(Submitted photo/Marty Yeager)

By Ben Tompkins

Toronto Blue Jays

Local pitcher named to Canadian Futures Showcase

Aug 23, 2022 | 10:31 AM

Merak Yeager has been deemed a top-75 youth ballplayer in Canada by the Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Academy.

Because of this, the 15-year-old from Muenster, Sask. will be competing as a member of Team Navy at the Canadian Futures Showcase in Ottawa on Sept. 20-24.

Yeager, one of two Saskatchewan-born players to be selected to the top 75 and one of four to be invited to the four-day tournament, told northeastNOW it’s a relief to see all his efforts result in some substantial success.

“To have that experience and to know that they’ve chosen you means a lot actually because all the hard work I’ve put in is going somewhere. It shows my work has paid off and I’m still growing as a baseball player. The fact that I get this opportunity is really cool.”

He earned his trip to the showcase by throwing just 14 pitches in the final cross-country tryout, earlier this summer in Saskatoon.

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Yeager explained while he was quite surprised by how short his tryout lasted, he was still confident when he returned home.

“I felt I showed my best and was confident that I did very well. You have to go out there and do your best and I thought that I did that. I think I impressed them as much as I could and that’s really all I could do. Just go there, do my best and let the rest unfold.”

The event will consist of a total of six teams, averaging 17-21 players, adding up to roughly the top 100 prospects in the country.

The first day there will resemble somewhat of a combine, with the following days resembling a tournament where everyone plays everyone and the last team standing wins.

For Yeager, he mentioned he’s excited to not only show what he has to offer, but also what his hometown and the rest of his province have to offer as well.

“It’s a wonderful thing to represent my small town because they just have a real love and appreciation for baseball. It’s just a pleasure really because it puts us on the map for baseball and shows that even a small town like us can still produce just as good ballplayers as cities can.”

And according to Yeager, that passion was instilled in him, thanks to growing up where he has, something he’ll carry with him forever.

“Muenster has shaped me into the person I am and baseball is a part of me. There’s always someone in the batting cage practicing or asking if you want to play catch and hit ground balls to each other. “

Yeager will continue to finish off his youth baseball career, as he already competes as a member of the 18U East Central Red Sox.

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter @BenTompkins_8