Got Milk?

There’s a growth spurt and then there’s Lucas Carroll.

Standing next to the 6-foot-1, 201-pound backstop at his first Blue Jays Academy Canadian Futures Showcase, you’d never imagine that just a couple of years ago, he was a 5-foot-8, 150-pound prospect trying to make it with Webber Academy.

Yet here he was, suiting up with Team Red and facing some of the most talented high school players in Canada.

College coaches have taken notice of his ascent up the national depth charts as he’s suited up at a variety of other big events over the past year, including the Prep Baseball Senior Future Games and the Baseball Canada Cup.

And they are clearly noticing his expanded frame.

“I’ve come a long way over the last couple of years and gained a lot of weight and power,” Carroll said. “I think overcoming that challenge has really helped me shape the player I am today and helped me with all my success.”

He’s just getting started as well with a few more events before the year is out and then getting himself bigger and better heading towards high school graduation next spring.

SECOND HOME

It’s been nearly five years since Carroll first stepped foot in Webber Academy on Calgary’s western outskirts.

The undersized backstop was determined to follow in his dad’s path in the game, which included collegiate baseball.

Under the guidance of Chris Reitsma, Cole Armstrong and the Wildcats coaching staff, he focused on his diet (a lot of chocolate milk, he laughs) and hitting the weight room.

“It’s been quite unreal having them and the other guys there every day,” Carroll said. “I love being in there – it’s truly a blessing to be able to go there and just feel like it’s another home.”

Little by little, he started putting on more weight and, more importantly, muscle to compete for prime spots in the Webber lineup.

CATCHING FIRE

All of Carroll’s hard work started paying off over the past year as he started getting invited to major events.

It all started with an invite to play for Team Alberta at the Western Canada Prospects Series in 2025.

Then he suited up for Canada at the Prep Baseball Senior Future Games this past July, followed by another stint with Alberta at the Baseball Canada Cup.

There, Carroll hit .167 with a single, double, run scored and four runs batted in to help the province claim its first medal at the event in 14 years.

“We wanted that one bad,” said the 17-year-old. “Some of us had been there before and we wanted it more than anybody else. We didn’t get first, but a medal is a medal and it’s a big step for Alberta, for sure.”

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SENSE OF BELONGING

Then came the call Carroll was hoping to get.

The Blue Jays Academy Canadian Futures Showcase saw 150 players were invited to Vancouver’s Nat Bailey Stadium in September and Carroll’s name was among them.

He performed well during Scout Day with a top exit velocity of 97 miles per hour and a max distance of 362 feet.

Then with Team Red, he went 0-for-6 with three walks and two hit-by-pitches, working some long at-bats while playing solid defensively.

“In the box, I felt comfortable and put some good swings on balls and challenged pitchers into long at-bats,” Carroll said. “Behind the plate, I was happy with my performance and was happy to catch such a variety of top pitchers in the country.”

More importantly, he says he felt like he belonged with Canada’s best by the end of the tournament, adding playing at “The Nat” will definitely go down as one of his career highlights to this point.

Carroll says the showcase was also a great time getting to hang out with his Webber teammates and other Alberta players, seeing all their Blue Jays gear and just soaking in the moments together.

MORE TO COME

If Carroll has it his way, a few more moments are still on the horizon.

He just put the wraps on a visit to Phoenix for the Arizona Fall Classic and will soon be heading to Jupiter, Florida for the Perfect Game WWBA Championship with the Brewers Langley Blaze.

Considered to be one of the top uncommitted catchers in the country, Carroll says the recruitment process has been going well and that he’s confident something will be coming down the pipe soon.

He’s not in a big rush, though.

“We’re just looking at different opportunities, seeing what we’ll get, and then what definitely fits best for me,” Carroll said. “Where I want to go, what I like, how the team does, the coaches – I think that all has to be taken into perspective.”

Through everything he’s experienced in the last year or so, the young left-handed hitter keeps one thing in mind: just have fun.

“This sport has taught me a lot of different things about discipline, hard work and how to deal with failure,” Carroll said. “I have really carried those attributes in my life and it’s kind of shaped the player I am today … I’m excited to see where it’s going to take me.”