Elliott: Lascelles receives top signing bonus of 2026 Canadian draft picks
The San Diego Padres gave Toronto Mets and member of the Junior National Team SS Elliot Lascelles (Toronto, Ont.) a bonus of $2,800,394. Photo: Baseball Canada
August 23, 2026
By Bob Elliott
Canadian Baseball Network
There are good and bad draft years for Canadian players.
And without a doubt 2026 was an excellent year for Canucks.
Outfielder Carter Beck, who one scout compared to Brian Giles, went in the first round to the Atlanta Braves (26th overall).
Being compared to Giles is a heady compliment. For the two-time all-star played 15 seasons with the San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland, hitting .291 with 289 homers and 109 stolen bases. Beck, who starred for the Indiana State Sycamores in the Missouri Valley Conference, was the highest-ever drafted player from Saskatchewan.
Beck was named the 2026 Joe Carter Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year and to the ABCA Midwest All-Region First Team after hitting .346 with 17 doubles, two triples, 16 homers and 59 RBIs. He finished with a 1.083 OPS in 57 games and was 12-for-16 stealing bases.
The Braves gave Beck a $2.68 million signing bonus. Giles started at age 28, after being blocked by stars like Manny Ramirez in Cleveland before thriving with the Pirates and Padres. After leaving Cleveland, Giles posted 35.8 WAR in 1,061 games with a .303 average, 207 home runs and .972 OPS.
Juan Soto debuted at 19, facing modern pitching challenges, age, and opportunity make their near-identical lines a facinating comparison, prompting fresh appreciation for Giles’ prime. Soto tallied 45.2 WAR in 1,188 games at .292 with 207 homers and a .948 OPS.
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This July, 14 Canadians were drafted and five undrafted free agents were signed. A year ago, 19 were selected and 11 undrafted free agents were signed. In 2024, 17 were drafted and four undrafted free agents were signed.
Yet, there was no shortage of cash for Canucks, while Beck topped the 14 drafts -- 13 who signed. Counting the non drafted free agents, 15 received six-figure bonuses.
OF Carter Beck (Carnduff , Sask.) was the top Caanuck … a first rounder chosen by the Atlanta Braves.
As the top Canuck, Beck did not earn the highest bonus. The San Diego Padres and scout Chris Kemlo (Oshawa, Ont.) gave SS Elliot Lascelles (Toronto, Ont.), drafted 60th overall, a bonus of $2,800,394, the highest of 2026 payouts. This convinced Lascelles to give up a scholarship to Yale. The first time we met his father, Eric, was at the Baseball Canada fundraiser and he was seated beside Chris Naylor -- father of first-rounders Josh, Bo and Myles. All three received more than $2 million bonuses. Eric took advice well -- if he asked for it.
Scouts compared Lascelles’ level of future play to Toronto Blue Jays all-star, all-everything Ernie Clement. An Ivy League player compared to Charlottesville, Va. (University of Virginia).
“The shortstop on the Canadian Junior Team has a chance to be really good, if San Diego does not rush him.” said a manager from the MLB Draft League, where the Junior National Team competed again on draft day. “The Padres got a real good one.”
Another baseball man called Lascelles “intelligent.” Obviously.
Taj is the son of formermer Victoriaville Tigers Hugo Marchad, a Toronto Maple Leafs draft.
The second player with Canuck roots selected was INF Taj Marchand, a first-rounder who went 33rd overall to the Tampa Bay Rays. The son of Hugo Marchand (Montreal, Que.), a former Victoriaville Tiger defenceman and a Toronto Maple Leafs draft in 1997 -- and minor leaguer. The Charleston SC high schooler was given $2,547,500.
Marchand was a star high school shortstop with blood lines is South Carolina. Yet scouts think he’ll be a third baseman as a pro rather than shortstop. He is a dual citizen.
SS Cooper zcomeau, whose fsther ilves in Montreal, now lives outside Austin, Tzex.
Next was SS Connor Comeau, who went in second round (54th) to the Texas Rangers, who was given $2.5 million. Comeau’s father is from Montreal, but he lives in Pflugerville, Tex. outside of Austin, where he attended Anderson High School. He competed in the Canadian Futures Showcase at Rogers Centre but failed to gain his Canadian citizenship paper to play for the Junior National Team. He has his paperwork finished now.
LHP Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, BC) of the Langley Blaze and the Junior National Team.
Then came LHP Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, BC) who went in the second round to the New York Yankees. He was scouted and signed by Denis Boucher (Lachine, Que.) for $2.5 million. Duncan was projected to be a can’t miss first-rounder since grade nine before he underwent Tommy John surgery this spring. But teams had plenty of history on Duncan and as the saying goes “arm surgery in baseball is like getting your tonsils removed.”
Then, a third-round pick of the Chicago White Sox was RHP Joey Volchko, whose mother is from Calgary. He was given a $1.25 million bonus.
In all, nine Canucks or players with Canadian connections were selected in the first 10 rounds including ... the others ...
_ C Deiten Lachance (Sherbrooke, Que.) who went from Oklahoma to the Guardians in the sixth round.
_ FieldHouse Pirates INF Robert Omidi (Mississauga, Ont.) went to the Detroit Tigers in the eighth round. He hit seven homers this spring with the Junior National Team and the Pirates.
_ INF Evan Morrison (Stratford, Ont.) selected in the 10th round by the Rangers from Grand Vallley State and the Great Lake Canadians.
Others to receive six-figures bonuses ....
_ RHP Cole Dorland (Richmond, BC) of the Langley Blaze and Junior National Team went to the Braves and was given a $272,500 bonus.
_ RHP Damarcus Rideout-Carter (Brampton, Ont.) of the Mississauga Tigers. The Junior National Team and Canada Premier grad was a 14th round pick of the Pirates and given $211,300.
_RHP Ryan Marton (Toronto, Ont.) of the Mississauga Tigers and the University of Nevada Las Vegas was granted $200,000 as he went in the 17th round to the Chicago Cubs.
Free agents
- San Diego signed undrafted free agent RHP AJ Rogers (Dartmouth, NS) of the Okotoks Dawgs and the Dartmouth Juniors, giving him a $150,000 bonus.
- The New York Mets signed undrafted free agent LHP Keegan O’Hearn (Oshawa, Ont.) who was at Michigan and honed his skills with the Terriers for $150,000.
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Both RHP Logan Cummins (Mississauga, Ont.) of the Ontario Blue Jays and the Ontario Giants and LHP Ethan Reason (Stouffville, Ont.) of the Toronto Mets, both turned down large amounts of money, according to scouts, but chose school.
Cummins has a scholarship to Kansas State, while Resson was uncommitted on draft day.
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The nine Canadians in the first 10 rounds is the most since 2016 when RHP Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) was selected in the first round by Padres from Stanford University and the Terriers (eighth overall).
The others ...
C Andrew Yerzy (Toronto, Ont.) in the second round from Toronto Mets and the Junior National Team,
RHP Curtis Taylor (Port Coquitlam, BC) who went in the fourth round to the Arizona Diamondbacks from the University of British Columbia and Coquitlam Reds.
INF Charles Leblanc (Laval, Que.) chosen in the fourth by the Rangers from Pitt University and Academy Baseball Academy.
RHP Jordan Balazovic (Mississauga, Ont.) a fifth rounder. who went to the Minnesota Twins from the Ontario Blue Jays and the Junior National Team.
INF Abraham Toro-Hernandez (Greenfield Park, Que.) also a fifth rounder who went to the Houston Astros from Seminole State College and the Academy Baseball Academy.
OF Jacob Robson, (Windsor, Ont.) an eighth rounder to the Tigers from Mississippi State University and Ontario Blue Jays.
RHP Alex Webb (Surrey, BC) who went to the Cincinnati Reds in the ninth round from the University of British Columbia
INF Daniel Pinero (Toronto, Ont.) a ninth rounder of the Tigers from the University of Virginia and the Ontario Blue Jays.
2026 draft
By province: Ontario 6, Quebec 3, British Columbia 2, (one each) Alberta, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan,
By amateur organization: Langley Blaze 2, Mississauga North Tigers 2. (one each) Academy Baseball Canada, Aces National, Canes American, Carnduff Astros, Carnduff Twins, Dartmouth Juniors. Detroit Tigers Scout Team, FieldHouse Pirates, Georgia, Indiana State, James Island Charter HS, Leaside, Michigan, Oklahoma, Okotoks Dawgs, Saskatoon Berries, South East Twins, South East A’s, Team Saskatchewan, Terriers, Toronto Mets, University of Mary, UNLV, USA Prime National,
By Team: Padres 3. Braves 2, Cubs, (one each) Guardians, Mets, Pirates, Rangers, Rays, Tigers, Twins, White Sox, Yankees,