Shushkewich: A look at the Canadian players in the Blue Jays system heading in 2026
Ontario Terriers and Junior National Team grad Connor O’Halloran (Mississauga, Ont.) is one of 10 Canadian players in the Toronto Blue Jays’ farm system.
December 31, 2025
By Tyson Shushkewich
Canadian Baseball Network
The Toronto Blue Jays have always been attached to Canadian talent; it’s one of the benefits from playing north of the border.
From hosting the Canadian Futures Showcase to keeping an eye on the Junior National Team, the Blue Jays have always had an influx of Canucks across the organization.
Entering 2026, the Blue Jays have 10 Canadians in the farm system and one big leaguer in Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who was born in Montreal during his father’s days with the Expos.
Here are all the Canucks that are slated to begin the 2026 campaign in the Jays’ farm system.
Buffalo Bisons
Damiano Palmegiani (Surrey, B.C.) – INF
Damiano Palmegiani was born in Venezuela but has spent the majority of his life north of the border in B.C. He is a graduate of the Vauxhall Jets program.
Palmegiani has been knocking at the big league door since 2023 when he made it to triple-A Buffalo, but the right-handed batter has yet to make the final jump through. The 2025 season was a bit of a setback for the 25-year-old, who struggled to find the power that made him a dominant threat across the two seasons before. Palmegiani spent some time on the Development List and also saw some time in single-A and double-A to get his swing back on track. He went and played winter ball in Venezuela this offseason and found his groove again, collecting 17 hits through 16 contests so far.
The expectation is that Palmegiani will report back to Buffalo this spring and see if he can find that power swing that made him stand out in the farm system. His versatility is a bonus, given he can play numerous positions, but now it’s just whether he can avoid the strikeouts and put the ball in play at the same rate fans know from his 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Adam Macko (Stony Plain, Alta.) – LHP
Born in Slovakia, raised in Ireland, and growing up later in Canada in the Vauxhall Jets program, left-hander Adam Macko is probably the closest on this list to making his MLB debut.
Injuries have been one of his biggest inhibitors in his career, as he’s appeared in just 355 2/3 innings across six seasons in the Mariners and Blue Jays farm systems. Last year, he appeared in 23 games (14 starts) across two levels while he recovered from a knee injury, and he struggled at times to keep his command in check, posting a 4.3 BB/9 walk rate.
His strikeout numbers have always been impressive, putting forward another double-digit K/9 rate this past year, but he has yet to throw more than 100 innings in a single campaign because of the injuries.
Ranked at No. 22 on the organization’s top prospect list, Macko is one of the next arms in line for a promotion in 2026. He was dealt some unfortunate luck with the signing of Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce this offseason, who have pushed him a bit further down the depth chart, but a strong start to the season could earn Macko a promotion to the big leagues this season as he and Ricky Tiedemann battle for the ‘next man up’ award.
New Hampshire Fisher Cats
Nicolas Deschamps (Quebec, Que.) – C
The 2025 season was a wild ride for Quebec City, Que., product Nicolas Deschamps. The catcher began the season in double-A New Hampshire, but after a slow start, he was moved to the High-A Vancouver Canadians for a couple of months before being brought back to the East Coast.
Across both levels, the left-handed hitting 22-year-old authored a .159/.288/.227 slash line while appearing in 33 games. He collected four doubles and one triple while walking 10 times. Behind the plate, he threw out 22% of base stealers and committed just four errors across 216 innings.
The 2026 campaign will be his sixth season in the minors, and he’ll be looking to find the same swing from his 2024 season, where he posted a .747 OPS with 13 extra-base hits and 19 RBIs across 49 contests.
Vancouver Canadians
Sam Shaw (Victoria, B.C.) – OF
A ninth-round draft pick of the Blue Jays in 2023, Sam Shaw has been making his way up the minor league ladder over the past couple of seasons.
He had a cup of coffee with the FCL squad following the draft before spending the entire 2024 season in the Complex League, but last season, he not only made the jump to single-A but finished the year on the West Coast with the High-A Vancouver Canadians.
In 62 games in Dunedin, Shaw posted a .253/.383/.418 slash line with a .801 OPS and seven home runs while spending most of his time at second base with some stints in centre field and left field mixed in.
After the promotion, Shaw moved to centre field but struggled at the plate, albeit with the small sample size, collecting just three hits across 27 at-bats with nine strikeouts. He finished the year on the IL, ending his season in early August.
Shaw is likely heading back to Nat Bailey Stadium this summer and should get a long look this year to see if his power can play at the next level in the hitter-friendly confines of the Northwest League. The Canuck is ranked at No. 19 on the Jays' top prospects board, and his left-handed power bat could see him skyrocket up the rankings if he can barrel his way on the West Coast.
Connor O’Halloran (Mississauga, Ont.) – LHP
Speaking of injuries, Connor O’Halloran was one of the Blue Jays' pitching prospects to go under the knife this past year and he spent most of the campaign on the sidelines.
The southpaw from Mississauga, Ont., made just two starts for the Canadians before missing the rest of the season, posting a 2.70 ERA by allowing just two earned runs across 6 2/3 innings while striking out seven compared to two walks. The season before, he made 21 starts split between Dunedin and Vancouver.
While the injury news front for O’Halloran has been pretty limited, he likely won’t be returning to the mound until the later part of the 2026 season, barring a remarkable recovery from his elbow injury.
FCL Blue Jays
Aiden Taggart (Grimsby, Ont.) – RHP
Right-hander Aiden Taggart is no stranger to those who follow Canadian baseball. A product of the Fieldhouse Pirates and the Junior National Team, the Grimsby, Ont. product was planning on going to Utah before the Jays entered the mix.
A late UDFA signing in March of 2025, Taggart found himself making 10 relief appearances for the FCL Blue Jays this past summer, posting a 6.17 ERA and a 1.886 WHIP in his first pro campaign. Command issues were his biggest downfall. He had eight walks, but he also struck out 13 batters, showcasing his ability to rack up the strikeouts.
Ultimately, Taggart had a couple of rough outings mixed in with some strong appearances, so finding some consistency will go a long way for him. The right-hander will likely start the campaign in the FCL again, and if things go according to plan, a move to Dunedin makes sense.
Yet to Debut
Sam White (Newmarket, Ont.) – INF
After three years with West Virginia University, infielder Sam White is taking his talents down the professional route. While he wasn’t drafted this past summer, he signed a free agent deal with the Blue Jays in July.
In 161 games with the Mountaineers, White posted a .310/.399/.483 slash line with 33 doubles, 19 home runs, and 111 RBIs while stealing 14 bases. A versatile athlete, White split his time between the catcher’s position, second base, the corner infield spots and in the corner outfield positions, but it appears the Jays will give White a crack at third base.
A late-season shoulder injury put him on the sidelines at WVU, and he didn’t play for the Jays in affiliated ball down the stretch. He should feature at single-A Dunedin to begin the 2026 season.
Tim Piasentin (Coquitlam, B.C.) – INF
Selected in the fifth round by the Jays last summer, Tim Piasentin is bringing his left-handed power bat to the organization.
A mainstay under Greg Hamilton on the Junior National Team, Piasentin impressed with the Okotoks Dawgs program and won the 2024 Canadian Futures Showcase Home Run Derby.
Scouts applaud his power from the left side, and he showcased his ability to handle a wood bat last spring in Arizona. While he may not stick at third base moving forward, a potential swap to left or right field might make the most sense because of his plus arm. Look for Piasentin to either start his pro career in the FCL or Dunedin.
Owen Gregg (Oakville, Ont.) – INF
Owen Gregg is an interesting name from the summer of 2024. While he wasn’t drafted that summer, the Jays swooped in and signed the prepster who had committed to Utah.
Gregg did not appear in any affiliated games following the draft, instead representing Canada at the U-18 Pan-Am Games before returning to the Jays complex in Dunedin. While he was supposed to debut last season, injuries kept him on the sidelines, and he will instead be looking for affiliated game action this summer. He worked heavily with fellow prospect Josh Kasevich during his rehab program in Dunedin, and should be taking up the middle infield for the FCL Jays next summer.
Micah Bucknam (Abbotsford, B.C.) – RHP
Micah Bucknam is a familiar figure for the Toronto Blue Jays.
After spurning the Jays for post-secondary opportunities in 2021, the Jays went back to the well this past summer and used their fourth-round pick on the right-hander.
Born in New Zealand but growing up in Abbotsford, B.C., Bucknam turns pro with a National Championship ring from his time with LSU and is coming off a stellar Junior campaign with Dallas Baptist University. With the Patriots, Bucknam authored a 4.62 ERA across 62 1/3 innings and 13 starts and was a strikeout machine in the CUSA, posting an 11.6 K/9 with a 3.6 walk rate.
Bucknam enters the 2026 season as the Jays' No. 16 top prospect per MLB Pipeline and features an impressive slider and curveball combo that generates a ton of swing and miss. He complements these pitches with a mid-90s fastball and a changeup that’s still a work in progress.
His command will be the make-or-break as to whether he is a starter or a reliever at the next level, but the Jays should give him some runway this year to start games, likely in single-A.