July 5, 2026
By Kevin Glew
Cooperstowners in Canada
Some Canadian baseball news and notes:
O’Neill homers on Canada Day
Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, B.C.) smacked a solo home run on Canada Day to help the Baltimore Orioles to a 6-1 win over the Chicago White Sox at Camden Yards. That represented the first home run the veteran outfielder has hit on Canada Day during his major league career.
In fact, in his nine-season big league career, O’Neill has only played on one other Canada Day. With the St. Louis Cardinals on July 1, 2021, he went 2-for-4 with a double in the Cards’ 5-2 loss to the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.
Lopez named All-Star, still leading MLB in hits
We’re close to 90 games into the 2026 season and Miami Marlins shortstop Otto Lopez (Montreal, Que.) still leads the majors in hits and batting average.
His 120 hits are 11 more than San Francisco Giants second baseman Luis Arraez for the MLB lead.
Also, his .341 batting average is tops in the majors, ahead of Arraez, who is batting .330.
Lopez was added to the National League All-Star roster on Saturday. This will be his first All-Star appearance.
The 27-year-old infielder, who spent part of his youth in Montreal, has suited up for Canada in the last two World Baseball Classics.
Hicks activated by Marlins
Liam Hicks (Toronto, Ont.) was activated from the 10-day injured list by the Marlins on Tuesday. He had been out since June 20 with a lower back strain.
The Canuck catcher has picked up right where he left off with the bat, going 9-for-23 (.391 batting average) in five games since his return. He also has a 15-game hitting streak.
For the season, the Toronto Mets alum is batting .288 with 13 home runs and 54 RBIs in 78 games.
The Marlins chose Hicks in the Rule 5 draft from the Detroit Tigers in December 2024. He was originally chosen in the ninth round of the 2021 MLB draft by the Texas Rangers.
Caissie continues to swing hot bat for Marlins
Another Canadian Marlins player that’s excelling is Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.).
In his last 15 games, Caissie has gone 14-for-39 (.359 batting average) with four home runs and 13 RBIs. His slugging percentage is .718 during that period.
Thanks to this hot stretch, Caissie has boosted his batting average to .236 and he now has 11 home runs and 49 RBIs in 78 games.
The Fieldhouse Pirates and Junior National Team grad is in his first season with the Marlins after being acquired from the Chicago Cubs as part of the package for right-hander Edward Cabrera on January 7.
Romano called up by Rockies
Right-hander Jordan Romano (Markham, Ont.) was called up by the Rockies on Saturday.
He proceeded to pitch a scoreless ninth inning in the Rockies’ 6-4 loss to the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field.
The veteran reliever started the season with the Los Angeles Angels before he was designated for assignment on April 26 after posting a 10.13 ERA in 11 appearances.
The Rockies signed Romano to a minor league contract on May 6 and he recorded a 3.72 ERA in 10 outings between Rookie ball and triple-A prior to his promotion on Saturday.
The 33-year-old right-hander signed a one-year, $2-million deal with the Angels in December after a rough 2025 campaign with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Prior to his tenure with the Phils, Romano recorded 105 saves and was a two-time All-Star in his six seasons with the Toronto 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 in his eighth major league season.
Flewelling selected to play in Futures Game
Congratulations to Tampa Bay Rays catching prospect Nathan Flewelling (Innisfail, Alta.) who has been selected to play in the MLB Futures Game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on July 12 as part of the All-Star Game festivities.
A Junior National Team alum, the 19-year-old Flewelling owns a .261/.394/.502 slash line and an .896 OPS in 70 games for the Rays’ High-A Bowling Green Hot Rods. He also has 16 home runs and 44 RBIs.
The 6-foot-2, 200-pound slugger is in his second season in the Rays’ organization after being chosen in the third round of the 2024 MLB draft by them.
Smith an All-Star
I thought Cade Smith (Abbotsford, B.C.) should’ve been an All-Star last season, so I was delighted when he was named to the American League squad last night.
Smith’s selection was a no-brainer really. The Cleveland Guardians closer leads the majors with 26 saves this season. He also owns a 2.97 ERA and has fanned 57 batters in 39 1/3 innings in 37 appearances.
This is the 27-year-old Smith’s first full season as the Guardians’ closer. He took over as the team’s closer in late July last year and finished 2025 with 16 saves.
Cerantola designated for assignment by Royals
Right-hander Eric Cerantola (Oakville, Ont.) was designated for assignment by the Kansas City Royals on Thursday.
The move came after he walked six Rays batters in 1 1/3 innings in his most recent outing on Tuesday. He had been called up for the second time this season by the Royals on June 27.
The 26-year-old right-hander has been excellent in relief for the triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers this year, notching 14 saves while posting a 2.67 ERA in 27 appearances. He has struck out 43 batters in 30 1/3 innings.
Taken in the fifth round of the 2021 MLB draft out of Mississippi State University by the Royals, he is in his sixth pro season.
Happy Birthday to Jesse Crain!
Happy 45th Birthday to former big league reliever Jesse Crain!
The Toronto-born right-hander posted a 3.05 ERA in 532 major league appearances (seventh most by a Canadian) in parts of 10 major league seasons with the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox.
The workhorse reliever appeared in at least 50 games in seven big league campaigns and five times registered ERAs under 3.00.
In 2013, he had a minuscule 0.74 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings in 38 appearances and was named an All-Star before a rotator cuff injury ended his season.
Expos retired Dawson’s number 29 years ago
Twenty-nine years ago today, the Montreal Expos retired No. 10 in honour of Andre Dawson prior to a game against the Atlanta Braves at Olympic Stadium.
Dawson was a standout at Florida A&M University when he was spotted by Expos scout Bill Adair who convinced his employers to select the Miami native in the 11th round of the 1975 MLB draft.
After minor league stints in Lethbridge, Quebec City and Denver, Dawson made his big league debut on September 11, 1976. The following year, he hit .282 and belted 19 home runs, earning himself National League Rookie of the Year honours. Over his next nine seasons with the Expos, the five-tool outfielder evolved into one of the best all-around players in franchise history. In Dawson’s tenure in Montreal, he was selected to three All-Star teams, won three Silver Slugger Awards and captured six Gold Gloves.
In all, in his 11 seasons in Montreal, Dawson accumulated 225 home runs, 838 RBIs and 2,679 total bases – all numbers that rank second in Expos history.
Remembering Matt Stairs‘ first MLB home run
Thirty-one years ago today, Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Matt Stairs (Fredericton, N.B.) clubbed his first major league home run.
Playing for the Boston Red Sox, the left-handed hitting Canuck connected for a solo shot in the seventh inning against Royals right-hander Tom Gordon at Kauffman Stadium. At the time, it gave the Red Sox and fellow Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Rheal Cormier (Cap-Pele, N.B.) a 2-1 lead. Cormier had started the contest and allowed just one run in seven innings for the Red Sox, but the bullpen blew the lead and the Royals won 3-2.
Stairs ultimately clubbed 265 major league home runs, which is the third-most by a Canadian.
Hartman rocketing up Braves’ prospect ranks
Outfielder Eric Hartman (St. Albert, Alta.) was selected in the 20th round of the 2024 MLB draft by the Atlanta Braves. And he’s proving to be the steal of that draft.
On Canada Day, the 20-year-old Okotoks Dawgs alum belted his 20th home run of the season to become the first player in the history of the class-A Rome Emperors to club 20 homers and steal 30 bases in the same season. And he did it in just 71 games.
The Junior National Team alum has also moved up 18 spots on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospect list, from No. 100 to No. 82 this week.
Hartman is in his second pro season. In 2025, he batted .240 with five home runs and 48 stolen bases in 90 games between the FCL Braves and the class-A Augusta Green Jackets.
The most unlikely three-homer game by a Blue Jay?
When I look at the list of players that have hit three home runs in a game for the Blue Jays, there are many names that I’d expect to see on there, such as George Bell, Carlos Delgado, Edwin Encarnacion, Josh Donaldson and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Montreal, Que.). But the most unlikely player on the list is Darnell Coles, who 32 years ago today belted a trio of home runs against the Twins in the Blue Jays’ 14-3 win at the Metrodome. Coles started at third base and batted seventh that game and went deep in the fifth, eighth and ninth innings.
Clemens recorded 3,000th MLB K 28 years ago and I was there
Twenty-eight years ago today, Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Roger Clemens struck out Rays outfielder Randy Winn in the third inning at SkyDome to record his 3,000th MLB strikeout.
My mom and I (circled in the photo below) had a front row seat to it. This is also the only time I’ve ever sat in the first row at SkyDome.
Trivia question
This week’s trivia question: Eric Hartman‘s 20-30 season with the class-A Rome Braves got me thinking about this. There have been two Canadians who have had at least 20 home runs and at least 30 stolen bases in a major league season. Can you name them? Please share your answer in the “Comments” section below.
Last week’s trivia question answer
The answer to last week’s trivia question (Aside from Fergie Jenkins (Chatham, Ont.) and Ryan Dempster (Gibsons, B.C.), there have been three other pitchers born in Canada that have registered 100 or more MLB wins. Can you name one of them?) was any one of Kirk McCaskill (Kapuskasing, Ont.), Reggie Cleveland (Swift Current, Sask.) or Russ Ford (Brandon, Man.).
Thanks for by Sunday morning Canadian baseball fix.
Would the answer to your trivia be Larry Walker.
I think Josh Naylor did it last Year?
You got them both. Nice job! Thanks for your support.
I was about 10 rows up from you and your mom for Roger’s
feat. Whenever I was lucky enough to grab a “behind home plate somewhere” seat when Clemons was pitching; I was always amazed
at the power of his fastball….you could actually “feel” the reverberation from the ball hitting the catcher’s glove…..P O W ! ! !
Made me glad that I didn’t have to face him on the diamond. ;>)
Thanks much for ALL your work!!
Thanks for sharing this. I remember being mesmerized by Clemens’ fastball, too. Thanks for your kind words.