With the likes of Josh Naylor, Cal Quantrill and Tyler O’Neill, among many others, plying their trade at the MLB level in 2024, Canada has graduated a number of big leaguers in recent years.
With the MLB Draft taking place over the next few days, spanning from Sunday to Tuesday, there are a handful of Canadian-born players set to take their place among the professional ranks.
Here is a list of every Canadian to be taken during the 2024 Draft.
Dante Nori
Team: Philadelphia Phillies
Overall: 27
Position: OF | Age: 19
Bats: Left | Throws: Left
Born: Toronto, Ont. | School: Northville HS (Mich.)
Nori entered the draft as the highest-ranked Canadian-born plater and soared into the first round, ending up with the Phillies. A five-foot-10 outfielder with speed for days, Nori was born in Toronto while his dad, Micah Nori, served as an assistant coach with the Raptors. He spent most of his childhood growing up in Michigan, where he helped Northville High School win a state championship in 2024. Nori has excellent speed, defence and hit-tool grades, and has been compared to Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Alek Thomas, according to MLB Pipeline.
Emilien Pitre
Team: Tampa Bay Rays
Overall: 58
Position: 2B | Age: 21
Bats: Left | Throws: Right
Born: Repentigny, Que. | School: Kentucky University
Pitre is coming off a junior season at Kentucky that saw him hit .301/.420/.519 with 10 home runs in the SEC, college baseball’s toughest conference. The Quebec native received above-average grades for his running and fielding by MLB Pipeline, and was praised for his approach at the plate. In addition to contributions at the plate for Kentucky, Pitre stole 26 bases, giving him 46 for his college career.