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OTTAWA - Twenty Canadians will break from respective spring training camps on 2026 Opening Day rosters with all 30 teams in action on or before March 27th. In the 2025 season 24 Canadians suited up to play in the big leagues including the debuts of Owen Caissie, Denzel Clarke, Liam Hicks, Tristan Peters and Jonah Tong.
A modern-day record 26 Canadians played in the big leagues in 2011.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., helped the Toronto Blue Jays reach game seven of a memorable World Series while also being named as an American League All-Star for the fifth consecutive year in 2025. Josh Naylor and Matt Brash also made a strong run, reaching the ALCS with the Seattle Mariners.
Canadians also made an impact on the global stage at the recent World Baseball Classic (WBC), where Team Canada advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time.
Major League pitchers Michael Soroka, Jameson Taillon and Rob Zastryzny were among those who contributed to the run while Owen Caissie, Denzel Clarke, Liam Hicks, Édouard Julien, Otto Lopez, Bo Naylor, Josh Naylor, Tyler O’Neill and Jared Young helped Canada earn wins over Colombia, Puerto Rico and Cuba to win Pool A in Puerto Rico.
The 2026 MLB season is set to be a big year for pitchers in Cade Smith and Nick Pivetta each showing promise after recording high production years in 2025. It is also a chance for a pair of young bats in Owen Caissie and Denzel Clarke who look to leave their mark on the majors after debuting in 2025.
With that, let's take a look at the Canadians to look out for on Opening Day.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Athletics
OF Denzel Clarke (Pickering, ON)
Notable: Clarke, a Junior National Team alum, has athletics in his blood being a son to Donna Smellie-Clarke an Olympian in the 1984 Summer games competing as a heptathlete and cousins to Bo, Josh and Myles Naylor. Clarke comes into the season after batting .230 with 159 plate appearances last season with the Athletics.
Baltimore Orioles
OF Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, BC)
Notable: The two-time Gold Glover O’Neill is coming into his second year with the Orioles after a slow season being limited to only 54 games in 2025 due to injury.
Chicago White Sox
OF Tristan Peters (Winkler, MB)
Notable: Peters was acquired by the White Sox after he made his MLB debut in 2025 for Tampa Bay.
Cleveland Guardians
C Bo Naylor (Mississauga, ON), LHP Erik Sabrowski (Edmonton, AB), RHP Cade Smith (Abbotsford, BC)
Notable: Cleveland played their first season without the Naylor brothers in the lineup, but Canadian talent remains a key role in the roster. The southpaw Erik Sabrowski, entered the season in June after early season elbow inflammation, he pitched 33 games striking out 42 batters and recording a 1.19 WHIP. Cade Smith emerged as a key reliever in Cleveland pitching 73.2 innings striking out 104 batters and stepping into a closer role after injury and roster changes. Bo Naylor remains the primary catcher for Cleveland playing 123 games.
Los Angeles Angels
RHP Jordan Romano (Markham, ON)
Notable: Romano has signed a one year contract with the Los Angeles Angels. He is now looking to bounce back after a tough 2025 season with the Philadelphia Phillies, so far in spring training Romano looks good, pitching five innings while recording zero earned runs and four strikeouts.
Seattle Mariners
1B Josh Naylor (Mississauga, ON), RHP Matt Brash (Kingston, ON)
Notable: After starting his season with the Diamondbacks in 2025 Naylor was traded to the Mariners where he signed a five-year extension early in the offseason. With the Mariners Naylor went on to the ALCS losing to the Toronto Blue Jays in seven games. In the post-season Naylor hit three home runs while maintaining a batting average of .340.
Matt Brash came in as a key high-leverage arm for the Mariners in 2025 coming off Tommy John surgery in 2024, recording 58 strikeouts with an earned run average of 2.47 in 53 games and 47.1 innings pitched.
Toronto Blue Jays
1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Montréal, QC)
Notable: Guerrero Jr. is coming off a strong season batting .292 with 23 home runs in the regular season. In the post-season he helped lead the Jays to game seven of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the post-season Guerrero Jr. hit for an average of .397 while slugging .795 and hitting eight home runs, notably hitting his first post-season grand slam in game two of the ALDS against the New York Yankees.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Arizona Diamondbacks
RHP Michael Soroka (Calgary, AB)
Notable: Soroka was moved from the Washington Nationals to the Chicago Cubs briefly in 2025 before signing with the Diamondbacks for the 2026 season. Soroka combined for 89.2 innings pitched in 2025 with 17 saves, a 4.52 earned run average and 95 strikeouts. Spring training showed some promise with him pitching 8.2 innings across 3 games with 12 strikeouts and a 4.15 ERA.
Chicago Cubs
RHP Jameson Taillon (The Woodlands, TX)
Notable: Taillon took advantage of his dual citizenship representing Team Canada in this year's WBC starting in one game pitching 3.2 innings with 3 strikeouts and one earned run against Panama.
Colorado Rockies
2B Édouard Julien (Québec, QC)
Notable: Julien struggled to maintain a consistent role with the Twins in 2025, however in January 2026 he was traded to the Rockies where he will appear in the Opening Day roster. So far in the spring training Julien has seen 24 at bats with a batting average of .250, hitting one home run and carrying an OPS of .817.
Miami Marlins
OF Owen Caissie (Burlington, ON), INF Otto Lopez (Montréal, QC), C Liam Hicks (Toronto, ON)
Notable: The Marlins will continue to keep the tradition of having three Canadians on the roster after acquiring Owen Caissie in a trade package from the Chicago Cubs in January 2026. Caissie showed a high level of output at the 2026 WBC with a batting average of .412 notably blasting the gates open against Colombia in the 2nd inning with a 2-run home run. Otto Lopez emerged as a key infielder for the Marlins hitting 15 home runs while maintaining a .246 batting average. Liam Hicks will be the primary back-up catcher for the Marlins behind breakout rookie Agustín Ramírez. Hicks finished off the 2025 season batting for an average of .247 with 45 RBIs
Milwaukee Brewers
LHP Rob Zastryzny (Edmonton, AB)
Notable: Rob Zastryzny will be starting the 2026 season on the injured list after suffering left shoulder strain at the 2026 WBC, however he is projected to return in early April.
New York Mets
OF Jared Young (Prince George, BC)
Notable: Young will be competing for a bench seat for the Mets after splitting his 2025 season between the Majors and AAA for Syracuse where he had 321 at bats keeping his batting average at .300. In spring training he notably hit the first home run of the year for the Mets.
Philadelphia Phillies
RHP Zach Pop (Brampton, ON)
Notable: After moving around from the Mariners to the Mets and AAA, Pop showed promise in spring training, pitching 9.1 innings with nine strikeouts and four earned runs.
San Diego Padres
RHP Nick Pivetta (Victoria, BC)
Notable: Pivetta will be getting the nod to start for the Padres on Opening Day after having a breakout season with them in 2025. Pivetta started 31 games last year pitching 181.2 innings while maintaining an earned run average of 2.87 and recording 190 strikeouts, establishing himself as a top pitcher in the San Diego rotation.
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