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2025 MLB Draft – Canadian Watchlist: Will Hynes
Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

2025 MLB Draft – Canadian Watchlist: Will Hynes

Originally posted on Bluejaysnation  |  By Chris Georges  |  Last updated Jul 5, 2025 11:00 AM ET

In this series, Blue Jays Nation will be featuring Canadians who are eligible for the 2025 MLB Draft. For this article, high school pitching prospect Will Hynes will be featured. Player: Will Hynes Hometown: Mississauga, Ontario Position: Right-handed pitcher Description: Bats: R / Throws: R / 6-foot-2 Program: Lorne Park (ON), Ontario Blue Jays College Commitment: Wake Forest

Background

Will Hynes is an intriguing high school arm from the Toronto area who has a chance to hear his name selected in the first few rounds of the draft. He has played with the Ontario Blue Jays. This program has seen all kinds of players drafted over the years, along with the Canadian Junior National squad, which has given him significant exposure to professional scouts and against tougher competition.

Hynes will turn 18 on July 7th, less than a week before the 2025 MLB Draft (July 13-14). His experience on the prospect circuit this season has caused his stock to rise. The right-hander played in the Canadian Premier Baseball League with the Ontario Blue Jays, while also seeing some time against big league teams in spring training and the MLB Draft League with the National team. All in all, he held his own while seeing action against the Guardians, Giants, Blue Jays, and Yankees. He also had a dominant start on the program’s Dominican Pro Tour, firing five scoreless innings while punching out seven.

Profile

Hynes has an ideal pitcher’s build for a soon-to-be 18-year-old. He has average height at 6-foot-2, with a thin build that will allow him to add muscle and fill out in the coming years. His fastball clocks in the mid-90s with good run and sink to it, giving it a chance to be a plus offering as a pro. He pairs the heater with a slider that generates high RPM numbers, inducing a lot of swing and miss. The third pitch is a changeup, which he hasn’t used a whole lot but has nonetheless shown some feel for it when deployed.

A solid feel for pitching and ability to throw strikes give Hynes a decent floor to work with, at least as far as high school pitchers go. The selection of Hynes would give the Canadian Junior National team another highly drafted right-handed pitcher, after Athletics pick Josiah Romeo (6th round, 2024) and budding top Mets prospect Jonah Tong (7th round, 2022).

Draft Potential

Hynes enters next week’s draft rated as the 163rd prospect on MLB Pipeline‘s top 250. As is typically the case with high school players, he has a wide range of outcomes as far as where he may get selected. A team could easily take him in the first couple of rounds in the draft and attempt to sign him to an under-slot deal. It would also not be entirely surprising to see him drop to the later rounds or not be selected at all if teams determine that he is likely to uphold his commitment to Wake Forest.

The repertoire, command, and projectable frame give scouts a lot to like with the young right-hander. Perhaps the success of Tong – a similar-sized pitcher from the Toronto area – gives Hynes a bit of a boost when teams consider which upside high school players to consider on draft day.

This article first appeared on Bluejaysnation and was syndicated with permission.

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