Four Quebec players were officially named on Thursday evening to the Canadian squad for the World Baseball Classic: Édouard Julien, Otto Lopez, Abraham Toro and… Phillippe Aumont.
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Among them, Julien, Lopez and Toro could share the infield with first baseman Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The name of Charles Leblanc, of the Miami Marlins, is not on the list. The reason: he is currently suffering from a minor injury and caution is in order. His main objective remains to break through the formation of the Marlins for the 2023 season.
“It’s exciting to see these three players from the province of Quebec who have the talent to play in the infield at a high level,” said Greg Hamilton, director of national teams for Baseball Canada, Thursday. Charles Leblanc is another, but in his case, we understand that he didn’t want to take any risks in order to maximize his chances with the Marlins.
“It’s very, very special for me to represent Canada, for his part commented Lopez, who should logically be used at shortstop. It is the country that welcomed me and welcomed my family. It means a lot to me.”
Earlier this week, the Quebecer of Dominican origin, who plays in the Toronto Blue Jays organization, was looking forward to his presence at the tournament with his good friend Toro. The two train regularly together during the off-season in Montreal. They obviously can’t wait to get back on the court March 12-15 in Phoenix, Arizona.
According to the schedule, Canada will open the Group C round robin with a match against Great Britain on Sunday, March 12. Matches against the United States, Colombia and Mexico will follow in order over the days.
some stars
Whether it’s Julien (Twins), Lopez or Toro (Brewers), each player will take a break from their respective team’s training camp in order to participate in the World Classic. For good reason, the opportunity is a great one to rub shoulders with several major league baseball stars.
“He’s a star, that guy,” Lopez said of Freeman, who led major league baseball in hits (199) and doubles (47) in the 2022 season.
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Tyler O’Neill, as well as starting pitchers Cal Quantrill of the Cleveland Guardians and Nick Pivetta of the Boston Red Sox, are also part of the core of the Canadian team. In the infield, Damiano Palmegiani, another Jays prospect, and Andy Yerzy, of the Diamondbacks organization, complete the quartet formed by Freeman, Julien, Lopez and Toro.
In addition to the three position players, pitcher Phillippe Aumont is the fourth Quebec athlete to earn a spot on the Canadian team. Aumont, who is temporarily out of retirement, will work under the supervision of Denis Boucher, pitching coach. Former receiver Russell Martin will also be an assistant manager, Ernie Whitt, as will Larry Walker.
Canadian Team for the World Baseball Classic
Infield (6)
Freddie Freeman
Edward Julien*
Otto Lopez*
Damiano Palmegiani
Abraham Toro*
Andy Yerzy
Voltigeurs (5)
Owen Caissie
Denzel Clarke
Tyler O’Neill
Jacob Robson
Jared Young
Receivers (2)
Kellin Deglan
Bo Naylor
Launchers (17)
Andrew Albers
Philippe Aumont*
John Axford
Matt Brash
Mitch Bratt
Trevor Brigden
Indigo Diaz
RF Free
Adam Loewen
Scott Mathieson
Nick Pitta
Cal Quantrill
Evan Rutckyj
Noah Skirrow
Cade Smith
Curtis Taylor
Rob Zastryzny
*Quebecers