Baseball fans will get a glimpse into the future of Major League Baseball this week with the second annual Spring Breakout.
The prospect showcase is a four-day event with the best prospects from each team taking part.
Last year’s inaugural event featured a trio of players with connections to Alberta, including Toronto Blue Jays prospects and former Vauxhall Academy roommates Damiano Palmegiani and Adam Macko, as well as Okotoks Dawgs alum Jacob Melton.
This year that number increases to five, including two born-and-raised Albertans, who are among 15 Canadians are set to play.
Don’t be surprised if future editions of Spring Breakout see more Canadians involved as well, thanks to last year’s bumper crop of players who were selected in the MLB Draft and will be looking to move up the depth charts in coming years.
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For now, here is a look at the five players who will be looking to turn heads from March 13-16 in Florida and Arizona:
#1. Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson – Cleveland Guardians
What is left to say about the performance of Matt Wilkinson in 2024? Many in Western Canada knew what the Cleveland Guardians were getting when they selected the Dawgs Academy and Okotoks Dawgs alum in the 10th round of the 2023 MLB Draft. “Tugboat” was dominant in his first pro season. He started the year with the Single-A Lynchburg Hillcats, going 3-1 with a 1.12 ERA in eight games, striking out 71 in just over 40 innings of work. That earned him Wilkinson a promotion to High-A, where he went 5-5 with a 2.30 ERA in 16 starts, striking out another 103 batters in 78+ innings. All told, he was among the minor league leaders in whiffs and ERA. It seems the Ladner, B.C. product is poised to start the year in Double-A, and if he keeps rolling, could be just one step away from the show in no time.
#2. Jacob Melton – Houston Astros
A second-round pick of the Houston Astros in 2022, Jacob Melton seems poised to be the next Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) alum to get the call to the show. One of the Astro’s top-ranked prospects heading into this season, he split last year between Double-A Corpus Christi and Triple-A Sugar Land, hitting a combined .253 with 15 homers, 54 RBI and 30 RBI. A member of the Dawgs’ 2019 championship run, he’s collected a single, stolen base and RBI in four at-bats this spring training. He was also part of the Astros’ Spring Breakout roster in the inaugural event last spring.
#3. Nathan Flewelling – Tampa Bay Rays
The first Albertan taken off the board in the 2024 MLB Draft has always been an intriguing power hitter for scouts to watch. Innisfail’s Nathan Flewelling really burst onto the scene with his appearances with the Baseball Canada Junior National Team and when he won the 2023 Canadian Futures Showcase Home Run Derby. Known for his raw power, the Red Deer Minor Baseball product was outstanding in a limited role for the Sylvan Lake Gulls last summer, hitting .329 with five homers and 19 RBI in 20 games. Reminder: he was only 17 facing college pitchers. He will be one of two catchers suiting up for the Rays at the Spring Breakout.
#4. Eric Hartman – Atlanta Braves
A few baseball watchers were surprised that Eric Hartman was still on the board when he was taken in the 20th round of the 2024 MLB Draft by the Atlanta Braves. The Dawgs Academy product played an integral part of the WCBL Dawgs’ 2023 championship run and saw limited action with them again last summer, hitting .438 with five RBI and two stolen bases in six games. He had originally committed to the University of Michigan, but instead got the call from the Braves, who had some money in the bank for a $337,500 signing bonus. Another member of the Junior National Team, he became known for his speed and defense, which will be put on display at the Spring Breakout.
#5. Shay Schanaman – Atlanta Braves
A member of the 2019 Okotoks Dawgs, Schanaman was a free agent signing of the Atlanta Braves in 2023 after a stellar few years with the University of Nebraska. The product of Hastings, New England pitched in 10 games at three levels that first pro season, then settled into a role with the High-A Rome Emporers in 2024, going 7-6 with a 4.53 ERA in 43 relief appearances. He also struck out 66 batters in 57+ innings, which has always been his calling card as he struck out 18 in 9+ innings for the Dawgs during their championship run. Schanaman has kept things rolling in Spring Training with four appearances, allowing one run on two hits and no walks while striking out three.
