June 7, 2026
By Kevin Glew
Cooperstowners in Canada
Some Canadian baseball news and notes:
Lopez still leads MLB in hits
We are now 65 games into the 2026 season and Miami Marlins shortstop Otto Lopez (Montreal, Que.) still leads the majors in hits.
Lopez’s 84 hits are five more than San Francisco Giants second baseman Luis Arraez for the MLB lead.
Also, his .333 batting average is second behind only Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh whose .335 average tops the majors.
The 27-year-old Lopez, who spent part of his youth in Montreal, has suited up for Canada in the last two World Baseball Classics.
Hicks sets career-high in RBIs
Marlins catcher Liam Hicks belted a solo home run against the Washington Nationals on Monday to record his 46th RBI of the season in just his 57th game. With that, he established a new career-high in RBIs. He had 45 RBIs in 119 contests for the Marlins in 2025.
Hicks knocked in another run yesterday and he is tied for third in the National League in RBIs with Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson, behind only Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages (53) and Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (48).
Also, Hicks’ homer on Monday was his 12th of the campaign. That’s double as many homers as he hit in his first big league season.
The Marlins chose Hicks in the Rule 5 draft from the Detroit Tigers in December 2024. The Toronto Mets alum was originally selected in the ninth round of the 2021 MLB draft by the Texas Rangers.
Like father, like son?
Paul Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) was used as a starter and a reliever for the first five seasons of his major league career before he was shifted permanently to the bullpen by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1997. From there, he became one of the most reliable and effective relievers of his era.
His son, Cal, seems to be following a similar career trajectory.
During his first seven MLB seasons, the younger Quantrill started more games than his father, but he had two seasons (2020 and 2021) where he was shuttled between the rotation and the bullpen by the Cleveland Guardians.
This season, however, Cal has been outstanding as a full-time reliever with the Rangers. The 6-foot-3 right-hander is 3-0 with a 2.19 ERA in 12 appearances. In his last seven outings, the Terriers and Junior National Team grad is 2-0 and has not allowed an earned run in 11 1/3 innings.
So maybe Cal’s future is as a reliever?
His dad holds the record for most major league pitching appearances by a Canadian with 841. Cal has made 199 appearances, so he has a long way to go to catch his dad.
Canadian ball hall adds Aumont’s WBC jersey
No pitcher has appeared in more World Baseball Classic games for Canada than Phillippe Aumont (Gatineau, Que.).
This March, he came out of retirement to toe the rubber in his seventh WBC game to set the Canadian record for most pitching appearances. Right-hander Scott Mathieson (Aldergrove, B.C.) held the previous record with six.
Aumont has donated the jersey he wore during this year’s WBC to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in St. Marys, Ont.
In total, Aumont has pitched for Canada in four of the six WBCs (2009, 2013, 2023 and 2026).
Selected 11th overall in the 2007 MLB draft by the Seattle Mariners, Aumont pitched in the M’s organization for two seasons before he was dealt to the Phillies as part of the package for left-hander Cliff Lee on December 16, 2009. After parts of three more seasons in the minors, he made his big league debut with the Phils in 2012. In total, he’d make 46 appearances for the Phillies between 2012 and 2015.
Peters red hot for White Sox
Outfielder Tristan Peters (Winkler, Man.) has been a revelation for the Chicago White Sox this season after they purchased him from the Tampa Bay Rays on December 18.
In his past 15 games, Peters, while also providing superb defence in centre field, is 18-for-44 (.409 batting average) and has seven doubles. During that span, his batting average has increased from .252 to .300.
The left-handed hitting Canuck made his big league debut with the Rays last year, going 0-for-12 into four games in August before he was sold to the Sox.
Taken in the seventh round of the 2021 MLB draft by the Milwaukee Brewers, the Okotoks Dawgs grad has played parts of six pro seasons.
37 years ago, Blue Jays earn first win at SkyDome
It was 37 years ago today that the Blue Jays beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-2 for their first win at SkyDome.
The Blue Jays had dropped their first two games at the state-of-the-art facility after moving there from Exhibition Stadium.
But they would not be denied in this Wednesday night contest when left-hander John Cerutti scattered 11 hits and tossed a complete game. Catcher Ernie Whitt led the Blue Jays’ offence with three hits and three RBIs. George Bell also collected three hits and two runs.
This contest also marked the first MLB game ever played both outdoors and indoors, as rain forced the roof to be closed in the fifth inning.
Macko allows first two MLB earned runs
Blue Jays left-hander Adam Macko (Stony Plain, Alta.) permitted his first two MLB earned runs when Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies homered off him in the seventh inning of the Jays’ 7-3 loss at Truist Park on Wednesday.
Macko had eight scoreless outings to begin his big league career.
But the Vauxhall Academy alum didn’t seem fazed by the end of his scoreless streak. He was back on the mound on Friday and held the Baltimore Orioles off the scoreboard for 1 1/3 innings.
He owns a 1.80 ERA in 10 major league games.
O’Neill chosen in MLB draft 13 years ago
Thirteen years ago today, the Seattle Mariners selected a muscular, soon-to-be 18-year-old outfielder named Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, B.C.) in the third round of the MLB draft.
Legendary Canadian scout Wayne Norton (Port Moody, B.C.) scouted and signed O’Neill, who had honed his skills with the Langley Blaze and Junior National Team.
O’Neill would spend parts of five seasons in the M’s organization, rising to the triple-A level, before he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for left-hander Marco Gonzales on July 21, 2017.
Guzman made MLB debut 35 years ago
It was 35 years ago today that Juan Guzman made his MLB debut with the Blue Jays.
The 24-year-old right-hander started and surrendered four runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings to the Orioles in the Blue Jays’ 6-4 loss at Memorial Stadium.
On a positive note, Guzman fanned the first two MLB batters he faced: Mike Devereaux and Tim Hulett, and struck out five batters overall.
Eight days later, Guzman lost his second MLB start before proceeding to win 10 straight decisions. He finished his rookie campaign with a 10-3 record and a 2.99 ERA in 23 starts.
Nats drafted Pivetta 13 years ago
On this day 13 years ago, the Washington Nationals selected right-hander Nick Pivetta (Victoria, B.C.) in the fourth round of the MLB draft.
The Victoria Eagles and Junior National Team grad was assigned to the Nats’ Gulf Coast League affiliate where he posted a 2.13 ERA in four games (three starts) before being promoted to Low-A Auburn.
Pivetta then went 13-8 with a 4.22 ERA as a starter with the Nats’ class-A Hagerstown Suns in 2014 prior to being dealt to the Phillies the following July for Jonathan Papelbon.
Remembering Ralph Buxton
Right-hander Ralph Buxton was born on this date in Weyburn, Sask. in 1914.
In 1949, Buxton played on a World Series-winning Yankees team with Joe DiMaggio and Yogi Berra. However with the way umpires check pitchers for substances today, Buxton, the man sometimes referred to as the “Pine Tar Baby,” would’ve been in trouble. But that’s all part of the story of this little-talked-about right-hander, who in 1938 became the first player born in Saskatchewan to compete in the major leagues.
He passed away on January 6, 1988 in San Leandro, Calif.
I wrote more about him here.
Pop elects to become free agent
Right-hander Zach Pop (Brampton, Ont.) was designated for assignment by the Phillies on May 30.
The move was made after he was activated from the 15-day injured list. He had been sidelined since April 13 with a right-calf strain.
Yesterday, it was announced that Pop had cleared waivers and been outrighted to the Phillies’ triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs. But Pop declined the assignment and has elected to become a free agent.
Pop signed with the Phillies in December and cracked their Opening Day roster. He had posted a 3.68 ERA in seven appearances in 7 1/3 innings before his injury.
The 29-year-old right-hander split the 2025 season between four major league organizations – the Blue Jays, Mariners, New York Mets and Chicago Cubs – making five big league appearances.
Chosen in the seventh round of the 2017 MLB draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Toronto Mets alum is in his sixth MLB season.
Remembering Tom Buskey
Former Blue Jays reliever Tom Buskey passed away from a heart attack 28 years ago today when he was just 51.
The 6-foot-3 right-hander was signed as a free agent by the Blue Jays on May 13, 1978 and he spent his final three major league seasons with them.
In 1979, he topped Blue Jays relievers with seven saves and 40 games finished. In total, he posted a 3.86 ERA in 85 relief appearances for the Blue Jays after beginning his MLB career with the Yankees and Cleveland.
Trivia question
This week’s trivia question: Who was the first player to hit a home run at the SkyDome in a regular season game? Please share your answer in the “Comments” section below.
Last week’s trivia question answer
The answer to last week’s trivia question (Four Canadian-born pitchers have registered 100 or more MLB saves. Can you name two of them?) was any two of Eric Gagne (Mascouche, Que.), John Axford (Port Dover, Ont.), John Hiller (Toronto, Ont.) and Jordan Romano (Markham, Ont.).
Thanks for my Sunday morning Canadian baseball fix.
Would the answer to the trivia be Fred McGriff?
Thanks for your support. And yes, you got it. The answer is Fred McGriff. Nice job!