UPDATED: Blue Jays are Canada’s team, but who are other Canadians in postseason?

Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Montreal, Que.) celebrates with Blue Jays fans after the club clinched the American League East title on Sunday. Photo: Toronto Blue Jays/Facebook

October 4, 2025

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

What started out as, perhaps, the most Canadian postseason in major league history has gotten a lot less Canadian.

When the Cleveland Guardians were ousted by the Detroit Tigers in their American League Wild-Card series, that meant that three Canucks - Bo Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.), Erik Sabrowski (Edmonton, Alta.) and Cade Smith (Abbotsford, B.C.) - were done for the year.

After the Chicago Cubs eliminated the San Diego Padres on Thursday, ace right-hander Nick Pivetta (Victoria, B.C.), despite his strong nine-strikeout start in Game 1, also headed home.

But there’s still plenty of Canadian content left in this year’s postseason.

For the first time, the Toronto Blue Jays, Canada’s team, will face off against the big bad New York Yankees in the playoffs.

And as host Tim Micallef said on Sportsnet Central on Friday, the other American League Division Series pits Windsor (Detroit Tigers) against Vancouver (Seattle Mariners). Vancouver - I mean, Seattle - will have two Canadians on their roster in slugger Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) and set-up man Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.).

Over in the National League, the Philadelphia Phillies, managed by Rob Thomson (Corunna, Ont.) will face off against the Los Angeles Dodgers and two-time Canadian national team member Freddie Freeman.

Meanwhile, the Chicago Cubs - featuring Canadian citizen Jameson Taillon in their rotation and Michael Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) in their bullpen - will battle the National League Central-winning Milwaukee Brewers.

Here’s a deeper look at the Canadian content left in the postseason.

1. Toronto Blue Jays

For the American League East-winning Blue Jays to make a deep postseason run, they will need Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Montreal, Que.) - the only Canadian-born player on their roster - to rediscover his power stroke.

That seems like an obvious statement.

Of course, we said that in September and Guerrero Jr. managed only one extra-base hit after September 7 and the team still won their division largely through contributions from scrappy players like Nathan Lukes, Ernie Clement, Davis Schneider and Daulton Varsho, while Bo Bichette was sidelined with a knee injury.

But let’s just say this: with the uncertainty of Bichette’s return (on Friday, the team was still saying he was “day-to-day”), it would make Blue Jays manager John Schneider’s job a whole lot easier if the Guerrero Jr. got hot.

With a fan base that extends across the country, the Blue Jays are undoubtedly Canada’s team this postseason and now, for the first time in franchise history, they will face the New York Yankees, who have won 27 World Series, in the playoffs. First pitch is scheduled for 4:08 p.m. E.T. today.

Players: 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Montreal, Que.)

Major league coaches: Alex Andreopoulos (Toronto, Ont.), bullpen catcher; Sam Greene (born in Philadelphia, spent five years in Montreal attending McGill, mother is from Thetford Mines, Que.), assistant pitching coach

Trainers/Medical staff: Voon Chong (Vancouver, BC), assistant trainer; Drew MacDonald (Teeswater, Ont.), assistant trainer; John Biggar (Toronto, Ont.), physical therapist; Dr. David Lawrence (Toronto, Ont.), head primary care physician; Dr. Jason Smith (Toronto, Ont.) consulting orthopedic surgeon; Jeremy Trach (Coquitlam, B.C.), major league assistant strength & conditioning coach

Clubhouse staff: Scott Blinn (Toronto, Ont.), director, major league clubhouse operations; Mustafa (Moose) Hassan (Toronto, Ont.), home clubhouse manager, equipment; Kevin Malloy (Pickering, Ont.), senior manager, visiting clubhouse

Minor league players: OF Dasan Brown (Oakville, Ont.), RHP Micah Bucknam (Abbotsford, BC), C Nicolas Deschamps (Quebec, Que.), LHP Adam Macko (Stony Plain, Alta.), LHP Connor O’Halloran (Mississauga, Ont.), 3B Damiano Palmegiani (Surrey, BC), INF-OF Tim Piasentin (Coquitlam, BC), INF Sam Shaw (Victoria, BC.), RHP Aiden Taggart (Grimsby, Ont.), 3B Sam White (Aurora, Ont.)

Executives: Edward Rogers (Toronto, Ont.), executive chair of the board; Andrew Tinnish (Ottawa, Ont.), vice-president, international scouting and baseball operations; Marnie Starkman (Mississauga, Ont.), executive vice-president, business operations; Paul Beeston (Welland, Ont.), president emeritus; Paul Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.), special assistant to player development; Mark Ditmars (Toronto, Ont.), vice-president, partnerships; Devin McElroy (Toronto, Ont.), director, ticket sales and business development; Michelle Seniuk (Oakville, Ont.), vice-president, fan experience; Alex Wong (Toronto, Ont.), senior vice-president, strategy and analytics, technology and events business development

Front office staff: Charlie Wilson (Toronto, Ont.), director, minor league operations; Spencer Estey (Toronto, Ont.), senior software engineer; Anna Coppola (Windsor, Ont.), executive assistant to the GM; Gabrielle Campos (Brampton, Ont.), senior data engineer, baseball systems; Jeremy Reesor (Stouffville, Ont.), vice president, baseball operations; Clare Padmore (Toronto, Ont.), senior manager, biomechanist; John Meloche (Pakenham, Ont.), lead developer, baseball systems; Liam Stevenson (Toronto, Ont.), senior data scientist; Anthony Lucchese (Toronto, Ont.), quality assurance analyst; Rodney Hiemstra, manager, team travel; Alykhan Ravjiani (Toronto, Ont.), senior manager, social media and real time content;

Minor League coaches/staff: Ashley Stephenson (Mississauga, Ont.), position coach, Dunedin Blue Jays; Brent Lavallee (North Delta, BC), field manager, New Hampshire Fisher Cats; Stephanie Boville (Waterloo, Ont.), nutritionist, New Hampshire Fisher Cats; Tyler Dobos (Ancaster, Ont.), pitching resource analyst; Shelby Nelson (Toronto, Ont.), vice-president, Florida operations; Noah Or (Richmond, BC), strength and conditioning coach, Vancouver Canadians; Katie Reyes (Surrey, BC), athletic therapist, Vancouver Canadians; Jaimie Vieira (Georgetown, Ont.), minor league hitting coach

Scouts/Player Performance: Kory Lafreniere (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.) assistant director, amateur scouting; Jon Lalonde (Midland, Ont.), manager, player personnel; Kevin Briand (Montreal, Que.), Jay Lapp (London, Ont.), Adam Arnold (London, Ont.), Jasmin Roy (Longueuil, Que.), Rene Tosoni (Port Coquitlam, B.C.), Patrick Griffin (Oakville, Ont.), Matt McCue (Bradford, Ont.), international scouting analyst; Tommy Farah (Ottawa, Ont.) senior analyst, pro scouting; Megan Evans (Brooklin, Ont.), Graydon Carruthers (Toronto, Ont.), senior data scientist; Julio Ramirez (Toronto, Ont.), senior coordinator, international scouting; Dan Goldberg (Toronto, Ont.), lead data scientist; Ryan Mittleman (Toronto, Ont.) vice-president, pro scouting; Josh Goreham (Halifax, NS), lead performance analyst; Peter L’Oiseau (Gatineau, Que.), data scientist; Matt McCue (Bradford, Ont.), international scouting analyst; Liam Ralph (King City, Ont.), baseball research analyst; Liam Stevenson (Toronto, Ont.), senior data scientist

And the media relations team of: Andrea Goldstein (Toronto, Ont.), vice-president, communications; Madeleine Davidson (Toronto, Ont.), director, business communications; Adam Felton (Georgetown, Ont.) director, baseball communications; Simon Wells (Toronto, Ont.), manager, baseball information.

Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team alum Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) batted .299 and had 18 stolen bases in 54 games with the Seattle Mariners to help them win the American League West division title. Photo: Seattle Mariners

2. Seattle Mariners

During one stretch in September, the Seattle Mariners won 16 of 17 games to overtake the Houston Astros and eventually win the American League West division. And their two Canucks - Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) and Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.) - were huge contributors during their streak.

The 5-foot-10, 235-pound Naylor has become one of the Mariners’ most popular players since he was acquired from the Diamondbacks on July 24. Not only has he been pounding the ball - .299 with nine home runs, 10 doubles and an .831 OPS in 54 games - with the M’s, but he has also been tearing up the base paths. He had 18 stolen bases with the M’s and a surprising 30 on the season. He missed the M’s final two regular season games due to groin tightness, but he’ll be back in the M’s lineup - and likely hitting cleanup behind Cal Raleigh - when they begin their division series against the Detroit Tigers tonight.

Brash has served as a key setup man since his return from Tommy John surgery in early May. In 53 relief appearances, the 6-foot-1 right-hander owns a 2.47 ERA and has 21 holds and four saves. He has fanned 58 batters in 47 1/3 innings and will be used in high leverage situations by the M’s this postseason.

Players: RHP Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.), 1B Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.)

Minor league players: C Connor Dykstra (Chilliwack, B.C.)

Coach: Louis Boyd (North Vancouver, B.C), major league field coordinator; Michael Saunders (Victoria, B.C.), roving instructor

Canadian citizen Jameson Taillon was 11-7 with a 3.68 ERA in 23 starts for the Chicago Cubs this season.

3. Chicago Cubs

Right-hander Jameson Taillon, who was raised in The Woodlands, Texas but maintains a Canadian citizenship, started and threw four scoreless innings for the Cubs in the third-and-deciding game of their Wild-Card series against the San Diego Padres. That built on a solid regular season that saw him go 11-7 with a 3.68 ERA in 23 starts. That Wild-Card start likely means he won’t be available until at least Game 3 of the Cubs’ National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Acquired by the Cubs from the Washington Nationals at the trade deadline, Michael Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) retired both Padres batters he faced in relief in the ninth inning of Game 2 of the Wild-Card Series. He has been used exclusively as a reliever since his return from the 15-day injured list in mid-September due to a shoulder strain. He has not allowed an earned run in six relief outings (regular season and postseason) with the Cubs. He made 16 starts for the Nationals earlier in the season.

Highly touted outfielder Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) was not on the Cubs’ postseason roster for the Wild-Card Series but he could be seen on the team’s bench. He made his major league debut with the Cubs this season and batted .192 with a home run in 12 games before being sidelined with a concussion in mid-September.

Players: OF Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.), RHP Michael Soroka (Calgary, Alta.), RHP Jameson Taillon, Canadian citizen, WBC eligible, (The Woodlands, Texas)

Minor league players: RHP Dominic Hambley (Victoria, B.C.), OF Jordan Nwogu (Ottawa, Ont.), RHP Zach Pop (Brampton, Ont.)

Front Office: Ryan Dempster (Gibsons, B.C.), broadcaster, special assistant to the president; Fergie Jenkins (Chatham, Ont.), ambassador; Mike Sonne (Hamilton, Ont.) pitching scientist

Scouts: James Parker (Toronto, Ont.)

Left-hander Rob Zastryzny (Edmonton, Alta.) posted a 2.45 ERA in 26 relief appearances for the Milwaukee Brewers this season. Photo: Milwaukee Brewers

4. Milwaukee Brewers

When Doug Melvin (Chatham, Ont.) was the general manager of the Brewers from 2002 to 2015, and Gord Ash (Toronto, Ont.) was his assistant GM, the Brewers consistently seemed to have the most (or close to the most) Canadian players in their system. This changed under more recent regimes, but it has rebounded somewhat in the past few years when thanks to input from the club’s special assistant of scouting and international player development, Taylor Green (Comox, B.C.), and area scout Pete Orr (Newmarket, Ont.), the Brewers selected Tyler Black (Stouffville, Ont.) 33rd overall in the 2021 MLB draft and INF Dylan O’Rae (Sarnia, Ont.) 102nd overall in 2022.

Black made his major league debut in 2024 and hit .250 in five games with the Brewers this season.

Meanwhile, left-hander Rob Zastryzny (Edmonton, Alta.) has become a go-to left-handed reliever for the club. In 26 appearances this season, he went 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA and fanned 20 in 22 innings. Unfortunately, he was left off the Brewers’ National League Division Series roster.

Former Okotoks Dawgs right-hander and ex-Brewers closer Jim Henderson (Calgary, Alta.) is the Brewers’ assistant pitching and strategy coach.

The Brewers finished with 97 wins this season - the most in MLB. They will face the Cubs in an NLDS.

Players: INF Tyler Black (Stouffville, Ont.), LHP Rob Zastryzny (Edmonton, Alta.)

Coach: Jim Henderson (Calgary, Alta.), assistant pitching and strategy coach

Minor league players: INF Dylan O’Rae (Sarnia, Ont.), INF Adam Hall (London, Ont.)

Executives: Doug Melvin (Chatham, Ont.), special assistant to the general manager; Gord Ash (Toronto, Ont.), vice-president, baseball projects; Taylor Green (Comox, BC), special assistant of scouting and international player development

Minor league coaches: Brad McKay (Fredericton, N.B.), lead strategist, skill acquisition

Scouts: Tyler Hollick (Calgary, Alta.), Doug Mathieson (Langley, BC), Pete Orr (Newmarket, Ont.), Taylor Frederick (Ottawa, Ont.)

In 2022, Philadelphia Phillies dugout boss Rob Thomson (Corunna, Ont.) became the first Canadian to manage a team in the major league post-season since the 19th century. Photo: Twitter

5. Philadelphia Phillies

In 2022, Rob Thomson (Corunna, Ont.) became the first Canadian skipper to manage a team in the big-league postseason since Bill Watkins (Brantford, Ont.) led the National League’s Detroit Wolverines to a World Series title in 1887. It goes without saying then that Thomson is the first Canadian big-league manager to lead a major league club to four consecutive playoff appearances.

After piloting the Phillies to a National League pennant in 2022 and a National League Championship Series berth in 2023, Thomson has guided the Phillies to division titles in 2024 and 2025.

But even prior to his tenure as Phillies manager, Thomson had plenty of postseason experience. During his close to three decades as a coach in the Yankees’ organization, he earned five World Series rings and was the Bombers’ third base coach on their most recent World Series-winning squad in 2009. He was also a bench coach on multiple Yankees squads that advanced to the postseason.

Thomson will, of course, continue to share his postseason wisdom with his players, but if they’re looking for further inspiration, perhaps they can call former general manager and now senior advisor and part-owner, Pat Gillick (Canadian citizen), down for a pep talk. He has three World Series rings - two with the Blue Jays (1992-93) and one with the Phillies (2008) - on his Hall of Fame resume.

Thomson also started the 2025 season with former Blue Jay Jordan Romano (Markham, Ont.) as his closer, but the Canadian righty struggled mightily. He posted an 8.23 ERA in 49 appearances before he was shut down with right middle finger inflammation on August 26. He is unlikely to pitch for the Phillies again this year.

The Phillies finished the regular season 96-66 and will face the Los Angeles Dodgers in a National League Division Series.

Major league manager: Rob Thomson (Corunna, Ont.)

Player: Jordan Romano (Markham, Ont.), injured list (right middle finger inflammation)

Executive: Pat Gillick (Canadian citizen), senior advisor and part-owner

Minor league players: OF Avery Owusu-Asiedu (Saskatoon, Sask.), LHP Wesley Moore (Surrey, B.C.), OF Dante Nori (Toronto, Ont.)

Scouts: Alex Agostino (St-Bruno, Que.), Les McTavish (Stettler, Alta.)

Ellen Harrigan (Beeton, Ont.) is the Los Angeles Dodgers’ vice-president, baseball administration.

6. Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers, who made short work of the Cincinnati Reds in their Wild-Card series, don’t have a player born in Canada on their roster, however, first baseman Freddie Freeman’s parents were born north of the border, and he played for Canada in the 2017 and 2023 World Baseball Classics. Prior to the 2022 season, Freeman inked a six-year, $162-million contract with the Dodgers. And he certainly hasn’t disappointed. He has been an All-Star in each of his four seasons with the club. In 2025, he batted .295 and had a .367 on-base percentage with 24 home runs and 90 RBIs in 147 games.

The Dodgers also employ Beeton, Ont., native Ellen Harrigan, who is one of Major League Baseball’s most respected executives. After beginning her career with the Blue Jays as an administrative aide in player development in 1981 and later becoming the general manager of the club’s New York Penn League affiliate in St. Catharines, Harrigan moved on to the Dodgers and has risen through the organization’s ranks to hold a number of key executive positions. Now in her 26th season with the club, she is currently the team’s vice-president, baseball administration.

The Dodgers won the National League East again this season, finishing 93-69. They will now face the Phillies in a National League Division Series that starts today.

Player: Freddie Freeman (Villa Park, Calif.), WBC eligible

Executive: Ellen Veronica Harrigan (Beeton, Ont.), senior director, baseball administration

Minor league players: LHP Shane Brinham (North Vancouver, B.C.), OF Charles Davalan (St-Bruno-De-Montarville, Que.), RHP Cam Leiter (Bayville, N.J., lived for part of his youth in Vancouver, B.C.), RHP Lucas Wepf (Georgetown, Ont.)

Doctor: Dr. Keith Pyne (Niagara On The Lake, Ont.), medical consultant

Yankees scout Steve Wilson takes questions in Seoul in 2019. Sun Dong-Yuhl, former head coach of the South Korean national team, is on the left. Photo: Yonhap News

7. New York Yankees

As the Yankees get ready to face the Blue Jays in the postseason for the first time, you won’t find a Canadian on the Bronx Bombers’ postseason roster. But there’s no shortage of Canucks working in the organization. The club employs a trio of Canadian scouts in Steve Wilson (Victoria, B.C.), Shawn Hill (Georgetown, Ont.) and Denis Boucher (Lachine, Que.). They also boast a Canadian broadcaster in Nancy Newman (Toronto, Ont.), who sits in the same chair Mel Allen once sat.

And this year they added three Canadian players to the organization: infielder Core Jackson (Wyoming, Ont.), whom they selected in the fifth round of the MLB draft, right-hander Blake Gillespie (Arva, Ont.) whom they chose in the ninth round and they signed right-hander Tyler Boudreau (Sylvan Lake, Alta.) as an amateur free agent.

They defeated the Boston Red Sox in their Wild-Card Series on Thursday.

Minor league players: RHP Tyler Boudreau (Sylvan Lake, Alta.), LHP Kyle Carr (father is from Sydney, N.S.), RHP Indigo Diaz (North Vancouver, B.C.), RHP Blake Gillespie (Arva, Ont.), INF Core Jackson (Wyoming, Ont.), OF Tyler Wilson (father is from Victoria, B.C.)

Scouts: Steve Wilson (Victoria, B.C.), Shawn Hill (Georgetown, Ont.), Denis Boucher (Lachine, Que.), Cory Melvin (Doug Melvin’s son)

Broadcaster: Nancy Newman (Toronto, Ont.) New York Yankees Magazine, host, YES Network

Off the field Canadian talent: Jessica (Lack) Ventura (Calgary, Alta.), class-A Tampa Yankees, director, partnership and community activation; Isiah McDonald, (Kelowna, BC), strength and conditioning coach, sports massage therapist

Mike Smith, the owner of Joe Kool’s, a popular restaurant and bar in London, Ont., has always welcomed Detroit Tigers fans at his establishment. If you look on the far right of the photo, you’ll see one of the many Tigers photos on display. Photo: Fixt Point

8. Detroit Tigers

Geographically, outside of the Blue Jays, the most Canadian team in this year’s postseason is the Tigers, who play in Comerica Park just across the bridge from Windsor, Ont. The Tigers secured the final American League Wild-Card spot on the second-last day of the season. They did so after they were overtaken by the Guardians in the American League Central.

But give the Tigers props for resiliency, they bounced back to oust the Guardians in their Wild-Card Series on Thursday and will face the Mariners in an American League Division series that starts tonight.

There are still a large number of Tigers fans in Southwestern Ontario. Many of them established their allegiance before the Blue Jays were born in 1977. I live in London, Ont. - two hours from Detroit - and I can assure you that Joe Kool’s - a local downtown restaurant and bar - will be hopping with Tigers fans. For years, the restaurant’s owner, Mike Smith, who I understand is a diehard Tigers fan, has decorated part of his establishment with Tigers memorabilia.

There are no Canadian players on the Tigers, but Robin Lund (Peace River, Alta.) serves as an assistant pitching coach with the team.

Coach: Robin Lund (Peace River, Alta.), assistant pitching coach

Executive: Jim Devellano (Scarborough, Ont.), executive/minority owner

Minor league players: RHP Jordan Balazovic (Mississauga, Ont.), C Archer Brookman (Pointe-Claire, Que.), C Brady Cerkownyk (Etobicoke, Ont.), INF Trei Cruz (Toronto, Ont.), RHP Jordan Marks (Sarnia, Ont.)