September 13, 2026
By Kevin Glew
Cooperstowners in Canada
Some Canadian baseball news and notes:
Wilkinson picks up first MLB win
San Francisco Giants left-hander Matt Wilkinson (Ladner, B.C.) collected his first big league win on Wednesday when he pitched two scoreless innings in relief in the Giants’ 7-6 win over the St. Louis Cardinals at Oracle Park.
It was Wilkinson’s first relief appearance with the Giants after making four starts.
The lefty nicknamed “Tugboat” is now 1-3 with a 5.40 ERA in five big league appearances (four starts). He has struck out 10 batters in 16 2/3 innings.
Prior to being called up in August, the 23-year-old southpaw went 3-4 with a 5.15 ERA in 10 starts for the Giants’ triple-A Sacramento River Cats.
On May 9, the Cleveland Guardians traded Wilkinson, along with the 29th overall pick in this year’s draft, to the Giants for catcher Patrick Bailey.
In total, in parts of four minor league seasons, the Okotoks Dawgs grad owns an 18-21 record and a 3.10 ERA in 70 appearances (69 starts).
Soroka activated by Diamondbacks
Right-hander Michael Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) was activated from the 15-day injured list by the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday. He appeared in relief that same day and allowed three earned runs in four innings against the Kansas City Royals and was saddled with the loss in the Royals’ 5-2 victory.
It was Soroka’s first big league outing since being placed on the 15-day injured list on August 23 with right shoulder inflammation. That was his second stretch on the IL this season.
In total in 19 appearances (18 starts) with the D-Backs in 2026, Soroka is 8-5 with a 3.53 ERA. He has 95 strikeouts in 99 1/3 innings.
The 29-year-old Calgary Redbirds and Junior National Team grad is in his seventh major league campaign.
Flewelling earns team MVP honour
Catcher Nathan Flewelling (Innisfail, Alta.) was named the MVP of the Tampa Bay Rays’ High-A Bowling Green Hot Rods on Thursday.
The Canuck catcher played the entire season with the Hot Rods, putting together a .243/.364/.452 slash line in 106 games. He topped the team with 71 walks and his 21 home runs were the second-most on the club.
On July 12, the Junior National Team grad homered for the American League in the MLB Futures Game and was named MVP of the contest.
The 6-foot-2, 200-pound slugger just completed his second season in the Rays’ organization after being chosen in the third round of the 2024 MLB draft by them.
Flewelling is also one of the prospects the Rays have selected to play in the prestigious Arizona Fall League starting next month.
35 years ago, Carter made MLB RBI history
On this date 35 years ago, Joe Carter registered his 100th RBI of the 1991 season for the Toronto Blue Jays when he singled in Roberto Alomar in the fifth inning in the Blue Jays’ 7-6 win over the Oakland A’s at SkyDome.
With this, Carter became the first major leaguer to record 100 RBIs with three different teams in three consecutive seasons. In 1989, he knocked in 105 runs for Cleveland and in 1990, he cashed in 115 for the Padres.
Juan Soto has since equaled this feat with the Padres, New York Yankees and New York Mets from 2023 to 2025.
90th anniversary of Heath’s MLB debut
Ninety years ago today, Canadian slugger Jeff Heath (Fort William, Ont.) made his major league debut with Cleveland.
Batting seventh and playing left field, he went 1-for-3 in Cleveland’s 5-2 win over the Philadelphia A’s at League Park. His first major league hit was a single off right-hander Randy Gumpert in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Heath’s debut, however, was overshadowed by the performance of 17-year-old fireballer and Cleveland starter Bob Feller who struck out 17 batters (and also walked nine!) in his complete-game win.
Quantrill picks up another win
On Tuesday, Texas Rangers right-hander Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) picked up his eighth win of the season when he started and held the Seattle Mariners to three runs in six innings in the Rangers’ 10-5 victory.
This win moved him into a tie with Soroka for the most MLB wins by a Canadian this season. It also boosted his record to 4-1 record with a 1.66 ERA in his last seven games (six starts) for the Rangers.
Overall, the Terriers and Junior National Team alum is 8-5 with a 2.89 ERA in 30 MLB games (13 starts) in 2026.
The veteran righty is in his eighth MLB season.
He will start for the Rangers against the Diamondbacks today.
Fowler made MLB debut 85 years ago
Eighty-five years ago today, right-hander Dick Fowler (Toronto, Ont.) allowed just one run and tossed a complete game in his major league debut for the Philadelphia A’s to lead them to a 3-1 win over the Chicago White Sox at Shibe Park.
Fowler permitted seven hits and walked two, while striking out four.
It was his first of four appearances for the A’s that season.
Caissie belts 14th home run of season
Miami Marlins outfielder Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) clubbed his 14th home run of the season in his team’s 15-14 loss to the New York Mets on Wednesday.
With that, he closed to within four home runs of Liam Hicks (Toronto, Ont.) for the most by a Canadian in the majors this season.
In his first full big league campaign, Caissie is batting .220 with 14 home runs and 58 RBIs in 108 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.
Remembering Reimer’s MLB debut
Thirty-eight years ago today, Kevin Reimer (Enderby, B.C.) made his big league debut with the Rangers.
He pinch-hit for Rangers second baseman Jeff Kunkel with two outs in the ninth inning and flied out to left field against A’s closer Dennis Eckersley at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in the A’s 2-1 win.
Reimer would register his first two hits in his first big league start the next day.
Vancouver Canadians win Northwest League title
Congratulations to the Blue Jays’ High-A Vancouver Canadians who captured the Northwest League title with a 9-8, 12-inning win over the Giants’ Eugene Emeralds on Friday night.
Outfielder David Calabrese (Maple, Ont.) tied the game with a two-out, two-run home run in the ninth inning for the Canadians. Released by the Angels on August 4, Calabrese has resurrected his career with the Canadians, batting .348 with three home runs and seven stolen bases in 16 regular season games. He then went 6-for-12 in the postseason.
Left-hander Connor O’Halloran (Mississauga, Ont.) and outfielder Sam Shaw (Victoria, B.C.) were also on the Canadians’ roster.
It was the Canadians’ first league title since 2023 and their sixth overall as a class-A affiliate.
Quisenberry passed Hiller on this date in 1983
On this day 43 years ago, Kansas City Royals closer Dan Quisenberry notched his 39th save of the season to break the American League single-season saves record held by Canadian left-hander John Hiller (Toronto, Ont.).
Hiller secured 38 saves for the Detroit Tigers in 1973 and held the record for a decade.
Quisenberry finished 1983 with 45 saves.
Lopez retakes MLB lead in hits
Miami Marlins shortstop Otto Lopez is red-hot again. He is 13-for-25 (.520 batting average) in his last seven games and has retaken the major league-lead in hits. His 179 hits are two better than Philadelphia Phillies infielder Luis Arraez.
Lopez’s .310 batting average ranks second to Arraez in the National League and he is tied for second in the NL with nine triples. His 5.7 bWAR (Baseball Reference WAR) is also third among NL position players.
Lopez, who spent part of his youth in Montreal and has played for Canada at the last two World Baseball Classics, has set several career-highs in his second full big league season.
Anniversary of Kottaras’s MLB debut
It was 18 years ago today that George Kottaras (Scarborough, Ont.) made his big league debut with the Boston Red Sox in a game against his hometown Blue Jays at Fenway Park.
Kottaras replaced catcher Jason Varitek in the seventh inning and struck out in his first at bat, but he reached first base when the ball got away from Blue Jays catcher Rod Barajas. Later that inning, he came around to score his first big league run. That was one of three appearances Kottaras made for the Red Sox that September.
O’Brien introduced catcher’s goalie mask three decades ago
Thirty years ago today, Blue Jays catcher Charlie O’Brien became the first MLB catcher to wear a hockey-style goalie mask in a game.
Despite O’Brien’s efforts behind the plate, calling pitches for Erik Hanson, Paul Spoljaric (Kelowna, B.C.) and Dane Johnson, the Blue Jays lost 4-1 to the Yankees at SkyDome.
At the plate, O’Brien went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk and scored the Blue Jays’ lone run.
Young clubs ninth homer of season
First baseman Jared Young (Prince George, B.C.) had three hits – including his ninth home run of the season – in the Mets’ 12-2 thumping of the Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Saturday.
Young’s homer was a solo shot in the ninth and he is now just one round-tripper shy of reaching double digits in an MLB season for the first time.
The 30-year-old Young has set MLB career-highs across the board this season. He is batting .272 with 16 doubles and 38 RBIs in 98 games.
It’s also interesting to note that Young, who is making $1.175 million this season, currently has a better OPS (.772) than Mets teammates Bo Bichette (.708 OPS, $42 million), Francisco Lindor (.764 OPS, $34.1 million) and Marcus Semien (.629 OPS, $26 million).
Fifty-four years ago, Clemente hit final MLB home run
Fifty-four years ago today, Pittsburgh Pirates legend Roberto Clemente belted his 240th – and final – major league home run. It was a two-run shot in the top of the seventh off Chicago Cubs right-hander Fergie Jenkins (Chatham, Ont.) at Wrigley Field to help the Pirates to a 6-4 win.
In total, Clemente went 26-for-95 off Jenkins, good for a .274 batting average. Clemente belted six home runs off Jenkins, but the Canuck right-hander also struck him out 14 times.
Baseball presentation in London, Ont., this Thursday
Speaking of Jenkins, if you’re in London, Ont., this coming Thursday, Paul Allen, the author of Bright Lights, Black Stars, will be making a presentation about growing up and playing alongside Jenkins for five years in Chatham, Ont. The presentation will take place at 7 p.m. at the Crouch Library branch on Hamilton Road in London. It is free to attend.
Allen will also be discussing playing with Intercounty Baseball League legend Gabby Anderson on the London Majors. He will also highlight Harry Coursey, of Hamilton Road in London, who was an outstanding figure in the development of Black Baseball in Ontario.
Trivia question
This week’s trivia question: Who has the most MLB wins by a Canadian left-hander? Please share your answer in the “Comments” section below.
Last week’s trivia question answer
The answer to last week’s trivia question (Two of the Canadian-born pitchers – Bill Atkinson and Denis Boucher – that toed the rubber for the Montreal Expos were named in last week’s column. Nine other Canadian-born pitchers took the mound for the Expos in at least one regular season game. Can you name three of them?) was any three of Claude Raymond (St. Jean, Que.), Larry Landreth (Stratford, Ont.), Dave Wainhouse (Toronto, Ont.), Rheal Cormier (Cap-Pele, N.B.), Derek Aucoin (Lachine, Que.), Matt Maysey (Hamilton, Ont.), Mike Gardiner (Sarnia, Ont.), Mike Johnson (Edmonton, Alta.) and Shawn Hill (Mississauga, Ont.).
Reggie Cleveland
Thanks for your guess, Paul. Cleveland is a right-hander. I was looking for most wins by a lefty. Thanks again.
John Hiller
You got it, Pierre! Nice job! Thanks for your support.