Elliott: Draft Day 1 blog
July 11, 2026
By Bob Elliott
Canadian Baseball Network
Hey, we have a horse race.
SS Taj Marchand, whose father Hugo played for the Victoriaville Tigers and was a seventh-round draft of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1997 and played for St. John’s Maple Leafs, is rated 67th by Baseball America. He is listed as 37th by MLB Pipeline and is headed to Ole Miss.
LHP Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, BC), who was a certain first round draft before an arm injury was ranked 59th by Baseball America. He’s listed as No. 66 by MLB Pipeline and the top Canuck. Perfect Game ranks Duncan, bound for Vanderbilt, if he does not sign, as 66th over-all.
OF Carter Beck (Carnduff, Sask.), Missouri Valley Conference’s MVP with the Indiana State Sycamores, is listed at No. 69 by Baseball America. Beck is ranked 193rd by MLB Pipeline.
SS Elliot Lascelles (Toronto, Ont.), a young man with four-plus tools in a land that does not produce shortstops, is listed 118th by Baseball America. He sits at 158 on MLB Pipeline’s list. He has committed to Yale University.
So is it Marchand, Duncan and Beck?
Or is it Duncan, Marchand and Beck?
Or maybe Beck, Marchand and Duncan? Or another combo? We’ll soon know
Whatever the case , all three will wind up on our six-figure list.
Canadians with six-figure bonuses
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Each year of late, we have dedicated our blog page to someone who passed in the previous year. On Sept. 12, 2025 — two months after last year’s draft — Baseball Canada’s longtime executive director Jim Baba, one of the most respected and influential leaders in Canadian baseball history, died.
Baba (Moose Jaw, Sask.) was 69. He was loved in his home province and worshipped in Ottawa during the 20 years he spent there.
A few weeks later after he died, there was a WBSC championship with teams from around the world. The two competing teams for the bronze medal and gold medal games lined up along the first and third base lines and a moment’s silence was held as Baba’s picture flashed on the right field scoreboard. His wife, Penny, died a few months later.
Mitch, Melani and Jamie represented their family well in St. Marys when Jim was inducted to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. Jim’s passion was coaching and his impact was felt throughout Saskatchewan, delivering numerous coaching certification programs in his home province and from coast to coast and around the world.
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Walt Burrows was not a participant in poll. No longer working for the Minnesota Twins he is shown here scouting for the Canadian Futures Serues iin Moncton, NB.
Last year we asked an assorted number of scouts to predict how many Canadians would be selected.
We think the average was 11.
Last July, 30 Canadians were drafted or signed. A total of 19 Canadians were drafted last year (seven high schoolers). Eight free agents signed post-draft and three free-agents signed before draft.
This year we asked people on both sides of the border _ three scouting directors, four national cross checkers and six area scouts and the average was … ta-da ... 19.
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In addition to 20 picks in the first, second-thru-20th rounds, there will be compensation picks that have been awarded to some teams;
2026 Compensation Picks
Pick Team Compensation For/Team
51 PIT Angel Cervantes (Unsigned 2025 Draft Pick)
75 CHC Kyle Tucker/LAD
133 HOU Framber Valdez/DET
134 SD Dylan Cease/TOR
135 PHI Ranger Suarez/BOS
2026 Prospect Promotion Incentive Picks
Pick Team For
26 ATL Drake Baldwin (2025 NL Rookie of the Year)
28 HOU Hunter Brown (2025 AL Cy Young - Top 3)
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Expos/Blue Jays Father/son combinations to be draft
Barfield, Jesse 1977 9 TOR OF
Barfield, Josh 2001 4 SD 2B
Bichette, Dante 1984 17 CAL OF
Bichette, Dante Jr. 2011 A (51) NYY 3B
Bichette, Bo 2016 2 TOR SS
DeShields, Delino 1987 1 (12) MON 2B
DeShields, Delino Jr. 2010 1 (8) HOU OF
Drabek, Doug 1983 11 CWS RHP
Drabek, Kyle 2006 1 (18) PHI RHP
Fielder, Cecil 1982 4 KC 1B
Fielder, Prince 2002 1 (7) MIL 1B
Name Year Round Team Position
Grissom, Marquis 1988 3 MON OF
Grissom, Marquis Jr. 2022 13 WSH RHP
Leiter, Al 1984 2 NYY LHP
Leiter, Jack 2021 1 (2) TEX RHP
Raines, Tim 1977 5 MON SS
Raines, Tim Jr. 1998 6 BAL OF
Speier, Chris 1970 1 (2) SF SS
Speier, Justin 1995 55 CHC RHP
Wilson, Mookie 1977 2 NYM OF
Wilson, Preston 1992 1 (9) NYM OF
Previous Dedications
2025 _ Don Seaman and Dr. Ron Taylor.
Seaman, 99, passed 17 days before his 100th birthday. I first met him in 2011 when he was inducted into the Okotoks Dawgs Hall of Fame. Don was the principal donor in the construction of Seaman Stadium and the Duvernay Fieldhouse. His late brother Daryl K. (“Doc”), brother BJ and Don were principals of the Bow Valley Group of Companies and respected pioneers in the Canadian oil & gas industry. He made major contributions to the Seaman Family MRA Research Centre, the Robotic Arm Project at Foothills Hospital, Ronald McDonald House, Heritage Park, University of Saskatchewan and University of Calgary.
Taylor 87, accomplished a lot in his life: getting signed by Cleveland, an electrical engineering degree, winning two World Series rings with the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets as a reliever, graduating from the University of Toronto, two more Series more as the team physician with the Toronto Blue Jays and he ran a clinic to treat sports injuries -- it didn’t matter if a player was in his draft year or if he was a peewee sandlot right-hander with a sore elbow. He saw them all. We never met a man who had more fun in his life.
2024 _ Jerry O’Hearn (Oshawa, Ont.)
Jerry was the father of Keegan O’Hearn a graduate of the Oshawa Legionaires, the Terriers and the Junior National Team. Jerry made one trip to Ann Arbour to see Michigan play a doubleheader against Eastern Michigan in fall ball. On Oct 23, 2023, Jerry O’Hearn, father, friend, good guy and ball fan, passed after seeing his son play one game of college ball.
2023 _ Lynda Loewen (Sequim, Wash.)
Lynda was the wife of former first round LHP Adam Loewen (Surrey, BC) who passed at age 37 on Dec. 10, 2021. Loewen was selected fourth overall in North America in 2002 by the Baltimore Orioles and made the majors three times: A) as a starter, B) as an outfielder and C) as a lefty reliever.
2022 _ Warren Bechard (Brantford, Ont.).
Warren whose son Jesse Bechard held most Kent State Golden Flashes hitting record when he retired. Warren was a constant promoter and supporter of this website and constant sign of encouragement as we started what many called a “niche project,” which would not go anywhere. He was an enthusiast -- which Jack Giffin (Brockville, Ont.) used to say was the highest compliment you could give a non player.