2027 Canadian Rookie League Stars and Disappointments
Mar 17, 2022 15:56:04 GMT -5
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Post by Commissioner Erick on Mar 17, 2022 15:56:04 GMT -5
Teams decided against putting their top arms in the Canadian League this season, leading to an offensive explosion. Let’s examine the few pitchers who held their own, and the hitters who dominated the most.
1B: Ferran Praveenkumar—Rockies
A scouting discovery out of Qatar in 2023, Praveenkumar had a strong first pro season in 2025 in the Dominican League, hitting .307 with 11 doubles and six homers. He worked on his power approach the next year, bashing 20, though his doubles count dropped to 11. His average dipped to .260 with the change in approach, though he still waked enough to get on base at a sturdy .360 clip.
He exploded when called up to St. Larewnce, hitting .481, getting on base at a .569 clip, and driving 82 runs. He clubbed 22 homers with 19 doubles, and put up 5.6 WAR. He led the league in WAR, average, and with a 1.366 mark, OPS. He also was the only Canadian Rookie League player to top 100 runs with 102 scored. He’s a little bit older, and will likely top out in High A, but what a season for the ages for Praveenkumar.
RF: Marco Ortiz—Rockies
Ortiz was a big slugger, but an inconsistent his first two pro seasons in the Dominican Rookie League. With no pitchers in Canada, his power erupted, and his flaws were minimized. He led the league with 23 home runs and 104 RBIs, smashed 27 doubles, and hit .420. His highest average in the Dominican Republic was .238. Ortiz had a 1.217 OPS and did his damage as a 20-year-old.
Ortiz might skip Boise and get the call to full time ball next season as his power is ready for full-time play. OSA doesn’t seem more than a Double-A player, but Bill Schmidt thinks Ortiz may have a major league future. He has some speed and he has some defense. If he improves his eye, there might be a major league backup there.
CF: Andreas Nomden—Blue Jays
In a league where everyone did damage with their bats, Nomden did his work with his legs. While he did hit 10 homers, he hit .368 and legged into 19 doubles and three triples. The Aruban struggled in 2026 with a .218 average but really hit well this past year. He’s main asset was his speed though. He stole 25 bases in 33 attempts in 2026, and upped that to 32 steals in 43 attempts last year. The steals led the league, fueled by a .431 OBP that gave him plenty of chances.
The 2023 scouting discovery doesn’t appear to be more than an Double-A player, but the speed and glove will play there, at least as a backup. If Nomden continues to hit, maybe there’s a chance at an upper minors career. Expect a trip to Short-A next year.
SS: Luke Martin—Marlins
There wasn’t a ton of defense played in Canada, but don’t tell that to Luke Martin. The Sault Ste. Marie dinosaur had a 16.0 zone rating at Shortstop, tops in the league. He was also adequate at Third Base, and good at Second Base in brief moments there. While he was a standout defender, he wasn’t one-dimensional, hitting .321 with 19 doubles and nine steals.
Nobody looks at the Australian Martin and sees anything more than a low-minors player, but the glove is terrific. Martin will make Miami’s pitchers look good as they develop in the low minors.
SS: Adrien Moreau—Red Sox
The 20-year old Haitian Moreau was a fantastic hitter in Prince George this year, batting .360 and leading the league with 32 doubles. He only homered twice, and he struck out a fair amount, but the double count was one shy of Huibert Arkes’ mark in 2025 for the all-time CRL lead.
Moreau didn’t hit at all in 2026, but the gap power is legitimate, and should earn him a promotion to Short-A next year. Long term, he’s likely a Double-A guy as he doesn’t have much else to his game aside from the gap power, and that he can be an adequate Shortstop. He’s a leader and his teammates like him, which should afford him opportunities to grow.
3B: Ryan Cantwell—Padres
Cantwell led the league in triples in 2026, and he repeated the feat this year. The Third Baseman didn’t havea great year last year aside from stealing bases and hitting triples, but this year he hit .353, homered nine times, clubbed 19 doubles, stole 11 bags in just 14 attempts, and led the league with eight triples. Cantwell drove in 73 runs as a result of his gap prowess.
Cantwell’s proven he can hit the level and he’ll be 23 next year. It’s time for a trip to A-Ball to see how good he is when challenged. Both OSA and Bill Schmidt see a Triple-A future for the former 13th rounder.
P: Sergio Melero—Padres
Melero was the Pitcher Of The Year in Canada, after leading the league with a 12-1 record, a 3.5 WAR, 141 strikeouts and 100.1 innings pitches. Melero allowed just 15 walks with the 141 strikeouts, gave up just four homers, and had a 0.99 WHIP. Melero was a key reason why the Yukon Gold Mining Grey Birds won the title this year.
While Melero was 23 this year, he had an excuse for still being in Canada—he was replacement level in 2025 and sub-replacement last year. His stuff and movement is way to good for the league though and he should find himself in full-season ball next year. Both OSA and Bill Schmidt love his stuff—it’s up to Melero’s command as to whether he makes to at least Triple-A or if he flames out in the minors.
P: Giampietro Tilleti—Padres
Like his teammate, Tilletri also had a 2.34 ERA, though Tilletri did it as a 24-year-old. The Italian walked just eight against 98 strikeouts in 61.2 innings. His curveball befuddled hitters as he was successful in 2026 and too good for the level.
Tilletri is homer prone, but the stuff and command will play in full-season ball. Both OSA and Bill Schmidt see a Double-A arm, with his age working against the prospect of improvement.
P: Manny Dominguez—Tigers
Dominguez was a prominent player in the CRL this year, as he led the league in Saves with 19. It was mostly because the Montreal Possessed Tyrannosaurs played in a lot of close games, not because he was particularly good as he ran a 5.51 ERA thanks to a .413 BABIP. Dominguez had pitched well in the Dominican the season prior and his peripherals are fairly similar, so the BABIP and change in hitter quality is what caused his ERA to jump from 1.80 to 5.51.
Dominguez will not have a professional future and is young enough where it’s not awful to repeat the level. Dominguez should spend his age 22-season trying to bring his ERA down and add to his CRL Save total.
P: Juan Berrios—Rockies
Berrios was effective in relief, leading the league with 12 Holds. He allowed a 5.26 ERA, fueled by a .442 BABIP, but he allowed just four homers and nine walks on the year with good strikeout totals. He had a 1.00 ERA the year prior with better defenders.
Berrios should get the call to Boise in Short-A next year, but he’ll likely top out in High-A as he doesn’t have great command and has only two pitches. OSA sees a Double-A future for the 2023 25th rounder.
P: Yujiro Uemura—Mariners
Uemura was the only pitcher in the league to pitch a Shutout, and he allowed just a single home run in 35 innings. He was demoted from Short-A despite having a 1.15 ERA for the Everett Aquasox, and while his 5.66 ERA for Prince Albert was bad, he earned 0.7 WAR thanks to his control and his 50 strikeouts.
Uemura has good stuff and poor control, and he should be back in Everett next year. He won 10 Games in A-ball in 2026, and while he doesn’t have more than a High-A future, may already have a High-A present.
P: Michael Ortega—Giants
Ortega had a nice year, racking up 2.6 WAR despite a 4.33 ERA. He whiffed 109 in 81 innings and allowed just five home runs and 19 walks. He went 7-4 and allowed a 67% ground ball rate.
Ortega only has two good pitches, a fastball and sinker, so he’s limited to the bullpen as he goes up the chain. The two pitches are good enough to get him to the upper minors, and San Francisco’s development system may be able to get him the final mile to the show. After four successful seasons in Vancouver, expect to see Ortega in Short-A next year as a 23-year-old.
CF: Norbert Kuik—Athletics
Norbert Kuik, nicknamed Sheriff as his dad is a police officer back on Sint Maarten, still has some work to do before he can imprison arms who pitch to him. He had a decent year in Edmonton with a. 287 average and nine home runs, but with a huge run environment, his .781 OPS was only good for a 75 OPS+. He struck out 74 times against 13 walks, and committed eight errors in Center Field.
A Top 100 Prospect since he was discovered by Oakland, Kuik has a huge future with OSA seeing a starting outfielder, and Bill Schmidt seeing a Triple-A outfielder—though Schmidt is notoriously conservative with big prospects. Kuik will play next year as an 18-year old and should repeat the level.
CF: Stanislaw Gromadzki—Pirates
A 2024 third rounder, Gromadzki is still in Rookie Ball and had a negative WAR for Lethbridge. He’s played well in the Gulf Coast League, but has struggled in Bristol and Lethbridge. His .812 OPS+ was good for an 88 OPS+, and he struck out 44 times versus 11 walks. His defense was pretty solid at least, but his bat has developed slowly.
Gromadzki still looks like he has at least an upper minors future, with some power, some speed, and a glove that should play in Center going forward. OSA sees huge power from Gromadzki. He’ll be 22 next year, and he’ll likely spend another year in Rookie Ball.
SP: John Mullens—Giants
Mullens was selected in the third round by the Orioles this year, then was traded to San Francisco in the Miguel Diaz deal. He pitched for four different clubs this year, not including Glenwood high school, so it’s no surprise that he struggled when he made is way to Vancouver. He pitched to a 7.49 ERA with 16 walks and 33 strikeouts in 39.2 innings.
OSA sees a mid-rotation starting pitcher in Mullens with four pitches and the ability to keep the ball on the ground. Bill Schmidt doesn’t love the changeup and sees more of a back-end arm, but still sees a major league future. Mullens will likely get another crack at the level next year.
P: Chad Vaillancourt—Blue Jays
A fourth-round pick in 2026, Vailancourt scuffled in East St. Paul this year, working to a 5.73 ERA and 1.75 WHIP in 48.2 innings. He allowed six homers and carried a 1.75 WHIP. Vaillancourt did go 8-0 for the LeBrons last year, and he did strike out 60 hitters this year, so there were some good peripherals despite the sheer number of men on base.
Vaillancourt was actually promoted to A-Ball despite the struggles, and went 1-0 with a 5.54 ERA in three games with the club, keeping the walks and homers down. Both Bill Schmidt and OSA see Vaillancourt riding his six pitch arsenal to the upper minors. He’s already in Lansing, and will likely spend his age-23 season there next year.
1B: Ferran Praveenkumar—Rockies
A scouting discovery out of Qatar in 2023, Praveenkumar had a strong first pro season in 2025 in the Dominican League, hitting .307 with 11 doubles and six homers. He worked on his power approach the next year, bashing 20, though his doubles count dropped to 11. His average dipped to .260 with the change in approach, though he still waked enough to get on base at a sturdy .360 clip.
He exploded when called up to St. Larewnce, hitting .481, getting on base at a .569 clip, and driving 82 runs. He clubbed 22 homers with 19 doubles, and put up 5.6 WAR. He led the league in WAR, average, and with a 1.366 mark, OPS. He also was the only Canadian Rookie League player to top 100 runs with 102 scored. He’s a little bit older, and will likely top out in High A, but what a season for the ages for Praveenkumar.
RF: Marco Ortiz—Rockies
Ortiz was a big slugger, but an inconsistent his first two pro seasons in the Dominican Rookie League. With no pitchers in Canada, his power erupted, and his flaws were minimized. He led the league with 23 home runs and 104 RBIs, smashed 27 doubles, and hit .420. His highest average in the Dominican Republic was .238. Ortiz had a 1.217 OPS and did his damage as a 20-year-old.
Ortiz might skip Boise and get the call to full time ball next season as his power is ready for full-time play. OSA doesn’t seem more than a Double-A player, but Bill Schmidt thinks Ortiz may have a major league future. He has some speed and he has some defense. If he improves his eye, there might be a major league backup there.
CF: Andreas Nomden—Blue Jays
In a league where everyone did damage with their bats, Nomden did his work with his legs. While he did hit 10 homers, he hit .368 and legged into 19 doubles and three triples. The Aruban struggled in 2026 with a .218 average but really hit well this past year. He’s main asset was his speed though. He stole 25 bases in 33 attempts in 2026, and upped that to 32 steals in 43 attempts last year. The steals led the league, fueled by a .431 OBP that gave him plenty of chances.
The 2023 scouting discovery doesn’t appear to be more than an Double-A player, but the speed and glove will play there, at least as a backup. If Nomden continues to hit, maybe there’s a chance at an upper minors career. Expect a trip to Short-A next year.
SS: Luke Martin—Marlins
There wasn’t a ton of defense played in Canada, but don’t tell that to Luke Martin. The Sault Ste. Marie dinosaur had a 16.0 zone rating at Shortstop, tops in the league. He was also adequate at Third Base, and good at Second Base in brief moments there. While he was a standout defender, he wasn’t one-dimensional, hitting .321 with 19 doubles and nine steals.
Nobody looks at the Australian Martin and sees anything more than a low-minors player, but the glove is terrific. Martin will make Miami’s pitchers look good as they develop in the low minors.
SS: Adrien Moreau—Red Sox
The 20-year old Haitian Moreau was a fantastic hitter in Prince George this year, batting .360 and leading the league with 32 doubles. He only homered twice, and he struck out a fair amount, but the double count was one shy of Huibert Arkes’ mark in 2025 for the all-time CRL lead.
Moreau didn’t hit at all in 2026, but the gap power is legitimate, and should earn him a promotion to Short-A next year. Long term, he’s likely a Double-A guy as he doesn’t have much else to his game aside from the gap power, and that he can be an adequate Shortstop. He’s a leader and his teammates like him, which should afford him opportunities to grow.
3B: Ryan Cantwell—Padres
Cantwell led the league in triples in 2026, and he repeated the feat this year. The Third Baseman didn’t havea great year last year aside from stealing bases and hitting triples, but this year he hit .353, homered nine times, clubbed 19 doubles, stole 11 bags in just 14 attempts, and led the league with eight triples. Cantwell drove in 73 runs as a result of his gap prowess.
Cantwell’s proven he can hit the level and he’ll be 23 next year. It’s time for a trip to A-Ball to see how good he is when challenged. Both OSA and Bill Schmidt see a Triple-A future for the former 13th rounder.
P: Sergio Melero—Padres
Melero was the Pitcher Of The Year in Canada, after leading the league with a 12-1 record, a 3.5 WAR, 141 strikeouts and 100.1 innings pitches. Melero allowed just 15 walks with the 141 strikeouts, gave up just four homers, and had a 0.99 WHIP. Melero was a key reason why the Yukon Gold Mining Grey Birds won the title this year.
While Melero was 23 this year, he had an excuse for still being in Canada—he was replacement level in 2025 and sub-replacement last year. His stuff and movement is way to good for the league though and he should find himself in full-season ball next year. Both OSA and Bill Schmidt love his stuff—it’s up to Melero’s command as to whether he makes to at least Triple-A or if he flames out in the minors.
P: Giampietro Tilleti—Padres
Like his teammate, Tilletri also had a 2.34 ERA, though Tilletri did it as a 24-year-old. The Italian walked just eight against 98 strikeouts in 61.2 innings. His curveball befuddled hitters as he was successful in 2026 and too good for the level.
Tilletri is homer prone, but the stuff and command will play in full-season ball. Both OSA and Bill Schmidt see a Double-A arm, with his age working against the prospect of improvement.
P: Manny Dominguez—Tigers
Dominguez was a prominent player in the CRL this year, as he led the league in Saves with 19. It was mostly because the Montreal Possessed Tyrannosaurs played in a lot of close games, not because he was particularly good as he ran a 5.51 ERA thanks to a .413 BABIP. Dominguez had pitched well in the Dominican the season prior and his peripherals are fairly similar, so the BABIP and change in hitter quality is what caused his ERA to jump from 1.80 to 5.51.
Dominguez will not have a professional future and is young enough where it’s not awful to repeat the level. Dominguez should spend his age 22-season trying to bring his ERA down and add to his CRL Save total.
P: Juan Berrios—Rockies
Berrios was effective in relief, leading the league with 12 Holds. He allowed a 5.26 ERA, fueled by a .442 BABIP, but he allowed just four homers and nine walks on the year with good strikeout totals. He had a 1.00 ERA the year prior with better defenders.
Berrios should get the call to Boise in Short-A next year, but he’ll likely top out in High-A as he doesn’t have great command and has only two pitches. OSA sees a Double-A future for the 2023 25th rounder.
P: Yujiro Uemura—Mariners
Uemura was the only pitcher in the league to pitch a Shutout, and he allowed just a single home run in 35 innings. He was demoted from Short-A despite having a 1.15 ERA for the Everett Aquasox, and while his 5.66 ERA for Prince Albert was bad, he earned 0.7 WAR thanks to his control and his 50 strikeouts.
Uemura has good stuff and poor control, and he should be back in Everett next year. He won 10 Games in A-ball in 2026, and while he doesn’t have more than a High-A future, may already have a High-A present.
P: Michael Ortega—Giants
Ortega had a nice year, racking up 2.6 WAR despite a 4.33 ERA. He whiffed 109 in 81 innings and allowed just five home runs and 19 walks. He went 7-4 and allowed a 67% ground ball rate.
Ortega only has two good pitches, a fastball and sinker, so he’s limited to the bullpen as he goes up the chain. The two pitches are good enough to get him to the upper minors, and San Francisco’s development system may be able to get him the final mile to the show. After four successful seasons in Vancouver, expect to see Ortega in Short-A next year as a 23-year-old.
CF: Norbert Kuik—Athletics
Norbert Kuik, nicknamed Sheriff as his dad is a police officer back on Sint Maarten, still has some work to do before he can imprison arms who pitch to him. He had a decent year in Edmonton with a. 287 average and nine home runs, but with a huge run environment, his .781 OPS was only good for a 75 OPS+. He struck out 74 times against 13 walks, and committed eight errors in Center Field.
A Top 100 Prospect since he was discovered by Oakland, Kuik has a huge future with OSA seeing a starting outfielder, and Bill Schmidt seeing a Triple-A outfielder—though Schmidt is notoriously conservative with big prospects. Kuik will play next year as an 18-year old and should repeat the level.
CF: Stanislaw Gromadzki—Pirates
A 2024 third rounder, Gromadzki is still in Rookie Ball and had a negative WAR for Lethbridge. He’s played well in the Gulf Coast League, but has struggled in Bristol and Lethbridge. His .812 OPS+ was good for an 88 OPS+, and he struck out 44 times versus 11 walks. His defense was pretty solid at least, but his bat has developed slowly.
Gromadzki still looks like he has at least an upper minors future, with some power, some speed, and a glove that should play in Center going forward. OSA sees huge power from Gromadzki. He’ll be 22 next year, and he’ll likely spend another year in Rookie Ball.
SP: John Mullens—Giants
Mullens was selected in the third round by the Orioles this year, then was traded to San Francisco in the Miguel Diaz deal. He pitched for four different clubs this year, not including Glenwood high school, so it’s no surprise that he struggled when he made is way to Vancouver. He pitched to a 7.49 ERA with 16 walks and 33 strikeouts in 39.2 innings.
OSA sees a mid-rotation starting pitcher in Mullens with four pitches and the ability to keep the ball on the ground. Bill Schmidt doesn’t love the changeup and sees more of a back-end arm, but still sees a major league future. Mullens will likely get another crack at the level next year.
P: Chad Vaillancourt—Blue Jays
A fourth-round pick in 2026, Vailancourt scuffled in East St. Paul this year, working to a 5.73 ERA and 1.75 WHIP in 48.2 innings. He allowed six homers and carried a 1.75 WHIP. Vaillancourt did go 8-0 for the LeBrons last year, and he did strike out 60 hitters this year, so there were some good peripherals despite the sheer number of men on base.
Vaillancourt was actually promoted to A-Ball despite the struggles, and went 1-0 with a 5.54 ERA in three games with the club, keeping the walks and homers down. Both Bill Schmidt and OSA see Vaillancourt riding his six pitch arsenal to the upper minors. He’s already in Lansing, and will likely spend his age-23 season there next year.