Glew: Hynes hopes to follow in footsteps of other Canadians with Guardians
Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team grad Will Hynes (Mississauga, Ont.) signed with the Cleveland Guardians on Friday after being selected 70th overall by them in the MLB draft. Photo: Baseball Canada
July 26, 2025
By Kevin Glew
Canadian Baseball Network
Will Hynes hopes that one day soon he’ll have the opportunity to throw a bullpen session to Bo Naylor.
That seems likely to happen given that the 6-foot-2 right-hander was selected 70th overall by the Cleveland Guardians in the 2025 MLB draft.
Hynes (Mississauga, Ont.), who like Naylor is an Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team grad, officially signed with the Guardians on Friday.
The Canadian righty, who turned 18 on July 7, has already met the Naylor brothers. He played with Myles on the Junior National Team and was introduced to Bo and Josh at the Baseball Canada banquet.
“Hopefully, I can spend a little time with Bo and maybe throw a bullpen or two with him in the winter,” said Hynes. “I really hope to do that, if he’s got the time.”
The prized teenage pitching prospect is also looking forward to getting to know Canadian big league relievers Erik Sabrowski (Edmonton, Alta.) and Cade Smith (Abbotsford, B.C.). Those two spoke to the Canadian Premier Baseball League All-Stars squad that Hynes was on that played a game at the Guardians’ spring training complex in March.
“There are so many Canadians in this organization and it’s really cool to see the Canadians above me and I hope to be in their spot one day,” said Hynes.
And there’s a good chance he will.
Hynes saw his draft stock climb this year after he dominated with the Junior National Team and his fastball velocity rose to 95 mph.
“He had a really good senior year with us,” said Greg Hamilton, the Junior National Team head coach. “From the Instructional League in the Dominican to the extended spring training in Florida back to the Instructional League to the MLB Draft League, he was very consistent all the way through his senior year against pro hitters. And when I say consistent, he was in control in his outings, he was dominant from almost the first time he went out.”
Making that even more impressive was he did that with scouts watching his every move on the mound.
“To me, he falls on a short list of high school arms that was able to deliver against that level of competition with [scouts’] eyes on him in every start,” said Hamilton.
But Hynes had to work hard to get all those scouts’ eyes on him.
He began playing baseball for the Royal York Baseball League in Etobicoke, Ont., when he was 8. Eventually, he was good enough to play at the triple-A level with the Etobicoke Rangers, but he had no set position until he joined the Ontario Terriers in grade 8.
“I really fell in love with pitching when I was in eighth grade,” said Hynes. “It was just something that I really liked to do. I loved the competitive nature of it. I love going at it every single day and trying to find something that will make you better.”
Will Hynes (Mississauga, Ont.) worked diligently with Ontario Blue Jays pitching coordinator Jared Kennedy to improve his draft stock. Photo: Ontario Blue Jays
After two years with the Terriers, he moved on to the Ontario Blue Jays (OBJ) where he began working with pitching coordinator Jared Kennedy.
“When I was watching him at his first bullpen session, I could tell that there was something special there,” said Kennedy. “There was just so much potential in Will’s delivery and in his mannerisms and how he went about his business. You could see there was something different about him in a really good way.”
When Hynes started with the Ontario Blue Jays 16U team, his fastball clocked in at 86-88 mph.
“Our goal was to gain two-to-three miles per hour a year,” said Kennedy. “We ended up hitting 90 miles per hour in our first off-season working together and ended up hitting 92 in the second one and he ended up jumping up to 95 in this third one.”
They also worked on developing a “harder” slider and finetuning his changeup.
On top of his strong arsenal of pitches, Hynes’ mental make-up and commitment are off the charts, says Kennedy.
“He’s just one of the most dialed in athletes I’ve ever coached,” said Kennedy. “He’s always thinking about baseball. He’s always working on his craft. He’s one of the most routine oriented kids I’ve ever been around.”
Hamilton offers similar praise.
“When organizations would ask for my opinion on him about what’s his greatest attribute, to me, it’s his maturity,” said Hamilton. “He’s confident, he’s intelligent and it translates into how he pitches.”
Much of Hynes’ confidence comes from his work with Kennedy.
“The effort and time that Jared puts into the pitching program at OBJ is really, really special,” said Hynes. “And I don’t say that lightly at all. I think in Canada, it’s really hard to find a pitching coach that not only has the knowledge that Jared does, but puts in the effort and time that he does . . . He had a huge hand in my development.”
Hynes also credits Hamilton and his three years with the Junior National Team for helping him rise up the draft rankings.
“My favourite time on a baseball field is when I’m playing with Canada across my chest,” said Hynes. “It’s a true honour that I don’t take lightly . . . And playing under Greg is something special. He’s really passionate about the game and Canadian baseball and I credit a lot of my success to my time on the national team and being exposed to pro hitters since I was 15.”
If he hadn’t already done so, Hynes cemented his place as the top Canadian high school prospect in the 2025 MLB draft with his final start with the Ontario Blue Jays at the 18U Perfect Game Canadian National Championship Tour event in Dorchester, Ont., on June 4. In that start, Hynes was overpowering, striking out nine in six scoreless innings against the Mississauga Tigers.
“That was easily my Ontario Blue Jays highlight,” said Hynes. “It was my last outing in that uniform and it was a special one – not only because my teammates and coaches were there, but my parents were there. And Jared Kennedy was in the dugout, even though he wasn’t on our coaching staff, he made sure to come and watch my last outing. So, it was really, really special.”
Heading into the draft, MLB Pipeline had Hynes ranked as their 163rd best prospect, while Baseball America had him three slots lower than that, but the Guardians chose him 70th overall. Hynes was at Wake Forest University, in mandatory summer school after he committed to them, when his named was called.
“It was such a surreal feeling. It didn’t really feel real for the first couple of days. I was just so happy and so excited to get going,” said Hynes of being drafted. “It was a moment I had dreamed of ever since I started playing baseball.”
His parents, John and Trudie, were watching the draft in a hotel five minutes away.
“I’m not surprised at all that he went that high,” said Kennedy. “I think he is absolutely a second-rounder from a talent standpoint. What it came down to was Cleveland really, really liked him.”
The Cleveland Guardians selected Will Hynes (Mississauga, Ont.) 70th overall in this year’s MLB draft. Photo: Ontario Blue Jays
After he settled down from that initial elation, Hynes thought of the many people who have helped him reach his dream of playing professional baseball. He thought of Kennedy and Hamilton and especially his parents and his grandparents.
“My grandmother passed away this winter, so just being drafted hopefully I’ve made her proud . . . Her and my grandpa were just such big fans of mine and such big supporters,” said Hynes.
The 18-year-old right-hander reported to the Guardians’ complex in Goodyear, Ariz., on July 18 where he is adjusting to his new life as a pro player.
“I’m just going to try to take every day step-by-step and not try to get ahead of myself and the better I am at that, the quicker I can get to the big leagues,” said Hynes. “My goal is just to go out there and do everything I can to one day make an impact with the Cleveland Guardians at the big league level.”
And Kennedy and Hamilton believe that can happen.
“I think he can be a big leaguer,” said Kennedy. “I think there are not a lot of things that are going to get in Will’s way when he puts his mind to something . . . I really, truly believe the sky is the limit for him.”
Hamilton offers a similar assessment.
“He’s a mature kid. He handles things well developmentally. He throws strikes. He has multiple pitches. His arm action is easy and clean . . . and he has shown that he can manage challenges,” said Hamilton. “I don’t see any reason why he can’t pitch in the major leagues if he stays healthy.”