RHP Micah Bucknam, 4th round (112th) – Toronto Blue Jays _ Signed $678,300

Hometown: Abbotsford, BC

Born: Nelson, New Zealand.

Height/Weight: 6’ 1” 212 lbs.

Bats/Throws: R-R.

Slot Value: $680,800

Scout: Brad Jacob.

School: Dallas Baptist University.

Coach: Dan Heefner.

Drafted: 16th Round in 2021 (Toronto Blue Jays) from Abbotsford Cardinals, did not sign.

Previous Teams: Louisiana State University, Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, Junior National Team, Langley Blaze, Abbotsford Angels.

Previous Coaches: Jay Johnson, Scott Pickler, Jamie Bodaly, Taylor Bratton, Greg Hamilton, Eric Hollerbach, Paul Howarthm Corey Eckstein, Tim Blake, Dan Dick.

Rankings: Listed 323rd on Baseball America’s final top 500 …. Ranked 131st on MLB Pipeline’s top 250 Listed 247th on Perfect Game’s top 300 ...Listed 284th on Baseball America’s top 400 Ranked No. 273 on Baseball America’s top 300 list ... In 323rd spot on Baseball America’s top 500 … Ranked No. 72 right-handed by Perfect Game and No. 3 RHP in 2021.

Interested teams: Athletics, Blue Jays, Angels.

Important date:: Invited to MLB Draft Combine in Phoenix at Chase Field.

Buck’s boyos: We’re not sure which team had the most players selected but Doug Mathieson and Jamie Bodaly’s Brewers Langley Blaze team would be tough to beat with nine players from their trips to Florida and Arizona … a first rounder, two second rounders and three from the Blaze season team. Aiva Arquette, who went to the Marlins in the first round, made trips to Jupiter and Arizona, while second rounders: Devon Taylor, taken by the Athletics, went to Jupiter three times and Cam Leiter, who was selected by the Dodgers, went to Jupiter, Arizona and was part of the Blaze for four years. Bucknam played his senior year with the Blaze, transferring from Abbotsford, Jupiter and Arizona.

And let’s not forget Ty Chadwick, who was chosen in the 18th round by the Rockies, who went to Arizona three times with Brewers Langley Blaze and Hayden Cuthbertson, who was selected in the 18th round by the Marlins, who made a trip to Arizona with the Blaze. Curtis Hebert, who went in the 20th round to the Astros, also made treks to Jupiter and Arizona, as well as playing for the Blaze in grade 11 and 12, Shane Brinham, chosen in the 20th round by the Dodgers, also made treks to Jupiter and Arizona with the Blaze and UBC’s free-agent Jon McGill, close to signing with the Angels.

Good genes: “My mom, Jeanne, played sports growing up and was a very good athlete, playing varsity sports throughout her high school career then opted to not play post high school volleyball. My dad, Jeff, was an athlete as well but no one in my family had ever played Division 1 sports before let alone baseball.” Plus cousin, Derek Dickerson, played college hoops at Western Washington University and cousin Lyndsie White, played rugby for the U.S. National Women’s Team.

2025 spring at Dallas Baptist _ Went 6-2 with a 4.62 ERA in 13 starts, walking 25 and striking out 80 in 62 1/3 innings ... Held opponents to a .230 batting average ... Took the loss against LSU at the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional allowing six runs -- three earned -- on four hits, two walks and two hit batters in 2 2/3 innings. He 12threw 65 pitches and left down 6-0 in a 9-0 loss in Game 2 ... Dallas Baptist opened with a 6-2 win over Rhode Island and after the LSU game was eliminated by an 8-6 score against Little Rock ... Pitched three scoreless against Jax State in the Conference USA Tournament at Lynchburg, Va. He struck out two in his 44-pitch outing, the first in 22 days ... Allowed eight runs (four hits and two walks) against Louisiana Tech, but had a no decision as the Patriots won 16-15 in 12 innings ... Pitched four scoreless allowing four hits and one walk, while striking out six for the win against Sam Houston State ... Worked 5 2/3 scoreless striking out nine, while giving up three hits and three walks for the victory against Jacksonville State ... Struck out eight in six innings (four runs on five hits and three walks) in taking the loss to the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers ... Allowed two earned runs giving up six hits and three walks as he struck out four against New Mexico State for the victory ... Pitched seven scoreless whiffing 14 in a complete game against Middle Tennessee State for the win ... Allowed two runs on six hits and two walks, while fanning eight against San Antonio to register the victory ... Allowed three runs in six innings on five hits and three walks as he struck out three against Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns ... Fanned seven Oral Roberts hitters allowing five earned runs in six innings on seven hits ... Allowed two runs and whiffed 10 against Southern Illinois allowing three hits and walking two to pick up his first win at Dallas Baptist ... Struck out seven and allowed three runs on four hits and three walks against North Dakota State.

Honours: 2024 season with LSU _ SEC Academic Honor Roll as a sport administration major ... 2023 season with LSU _ SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll as a sport administration major ... 2021 season _ Perfect Game Northeast All Region Second Team Preseason All-American and All-Region Teams ... 2020 season _ Perfect Game Preseason Underclass All American Northeast All Region Second Team.

The most influential person in my baseball life: “Would be my dad (Jeff) but other than my dad, probably my youth leader/mentor named Cody Friesen. Off the field he has pushed me to be a better Christian, better person and better friend. I am mentally more mature and in a good place with my faith because of him. He has helped me in a number of ways.”

The most influential person in my baseball career, besides my family (and youth leader): “Probably my coach Corey Eckstein. He has believed in me and pushed me when I was younger. While he is someone who is no longer my coach anymore, he still is a person I stay in regular contact with. He taught me how to work hard and to work hard for the things you want in life.”

2024 summer with Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, Cape Cod League _ Was 1-0 with a 4.22 ERA in six games, making five starts. He walked 10 and whiffed 24 in 21 1/3 innings.

2024 spring at LSU _ Was 0-0 with a 7.00 ERA in eight games, walking three and striking out 10 in nine innings ... Pitched two scoreless against Northern Illinois, allowing one hit with zero walks and four strikeouts

2023 summer with Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, Cape Cod League _ Was 0-1, 3.94 in four games, making three starts, walking three and fanning seven in 16 innings.

2023 spring at LSU _ Appeared in eight games with an 11.57 ERA in eight relief appearances walking three and striking out 14 in seven innings ... Recorded three strikeouts in an inning at South Carolina in his first career SEC appearance … also posted three strikeouts in an inning against Northwestern State at Alex Box Stadium.

2022 summer with Trenton Thunder, Draft League _ Was 0-1 with a 1.59 ERA in five starts, walking five and striking out 15 in 17 innings ... Held opponents to a .145 cumulative batting average.

2021 season with WW Sweets _ Pitched five scoreless in a win over New Level College Prep in Perfect Game Round Robin at Bellarmine Prep in Tacoma Wash., walking two and fanning seven while giving up three hits.

2019 season with Fraser Valley Cardinals _ Was 6-3 with two saves and a 2.26 ERA in 14 games making eight starts ... Walked 18 and struck out 51 in 52 2/3 innings.

Scouting report

Baseball America

School: Dallas Baptist Drafted/Committed: Blue Jays ’21 (16)
Age At Draft: 21.9

Bucknam was born in New Zealand and grew up in Canada, where he became a well-known high school prospect and was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 16th round in 2021. He instead enrolled at LSU, where he made eight relief appearances in each of his first two seasons before transferring to Dallas Baptist for the 2025 season. A 6-foot-1, 210-pound righthander, Bucknam moved into a starting role with DBU and found success, going 6-2, 4.62 with a 29.4% strikeout rate and a 9.2% walk rate. Bucknam works with a true four-pitch mix. His 93-94 mph four-seam fastball can touch 96 and now shows more carry with less run than earlier in his amateur career. He also throws a hard slider in the upper 80s, a slower, bigger curveball in the low 80s and an upper-80s changeup with plenty of armside fade. It’s a lively arsenal that produced plenty of whiffs both in and out of the zone. Both his slider and curveball generated miss rates above 45% in 2025. Bucknam’s control is generally solid, and he has shortened his arm path since his freshman year, though evaluators still have concerns about whether his command and feel for his secondaries will ultimately push him to a relief role. His improvements in 2025 should at least give him a better chance to stick on a starter track.