The youth movement has arrived for Canada and it looks like it will be on full display at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
With the World Series now complete, many baseball insiders have now turned their attention to the next installment of what turned out to be a major coup for the sport in 2023.
While Japan won its third-straight title with a thrilling 3-2 victory over the United States, the tournament attracted significant attention with the quality of talent on the field and the great storylines that seemed to come with every game.
It was a tough grind for Canada in 2023, going 2-2 with wins over Great Britain and Colombia and losses to the U.S. and Mexico, which has seemingly been the typical route.
To beat one of those two teams, they will likely be looking towards a mix of veteran hitters (Freddie Freeman, Tyler O’Neill and Josh Naylor) and up-and-comers (Denzel Clarke, Edouard Julien and Owen Caissie), while their pitching staff will also potentially feature a better mix of vets (Nick Pivetta, Jameson Taillon and Jordan Romano) and rising stars (Jonah Tong, Cade Smith and Eric Cerantola).
Not to be lost is a plethora of talent from Alberta and Saskatchewan, players who have moved up the depth chart since 2023 during their professional baseball journeys.
With the initial 35-man roster due by the start of December and the final 30-man roster to be submitted by February 2026, we thought we would gaze into our crystal ball to see who might get the call to the WBC in just a few months.
This might be the surest bet to make the Baseball Canada roster. Absolute Human Performance alum Erik Sabrowski has been nearly unhittable in his first two seasons on the mound for the Cleveland Guardians. In 41 relief appearances, the southpaw has a combined 0-1 record with a 1.29 earned run average, striking out 61 batters in 42 innings of work. A former Edmonton Prospects utilityman, Sabrowski has sat down some of the best in the big leagues and would be a major piece of the Canadian bullpen that should also include some up-and-comers like Mitch Bratt, Matt Brash and fellow Guardians hurler Cade Smith.
The big question heading into this offseason will be the overall health of Michael Soroka. The Calgary native wasn’t able to pitch in the 2023 World Baseball Classic because of his nagging injuries. Then 2024 was the tale of two seasons for the righthander, struggling as a starter while blooming as a reliever with the Chicago White Sox. Soroka moved onto a one-year contract with the Washington Nationals, where he went 3-8 with a 4.87 ERA in 16 starts during a campaign thar saw him traded to the Chicago Cubs. An injury in his first start for the Cubs led to bullpen duty during Chicago’s playoff run, but he enters 2026 as a free agent, so his status may depend on his new team and what they want out of him heading into the season.
3. ROB ZASTRYZNY
Going into the 2023 World Baseball Classic, there was a definite veteran presence on the pitching staff, particularly coming out of the bullpen. Andrew Albers, Phillippe Aumont, John Axford, Adam Loewen, Scott Mathieson, and Evan Rutckyj were all over the age of 30, aimed at providing some stability for the younger pitchers like Brash, Bratt and Smith. Now, one of the veterans likely to be leaned on will be Edmonton’s Rob Zastryzny, who had just turned 30 when the last event got going. The journeyman lefthander is coming off a solid campaign with the NL Central-winning Milwaukee Brewers, posting a 2-1 record and a 2.45 ERA in 26 games (25 in relief).
The Canadian outfield should be pretty full with Tyler O’Neill, Denzel Clarke and Owen Caissie believed to be the frontrunners for the starting jobs. But one has to think Tristan Peters has climbed up the ladder after making his MLB debut in 2025 with the Tampa Bay Rays. While he didn’t pick up a hit in his four big league games, the Dawgs Academy and Okotoks Dawgs alum played well defensively, which has been a signature of his since he turned pro in 2021. Peters, who was named the 2019 Western Canadian Baseball League Top Canadian and Playoff MVP, spent most of this last season in Triple-A with the Durham Bulls, hitting .266 with 15 home runs, 76 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 136 games, which should be enough for him to get the call from Greg Hamilton.
5. ADAM MACKO
He’s always wanted to be a Hall of Fame pitcher, so Adam Macko could certainly start his run towards that goal if he gets the call to the WBC. The Slovakian-born, Stony Plain-raised left-hander was drafted straight out of Vauxhall Academy by the Seattle Mariners in 2019 and has since been grinding his way towards the big leagues. Traded to the Blue Jays as part of the Teoscar Hernandez deal in 2022, Macko spent most of this past year in Triple-A Buffalo, going 3-8 with a 5.06 ERA in 18 games, striking out 65 in 64 innings. He missed some time with injury, so the Blue Jays might want to make sure he’s 100 percent before giving him the nod to join his adopted country.
A member of the 2023 World Baseball Classic team, Damiano Palmegiani was hoping he would have been to the big leagues by now. He had a really good 2024 season, hitting 21 home runs split between Triple-A Buffalo and Single-A Dunedin, which made some wonder if the Vauxhall Academy grad would get the call to Blue Jays in 2025 if he could hit for a better average. Instead, he had some struggles this past season, both at the plate and with injuries, only suiting up in 64 games split between three levels, hitting just .159 with one homer and 18 RBI. The former Lethbridge Bulls slugger is now playing with Lara of the Venezuelan Winter League, hoping to get back on track and back with Team Canada.
7. MATT LLOYD
He’s represented his country at the Pan-Am Games Qualifier and was even named the Baseball Canada Men’s Player of the Year in 2023, so Matt Lloyd knows the brass well enough. After almost quitting baseball following a series of struggles, the hard-hitting lefty found a new opportunity with the St. Louis Cardinals organization and has thrived in his two seasons. This past year, the Dawgs Academy and Okotoks Dawgs product was bumped up to Triple-A with the Memphis Redbirds and didn’t look out of place, hitting .272 with eight roundtrippers and 50 RBI in 78 games. He is coming off shoulder surgery, so depending on his rehabilitation, he makes for a fascinating option.
8. CURTIS TAYLOR
Another member of the Memphis Redbirds in 2025, Curtis Taylor had many people wondering if the St. Louis Cardinals might call him up for a stint late in the season. While it didn’t happen, the Port Coquitlam native and former Edmonton Prospects pitcher put up some great numbers as a starter in Triple-A. Taylor posted a 10-4 record with a 3.21 ERA in 31 games (24 starts) while striking out 118 batters. Taylor has the added benefit of being a member of the 2023 WBC squad, so he may have the inside track on a spot heading into next spring.
Garrett Hawkins might be a contender for the “feel good story of 2025.” After undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023, the Biggar, Saskatchewan native missed the entire 2024 season. No one knew what the San Diego Padres would get out of him heading into 2025 as he tried to come back, but they likely didn’t expect the performance he put in. The former Swift Current 57s hurler and current Going Yard Academy coach became a reliever for the first time in his career, going 9-1 with a miniscule 1.50 ERA in 45 relief appearances, striking out 80 in 60 relief appearances. The Padres’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year is now eying Triple-A and potentially MLB in 2026, but first, he would love to represent the maple leaf.
10. LANDEN BOURASSA
Baseball Canada has shown in the past that they like to roll with people they know, even if they don’t necessarily have Major League experience. Count Landen Bourassa as someone who could be in the mix heading into next spring. He got his first taste of playing for his country at the 2023 Pan Am Games Qualifiers and had been invited back as part of the WBSC Copa America, which was unexpectedly delayed over the last few weeks. The Lethbridge native has spent the past five years with the American Association’s Winnipeg Goldeyes, going 6-6 with a 4.20 ERA in 15 starts this past season, striking out 55 in 85+ innings of work.
THE FUTURE IS NEAR
Fans of the World Junior Hockey Championships have come to know and expect that Canada usually sends one or two 17-year-old players to what is typically a tournament for 19-year-olds.
In most cases, the players are already dominant forces in their respective leagues, but it also exposes them to high-level international hockey.
Baseball Canada started doing this in 2023 with players like Brash, Palmegiani and Smith, and so there might be a few familiar names that might get the call if a spot opens up.
The first that comes to mind is Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson, who was incredible in the Cleveland Guardians system in 2024 and, while the Dawgs product came back down to Earth in 2025, loves being the underdog and could be a good lefthander to have waiting in the wings.
If Canada is looking for catching depth, they might start looking towards fellow Okotoks alum Gavin Logan, who had success at three levels of the Arizona Diamondbacks system this year.
And if prognosticating is your thing, looking ahead to 2029 and beyond could be fun to watch if you’ve watching Alberta- and Saskatchewan-based athletes and teams in recent years.
Whether it’s guys who have been pros for a couple of years like Thomas Ireland, Matt Coutney and Justin King, or first-year pros this year like Nathan Flewelling, Eric Hartman and Cohen Achen, the cupboard isn’t bare for Canada heading into the future.
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