After several years away playing ball in the U.S., an Abbotsford pitcher is finally making his long-awaited return to Canada as one of the newest members of the Toronto Blue Jays.
This actually isn't the first time that Micah Bucknam has been selected by the Blue Jays, with the 21-year-old choosing to compete at Louisiana State University rather than going pro after being drafted in the 16th round of the 2021 MLB Draft by the only Canadian team.
The Mennonite Educational Institute graduate spent two seasons with LSU, where he pitched in a total of eight innings, allowing 20 hits and recording 24 strikeouts.
During this time, he also helped LSU win an NCAA championship in the 2023 season.
Bucknam then transferred to Dallas Baptist University for one season, where he pitched in more than 60 innings, maintaining an earned run average of 4.74 and striking out 80 batters.
But now, he's ready to return to his home and native land as one of the 19 newest members of the Blue Jays from this year's draft.
Bucknam was the 112th overall pick of the draft, going in the fourth round for a slot value of $680,800.
The only Blue Jays picks ahead of Bucknam were shortstop JoJo Parker (round one, pick 18) and outfielder Jake Cook (round three, pick 81).
Bucknam isn't the only Canadian who gets to start their professional career north of the border, with the Blue Jays also selecting Albertan Tim Piasentin as the 143rd overall pick in the fifth round.
