BWDIK: Black, Jenkins, Naylor, O'Neill, Parker, Pivetta, Soroka

Former Blue Jay Dave Parker will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame posthumously today.

July 27, 2025

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Some Canadian baseball news and notes:

Parker’s son to read his HOF speech

“I’m looking forward to being there,” Dave Parker told the MLB Network in December about his Hall of Fame induction ceremony that will take place today in Cooperstown. “I’ve been holding this speech in for 15 years.”

Unfortunately, that speech will have to be read by his son David.

Parker died on June 28, less than one month ago, at the age of 74 after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease.

After many years of waiting, Parker was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Classic Baseball Era Committee in December.

While with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Parker was an intimidating 6-foot-5, 230-pound, five-tool right fielder, with a larger-than-life personality. From 1975 to 1979, he was one of the best players in the majors. During that stretch, Parker won two batting titles (1977, 1978), the 1978 National League MVP Award, three Gold Gloves and a World Series ring with the “We Are Family” Pirates in 1979.

Parker also enjoyed successful tenures with the Cincinnati Reds, Oakland A’s, Milwaukee Brewers and California Angels before spending his final 13 big league games as a designated hitter for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1991.

In those 13 games with the Blue Jays, the veteran slugger went 12-for-36, good for a .333 batting average to help them clinch their third division title.

How did the 2025 Hall of Fame inductees fare in Canada?

The National Baseball Hall of Fame’s 2025 induction ceremony will begin at 1:30 p.m. E.T. today. You can watch it on the MLB Network.

While Parker is the only inductee to have played with a Canadian major league team, the other four all competed in Canada against the Blue Jays and/or the Montreal Expos during their careers.

Here’s a rundown of how they fared:

Dick Allen

In 29 games against the Expos at Jarry Park, Allen batted .239 with five home runs and 23 RBIs. He never had the opportunity to play at Olympic Stadium.

The menacing right-handed hitting slugger played just one series against the Blue Jays while he was with the Oakland A’s in 1977. He went 0-for-5 with four walks in two games at Exhibition Stadium on May 23 and May 25 that year.

Ichiro Suzuki

The fleet-footed outfielder batted .292 with 93 hits – including 10 doubles and four triples – in 78 games against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. He also swiped 14 bases. He never suited up against the Expos at Olympic Stadium.

CC Sabathia

In 16 starts against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, Sabathia went 9-4 with a 3.01 ERA. He collected 89 strikeouts in 101 2/3 innings.

On June 21, 2002, the 6-foot-6 lefty made his sole start at Olympic Stadium. Then with Cleveland, he allowed three runs on four hits in 7 1/3 innings to an Expos lineup that included Vladimir Guerrero. He was outdueled, however, by right-hander Javier Vazquez in the Expos’ 3-1 win.

Billy Wagner

In 17 relief appearances against the Expos at Olympic Stadium, Wagner posted a 2.33 ERA and recorded 11 saves, while fanning 27 batters in 19 1/3 innings. He notched a save and didn’t surrender a run in two relief appearances against the Blue Jays at SkyDome.

Dave Parker

On top of his 13-game tenure with the Blue Jays at the end of his career, Parker also played in 82 games against the Expos at Olympic Stadium and batted .286 with 11 home runs and 59 RBIs.

Carter became first Expo inducted into Hall 22 years ago

It was 22 years ago today that Gary Carter was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. He became the first player inducted to be pictured in an Expos cap on their plaque.

Signed out of high school by the Expos in 1972, Carter spent 17 years with the franchise, including three seasons in the minors, 11 in the majors and three as a broadcaster. Carter belted 220 home runs in 1,502 games with the Expos and was named the team’s Player of the Year four times.

In all, in his 19-year big league career that also included stops with the New York Mets, San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers, Carter participated in 11 All-Star games, won three Gold Gloves and five Silver Slugger Awards. The two-time All-Star Game MVP (1981,1984) was a member of the 1986 World Series-winning Mets.

He passed away in 2012.

Naylor makes Mariners debut

Batting fourth and starting at first base, Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) went 1-for-4 with a single against the Los Angeles Angels in his first game with the Seattle Mariners on Friday. The Mariners lost 3-2 in 10 innings.

The Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team alum had been acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks the previous night in exchange for pitching prospects Brandyn Garcia and Ashton Izzi.

Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) with the Seattle Mariners. Photo: Seattle Mariners

With a 56-49 record, the Mariners sit in the second Wild-Card spot in the American League.

The Mariners acquired Naylor to boost their offence which ranks in the middle of the pack in the AL.

In 93 games with the D-Backs this season, Naylor batted .292 with 11 home runs and 59 RBIs. He has also established a career-high with 11 stolen bases.

Naylor was in his first season with the D-Backs after being traded to them by the Cleveland Guardians in December. Overall, he is in his seventh major league campaign.

Best MLB On-Base Percentage by player born in Canada in 2025 regular season (minimum 50 at bats)

.396 – Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Montreal, Que.)

.371 – Liam Hicks (Toronto, Ont.)

.360 – Josh Naylor

.318 – Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.)

.298 – Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, B.C.)

.288 – Edouard Julien (Quebec City, Que.)

.274 – Bo Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.)

.274 – Denzel Clarke (Pickering, Ont.)

Soroka next Canadian to be traded?

Washington Nationals right-hander Michael Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) was sharp in his start on Wednesday. He surrendered just one run on three hits, while striking out six, in 5 2/3 innings against the Cincinnati Reds.

With that, Soroka’s season ERA dropped to 4.85 in 14 starts. He has fanned 83 batters in 78 innings.

The 27-year-old righty signed a one-year, $9-million contract with the Nats in December and with the Nationals mired last in last place in the NL East division, he’s a good bet to be traded by the end of the month.

A Junior National Team alum, Soroka is in his sixth major league campaign.

Pivetta earns 10th win to tie career-best

Last Sunday, San Diego Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta (Victoria, B.C.) permitted just one run on three hits in six innings against the Nationals to earn his 10th win of the season. That equals his career-high set with the Red Sox in both 2022 and 2023.

Pivetta followed up that start with another strong performance on Friday when he allowed just two earned runs in 6 1/3 innings to the St. Louis Cardinals but was saddled with a tough-luck loss.

The veteran right-hander leads Canadian major league pitchers in almost every category this season, including wins, starts (21), innings pitched (121 2/3) and strikeouts (131).

The Junior National Team grad is in the first year of a backloaded, four-year, $55-million contract with the Padres. Overall, he is in his ninth major league season.

Lopez showing surprising pop with the Marlins

At the beginning of 2025, if you had told me that Otto Lopez would have the same number of RBIs as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 100 games into the season, I would’ve called you crazy. But here we are.

Lopez, who spent part of his youth in Montreal, has 54 RBIs as the Miami Marlins’ shortstop this season. The Junior National Team grad ranks second on the Marlins in RBIs, WAR (3.1) and third in home runs (11) and stolen bases (10).

Lopez, an ex-Blue Jay, is in his second full season with the Marlins.

Black back up with Brewers

Infielder Tyler Black (Stouffville, Ont.) was recalled by the Brewers last Sunday.

He made his first start with the Brewers this season on Wednesday. Batting sixth and playing first base, he went 2-for-5 with a double, a run and an RBI to help the Brewers to a 10-2 win over the Mariners.

It was a challenging start to the season for the 25-year-old Black. He fractured the hamate bone in his right hand in late March and was sidelined for more than six weeks.

When healed, he was assigned to triple-A Nashville, where he batted .191 with a .307 OBP with two home runs and 17 RBIs in 24 games prior to being promoted.

The Toronto Mets alum made his MLB debut with the Brewers last season. In 18 big league games in 2024, he went 10-for-49 with two doubles, three stolen bases and seven walks.

Selected 33rd overall by the Brewers in the 2021 MLB draft, Black is in his fifth season in the Brewers’ organization.

Fergie Jenkins in the National Baseball Hall of Fame parade in Cooperstown yesterday. Photo: Carter Kegelman, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

53 years ago, Fergie Jenkins tossed a one-hitter

Fergie Jenkins (Chatham, Ont.) pitched a one-hitter for the Chicago Cubs against the Philadelphia Phillies at Veterans Stadium 53 years ago today. The only hit he surrendered was a double to Willie Montanez in the fourth inning in the Cubs’ 4-0 victory. It was the first of three one-hitters Jenkins threw in the majors.

O’Neill swinging hot bat for O’s

Outfielder Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, B.C.) has had three consecutive two-hit games for the Baltimore Orioles. He has also homered in his last two games. This hot stretch has lifted his season batting average from .188 to .211.

To say it has been a challenging first season with the O’s for O’Neill would be an understatement. He has had two stretches on the injured list – first with neck inflammation and then with an impingement in his left shoulder. But it looks like he is finally healthy and rounding into form.

In total, in 36 games in 2025, O’Neill is batting .211 with five home runs and 15 RBIs.

He signed a three-year, $49.5-million contract with the O’s in December. He belted 31 home runs for the Red Sox last season and played his first six big league campaigns with the Cardinals.

Mets send Young back to triple-A

The New York Mets sent outfielder/DH Jared Young (Prince George, B.C.) back down to triple-A on Tuesday.

He had an RBI sacrifice fly in his only at bat with the club after being recalled for his second big league tenure this season on July 11.

In total, in 18 big league games in 2025, Young has batted .171 with three home runs.

The Mets signed Young to a major league contract in December, but he started the season in triple-A.

Young has had two previous major league stints with the Cubs in 2022 and 2023.

Fun Fact of the Week:

Fergie Jenkins made four career starts at Toronto’s Exhibition Stadium. He threw complete games in all four of them.

Fittingly, he also hurled the first shutout at Exhibition Stadium on Apr. 24, 1977 while he was with the Red Sox.