Abbott named WCBL's Most Outstanding Pitcher

Vauxhall Academy grad and Lethbridge Bulls right-hander Levi Abbott (Lethbridge, Alta.) has been named the Western Canadian Baseball League’s Most Outstanding Pitcher. Photo: WCBL

*This article was originally published on the Western Canadian Baseball League website on October 2. You can read it here.

October 3, 2025

By Ian Wilson

Western Canadian Baseball League

He was the last guy you wanted to see on the mound if you stepped into the batter's box.

Levi Abbott, a 6-foot-5 starting pitcher with the Lethbridge Bulls, was the epitome of consistency and dominance in the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) in 2025.

Through eight starts and 52 innings in the regular season, Abbott posted a 1.38 earned run average (ERA), which was the best among qualified starters. The righthander also led the league in strikeouts per nine innings (11.9), batting average against (.172) and walks and hits per inning pitched (WHIP) with a 0.81 mark in that category.

The Lethbridge native registered 69 strikeouts and went 7-1 with a shutout. The Canisius University student exhibited masterful control in giving up just 10 walks, one wild pitch and zero hit batters. He also only allowed one home run all season.

For his wizardry on the bump, Abbott was chosen as the clear winner of the WCBL's Most Outstanding Pitcher award.

"I was just blessed to be able to make it through the whole summer and be healthy all year long," said Abbott.

"It means a whole lot because it was my last year playing in the WCBL, so it was really nice to end on a high note."

Abbott was selected as the award winner after 22 voters - including WCBL head coaches, team executives, broadcasters and sports reporters who cover the league - cast their ballots. Each voter was asked to submit their first, second and third choices for the major awards.

The veteran pitcher dominated the Most Outstanding Pitcher voting, garnering 16 top-spot selections. Abbott also finished second on the WCBL Most Outstanding Canadian and MVP ballots.

"I would first like to thank my parents. They always loved watching me play and coming to all the Bulls games. Without them, it wouldn’t be possible. I would secondly like to thank all the coaches and players. The coaching staff this year was an absolute blast," said Abbott, who also pitched for the Bulls in 2021.

"It was my favourite year playing baseball, ever. All the guys were super fun to be around and it made me want to come to the ballpark all the time, whenever I could. We had a solid group on offence and defence, which obviously makes pitching a lot easier when guys are making incredible plays behind you and putting up the runs you need to win."

In assessing his season, the Vauxhall Academy of Baseball graduate credited his enjoyment of baseball and his years in the game for helping him achieve success.

"I think for me personally this summer, I knew it was my last year, so I kind of put my foot on the pedal. Another major reason why is because I was simply just having fun pitching, or not pitching, just being at the field was the best part of my day," he said.

"I also think just being an experienced guy and working on a plan every single game made the mental aspect better, which reflected on my physical game."

When asked to give a scouting report on himself, Abbott said his arsenal includes a four-seam fastball, curveball, slider and changeup.

"I’d first off say that I’m a junk baller. I was throwing harder than I ever have this summer, but that still didn’t change my style of pitching," he said.

"My slider was a lot harder this summer, which I think helped me a lot with my arsenal. I was also able to flash a changeup here and there, which I never have been able to do before. I would always try to mix pitches and never let the hitter think they know what pitch was coming."

Abbott's strong campaign helped push the Bulls to a 33-22 record in a highly competitive West Division, resulting in a third-place regular season finish for Lethbridge.

"One thought that I would like to share with people that I don’t think they realize about the 2025 Lethbridge team is how young we were. The fact that we had the record we did with the age that we did, compared to other teams, was remarkable. We had a lot of young talent that could flash the glove and hit a lot of barrels. It was really cool to be an older guy and watch the younger generation develop over just three months," said Abbott, who also praised the WCBL.

"The talent is growing every single year, and the ballparks are getting nicer and nicer. It’s good to be a kid from southern Alberta and see how popular the WCBL is becoming. I’m very thankful for the summer and the opportunity to win this award. I wouldn’t have wanted to share it with any other group of guys."

Following the WCBL season, Abbott got a taste of professional baseball with the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the American Association. He appeared in two games and recorded three strikeouts over 2 1/3 innings.

"It was a really good experience and opened my eyes a lot," said Abbott.

The final voting for the Most Outstanding Pitcher award saw Josh Tucker of the Sylvan Lake Gulls and Westin Walls of the Moose Jaw Miller Express finish tied for second place. Both were well back of Abbott.

The 2024 winner of the award was Colton Anderson of the Regina Red Sox.