Blue Jays Nation’s Top 20 Canadian Baseball Prospects for 2025 – #10: Dante Nori

A state champion in his senior year of high school, the five-foot-ten outfielder is older than most high school draftees, as he turned 20 years old last October. This may have somewhat lowered his stock and projection as the draft got closer.

Nori, MLB Pipeline’s sixth ranked Phillies prospect, showed a keen batter’s eye in his 66-plate appearance debut in single-A Clearwater at the tail end of 2024. He walked (16) more than he struck out (14), leading to a .424 on-base percentage. He did not hit any balls over the fence, but he did swipe four bases while posting a .704 OPS.

Nori’s ceiling

The fact that the Phillies drafted Nori in the first round means that they believe in his five-tool potential. His highest grades from scouts are for his outfield defense and speed, something that likely gives him a floor as a major league fourth outfielder (similar to fellow Canadian Dasan Brown). Both players have speed and instincts that allow them to cover a lot of ground in the outfield, and Nori’s strong throwing arm makes runners question whether they can take an extra base. His aggressiveness on the base paths will likely lead to high stolen base numbers as a professional as well.

At the plate, Nori focuses on line drives and getting on-base. He can spray base hits to all areas of the field, including this walk-off single he hit in Clearwater in August:

Although he has shown that he has power, it hasn’t translated into home runs during games although the sample size is small. He may blossom into a guy who can run into the odd home run but is primarily focused on hitting line drives and getting on base as a top-of-the-order type of bat. The Diamondbacks’ Corbin Carroll may have paved the way for a smaller outfielder with the skillset of Nori to thrive in today’s game. Like Carroll, the former Perfect Game All-American hits and throws lefthanded, and has the chance to contribute in several ways on the field.

Where will Nori play

Nori will likely return to single-A to open up the season, but a quick rise through the Phillies’ system wouldn’t be surprising. His older age for a high school draftee means it’s unlikely that the Phillies will hold him back from advancing if he has some initial success. However, the most likely outcome is for him to play the majority of his games in high-A in 2025.

Previous

11. Erik Sabrowski

12. Damiano Palmegiani

13. Eric Cerantola

14. Dasan Brown

15. Émilien Pitre

16. Adam Maier

17. Liam Hicks

18. David McCabe

19. Calvin Ziegler

20. Jeremy Pilon