You have to give a lot of credit to Swift Current infielder Jake Hiromoto as it could have been really easy for him to soak in all the moments of a record-setting year.
Instead, he was team-first at every turn, ending every interview he did in his rookie season with a “Go 57’s.”
“The Flyin’ Hawaiian” came oh-so-close to helping his team get back into the Western Canadian Baseball League postseason in 2026, falling short on the final weekend of the summer.
We’ll get into the numbers in a minute, but it was no surprise when he was named the circuit’s Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year.
As I did last season, I had the opportunity to cast a ballot for the league’s awards and all-star teams and, having watched more than my fair share of games during the year as part of my research and analysis for the WCBL Report with Clark Monroe, there were plenty of performances worthy of celebrating.
So let’s do this again. Here’s my 2026 WCBL Awards Ballot which, keep in mind, is for the regular season.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER – Jake Hiromoto, Swift Current 57’s
Let’s go through the checklist, shall we?
- Single season record for home runs (22)
- Single season record for runs batted in (77)
- First in OPS (1.227)
- First in hits (89)
- Fourth in batting average (.394)
- Tied for fourth in doubles (17)
Yeah, it was a great season for the University of San Francisco product, who also scored 65 runs and stole 11 bases. He was a treat to watch every single game as you knew he would make some kind of impact every game (he only had seven games without a hit). It was a close race in my books, but Hiromoto earned the victory.
Second place: Ethan Murdoch, Saskatoon
Third place: Thomas Soto, Moose Jaw
MOST OUTSTANDING CANADIAN – Ethan Murdoch, Saskatoon Berries
I’m on record as to saying this a few times during the season: if it weren’t for Jake Hiromoto, Ethan Murdoch would have been the Player of the Week. The same holds true with the MVP award, as the Swift Current native fell just short to the Swift Current slugger in my books. The Marshall University senior’s season was outstanding in its own right:
- Tied for second in home runs (14)
- Fourth in RBI (62)
- Fourth in hits (82)
- Tied for fourth in doubles (17)
- Fifth in walks (36)
- Sixth in OPS (1.069)
When everyone was asking where the Berries’ offense would come from without Carter Beck and Ethan Menard, Murdoch answered the call and provided veteran leadership for a young core that took home the franchise’s first WCBL championship.
Second place: Brady Bye, Regina
Third place: Hudson Unger, Swift Current
PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Westin Walls, Moose Jaw Miller Express
When you’re at the top of the leaderboard in all three major statistical categories singled out by the WCBL, you’re bound to get yourself plenty of votes for pitcher of the year. Such was the case with Westin Walls, who topped the league in innings pitched (82.1), earned run average amongst pitchers with a minimum of 54 innings (4.04) and strikeouts (92). In the latter category, the University of the Incarnate Word right-hander won that by 20 over his teammate, Jacob Glazener. Walls was dominant in every sense of the word, posting a 6-1 record while throwing 100+ pitches in eight games.
Second place: Jacob Glazener, Moose Jaw
Third Place: Logan Lynch, Weyburn
RELIEVER OF THE YEAR: Brayden Stewart, Sylvan Lake Gulls
In a year dominated by performances out of the East Division, Brayden Stewart made sure that at least one award came out west. The Sylvan Lake hurler was among the league leaders in strikeouts (55) despite being a bullpen arm and doing that in just 31 innings. The University of the Cumberlands righty posted a 1-2 record with five saves, allowing just 24 hits and eight earned runs in those outings. And while the postseason didn’t have an impact on the vote, he was equally stellar for the Gulls in their run to the championship series.
Second place: Nathan Pisio, Moose Jaw
Third place: Reid Madriaga, Okotoks
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Jake Hiromoto, Swift Current 57’s
When you put together a debut season like Hiromoto did and come away with MVP honours, it probably comes as no surprise that when I saw his name for Rookie of the Year, I was marking the “X” beside the Swift Current slugger. The numbers and impact speak for themselves.
Second place: Cal Gates, Okotoks
Third place: Gael Salinas, Saskatoon
COACH OF THE YEAR – Lou Pote, Okotoks Dawgs
The only award that I wasn’t with the majority was for the Coach of the Year. I went with Lou Pote of the Okotoks Dawgs on this one and the reasoning was fairly straightforward: his team has undergone a boatload of change in the past couple of years. They’ve lost a tonne of familiar names including Brendan Luther, Caleb Lumbard, Graham Brunner, Logan Grant and Ryan McFarland (no relation) plus they saw fireballer Ashton Luera go pro midseason. Yet, the Dawgs’ machine kept rolling and they won the West Division pennant. While they didn’t have the postseason success they are used to, Pote did a masterful job getting them there. Full credit to the winner, Moose Jaw’s Michael Gonzalez, who was second on my ballot and had one heck of a debut season as dugout boss.
Second place: Michael Gonzalez, Moose Jaw
Third place: Cam Williams, Weyburn
POSTEASON MVP – Wesley Shackleford, Saskatoon Berries
I know I said this was about regular season accolades but I do think it’s worth singling out Saskatoon Berries hurler Wesley Shackleford on being named the Postseason MVP. I was part of the discussions around who could get named and his name was one I was supportive of from the onset. When the Odessa College righthander came into a ballgame, it was pretty much nighty-night for the opposition. He went nine innings of shutout baseball, allowing just one hit, one walk and struck out 14 in his four outings. Three of those outings ended with saves and all three of his outings were two or more innings to get the job done.
Second place: Aiden Kilshaw, Saskatoon
Third place: Brock Laird, Saskatoon
STAR-STUDDED SEASON
My criteria for getting players onto the All-Star Teams was pretty straightforward.
If you won an award or were on my ballot, you were getting in.
Aside from that, I wanted to recognize those who clearly had impacts on their teams and in their communities as well.
Summer collegiate baseball can be a grind, and it’s worth giving some flowers to those who take full advantage of the opportunity to embrace their homes.
Without further adieu:
Catchers
- Garryn Plummer, Moose Jaw Miller Express
- Gavin Panks, Saskatoon Berries
- Nick Sauve, Fort McMurray Giants
Infielders
- Jake Hiromoto, Swift Current 57’s
- Thomas Soto, Moose Jaw Miller Express
- Johnboy Rittenhouse, Sylvan Lake Gulls
Outfielders
- Ethan Murdoch, Saskatoon Berries
- William Edwards, Moose Jaw Miller Express
- Cal Gates, Okotoks Dawgs
Designated Hitters
- Keegan Knowler, Swift Current 57’s
- Eduardo Saenz, Moose Jaw Miller Express
- Nash Crowell, Okotoks Dawgs
Starting Pitchers
- Westin Walls, Moose Jaw Miller Express
- Jacob Glazener, Moose Jaw Miller Express
- Logan Lynch, Weyburn Beavers
Relief Pitchers
- Brayden Stewart, Sylvan Lake Gulls
- Nathan Pisio, Moose Jaw Miller Express
- Reid Madriaga, Okotoks Dawgs
Looking back on the 2026 season, it was another year where it felt like any team could beat any other team on any given night. And all of these players and coaches did an admirable job of making the league so much fun to watch.
What do you think? Did I get it right? Who did I miss? Let me know in the comments!
