25th round, and Masson by the Blue Jays in the 26th round. Masson was the only one of the three to sign, while Jean headed to Alabama, and Pelletier will re-enter the draft in 2020.

Eli Saul jumped onto the scene in the 2018 year and was the third HS Canadian arm taken in the draft, going in the 29th round to the Rangers. The top-ranked ranked player in B.C’s class, Saul is an exciting right-hander who was up to 94 mph with the National Team and should be a strong arm for Sacramento State. Owen Diodati’s name was called on by the Blue Jays, selected just a couple picks after Saul. Diodati, the second-ranked player in Ontario, opted to honour his commitment to Alabama and will be an interesting follow throughout his time in the SEC.

The Last Three Picks

Ryan Leitch and Keegan Pulford-Thorpe of the Toronto Mets were taken in the 29th round and 33rd round, respectively, with Leitch getting picked by the Cincinnati Reds and Pulford-Thorpe by the San Diego Padres. Leitch arguably possessed the best power tool in the country, while the same could be said for Pulford-Thorpe’s raw stuff on the pitching side. Both players wound up going to school, with Leitch going to Marshall and Pulford-Thorpe to UCF. Wrapping up the draft, Jaden Brown was selected in the final round by the Washington Nationals, and he opted to go the college route as well, going to Kentucky.

To Recap

The 2019 Draft was, without a doubt, one of the most memorable parts of the year. Dreams came true for these athletes, and for those who singed, they now represent the future of Canadian Baseball at the professional level. And for those who opted to go to school, they represent the future of Canadian Baseball at the College level, before hopefully getting their named called upon again three years from now. The draft is one of the more exciting days on the baseball calendar, and the 2019 version was a thrill for numerous individuals north of the border.