1st Edition of the 2023 Rankings
January 25, 2021
BC Insider: Inaugural 2023 British Columbia Rankings
We made it to the 2023 class.
The updated 2023 Rankings are here. Thankfully, with the help of social media and communication with coaches across BC, these young ballers got to show their talent despite a trying year. Despite limited games being played in the province, we safely hosted three showcases over the summer following Covid-19 protocols. We were rewarded with a great early look at some of the young up and coming athletes that 2023 has to offer. Although this has been a trying year for us all, we are thrilled to bring you our updated and expanded 2023 rankings for the region of British Columbia.
The Top
Number one of the 2023 rankings is none other than the University of Kentucky commit, and #116 on the PBR National Rankings, Right-hander out of Langley Blaze, Jacob Zibin. Zibin is a 6-foot-3 190-pound gifted athlete with exceptional movements on the mound. The ball pops out of his hand with ease consistently at 90, touching 93, with a big overhand curveball. Although most people see it on the mound at the end of the day, the bat is something to pay attention to as well as there is above average bat speed right now and the stroke works from the left side. University of Kentucky liked what they saw with the young Zibin, and it will be fun to watch his draft stock grow as he develops his game over the next few years in the PBL.
As always, the 2023 BC class showcases its share of young up and coming two-way players, including number three Nick Frers, 8th ranked Ryan Holford, number ninth ranked Jaron Palaschuk, and left-hander Owen Hillen.
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Nick Frers RHP / SS / Argyle secondary, BC / 2023Rankings StateRank: 3 / POS: 2
Report: Frers has showcased one of the class’s marquee power arms, topping out at 86MPH at the Lower Mainland Fall Open at Whalley Stadium in Surrey, BC. He showed a free and easy motion with a good downhill tilt sitting on his fastball between 82-84. Frers complements his heater with a curveball, slider, changeup mix. Currently sitting at a 6-foot-1 165-pound frame, he has lots of room to develop his two-way potential. On the other side of the ball, he showed decent footwork and range around shortstop, an 81 MPH positional velocity across the diamond and delivered a good compact swing, maxing out on the day at an 88 MPH exit velocity.
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Ryan Holford RHP / OF / Lord Tweedsmuir , BC / 2023Rankings StateRank: 8 / POS: 3
Report: Holford profiles as a power R/R combination on the mound at the plate. On the mound topped at 81 MPH on the day with a high release and proper downhill tilt. With maturity and functional strength gains, and mechanical cleanup, he will continue to see his velocity increase. He showed a calm and repeatable approach at the plate with an upright stance spraying easy backspin line drives, topping out at 88MPH with his exit velocity.
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Jaron Palaschuk 3B / RHP / Point grey secondary, BC / 2023Rankings StateRank: 9 / POS: 1
Report: UBC Thunder product Jaron Palaschuk shows one of the most aggressive swings in the class, rotating his hips well and creating great depth behind the ball. He lifts the ball with ease, and as he grows into his body and puts on functional strength, he will improve on his 85MPH Exit velocity and mature into a scary right-handed bat. He showed control with his three-pitch mix on the mound, sitting between 77-79 and topping at 80 MPH with his fastball.
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Owen Hillen LHP / OF / Argyle Secondary, BC / 2023Rankings StateRank: 10 / POS: 1
Report: The lone lefty-lefty on the list is North Shore Twins product Owen Hillen. Hillen showed an easy forward move with consistent barrels and backspin line drive potential. He was one of the smoothest around the diamond on the day, including in the outfield, where he showed a feel for the spot and good instincts around the ball. He stayed on the same program on the mound, with easy moves and proper control of his body. He topped at 79 MPH on the day and showed an excellent three-pitch arsenal with a curveball and changeup. Everything Hillen does looks easy.
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Top Ten Position Players
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Sam Shaw SS / 2B / Lambrick Park Secondary, BC / 2023Rankings StateRank: 2 / POS: 1
Report: The 2023 class’s athleticism was on display with the middle infielders who boasted their talent early on in their playing careers. Taking home #2 on the list is Victoria Mariner, Sam Shaw. At 5-foot-10 165-pounds, Shaw already crushes the ball. At the IP Showcase in February 2020, Shaw was the youngest in the room and one of the most consistent bats in there. He has been seen topping at 91MPH with his exit velocity and 86 MPH across the diamond at shortstop. He has exceptional lateral movement and feel for the position and is one of the most exciting position players that this province has seen for quite some time from a grade 10.
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Dio Gama OF / 2B / Johnston Heights , BC / 2023Rankings StateRank: 4 / POS: 1
Report: At #4 is an electric mover and the fastest player in the class, Whalley Chiefs 2B/OF, Dio Gama. Gama ran a 6.93 on a slow track at Whalley Stadium in late July at the Rising Stars event. He has a raw swing with a ton of rotational quickness. He had one of the top Exit Velocities in the event at 92 MPH. With experience and mechanical adjustments, his raw athleticism will take his baseball skills to the next level. Defensively, he moves around well with his speed and has good hands. Gama’s big-ticket will be his athleticism, and he is a potential impact player with his speed going forward. Keep an eye on him.
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Cameron Macleod C / 3B / Argyle, BC / 2023Rankings StateRank: 6 / POS: 1
Report: Macleod has size on his side and will continue to bring some power to the lineup as he grows and develops. In a strong 2023 Catching class, Macleod stood above the rest with impressive receiving actions and blocking from multiple stances, and showing a quick throwing arm to second base ranging between 2.00-2.1. Offensively he showed good pop, topping at an 89 MPH Exit Velocity, with proper backspin to his pull side. He lofts the ball efficiently. He will continue to grow into a catcher with power approaching his grade 12 season with strength gains.
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Zach Cavanagh SS / 2B / Yale Secondary, BC / 2023Rankings StateRank: 7 / POS: 3
Report: Cavanagh showed some defensive capabilities on a frigid day at the Abbotsford Showcase in October 2020. He has lots of room to grow into his size and already offers good actions around the infield with an accurate throwing arm and good range. Offensively, he got on the plane well and showed the ability to hit with backspin to all fields. He has quick hands and finds barrels often. With strength gains Cavanagh will see big jumps in his already fundamentally sound game.
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Don't sleep on Langley Blaze switch-hitting shortstop Ian Huang brings home number 6 on the Top Ten, with a sweet swing from both sides of the plate, good speed and incredible bat to ball skills. He can pepper the ball all over the field and plays the game hard. He has shown some pop at an earlier stage in his career. He will continue to develop into one of the province’s best middle infielders with age and maturity.
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Elijah Olaybal OF / LHP / Walnut Grove , BC / 2023Rankings StateRank: 11 / POS: 2
Report: Sitting just outside the top 10 as the number 11 ranked prospect in 2023, Olaybal offers true athleticism in the outfield and at the plate. With a sixty-time right around a seven flat, a good arm that carries well into cuts, and stable routes and actions in the outfield, Olaybal has what it takes to lock down the CF position for years to come. At the plate, he shows a line drive approach with a quick, repeatable swing. With added strength, Olaybal could become a power threat, as his swing is fundamentally sound. Overall, Olaybal is one of the better athletes in the class and is worth following throughout the years to watch him grow within his baseball skillset.
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Callum Young LHP / OF / Kitsilano, BC / 2023Rankings StateRank: 13 / POS: 2
Report: The young lefty arm Young is your prototypical pitcher you want in a starting rotation. Not only is the frame projectible, at 6’1, 170lbs, the mechanics and arm work, precisely what you want when looking at left-handed pitching. Young topped out at 82mph, coming out of a high ¾ arm slot with a high leg lift and up-tempo delivery. He hides the ball well and throws downhill. The ball seems to jump out of hand, and Callum also throws a sharp breaking ball with 12-6 movement to it. Young’s changeup was around ten mph off his fastball too, and he showed he could throw all three of his pitches for strikes. Many dream on with Young. If he continues to develop his velocity, Young could quickly become one of the top left-handed arms in the province for his class.
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Noah Bourgeois 3B / RHP / Salish , BC / 2023Rankings StateRank: 12 / POS: 2
Report: The physical 3rd baseman had a good showing in the fall, with noticeable improvements to his swing and infield play. Bourgeois has the right actions on defence, with a clean arm action and good footwork. With continued development, he will be a commodity at the hot corner. Bourgeois showed a glimpse of his power potential at the plate, driving baseballs to his pull side with an aggressive yet balanced swing. He also looked good on the mound, with a good three-pitch mix and some potential to gain velocity with mechanical cleanup work. Bourgeois seems like a player that will show consistent in-game results come summertime, as he does everything pretty well. A good follow for coaches looking for some left-handed pop from a corner infield position.
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Mason Lemmen SS / RHP / Maple Ridge Secondary, BC / 2023Rankings StateRank: 21 / POS: 4
Report: Lemmen breaks into the rankings after showing he can do a little bit of everything last summer, with tons of room to grow into his frame and refine his already solid skill base. At the plate, Lemmen showed athleticism in his swing and fast hands through the hitting zone. He will benefit from using his legs more to hit, and of course, getting more robust with time. Lemmen has clean fielding actions and quick feet; he consistently gets himself into a good position to field and make throws from all angles. Lemmen can also pitch, throwing downhill from an overhead delivery with a tight spinning curveball with an excellent horizontal break. We are excited to watch Lemmen grow as a ballplayer, and this upcoming summer could be the time for Lemmen to put his name on the map.
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As you can tell, there is a lot to be excited for here throughout the province of British Columbia when it comes to amateur baseball and the bright and young talent we have at the forefront. As a staff, we are excited go get out and start getting looks at these players with hopes that these young men will be able to get a full year of competition under their belt and we'll continue to give the province a platform to expose the high level of baseball and talent that BC produces year in and year out.
