Hamilton Cardinals' Boon named IBL Pitcher of the Year

Hamilton Cardinals right-hander Owen Boon (London, Ont.) has been named the winner of the Ted Earley Memorial Trophy as the Intercounty Baseball League’s best pitcher. Photo: Hamilton Cardinals

August 19, 2025

Official Hamilton Cardinals News Release

Right-hander Owen Boon (London, Ont.) has officially been named the winner of the Ted Earley Memorial Trophy as the Intercounty Baseball League’s best pitcher after finishing the 2025 regular season with a league-best 1.80 ERA.

He becomes the first Hamilton pitcher to earn the award since Joel Garton in 1997, joining an elite group of Cardinals arms that also includes Ross Paton (1960) and Richard Jack (1959).

Boon’s season was nothing short of historic. On July 10 in Kitchener, he threw a no-hitter — the first in the IBL since 1977 and Hamilton’s first since 1958. To mark the achievement, his jersey, hat, and game-used ball from that night were sent to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in St. Marys, Ont., cementing his place in Canadian baseball history.

Across 12 starts, Boon recorded six wins and 88 strikeouts (fourth in the league) and was also selected as a 2025 IBL All-Star.