Angels sign nondrafted FA Kason Siguenza of Langley Blaze

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

Most would agree the key man on any ball team is the shortstop.

Next to the catcher he has more chances to make a play -- or not make a play -- than any other. A right fielder might play a three-game series and not have a chance to throw a runner out at the plate.

INF Kason Siguenza of the Langley Blaze was going to be one of the best players in the BC Premier League this summer. And like that he’s gone -- signing a undrafted free agent contract with the Los Angeles Angels.

“Losing him for the upcoming year will be impossible to replace,” said Blaze coach Jamie Bodaly, “but that’s what we’re about, moving guys onto pro ball.”

A total of 52 Blaze players have been drafted with 40 signing. Siguenza is the latest Blaze to turn pro, led by OF Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, BC), INF Brett Lawrie (Langley, BC), RHP Scott Mathieson (Aldergrove, BC), RHP Nick Pivetta (Victoria, BC) and C Kellin Deglan (Langley, BC).

Siguenza (Abbotsford, BC) was eligible to be drafted last July but was not. So, Siguenza is similar to FieldHouse Pirates RHP Aiden Taggart (Grimsby, Ont.) signed by the Toronto Blue Jays, Ontario Blue Jays and Canadian Premier RHP Ryan McDonagh (Milton, Ont.) and Sylvan Lake Gulls RHP Owen Pote, (Sherwood Park, Alta.). All were victory lap arms, who signed before the draft. Now second baseman Evan Maloney and Luke Laird will battle for the shortstop spot.

“The problem was, no one saw Kason last year,” Bodaly said. “We had Nolan Weinmeyer. the shortstop for the Junior National Team, who played there on our pro tours to Arizona and Florida. In league play one would play short and the other would be at third and we’d switch them up.”

Weinmeyer is enrolled at Central Arizona, playing for the Vaqueros, while Siguenza has committed to Cloud County.

“Kason hit well on our Arizona tour, he hit a triple to beat Canadian Premier, he did well at the Canadian Futures (another triple, hitting .444 with an 1.111 OPS), as well as in Florida and Arizona,” said Bodaly. “He has a big-time work ethic, whether he’s going to a spring coach, with us in practice or games. Some guys want a day off. I don’t know if he ever sat a game last year.”

Siguenza led the league in games played (48), average (.452), hits (61) and RBIs (48). For the Blaze’s whole year he hit .402, with a 1.077 OPS, Of his 90 hits, included were 20 doubles, two triples and four home runs. He knocked in 56 runs and stole 42 bases, while walking 43 times.

At the 2025 18U PG Canadian National Championship Tour in Thames Centre, Ont., Smiguenza ade all-tournament team as Langley won the event.

Said an opposing coach from the PG event: “He’s a very good player. Similar situation to Tyson Moran (Wingham, Ont.) who the Kansas City Royals drafted from the Great Lake Canadians last summer. Not a ‘famous’ guy. Wasn’t on the Junior National Team. He was in his gap year and can really hit. He’s a bat first guy for sure -- maybe a second baseman in pro ball. I liked how he played.”

We tried to find out who the Angels signing scout was. Turns out it was Drew Plant, coordinator, amateur scouting for Angels. Plant has an analytic background. He called Siguenza in January, due to the infielder’s high rate of barrels to ball and from watching video during his 15 games with the West Coast League’s Kamloops North Paws, after the Langley season ended.

Both the Cincinnati Reds and the Toronto Blue Jays had shown interest but wanted to see him after Langley’s March trip.

“Kason has real good bat to ball skills, smooth hands and has such an impressivr work ethic,” said Bodaly. “All his outs are loud too. He was the best players in our league last year, got over looked by the Junior National Team and caught Greg Hamilton’s eye this at the fall showcase but he was too old.”

We asked Bodaly to finish this sentance “Keson is the best shortstop I have coached since ...”

His answer was Wes Darvill ... a fifth round pick of the Chicago Cubs by formr Blue Jays scout Tim Wilken. Darvill played 14 seasons peaking with the triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers in 2018.