Canadian Futures Showcase: Top high school talent from coast to coast heads to the Rogers Centre

The Toronto Blue Jays may be on the road this week, but the Rogers Centre is going to be rocking all week long.

The Blue Jays Baseball Academy is hosting the 11th annual Canadian Futures Showcase; this event brings the top 150 Canadian amateur players to Toronto for a week of showcasing their skills. 

The event, formerly known as “Tournament 12,” was designed to field the top Canadian talent, all on the only MLB diamond in Canada. These players suit up in front of numerous MLB scouts and various college recruiters from both sides of the border.

This showcase has led players to all avenues of post-secondary baseball, international baseball, and professional baseball. The event began in 2013, and since then, the numbers speak for themselves: 110 alumni have been drafted by Major League clubs, and this number does not include non-drafted free agent contracts. Plus, over 500 scholarships have been dished out, after the exposure that the showcase brought to Canada’s top talent.

Josh Naylor, Bo Naylor, and Myles Naylor are an entire family that could attest to the success they’ve achieved, relating to the Canadian Futures Showcase. These are just a few names, amongst Owen Caissie, Will Hynes, Sam Shaw, Dasan Brown, and many more.

Earlier this year, two former participants were picked up on undrafted free agent contracts. From the Ontario Blue Jays, right-handed pitcher Ryan McDonagh was inked to a contract by the Kansas City Royals. The Blue Jays also invested in their own cause and signed Aiden Taggert to a UDFA deal as well. Around the same time McDonagh signed with the Royals, Toronto made their offer to Taggart, an arm which they’ve seen at their own diamond.