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Mini wave of Canadian talent arrives at Rogers Centre for the Padres

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Cal Quantrill works against a New York Mets batter during the first inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, May 7, 2019, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Cal Quantrill returns to Canada for the first time at the MLB level on Saturday. (Gregory Bull/AP)

TORONTO — When the San Diego Padres come to Rogers Centre they generally aren’t what you’d call a “draw”.

That’s not because they’re a bad team. In fact, despite a rather pedestrian history they are one of the most exciting rising franchises in the game. More than anything, it’s a function of San Diego being 4,153 km away and the Padres being an NL club.

This weekend, however, Rogers Centre can expect hundreds of Padres fans, many of whom have come to the team recently. That’s because Missisauga’s own Josh Naylor makes his MLB debut Friday at DH and rookie starter Cal Quantrill - Port Hope, Ont. native and son of Blue Jays’ All-Star Paul Quantrill - is on the hill Saturday.

Naylor estimates that he’ll have a contingent between 200 and 300 cheering him on composed of “family to friends to old teachers and old teammates”. Quantrill left organizing his cheering section in his mother’s hands, but thinks a good percentage of Port Hope will show out.

“The 401 will be busy,” he says with a smile.

Although Quantrill already has three big-league starts under his belt, the significance of pitching on home soil isn’t lost on him.

“It's really cool,” he says. “I walked to the field today and I couldn't help but think 'This is finally happening. I finally did it. I got in the door they can't kick me out now.’”

The pitcher’s had time to be a circumspect about this turn of events. He made a start on May 19 and was able to spent his Thursday off-day in Port Hope where he got to see his family, friends, and dog. He even got to play some catch with his father.

"We were out there until the black flies drove us in,” he says.

Naylor on the other hand has been whisked into the situation being called up the previous day and the moment hasn’t become real for him yet.

"I know that when the national anthem plays it's going to hit me in the head," he says.

Quantrill and Naylor were both high draft picks, eighth and 12th overall, respectively, but they’ve come here by different roads. Quantrill was born into baseball and spent much of his childhood hanging out in the Blue Jays clubhouse. Naylor’s younger brother Bo was the other baseball player in the family and he rarely made the trip to Rogers Centre - largely because he was a huge Red Sox fan.

What they share is the experience of trying to make it as a Canadian ballplayer - a fraught path that includes a rough travel schedule and less attention from scouts than they might deserve. Thanks to the success of Canadian baseball players at the highest level, and the country’s Junior National Team program, it continues to get easier, though.

"It is a little tough,” Naylor says. “But at the same time the national team, senior and junior, do a great job of exposing those guys and giving them the light they need to get to the next level."

"I wouldn't say it's an unknown market anymore, but maybe there are some diamonds in the rough,” Quantrill says. “I think people are willing to take a risk and say 'Hey this Canadian kid can play and we haven't even gotten to see his potential because he only plays a couple months of the year.’"

If the rookie duo can be as big a part of the Padres’ future as they project to be, they’ll make things even better for the Canadian ballplayers behind them.

There isn’t a much better advertisement for Canada’s ability to develop baseball talent than we’ll see Saturday when Quantrill takes the mound with Naylor providing left-handed punch in the lineup in Toronto - even if they do it donning Padres uniforms.

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