OTTAWA- The San Diego Padres used the 8th overall selection in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft this evening to select Port Hope, Ontario native Cal Quantrill out of Stanford University.
With the top ten selection, Quantrill joins BC natives Adam Loewen (4th overall, Orioles) and Jeff Francis (9th overall, Rockies) as the only Canadian born players to be drafted among the top ten picks. Both Loewen and Francis were drafted in 2002. Quantrill also replaces Francis, as the second highest Canadian born player ever drafted. Coincidentally, Francis is attending the first day of the draft at MLB Network Studio 42 in Secaucus, New Jersey as a draft representative of the Rockies.
Quantrill, 21, took the Pac-12 Conference by storm in 2014 as he captured Freshman of the Year honours after going 7-5 with a 2.68 ERA that included leading Stanford to a Super Regionals berth. After going 2-0 with a 1.93ERA through three starts in 2015, Quantrill was shutdown and underwent Tommy John Surgery on March 20th of the same year. He has not pitched in a game since.
"I'm 100% redy to go," said Quantrill on a conference call with reporters following the selection. "I've taken the right amount of time and I'm ready to show everyone what I'm capable of."
"One thing to know about me, you won't find someone who has more fun playing baseball," he later added.
Quantrill was a mainstay in the Junior National Team’s pitching rotation from 2011-2013 where he helped capture a pair of silver medals (2011 COPABE 18U Pan Am Championships and 2012 IBAF 18U Baseball World Cup) and participated in the 2013 IBAF 18U Baseball World Cup.
In 2013, the New York Yankees drafted the right-handed picther in the 26th round.
