Langley Blaze alum Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, B.C.) has gone 7-for-11 in five games with the Baltimore Orioles this spring. Canada is hoping he’ll continue his torrid hitting in the World Baseball Classic.

March 1, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Some Canadian baseball news and notes:

O’Neill off to hot start

Major League Baseball is often criticized for holding the World Baseball Classic in March.

It’s too early and too disruptive, some have contended.

But one player who’s likely happy it’s held this early is Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, B.C.).

The Canadian slugger is a notoriously fast starter. He has homered on Opening Day an MLB record six consecutive times. And at the World Baseball Classic in 2023, O’Neill went 8-for-13 (.615 batting average) to tie Victoria, B.C., native Michael Saunders‘ record (set in 2013) for most hits by a Canadian in a single WBC.

And not surprisingly, O’Neill has gone 7-for-11 (.636 batting average) in his first five Grapefruit League games for the Baltimore Orioles this spring.

Needless to say, Canada is hoping O’Neill continues his torrid hitting in the WBC. They play their first game against Colombia on Saturday in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Black also red hot

Another “Tyler” who will be playing for Canada at the WBC is also off to a red-hot start.

Tyler Black (Stouffville, Ont.) is 8-for-12 with two doubles, a triple, a home run, eight RBIs and three stolen bases in four Cactus League games for the Milwaukee Brewers this spring.

The 25-year-old Black, who’s making a strong bid for a spot on the Brewers’ Opening Day roster, will be making his national team debut.

The left-handed hitting Canuck spent the bulk of 2025 with the Brewers’ triple-A Nashville Sounds, where he had a .369 on-base percentage with four home runs and 22 stolen bases in 61 games. He also hit .250 with an RBI in five games with the big-league Brewers.

The versatile Black can play a number of positions – including first base, second base, third base and outfield – and Canada will definitely find a way to get his bat into their WBC lineup.

Brash throwing again for Mariners

Right-hander Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.) is throwing again at Seattle Mariners’ camp after missing time due to a dental procedure for an infected cracked molar.

“It was definitely a tough couple days,” Brash told Ryan Divish, of the Seattle Times, on Thursday about his dental issues. “It was just uncomfortable, and I couldn’t really like eat anything. That was the worst part. When you’re just kind of having smoothies and no actual food, you feel a little off. But these last couple days, I’ve been able to eat real food, and I threw a bullpen (Tuesday) and it felt really good. I feel like I’m back on track.”

Brash also told Divish that the fact that he had just returned from Tommy John surgery in May 2025 was a factor in him deciding not to pitch for Canada at the World Baseball Classic.

Also, early in the off-season, Brash experienced some “mild inflammation” in his arm that forced him to shut down for a few days.

“Our season’s more important in the grand scheme of things [than the WBC], just to come back healthy for the Mariners,” Brash told Divish. “Obviously, not a decision I wanted to make. It’s always tough. I wanted to play for my country, but it was important to just take my time, be cautionary, and just kind of get ready for the Mariners season.”

In 2025, Brash served as a key setup man for the Mariners. In 53 relief appearances, the 6-foot-1 right-hander posted a 2.47 ERA and had 21 holds and four saves. He fanned 58 batters in 47 1/3 innings. He also recorded a 2.00 ERA in eight postseason appearances, striking out 10 batters in nine innings.

Dykxhoorn excited to pitch at WBC

As we reported last week, right-hander Brock Dykxhoorn (Goderich, Ont.) will replace reliever Carter Loewen (Abbotsford, B.C.) on Canada’s World Baseball Classic roster.

Dykxhoorn, who’s heading into his seventh season with the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL), told CTV London he is looking forward to pitching at the WBC.

“I was a little bummed earlier in the winter when my name wasn’t called on the first roster. So, I kind of just put my head down and kept doing my thing. And I’m just super grateful for this last-minute opportunity,” the 6-foot-8 right-hander told CTV London.

Dykxhoorn, 31, went 7-9 with a 4.13 ERA in 21 starts for his CPBL club last season.

Selected in the sixth round of the 2014 MLB draft by the Houston Astros, the Junior National Team grad spent five seasons in the Astros’ minors, rising to the triple-A level, before opting to head overseas.

Dykxhoorn has pitched for Canada at multiple international competitions, including for the 2015 gold medal-winning Pan Am Games team.

You can watch the full CTV London News story about him here.

Happy Birthday Chris Barnwell!

Who was Canada’s leadoff hitter at the 2009 World Baseball Classic?

The answer is shortstop Chris Barnwell who turns 47 today.

Barnwell also played shortstop for Canada at the 2009 WBC. He went 0-for-7 in the tournament. The versatile infielder was born in Jacksonville, Fla., but his dad was born in Shelburne, N.S. which made him eligible to suit up for Canada.

Chosen in the 25th round of the 2001 MLB draft by the Brewers, Barnwell played in parts of nine professional seasons, including 13 big league contests with the Brewers in 2006.

Rest in peace, Wayne Granger

Former Montreal Expos pitcher Wayne Granger passed away on February 25 at the age of 81.

The 6-foot-2, 165-pound right-hander posted a 3.66 ERA in 27 relief appearances for the Expos in 1976 in his final major league season.

Signed as an amateur free agent by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1965, Granger made his big league debut with the Cards in 1968, going 4-2 with a 2.25 ERA while picking up four saves in 34 games.

Following that campaign, he was dealt to the Cincinnati Reds with Bobby Tolan for outfielder Vada Pinson. With the Reds, Granger evolved into one of the best relief pitchers in the National League. He topped major league pitchers with 90 appearances in 1969 and led the NL with 35 saves the ensuing campaign.

On December 3, 1971, the Reds traded him to the Minnesota Twins. He spent a season with them, followed by a return tenure with the Cardinals and stints with the New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros.

In all, in nine big league seasons, Granger finished with a 3.14 ERA and 108 saves in 451 appearances.

Danny Gallagher has written an excellent obituary of Granger here.

Happy Birthday Blake Hawksworth!

Happy 43rd Birthday to former big league pitcher and North Vancouver, B.C., native Blake Hawksworth!

Selected in the 28th round of the 2001 MLB draft by the Cardinals, the 6-foot-3 right-hander posted a 10-13 record and a 4.07 ERA in parts of three big league seasons with the Cardinals (2009-10) and Los Angeles Dodgers (2011). He is now the pitching coach for Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Okla.

Expos signed Guerrero 33 years ago

Thirty-three years ago today, the Montreal Expos signed an 18-year-old outfielder out of the Dominican Republic named Vladimir Guerrero.

It proved to be the best amateur free agent signing in Montreal Expos’ history.

In his eight seasons with the Expos from 1996 to 2003, Guerrero was a four-time All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger Award winner and he received MVP votes in six seasons. He also possessed one of baseball’s strongest arms and he topped National League right fielders in assists twice (2001, 2002).

Guerrero also established all-time Expos records for batting average (.323), home runs (234), slugging percentage (.588) and on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) (.978).

Canadian ball hall has one of Votto’s Blue Jays jerseys

One of the coolest items the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame has in their collection is a jersey Joey Votto (Etobicoke, Ont.) wore for the Toronto Blue Jays in spring training in 2024.

After a Cooperstown-worthy 17-season tenure with the Cincinnati Reds, Votto signed with his hometown Blue Jays in March 2024. Coming off an injury-shortened 2023 with the Reds, Votto was hoping to revive his career with the Blue Jays.

On March 17, 2024, the left-handed hitting slugger would homer on the first pitch he saw from Philadelphia Phillies ace Zack Wheeler in his only Grapefruit League at bat for the Blue Jays. After the homer, Votto stepped on a bat in the Blue Jays’ dugout and rolled his ankle. The injury sidelined him for several weeks but eventually did play 31 games in the Blue Jays’ system, reaching the triple-A Buffalo Bisons, before deciding to retire.

Votto’s Blue Jays jersey was highlighted in the Canadian ball hall’s Friday Feature that they post on social media.

March 1st Birthdays

1952 – Bob Davis, former Blue Jays catcher

1962 – Mark Gardner, former Expos pitcher

1969 – Doug Creek, former Blue Jays reliever (died in 2024)

1972 – Omar Daal, former Expos and Blue Jays pitcher

1979 – Chris Barnwell, Canada’s 2009 WBC shortstop

1983 – Blake Hawksworth (North Vancouver, B.C.), former Cardinals and Dodgers pitcher

1998 – Kelsey Lalor (Red Deer, Alta.) Women’s National Team outfielder

BWDIK: Black, Brash, Dykxhoorn, Hawksworth, O'Neill, Votto