WCBL Players to Watch

By IAN WILSON

They are the unleashers of long balls, the ground ball vacuums, the base burglars and the strikeout artists that fans get excited to see every summer.

With the 2025 Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) season upon us, it’s time to take a closer look at some of the returning veteran players who have brought us to our feet in previous years.

These top hitters, elite pitchers and gold glovers are worth keeping an eye on when you head to WCBL games in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Here, in no particular order, are 25 players to watch for this summer:

CONNOR CROWSON … He was the hometown hero who delivered a three-peat WCBL championship to the Okotoks Dawgs in 2024. A solo homer off the bat of Crowson in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 3 of the final against the Moose Jaw Miller Express gave the Dawgs a 6-5 walkoff victory to end the game and the series. The corner infielder, who was named the WCBL Playoff MVP, has been a steady hitter with Okotoks, batting .351 with 128 runs batted in (RBI) and 138 runs in 172 games since 2021.

CARTER BECK … The pride of Carnduff, Saskatchewan was everything for the Saskatoon Berries last summer. After posting a .374 batting average, 53 runs, 11 homers, 19 stolen bases and 38 RBI over 51 regular season games in the WCBL, the outfielder was named the league’s Most Outstanding Canadian and Rookie of the Year. Beck also had the top postseason batting average – .607 over 28 at bats – and was named the 2024 WCBL All-Star Game MVP.

JOSH TUCKER … The Spokane southpaw has been an absolute force on the mound for the Sylvan Lake Gulls since joining the central Alberta team in 2022. Through 175-plus innings and 34 games – 28 of them starts – Tucker has a 16-6 record, a 2.67 earned run average (ERA) and 241 strikeouts. The lefty set the single-season WCBL record for strikeouts with 91 in 2022 and was named the league’s Most Outstanding Pitcher that season.

COLTON ANDERSON … The circuit’s reigning Most Outstanding Pitcher is back for another summer on the bump with the Regina Red Sox. The 6-foot-3 lefthander pitched in 11 regular season games for the Red Sox, including seven starts, and allowed more than three earned runs in an appearance just once in 2024. In his 49 innings of work, the Oklahoma product went 6-2 with a 2.93 ERA, 64 strikeouts and a save. Anderson finished tied for the league lead in wins while producing the fifth highest strikeout total.

JACK KALISKY … He’s been doing his best impersonation of Shohei Ohtani in the WCBL the last two summers, putting in work as both a dependable pitcher and a fearsome slugger with the Lethbridge Bulls. Heading into the 2025 campaign, the Texan – who is both a right-handed hitter and thrower – had worked 40 games out of the bullpen, going 2-3 with 10 saves, 63 Ks and a 2.26 ERA in 51.2 innings. At the plate, Kalisky generated a .281 batting average, 10 round trippers, 25 doubles and 64 RBI through 87 games.

IAN HECK … Another major two-way threat can be found in Weyburn suiting up for the Beavers. Heck logged 60 innings in the WCBL in 2024 and worked primarily as a starting pitcher when he took to the mound. The Californian was 2-4 with a 3.75 ERA and 64 strikeouts over 12 games. He was no slouch at the dish either, posting a .255 batting average, 27 RBI, 25 runs and 16 doubles in 47 games as a utility player.

TIMO ARACENA … The hard-hitting infielder is swapping out his Edmonton Prospects jersey for brand new Energy City Cactus Rats threads. The Vero Beach, Florida product led Edmonton in games played (42), at bats (162), runs (37), hits (48), triples (3), RBI (30) and home runs (12) in 2024. Aracena – who was one long ball short of the WCBL homer lead last summer – will be counted on as a major offensive contributor again this season.

JOSE AYALA … In his first season in the WCBL, the outfielder with the Swift Current 57’s had a penchant for taking opposing pitchers deep. Ayala – a right-handed batter from Panama City, Panama – recorded 11 home runs, 36 RBI and 31 runs in 51 games in 2024. He returns to Mitchell Field this year along with his brother, Luis Ayala, who is a catcher on the team.

PAYTON MATTHEWS … While his teammates Jacob Gillis and Antony Gilbert were going bash brothers on the WCBL in 2024 by launching 13 homers each, Matthews was quietly pacing the offence of the Brooks Bombers in other ways. The Chicago, Illinois native led the team in runs scored (54) and stolen bases (29) last summer and he’ll be counted on again to find his way around the bases with regularity. Matthews will look to build on his .279 batting average, 24 RBI and 11 doubles that he recorded in 51 WCBL games a year ago.

WESTIN WALLS … He was a tower of pitching power for the Moose Jaw Miller Express last year and WCBL hitters will have to contend with him again in 2025. The 6-foot-5 Texan, who was a revelation for the Millers as both a closer and a starting pitcher, went 4-1 with a 4.03 ERA, five saves and 42 strikeouts in 44.2 innings. He appeared in 14 regular season and playoff games in 2024 and made five starts, including three in the postseason. In the East Division championship series against the Saskatoon Berries, Walls pitched a complete game and registered 11 Ks in a 5-3 series-clinching win.

TYLER VANNESTE … The product of Warman, Saskatchewan, returns to the Medicine Hat Mavericks for a third straight summer. The infielder has been excellent for the Mavs in his first 91 games, registering a .325 batting average, 76 runs, 64 runs batted in (RBI), five homers and 20 doubles. Vanneste led the Mavs in being hit by pitches in 2024 after being beaned 11 times.

ASHTON LUERA … The righthander from Albuquerque, New Mexico kept WCBL hitters guessing with his flummoxing mix of fastballs and curveballs as the closer for the Okotoks Dawgs. Luera collected six saves, a 1.47 ERA and 47 Ks over 25 regular season appearances and 24.1 innings. In the 2024 playoffs, he was called upon when Okotoks needed clutch outs to finish off games. Luera delivered three postseason saves – one against every playoff opponent the Dawgs faced – and recorded 18 strikeouts in 10 innings.

KLEVERT MARTINA … He was the league leader in strikeouts in 2024. With the Swift Current 57’s, the product of Kanga, Curacao appeared in 20 games and made seven starts. Martina racked up 75 strikeouts in 64.2 innings and finished tied for the WCBL lead in saves with seven. He is now a member of the Saskatoon Berries.

SIMON BAKER … The 6-foot-4 outfielder from Cochrane, Alberta, appeared in 15 games last summer, picking up 10 hits, five RBI and four stolen bases in 36 at bats. The Gonzaga University student looks to take on a more full-time role with the Sylvan Lake Gulls in 2025 and has considerable pop in his bat.

JACKSON SYRING … The tough-as-nails outfielder will be back with the Regina Red Sox this summer. The Kansas product was a well-rounded offensive force in the WCBL in 2024. In 50 regular season matchups, he posted a .404 batting average, scored 59 runs, produced 51 RBI, launched seven homers and stole 10 bases. Syring also led the league in being hit by pitches after getting plunked 17 times. During the first game of the postseason, he was struck in the face by an offering. Syring stole a base and scored a run before going to the hospital.

SHEAMUS RYAN … The lefty starting pitcher from Calgary – a Vauxhall Academy of Baseball grad – will look to build on a 2024 campaign that saw him go 3-0 with 28 strikeouts, seven walks and a 0.38 ERA over 23 regular season innings with the Lethbridge Bulls. Ryan only allowed two runs, one of them earned, last season.

AUSTIN GURNEY … The infielder from Campbell River, British Columbia is back for another year with the Moose Jaw Miller Express and will be a key part of the offensive attack. Gurney has collected 24 round trippers, 28 steals, 34 doubles, 149 runs and 152 RBI for Moose Jaw in his 178 games from 2022 to 2024.

RICARDO SANCHEZ … The Mexico City product who came up through Dawgs Academy was the league’s regular season MVP in 2022 and he has smacked 177 hits for Okotoks in 167 WCBL games between 2019 and 2024. Sanchez is a slick middle infielder and always a tough out. He’s as likely to punch out a hit with two strikes as he is when he’s ahead in the count.

MATT WHITNEY … The lefty from Florida has been a starting pitcher for the Fort McMurray Giants since 2023. His career numbers in the WCBL include an 8-4 record, a 3.36 ERA and 98 Ks over 91 innings. Last season, he was second in the league in punch outs. Whitney has traded in his black and orange for the purple of the Saskatoon Berries this year.

MATTY FUNG … The ever popular utility player is back for a fourth season with the Sylvan Lake Gulls. Heading into 2025, the lefty batter had suited up in 137 regular season and playoff games. The Californian is a .295 hitter with 94 runs and 44 stolen bases in the WCBL.

THOMAS SOTO … The switch hitting infielder from Texas has a .303 batting average with 43 stolen bases and 103 runs while playing for the Moose Jaw Miller Express in 101 games over the last two summers. He finished third in swipes and fourth in runs in the WCBL in 2024.

NATHAN HOUSTON … A native of Melville, Saskatchewan, the infielder appeared in 67 games – including eight postseason contests – with the Moose Jaw Miller Express over the last two seasons. In his 212 at bats, Houston has a .396 batting average, 50 runs, 48 RBI and 12 doubles. He is now a member of the Saskatoon Berries.

NASH CROWELL … The hard-hitting first baseman and designated hitter from Nova Scotia is always a good bet to go yard. Crowell – who set a career homer record for the Reinhardt University Eagles this year and has competed in the WCBL Home Run Derby the last two summers – entered the 2025 campaign with 20 long balls for the Okotoks Dawgs. He’ll look to add to that total and help drive the offence at Seaman Stadium.

RYAN DAUPHINEE … The veteran infielder is back for a fourth summer in Weyburn. The British Columbian became the team’s all-time regular season leader in games played (143), at bats (545) and hits (154) last year. The WCBL All-Star is a career .283 hitter who has 89 runs and 65 RBI with the Beavers heading into 2025. He’s also filled in on the bump on occasion, registering eight strikeouts in 7.2 innings.

ETHAN MURDOCH … The outfielder with the Saskatoon Berries didn’t play in the WCBL in 2024, but he was an impact player with his hometown Swift Current 57’s in 2022. That summer he played in 42 games and posted a .333 batting average, 30 RBI, 29 runs, four homers and four steals. Murdoch also had a strong showing in the Home Run Derby at the WCBL All-Star Game festivities in Okotoks that year.

What players are you eager to see take the field in the WCBL in 2025? What pitchers do you expect to dominate and which hitters will provide must-see moments?