Canadians on 2026 MLB Opening Day rosters

March 26, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Cooperstowners in Canada

There are 17 players born in Canada on MLB rosters to open the 2026 season.

Three others – Jameson Taillon (Chicago Cubs), Freddie Freeman (Los Angeles Dodgers) and Otto Lopez (Miami Marlins) – have suited up for the Canadian national team at the World Baseball Classic.

Here’s a rundown of the Canadians playing in the majors to open the 2026 season:

American League East Division

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Montreal, Que.) – Toronto Blue Jays

In 2025, this Toronto Blue Jays slugger topped Canadian-born major leaguers in home runs (23), on-base percentage (.381), OPS (.848), hits (172), runs (96), doubles (34) and walks (81). Overall, his on-base percentage was the sixth-best in the majors, while he ranked 10th in hits.

In 18 games in the postseason, Guerrero Jr. batted .397 and topped all batters in home runs (8 tied), RBIs (15) and OPS (1.289). For his efforts, he was named the MVP of the American League Championship Series. He was also a finalist for the American League’s Hank Aaron Award and for the AL Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards at first base.

Guerrero Jr., who recently turned 27, continued to swing a hot bat in the World Baseball Classic for the Dominican Republic. In five games, he went 8-for-18 (.444 batting average) with three doubles, two home runs and eight RBIs.

He is entering his eighth MLB season.

Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, B.C.) – Baltimore Orioles

O’Neill will be looking to rebound after a rough first season with the Orioles in 2025.

After signing a three-year, $49.5-million contract with the O’s on December 10, 2024, O’Neill batted .199 and clubbed nine home runs and had 26 RBIs in 54 games in an injury-shortened season.

Fresh off suiting up for Canada in the World Baseball Classic, the 30-year-old slugger will be looking for his trademark fast start. He has homered on Opening Day an MLB record six consecutive times.

The Langley Blaze and Junior National Team alum belted 31 home runs for the Boston Red Sox in 2024 and played his first six big league campaigns with the St. Louis Cardinals. During his career, he has collected two Gold Glove awards (2020, 2021) for his defence in the outfield.

American League Central Division

Bo Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) – Cleveland Guardians

In 2025, Naylor set career-highs in home runs (14), doubles (22), RBIs (47) and walks (45) for the Guardians. The 25-year-old catcher also posted a career-best 1.1 dWAR.

He was at his best in the season’s final month when he batted .290 with three home runs, 16 RBIs and an .872 OPS in 19 games.

Naylor, 26, was one of Canada’s most valuable players at the WBC earlier this month. He went 6-for-17 (.353 batting average) with a home run and a team-leading five runs. He also shone defensively in the tournament.

This will be his fourth full season as the Guardians’ main catcher.

Erik Sabrowski (Edmonton, Alta.) – Cleveland Guardians

After missing the first three months of the 2025 season with left elbow inflammation, Sabrowski returned to become a key member of the Guardians’ bullpen.

In 33 relief appearances, he posted a 1.84 ERA and fanned 42 batters in 29 1/3 innings. That was good for a 12.9 K/9 rate. He permitted just one earned run in his final 11 regular season appearances.

That performance came on the heels of his MLB debut in 2024. In eight appearances, spanning 12 2/3 innings with the Guardians that season, the 28-year-old left-hander didn’t allow a run.

Sabrowski will be relied upon to get key outs for the Guardians in the late innings this season.

Cade Smith (Abbotsford, B.C.) – Cleveland Guardians

Smith continued to be an extremely valuable member of the Guardians’ bullpen in 2025.

In his second big league season, the 26-year-old right-hander posted an 8-5 record and a 2.93 ERA in 76 relief appearances and struck out 104 batters in 73 2/3 innings. This made him just the third Canadian reliever to have back-to-back 100-strikeout seasons (joining John Hiller (Toronto, Ont.) and Eric Gagne (Mascouche, Que.)).

Smith took over as the Guardians’ closer in late July and finished with 16 saves, which was the most by a Canadian major leaguer last season. His 76 games were the fifth-most by a major league reliever.

The 6-foot-5 right-hander was sharp this spring, allowing just two runs on three hits, while striking out six, in 7 1/3 innings. He’ll be the Guardians closer to start the season.

Tristan Peters (Winkler, Man.) – Chicago White Sox

Sold to the White Sox by the Tampa Bay Rays on December 18, 2025, Peters excelled with his new club in Cactus League action this spring.

In 16 games, he went 10-for-37 (.270 batting average) with two doubles, two triples and a home run, while also dazzling defensively to earn a back-up outfielder’s job with the Sox.

In 2025, thanks to his defensive heroics in the outfield with the Rays’ triple-A Durham Bulls, Peters became a regular on the minor league highlight reels. 

The 26-year-old Okotoks Dawgs Academy alum was also a strong contributor at the plate for the Bulls, hitting .266 with a .355 on-base percentage with 15 home runs, 76 RBIs and 11 stolen bases. For his efforts, he was named the Bulls’ MVP.

He also made his big league debut with the Rays last season, getting into four games with them in August. 

Selected in the seventh round of the 2021 MLB draft by the Milwaukee Brewers, Peters has played parts of five pro seasons.

Jordan Romano (Markham, Ont.) – Los Angeles Angels

Romano is hoping to rediscover the form that made him a dominant closer with the Blue Jays a few years ago

The 32-year-old right-hander signed a one-year, $2-million deal with the Angels in December after a rough season with the Philadelphia Phillies.

After inking a one-year, $8.5-million contract with the Phillies in December 2024, the ex-Blue Jay proceeded to post an 8.23 ERA and record just eight saves in 49 relief appearances before he was sidelined by a season-ending finger injury in late August.

Prior to his tenure with the Phils, Romano recorded 105 saves and was a two-time All-Star in his six seasons with the Blue Jays.

Originally chosen in the 10th round of the MLB draft by the Blue Jays in 2014, the Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team alum is entering his eighth major league season.

Denzel Clarke (Pickering, Ont.) – Athletics

Clarke, who made his big league debut in 2025, will be the Athletics’ centre fielder to start the 2026 season.

In 31 games for the A’s triple-A Las Vegas Aviators prior to his call-up on May 23 last year, the speedy outfielder batted .286 and posted a .436 on-base percentage.

After his promotion, he made several highlight reel catches in centre field for the A’s, which made him the first player to win the MLB Electric Play of the Week award in three consecutive weeks and earned him the Capital One Premier Play of the year at the MLB Awards.

In total in 47 major league contests, he batted .230 with three home runs, eight doubles and two triples.

Earlier this month, the 25-year-old Toronto Mets grad was a key member of Canada’s WBC squad. He started in centre field in all five games and scored three runs, while also knocking in two.

Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.) – Seattle Mariners

In 2025, Brash served as a key setup man for the Mariners after his return from Tommy John surgery in early May.

He’ll be expected to perform in a similar role for the AL West favourite M’s in 2026.

In 53 relief appearances in 2025, the 6-foot-1 right-hander posted a 2.47 ERA and had 21 holds and four saves. He fanned 58 batters in 47 1/3 innings. He also recorded a 2.00 ERA in eight postseason appearances, striking out 10 batters in nine innings.

The M’s were cautious with the 27-year-old right-hander this spring after he experienced some mild inflammation in his throwing arm early in the off-season. More recently, he had to recover from a tooth infection.

This will be Brash’s third season with the Mariners.

Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) – Seattle Mariners

Naylor re-signed with the Mariners on November 18, receiving a five-year contract, $92.5-million contract.

The 28-year-old slugger quickly became one of the M’s best hitters and most popular players after being acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 24, 2025.

After arriving from the D-backs, the 5-foot-10, 235-pound Naylor not only pounded the ball with the M’s – hitting .299 with nine home runs, 10 doubles and an .831 OPS in 54 regular season games – but he also tore up the base paths. He had 18 stolen bases with the M’s to finish with a surprising 30 on the season.

His strong performance carried over into the postseason in which he batted .340 and had a team-leading 16 hits (three home runs) in 12 games.

Combining his numbers between the D-Backs and the Mariners, Naylor topped all Canadian major leaguers in batting average (.295), RBIs (92) and stolen bases (30) in 2025. He also finished second among Canuck big leaguers in hits (160), runs (81), home runs (20), doubles (29) and walks (48). For his efforts, he was voted the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s Tip O’Neill Award winner.

Naylor, who served as Canada’s captain in the WBC, is heading into his seventh MLB season.

National League East Division

Zach Pop (Brampton, Ont.) – Philadelphia Phillies

Pop posted a 3.86 ERA in nine relief appearances for the Phillies this spring. That was enough to convince Rob Thomson (Corunna, Ont.) to reward him with a spot on the Phils’ Opening Day roster.

The Phillies had signed Pop to a major league contract in December.

The 29-year-old right-hander split the 2025 season between four different major league organizations.

He spent spring training with the Blue Jays before he was shelved with elbow discomfort and then subsequently released and signed by the Mariners. He made just four relief appearances for the M’s and 11 more in their minors before he was let go on July 2.

Three days later, he was signed by the New York Mets where he was roughed up for three runs in 1 1/3 innings in his sole appearance with them prior to be released.

The 6-foot-4 right-hander was then signed to a minor league contract by the Chicago Cubs on July 22 where he made nine relief appearances with triple-A Iowa to close out the season.

Despite making only five big league appearances in 2025, Pop was a durable reliever in previous seasons. In 2024, he made a career-high 58 relief appearances for the Blue Jays. It was his third season with the Blue Jays after being acquired from the Miami Marlins on August 2, 2022.

Chosen in the seventh round of the 2017 MLB draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Toronto Mets alum owns an 8-6 record and a 4.88 ERA in 163 relief appearances in parts of five big league seasons.

Jared Young (Prince George, B.C.) – New York Mets

Signed by the Mets in December 2024, Young batted a combined .303 with 18 home runs, 52 RBIs and a .969 OPS in 79 games with the Class-A St. Lucie Mets and the triple-A Syracuse Mets in 2025.

He also belted four homers in 22 games with the big league Mets.

Chosen in the 15th round of the 2017 MLB draft by the Cubs, the Okanagan Athletics alum played parts of six seasons in the minors before he made his MLB debut with the Cubs in 2022, going 5-for-19 (.263 batting average) in six games that September.

He returned for two big league stints with the Cubs in 2023 in which he had eight hits – including three triples and two home runs – while scoring eight runs.

Earlier this month, Young, 30, played for Canada in the World Baseball Classic, going 1-for-6 in two games.

Liam Hicks (Toronto, Ont.) – Miami Marlins

In his rookie season with the Marlins in 2025, this 26-year-old catcher batted .247 with a .346 on-base percentage with six home runs and 45 RBIs in 119 games.

His 43 walks were the fourth-most by a rookie and his on-base percentage ranked eighth among first-year players. His 45 RBIs were the fourth-most by a Canadian in the majors in 2025. 

The Marlins selected Hicks in the Rule 5 draft from the Detroit Tigers in December 2024. The Toronto Mets alum was originally chosen in the ninth round of the 2021 MLB draft by the Texas Rangers.

He made his national team debut with Canada at the WBC earlier this month.

Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) – Miami Marlins

Caissie was an offensive star for Canada in the World Baseball Classic this month. In five games, he went 7-for-17 (.412 batting average) with three doubles, a home run and five RBIs.

He’ll start in the outfield for the Marlins this season after being dealt to them by the Cubs as part of a package for right-handed pitcher Edward Cabrera in January.

In 99 games with the Cubs’ triple-A affiliate in Iowa in 2025, Caissie batted .286 and posted an .937 OPS with 22 home runs, 55 RBIs and five stolen bases. 

For his efforts, he received his first big league call-up on August 14. He belted a home run and had four RBIs in 12 major league games.

Following the season, the left-handed hitting slugger was named a Triple-A All-Star by Minor League Baseball. 

Edouard Julien (Quebec, Que.) – Colorado Rockies

Julien was dealt to the Rockies by the Minnesota Twins on January 28.

The hitter friendly Coors Field should help Julien who struggled at the big league level in 2025, batting .220 with three home runs and 12 RBIs in 64 games. He did, however, have a promising finish to the season. He hit .310 in his final 16 games.

The 26-year-old infielder also had 11 home runs and a .415 on-base percentage (OBP) in 70 games for the triple-A St. Paul Saints.

Julien will be looking to recapture his 2023 form. In 109 games with the Twins that season, he batted .263 with 16 home runs and a .381 OBP and finished seventh in American League Rookie of the Year voting.

Selected in the 18th round of the 2019 MLB draft by the Twins, the ABC and Junior National Team alum spent parts of three seasons in the Twins’ minors before making his big league debut.

Earlier this month, Julien played for Canada in the WBC. In five games, he went 3-for-19 with a double and four walks.

Michael Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) – Arizona Diamondbacks

Soroka signed a one-year, $7.5-million contract with the Diamondbacks in December.

The Diamondbacks will be the fifth major league team he has suited up for during his big league career.

He spent parts of four seasons with the Atlanta Braves before being dealt to the White Sox on November 16, 2023. Following one season with the Sox, the 6-foot-5 righty signed with the Washington Nationals and made 16 starts for them prior to being traded to the Cubs at the deadline last July.

In 2025 with the Nationals, Soroka posted a 3-8 record and a 4.87 ERA, while striking out 87 batters in 81 1/3 innings. He then made one start with the Cubs before suffering a shoulder strain which sidelined him for almost six weeks. Upon his return, the Cubs used him exclusively as a reliever.

Soroka started two games for Canada in the WBC and the D-Backs plan to use him as a starter.

In all, Soroka, 28, has pitched in parts of six major league seasons. In 91 games (69 starts), he owns a 20-26 record and a 3.85 ERA. He has struck out 379 batters in 415 2/3 innings.

Nick Pivetta (Victoria, B.C.) – San Diego Padres

Pivetta will make his first MLB Opening Day start today when the Padres face the Detroit Tigers.

After signing a four-year contract with the Padres in February 2025, Pivetta proceeded to lead all Canadian big league pitchers in wins (13), starts (31), innings pitched (181 2/3), strikeouts (190) and WAR (5.3). 

He was also fourth among all major league pitchers in opponents’ batting average (.195), fifth in WHIP (0.985) and hits per innings pitched (6.39), ninth in ERA (2.87) and 10^th in quality starts (19). 

His regular season performance earned him the start in the first game of the Padres’ Wild-Card series against the Cubs. In that start, he allowed just two runs on three hits in five innings and struck out nine batters, which tied a single-game Canadian postseason record (set by James Paxton with the New York Yankees in Game 5 of the 2019 ALCS). For his efforts, he finished sixth in the National League Cy Young Award voting. 

The 33-year-old Victoria Eagles and Junior National Team grad is entering his 10th MLB season.

*It should also be noted that Milwaukee Brewers reliever Rob Zastryzny (Edmonton, Alta.) is starting the season on the 15-day injured list with a left shoulder strain.