Shushkewich: Three takeaways from WBC for Canada
Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.), left, and Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) were the two hitting stars for Canada at the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Photo: Baseball Canada
March 17, 2026
By Tyson Shushkewich
Canadian Baseball Network
It was an exciting World Baseball Classic tournament for Canada.
Not only did the Canadians win Pool A, but they also advanced into the quarterfinals for the first time.
Before this year, the best Canada had finished was ninth in 2006 when they had a 2-1 record and just missed advancing to the knockout round.
Industry pundits agree that this roster was one of the deepest Canada has ever assembled for the WBC. Every team member was playing or had played professional baseball and the club didn’t need to rely on too many retired players to form a competitive team.
Let’s look at a few key takeaways from Canada’s run at the 2026 World Baseball Classic:
Kudos to the pitching staff
Looking at the previous tournaments, Canada’s biggest issue had been their pitching staffs; mostly in the bullpen.
With a position player group that largely consisted of big leaguers and four to five capable arms that could start, there were a few question marks about the relief corps entering the tournament. Manager Ernie Whitt was relying on two retired arms in James Paxton (Ladner, B.C.) and Phillippe Aumont (Gatineau, Que.) while shoring up the rest of the bullpen with minor leaguers and players who had taken their talents overseas.
However, when the dust settled, the bullpen turned out to be a strength for the club. They had a job to do, and they rallied to get it done.
Including the starting pitching, the Canadians authored a 2.00 ERA with just 10 earned runs allowed across 45 innings. While the walk numbers were a bit high (18) and the strikeouts on the lower side (46), they held opponents to a .217 average and posted a 1.18 WHIP, the seventh-best mark in the tournament. They were ground ball machines with 44 ground outs and finished with a collective 2.56 K/BB rate.
On an individual front, there were numerous standouts. Adam Macko (Stony Plain, Alta.) led the team in appearances (3) and pitched 2 1/3 innings of scoreless ball. Paxton, Eric Cerantola (Oakville, Ont.), Matt Wilkinson (Ladner, B.C.), Brock Dykxhoorn (Goderich, Ont.), Antoine Jean (Montreal, Que.), Rob Zastryzny (Edmonton, Alta.), and Noah Skirrow (Cambridge, Ont.) also didn’t allow a run in relief.
Kudos also to Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.), who started and pitched five outstanding innings, allowing just one unearned run on two hits, while striking out five, in a must-win game against Cuba. Jordan Balazovic (Mississauga, Ont.) was also strong in his start against Puerto Rico (one hit and one run through three innings), and Michael Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) was the driving force to open up the tournament and also in the quarterfinal against the United States. Jameson Taillon returned to the Canadian ranks, and the right-hander permitted just two hits and one earned run in his 3 2/3 innings in his start against Panama.
At the end of the day, Canada’s pitching held up their end of the deal, keeping opponents off the scoreboard for much of the tournament. While Pool A wasn’t the deepest grouping in the tournament, the Canadians still needed to deliver against some tough competition in Cuba, Panama, Puerto Rico and Colombia.
Hat tip to the pitchers.
Owen Caissie is the next big star from up north
Whether it’s Freddie Freeman, Justin Morneau (New Westminster, B.C.), Joey Votto (Etobicoke, Ont.) or Jason Bay (Trail, B.C.), the Canucks have always had one roster player that really stands out amongst the rest.
While this team was the deepest the nation has assembled for the WBC, many thought it would be Captain Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) leading the charge at the plate. The left-handed hitting first baseman was coming off a stellar run in the ALCS with the Seattle Mariners.
But it was outfielder Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) who stood out as the key contributor. When the international lights shine bright, Caissie seems to be at his best.
At the 2023 tournament, he posted a .231 average but impressed with his .462 SLG, one home run, and four RBIs across 13 at-bats, making three starts for the Canucks. This year, he was the driving force for the Canadians at the plate, going 7-for-17 (.412) with three walks. By the end of the tournament, he had worked his way from the bottom of the lineup to the cleanup spot against Team USA.
Credit as well to Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.), who also dazzled at the plate (.421 average with three doubles, one triple, and one home run with five RBIs). He and Caissie led the charge for Canada.
The talent pool is only getting deeper
This was Canada’s deepest run at the World Baseball Classic, but despite the strong result, the team still has more to offer.
Several key players opted to stay with their big league clubs and not make the trek to Puerto Rico:
Nick Pivetta (RHP)
Jonah Tong (RHP)
Mitch Bratt (RHP)
Cade Smith (RHP)
Erik Sabrowski (LHP)
Matt Brash (RHP)
Garrett Hawkins (RHP)
Justin King (LHP)
Curtis Taylor (RHP)
Zach Pop (RHP)
Jordan Romano (RHP)
Rowan Wick (RHP)
Trei Cruz (INF)
Charles Leblanc (INF)
Freddie Freeman (INF)
Tristan Peters (OF)
Tong, Bratt, Sabrowski, Hawkins, King, Cruz, and Peters were all staying at their respective training camps as they tried to make the Opening Day roster – that’s just where they are in their careers, and ultimately, that’s the main goal. A few years down the line, they should all be a factor in Team Canada’s plans. Pivetta, Freeman, Smith, Brash, and Romano all withdrew from the tournament for various reasons, while Wick is slated to miss this season due to an arm injury after a strong 2025 campaign in Japan with the Yokohama DeNA Baystars that led to a big league deal with the San Francisco Giants this offseason.
Considering some of the names that didn’t participate in this year’s WBC, there is some room for improvement for the next tournament in 2030. And that doesn’t even include some names coming up through the pipeline.
While the likes of Paxton, Aumont, and Freeman might not be available for 2030, there is some significant Canadian talent coming up through farm system pipelines who could be tasked with repping the team at the next tournament:
L.P. Langevin (LHP)
Adam Maier (RHP)
Will Hynes (RHP)
Tyler Bremner (RHP)
Micah Bucknam (RHP)
Nathan Flewelling (C)
Emilien Pitre (INF)
Tim Piasentin (INF)
Myles Naylor (INF)
Charles Davalan (OF)
Eric Hartman (OF)
Slater de Brun (OF)
Sam Shaw (OF)
This also doesn’t include some names that are gaining steam on the high school/collegiate ranks who are eligible for the upcoming draft(s), such as LHP Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, B.C.), INF Robert Omidi (Mississauga, Ont.), and top ranked prospect for the 2027 MLB Draft, Brendan Lawson (Toronto, Ont.).
Not all of the players mentioned above will be donning a Maple Leaf at the World Baseball Classic in four years, but the moral of the story is simple: Canadian baseball is only getting deeper and more talented with each passing year - other nations best take notice.