Shushkewich: Hynes and Duncan excited for new season after being honoured by Baseball Canada

Junior National Team pitching stars Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, B.C.) and Will Hynes (Mississauga, Ont.) were honoured at the 2025 Baseball Canada Awards banquet in Toronto in January. Photo: Tyson Shushkewich

February 2, 2026

By Tyson Shushkewich

Canadian Baseball Network

The Junior National Team has produced a ton of big league talent over the years – the Naylor Brothers, Denzel Clarke (Pickering, Ont.), Cade Smith (Abbotsford, B.C.), and numerous others.

Two new names are entering the fold, but at different stages of their baseball careers.

Will Hynes (Mississauga, Ont.) and Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, B.C.) are two of the latest success stories to emerge under the tutelage of Greg Hamilton and the JNT squad. Hynes heard his name called in the second round of the MLB Draft last summer, while Duncan continues to work towards his pro dreams as part of the eligible players for the 2026 MLB Draft. Both were on hand for the Baseball Canada Awards banquet in early January, as Hynes earned the Canadian Futures Award while Duncan took home his second Russell Martin JNT MVP Award.

“It means a lot to be surrounded by the game's biggest stars,” said Hynes. “There are so many guys in here that I look up to, and to share the stage with them is such an honour.

Hynes is a product of the Ontario Blue Jays and found himself ranked as one of the top prep Canadians heading into the 2025 MLB draft. Baseball America and Perfect Game had him at 166, while MLB Pipeline had him slotted in at 163. However, it was the Cleveland Guardians and scout Matt Lindner who took him well ahead of the projections, with the Guardians using their second round, 70th overall selection on the right-hander.

While he had a commitment to Wake Forest for the upcoming year, the siren songs of the pros saw the 6-foot-2 hurler head the professional route instead, becoming the second Canadian-born player selected in the draft.

“There was a lot going through my head during the draft,” explained Hynes. “I’ve always wanted to play pro baseball, and I just knew that when I got picked by the Guardians that the decision was pretty easy. There was a lot going through my head at the time, but I trusted the process and believed in myself and to be able to get to where I am now.”

Hynes is no stranger to the pressures and bright lights that come with the territory of being a high draft selection.

He won the Canada Cup championship in 2023 with Team Ontario and pitched for the JNT at numerous tournaments throughout the years, including the MLB Draft League last summer, where he struck out three batters in 2-2/3 innings.

He was on the JNT’s Dominican pro tour last year, pitching five scoreless innings against the Detroit Tigers DSL squad with seven punchouts and followed that with three scoreless innings against the Mets DSL squad later in the trip, punching out four.

Armed with a fastball that touched 94 MPH last spring, Hynes is able to control his three-pitch mix well and pairs the heater with a slider that produces tons of bite and a changeup that fades well.

Following the draft, Hynes didn’t pitch affiliated ball for the Guardians and will look to make his pro debut in 2026.

“I am excited for what this upcoming season will bring,” explained Hynes. “I have been training hard this winter and getting ready for whatever this year will throw my way.”

Also seeing the stage at the Baseball Canada awards banquet was southpaw Sean Duncan, who is no stranger to those who follow prep baseball athletes north of the border.

Duncan has been on the draft radar for years, with Vanderbilt scooping him up early in the negotiation window. He’s the lone ranked Canuck heading into the 2026 season under MLB Pipeline’s draft books, and the B.C. product has been making a strong case for himself over the years.

“It’s a great opportunity,” explained Duncan. “I want to thank Greg Hamilton for the opportunities I have gotten over the years. It’s just been awesome. I tried to replicate what I did last year when I won the award the first time, and to go out and do it again, it’s just such a great feeling.

“It’s always a great honour to be a part of the select few to have won this award, and to be up on stage with so many legends of the game is always great.”

Duncan has been donning the Maple Leaf since 2023 when he was in his early high school days, and he’s now the go-to arm for the JNT squad.

He was a main feature for Team Canada at the WBSC Americas World Cup Qualifier in Panama in 2024, where he made two appearances and allowed just three earned runs across 8 2/3 innings while striking out nine. He’s also been the ace of the JNT squad for the past two years, usually leading off various tournaments or events to set the tone.

Outside of the JNT, Duncan has been a force for the Langley Blaze and has been a mainstay at the Canadian Futures Showcase, which is where Vanderbilt came to watch him pitch before he committed. They weren’t the only college south of the border to attend – LSU and numerous other D1 programs wanted Duncan, before he committed to the Nashville powerhouse.

Duncan has also showcased at the prestigious Area Code Games tournaments and was the ace of the JNT squad during their summer tour of the MLB Draft League last summer.

“I’m just excited to go out and compete with my guys again,” explained Duncan. “I’ve been putting a lot of work in this offseason, a ton of work in the weight room and just refining my skills. I love this game, and I am excited for what this year brings.”

With the MLB Draft looming later this summer, Duncan is aware of the importance this upcoming year holds for himself and his family. However, the southpaw is mature beyond his years and knows that wherever the game takes him and whatever decision he makes, it will be the right one for him and his circle.

“I am just taking it day by day,” said Duncan. “I can’t go wrong with the stuff in front of me, I got buddies on both sides of the ball, whether it’s pro baseball or heading to college, and I am just going to continue to work as hard as I can and take every opportunity and advantage to get better, and tackle whatever lies ahead of me this summer.”