The Cleveland Indians chose Noah Naylor with the 29th overall pick Monday, making him the highest-selected Canadian in the 2018 MLB Draft.
The 18-year-old Mississauga native emerged as the top Canadian prospect ahead of the draft, and had even been linked to his hometown team, the Blue Jays, with the 12th overall selection. Instead, Naylor joins the Indians, as long as they can sign the left-handed hitting catcher/infielder away from his commitment to Texas A&M University.
If Naylor’s name sounds familiar, it could be because his brother was also a first-round draft pick. The Miami Marlins selected Josh Naylor 12th overall in 2015 before trading him to the Padres. He’s now impressing at double-A, hitting .315/.392/.517 with nine homers as a 20-year-old.
Indians select Noah "Bo" Naylor with the 29th pick in 2018 MLB Draft
His brother Josh was taken by the Marlins (12th overall) in 2015
It's the first time a pair of Canadian brothers have been taken in the 1st round of the MLB June Draft.
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) June 5, 2018
Noah Naylor’s not alone among top-ranked Canadian prospects, as Tristan Pompey, the 21-year-old brother of Blue Jays outfielder Dalton Pompey, is also draft-eligible out of the University of Kentucky.
Twenty Canadians were selected in the 2017 MLB draft, down from 25 in 2016 and 30 in 2015. A record 48 Canadians were drafted in 2002.
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