By JOE McFARLAND

He’s been lauded as one of the premiere prospects in Canada set to graduate from high school in 2027.

But Gabe Fink is taking it all in stride, working hard every day to refine his skills.

The 16-year-old Edmonton native is already hitting 90 miles per hour with his fastball. He used that, along with a hard slider, to throw a complete-game seven-inning shutout in a 1-0 victory for the AHP Academy Renegades over the powerhouse Dawgs Academy team at the Langley Blaze tournament opener in June.

Since then, he’s been on everyone’s radar as a two-way threat, as he’s been known to launch baseballs with an exit velocity over 100 miles per hour.

It was enough for Fink to earn a spot at the Prep Baseball Future Games and Team Alberta at the Canada Summer Games earlier this year. He is following that up by being named as one of the initial invitees to the Blue Jays Academy Canadian Futures Showcase on Sept. 16-19.

The 6-foot-1, 175-pound utilityman, who was also recruited to help the Dawgs capture the Baseball Canada 15U Ray Carter Cup in 2024, recently joined us on Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast, to talk about his journey in the game and what’s to come.

1. How excited are you to get things going at the Canadian Futures Showcase?

Oh yeah, I’m super-excited. I’ve been watching Blue Jays games my whole life and it’s going to be pretty surreal to pitch on the mound there. I’ve heard from my teammates, Dom (Morgan) and Miguel (Tetrault), that it’s a great event from start to finish and they take pretty good care of us, too.

2. How much are you leaning on guys like those two to maybe give you a hack or some intel on what to expect while you’re there?

Yeah, I mean, they’re great leaders and role models. It’s always good to have those guys on your team. I’ve asked them quite a bit because they’ve been through it all and they have been helping me with that.

3. Do you have any goals or expectations of yourself going into an event like that?

I just want to put on my best effort and show them what I have. Hopefully I can perform and have a good time.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Prep Baseball Alberta (@prepbaseballab)

4. Earlier this summer, you were part of Team Alberta and went to the Canada Summer Games. What does that mean to you to represent your province?

Well, obviously, it’s an honour. I’ve been on a lot of different teams but it’s always more special when you get to represent Alberta, especially at a pretty big stage like this.

5. There’s been a lot of buzz around you and the season you’ve had. You’ve been called one of the best young arms in the country and you’re not even 16 yet. How do you handle that extra noise and maybe some pressure?

I don’t really take it in, too much. I just focus on what I have to do and, day by day, work on what I have to work on and make sure I’m focused and doing what I gotta do.

6. Take us into your mindset for a minute. How do you approach every outing on the mound?

I give a lot of credit to my coaches (Ethan Elias, Taylor Burns and Connor Burns). They have really helped me with my mindset and helped me use my processes and give me a lot of different stuff to work on and different ideas and methods of attack.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Prep Baseball Alberta (@prepbaseballab)

7. How did you get into baseball in the first place?

Ever since I was young, I would play catch with my grandma or just hit the ball around with my dad. Nothing too serious but I think one of my mom’s friends suggested me for baseball when I was young. I always loved hockey, but I found a passion for baseball when I started to grow.

8. Being an AHP guy, what’s that program meant to you as a ball player and as a human being?

It means a lot. They really hound on the mental game and just being a better person. I’ve really grown as a human and a lot of credit goes to the coaches there.

9. What does the game of baseball mean to you?

I think it means everything. Baseball is my future. I want to play baseball for the rest of my life. Yeah, I’d say it’s everything.