By Trevor Fitzpatrick
At 6-foot-8, AJ Rogers (Cole Harbour, N.S.) towers over almost everyone else at the 2025 Canadian Futures Showcase.
The young right-hander is imposing on the mound, but in recent years, he realized that he was a little too lanky and needed to add bulk to match his height.
That was the reason behind his decision to move out west to play with the Okotoks Dawgs. He’s already up to 185 pounds and is touching above 90 mph with his fastball.
“I’m pretty undersized as a pitcher, going there to gain weight was what made my decision to move. It was a no at first,” Rogers chuckled before continuing, “I talked to the pitching coach Jeff Duda and he convinced me and helped me through the whole process.”
With the Dawgs, the right-hander has flourished into a solid prospect defined by his aggressive pitching style.
He’s had the opportunity to represent Nova Scotia at the 2025 Canada Summer Games as well as pitch a game for the Dawgs WCBL squad against the Sylvan Lake Gulls. Against the WCBL finalist Gulls, he threw six innings of three hit, scoreless ball.
Facing a tough, but familiar level of competition at the Futures Showcase, Rogers pitched in Team Grey’s 6-3 win over Team New Blue on Wednesday.
“To pitch at my favourite big league team’s field, it’s an incredible experience, once in a lifetime. I’ve pitched in front of 1,500 fans before (in the WCBL) and got a bit nervous… It’s the size of this stadium that intimidates you a bit, but you have to do what you have to do, you have to pitch.”
Since joining the Dawgs, he’s also committed to play NCAA Division 1 ball with the San Jose State Spartans. The team has hovered around .500 since 2022, with their best record coming in 2023 when they went 31-27.
The team’s first look at Rogers came in October 2024 when they beat the Dawgs 12-5.
“They really enjoyed watching me pitch, they seemed like a great program, they were patient in waiting for my decision, and hopefully I get to make an impact there,” Rogers explained.
At the Futures Showcase, Rogers now has a chance to show off in front of major league scouts in the hope of getting drafted in the future.
Of the 150 players at the event, the Dawgs have 18 selections, a massive showing of how advanced their baseball development has become.
Earlier this year, Tim Piasentin (Coquitlam, BC), the 2024 Showcase’s home run derby winner and a Dawgs grad, was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the fifth round.
“If I didn’t go to the Dawgs, I don’t think I would be at this point,” said Rogers, “I have to thank them for trusting my development into the pitcher I am today. I don’t know if I would’ve made it this far without them.”
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