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OH CANADA

Toronto (AP) - To say the Canadian National Development Program is coming along nicely is an understatement. The wealth of pitching talent declaring for the NARBL draft this season is second to none. "I have to admit we've seen this coming for a year or two. We just didnt know which year they were all going to declare for the draft, said Brent Edwards, the scouting director for the Toronto Canucks. "To have them all declare in the same season has been a boon for baseball in Canada. In fact the buzz was so high, there were even people talking about baseball during the NHL playoffs" Edwards joked, That should give you an idea how much attention these kids are getting."

National Development Team director Chris Cuthbert has known all these players for years. "They are all good young players. Steven and J.P and Christian were all on the gold medal winning junior team last season. Lane was on the silver medal winning team in 2010. They have all had big game experience, pitching for their country on the national stage against the world's best. I have been blessed just to work with these players and their families.

A few years back we kinda got together and talked about the draft and how we wanted to do it. We pretty much came to a ground decision that we all wanted to wait until they were a little older before they all declared. We wanted them to mature and really get the world done on the junior level before entering the draft." To have four guys who came through our program who could or should all be taken in the first round is just amazing. We really pride ourselves on what we've been able to do and how far we've come in the last 5-10 years with this program. We even had Stephane Lacoste (consensus first round pick from France) work with us one year. We are behind the eight ball a little bit compared to some other places with the weather, but we've been able to develop some really nice indoor training facilities and been able to put together some great staff members, that we can get in as much work as we need to, no matter the weather." When asked about getting all these players in the draft in the same year, Cuthbert said, "It's something we talked about. I mean these guys take alot of pride in their country and what they've been able to do. They see this as a way to get people in Canada excited about baseball, and to continue to grow the game, so yes there is a method to them all coming out in the same season."Let's take a look at the top four pitchers, who are all potential first round picks, all info was given to us by Chris Cuthbert.

J.P. Rainier 6'5'' 220 (R)- The big right hander has a great fastball consistently in the high 90's. He is still working on his secondary pitches, but has a four pitch arsenal including a curveball, changeup and a nasty splitter that he has really worked on hard this past season. He has great stamina and control. J.P. is the kind of guy who is going to lead by example. He's not going to really get in guys faces or anything like that, but he gets his work done and people sort of naturally pick up their work ethic a bit to keep up with him. I mean he's a real smart kid too. He's just a natural athlete and he likes to compete. He played minor hockey and also played a little quarterback. He's one of those guys that can just pick up a ball or a stick and be good at what he's doing. I really like where his game is right now. He's going to be ready soon. He is still working on controlling his secondary pitches. Once he does I'd expect him to be able to anchor a major league rotation here in a couple of years.

Layne Fortin 6'4'' 235 (R)- Layne is the elder statesman of the group. He will actually turn 23 before the draft. He also has a real good fastball, it's not quite where J.P.'s is but its top of the line none the less. Layne has a better changeup and really works well to all parts of the plate. I dont want to insinuate he's just a control pitcher, but that part of his game will be really special. He's not going to hurt himself with walks or home runs. He's a good fielder, has great stamina and is great at holding runners. He is more of a complete package. He's a pitcher rather than just a thrower. Layne is a little like J.P. in some ways personality wise. They both are more leaders by example instead of real vocal guys. They both tried to outwork each other. If you want a guy who's gonna be the epitome of a professional, it's this guy. He will be ready to go for the team that drafts him quickly as well. I think he'd be ready to be a major league starter by opening day 2014 for sure, that really depends on what situation he gets in and how quickly he adjusts to being a professional.

Christian Perrier 6'0'' 170 (L)- C is the kind of guy that just kinda sneaks up on you. When you line them all up he looks like the runt of the group because these other guys are all just so big. I think people underestimate him because I guess he doesn't pass the eyeball test right away. Once the kid gets on the mound though that all changes. He's not a guy who is going to really overpower you much. His fastball is in the low 90's, but where he's best is with his placement, his control and how well the ball moves for him. He has one of the best forkballs I have ever seen for a guy his age. When he has that pitch going he's almost unhittable. I mean it's really something to see. He has a little kind of a funky little delivery too. He's just so hard on lefties because its hard for them to pick up the ball coming out of his hand. He's a real fire plug too. This is the guy that's gonna pull the wagon. He's always ready to go and makes sure everyone else is too. He's always been that vocal guy for every team he's been on. That might be because he's the oldest in his family, I dont know, but thats the C I've always known.

Steven Mathieu 6'6'' 215 (R)- Mathieu is a master of off speed stuff. He does a tremendous job of keeping the ball down. He learned how to properly throw a wide variety of pitches when he was young. He never really had that dominant fastball, so he has really worked on being a pitcher rather than a guy who just throws hard. His ball is deceptively fast because he is so tall. He strides well off the mound, so the ball doesn't have as far to travel. With his movement, it seems like the ball is coming in their alot faster than it really is. His ball acts like its thrown from someone who can go get it at 95 or 96. He does a good job keeping runners close, keeping the ball down and keeping his team in the game. He is a great teammate. He's one of those guys everyone kind of looks to. He is a guy you want on your team. If you just want the flash and someone who can light up the radar gun, he isn't your guy. If you are a good GM who wants a good pitcher, who will compete and win games this is your guy.



Finally, we asked all the players what they thought about the Canucks having two first round picks, and five picks in the top 27. All four players laughed sheepishly and looked at each other. Here are their responses.

Rainier - "I'm not going to lie. I can't tell you how much I'd like to play there. I'm from Ontario. I'd love to play there, and if they pass on me, I'm going to be disappointed."

Fortin - "I'm sure my heart will be racing when they are on the clock. Sure I want them to pick me, but I'll be happy with whoever takes me. To me that means that, that's the team that really wanted me to be there. That's who trusts me."

Perrier - "That's my team. With that many picks I'd be devastated if they didn't take me with any of those picks, if I make it past 27. I can't complain if I get picked real early, but yes I do want to play for Toronto.

Mathieu - "I'll be ready to go either way. I know if they don't take me, it's a business decision, but playing for the Canadian team would be great!"