We will now release our 1st edition of the CABC Men's AAA Top 10 Rankings for the 2024 season. The list is meant to have some fun and grow the sport of baseball at the Men's AAA level. These rankings are based on games played up to and including June 1st, 2024.

 

I have done as much scouring of webpages as I can to try and make the rankings as legit as possible. I have used regular season results and stats for all teams as not all teams take part in tournaments in their province. The number at the end of each team in brackets is their ranking from the pre-season rankings if they were on the list.

 

Please keep in mind that when I did the pre-season rankings it was based on last year's results. As I slowly start to see rosters, game results, runs for/against and other factors the lists will start to change. Some leagues are also just starting up and other have had issues with weather and fields so as leagues play more games, it will allow me to gain access to more info. So with out further ado he we go...

 

Honorable Mentions

*Kentville Wildcats (2-0; Nova Scotia League) (NR)

-The Wildcats are off to a perfect start in the NSSBL this season with wins over the Halifax Canadians and Metro Brewers

 

*Regina Trappers (2-0; Qu'Appelle Valley League) (HM)

-The 2023 Canadian Silver medalists are also off to a perfect start in QVBL play with wins over the Weyburn Iron Pigs and the Regina Dodgers

 

*Boissevain Centennials (3-1; South West League) (NR)

-The Centennials make their 1st ever appearance in the Top 10. Their 3-1 overal record currently has them in 2nd place overall in the South West loop which is based out of Manitoba.

 

*Charlottetown Islanders (3-2; New Brunswick League) (5)

-The 2023 NB League champs take a bit of a dip in this edition of the Top 10. They have lost two of their last three games in league play and are currently tied for top spot in the league with the Fredericton Royals. 

 

*Jets de Montreal (4-2; Ligue de Baseball Majeur du Quebec) (HM)

-The Jets have had a good start to their 2024 season. After a 4-0 start to the year, they have dropped their last two games to Victoriaville and Acton Vale causing them to narrowly miss the National Top 10. 

 

*Rivers Comets (4-0; South West League) (NR)

-The Comets, like Boissevain, also make their 1st ever appearance into the Top 10. Their 4-0 record currently has them sitting atop the South West loop standings and on the cusp of the National Top 10.

 

National Top 10 Rankings

#10 - Brampton Royals (6-2; 1st Place COBA Major League) (NR)

The Brampton Royals make their 1st appearance on out National Top 10 Rankings. The Royals have had a good start to the year sitting at 6-2 which is good for top spot in the COBA Major League. Both of the Royals losses have come at the hands of the Etobicoke Rangers. They managed to beat the Rangers in their last outing though a come from behind 11-8 win. Brampton has added some young pieces this year which will help to complement their core of veterans in 2024.

 

Top Hitters

*Victor Speciale (8-for-23, .348, 5 R, 2B, HR, 9 RBI, 3 BB, SB)

*Sam Lebel (9-for-29, .310, 8 R, 4 2B, 3B, 6 RBI, 2 BB, SB)

*CJ Fearon (7-for-15, .467, 11 R, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 4 BB, 7  SB)

 

Top Pitchers

*Myles Swartz (1-0, 13 Inn, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 8 BB, 10 K, 0.69 ERA)

*Matt Bardoel (1-1, 6 1/3 Inn, 4 H, 6 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 6 K, 2.90 ERA)

*Aiden Murphy (2-1, 9 2/3 Inn, 9 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 11 BB, 11 K, 5.47 ERA) 

 

#9 - Etobicoke Rangers (4-2; 2nd Place COBA Major League) (2)

The Etobicoke Rangers take a bit of a dip in our opening rankings of 2024. After a 3-0 start to their campaign, the Rangers have now dropped two of their last three games inluding losses to Burlington and Brampton. Their 4-2 record currently have them in 2nd place overall in the loop. They have added some pitching depth this season to compliment their strong offense so look for them to make some noise this season. 

 

Top Hitters

*Alex Thrower (7-for-14, .500, 8 R, 7 RBI, 4 BB, 3 SB)

*Hunter Bisser (9-for-19, .474, 6 R, 2B, 2 3B, 10 RBI, 2 BB)

*Michael Ferracuti (8-for-24, .333, 8 R, 3B, HR, 8 RBI, SB)

 

Top Pitchers

*Ian Zwartz (2-1, 6 2/3 Inn, 9 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 5 BB, 11 K, 6.75 ERA)

*Mike Asta (1-0, 8 Inn, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, BB, 10 K, 2.25 ERA)

*Andrew Hyde (0-1, 10 Inn, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, BB, 10 K, 3.60 ERA)

 

#8 - Windsor Stars (4-2; 2nd Place Can-Am League) (6)

The Windsor Stars are back in the Top 10 Rankings again to start the 2024 season. The Stars have a pair of early losses this season both by one run to a very strong Windsor Selects 22U which dropped their original ranking from the pre-season. Windsor have won the last two Ontario Championships and will be gunning for a 3rd title this summer which will earn them a very short trip to Tecumseh, ON for the 2024 Canadian Men's AAA Championships. 

 

Top Hitters

*Carter Reh (7-for-14, .500, 5 R, 2B, HR, 7 RBI, 5 BB, SB)

*Noah Renaud (5-for-16, .312, 6 H, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, 6 BB, SB)

*Andrew Wasyluk (5-for-17, .294, R, 2B, 3 RBI, BB)

 

Top Pitchers

*Josh Shepley (1-0, 5 Inn, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 0.00 ERA)

*Jack Zimmerman (1-0, 8 Inn, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 12 K, 1.75 ERA)

*Kimani Bailey (1-0, 8 2/3 Inn, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 7 BB, 15 K, 2.42 ERA)

 

#7 - Thornhill Reds (4-1; 2nd Place Greater Toronto League) (HM)

The Thornhill Reds make the jump from the honorable mentions in the pre-season into the 1st Top 10 Rankings of the season. The Reds are off to a great start in league play as their only blemish on the season was a 12-2 loss to the East York Bulldogs. The team has added some key pieces this summer in addition to their strong core of veteran who are back this year. The 2023 GTBL playoff champs will be looking to make another deep run at the Ontario Championhsips later this year.

 

Top Hitters

*Russell McGibbon (8-for-14, .571, 6 R, HR, 8 RBI, SB)

*Zachary Kourous (7-for-12, .583, 4 R, 4 2B, 5 RBI, 4 SB)

*Brendan Colley (6-for-16, .375, 5 R, 2 2B, HR, 8 RBI, 2 BB)

 

Top Pitchers

*Matthew Kanhai (2-0, 5 Inn, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 4 K, 3.60 ERA)

*Max Dieks (1-1, 10 2/3 Inn, 12 H, 10 R, 7 ER, 7 BB, 12 K, 5.91 ERA)

*Joe Handley (0-0, 7 1/3 Inn, 14 H, 7 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 3.68 ERA)

 

#6 - Ilderton Riverhawks (5-0-1; 1st Place Southwestern League) (NR)

This is the 1st trip into our National Top 10 Rankings for the Ilderton Riverhawks. They are off to a hot start this season as they are undefeated in league play thus far. The Riverhawks have been playing some good baseball this year as they have defeated the Sarnia Brigade twice this season in a couple of very closely contested games. Interested to see how they will match up against some other teams around the province to see if they can advance their ranking.

 

#5 - Expos de Sherbrooke (5-2; 3rd Place Ligue de Baseball Majeur du Quebec) (NR)

The Expos de Sherbrooke make their way into the Top 10 Rankings for the 1st time as well over the course of the last couple of seasons. They have had a good start to their year only as they sit two games behind the Cactus de Victoriaville. They have dropped two games in league play losing to Coaticook and Montreal. They are currently riding a four game winning streak and will look to carry that momentum forward in 2024.

 

Top Hitters

*Ismael Pena (13-for-24, .571, 8 R, 2B, HR, 6 RBI, 3 BB, SB)

*John Anthony Lantigua (8-for-17, .470, 5 R, 2 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, BB)

*Kirk Fryer (9-for-22, .409, 3 R, 2 2B, 6 RBI, 4 BB)

 

Top Pitchers

*Oscar Rodriguez (2-0, 20 Inn, 15 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 13 BB, 20 K, 1.75 ERA)

*Ismael Pena (1-0, 7 1/3 Inn, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 1.91 ERA)

*Conor Angel (1-2, 7 2/3 Inn, 0 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 19 BB, 15 K, 9.10 ERA)

 

#4 - Castors Acton Vale (4-1; 2nd Place Ligue de Baseball Majeur du Quebec) (4)

The Castors d'Acton Vale are off to another hot start in 2024 in the LBMQ. The defending league champions have been playing some great baseball so far with their only blemish on the season coming against Granby on the opening day of the season. Since then, they have rattled off four straight wins. The Castors return a huge portion of their roster from 2023 and should be a force against this summer. 

 

Top Hitters

*Jean-Francois Delisle (6-for-14, .428, 2 R, 5 RBI, 3 BB, SB)

*Reinaldo Ramirez (7-for-15, .466, 6 R, 3 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB, SB)

*Deric Lamontagne (7-for-19, .368, 7 R, 2B, 2 RBI, 4 BB, 7 SB)

 

Top Pitchers

*Philippe Saad (2-0, 8 Inn, 8 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 11 K, 3.50 ERA)

*David Gauthier (1-0, 8 Inn, 9 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 7 K, 3.50 ERA)

*Bryan Corona (1-0, 2 Sv, 9 Inn, 7 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 13 K, 0.00 ERA)

 

#3 - East York Bulldogs (5-0-1; 1st Place Greater Toronto League) (NR)

The East York Bulldogs have made their way into the National Top 10 Rankings for the 1st time in a big way. The Bulldogs are off to an excellent start as they are undefeated so far into the season. They have been red hot with the sticks as they have put up 56 runs in 6 games while holding teams to 24 runs over that same time. The re-vamped Bulldogs have made some major roster changes and look to be a major threat this year in Ontario. 

 

Top Hitters

*Anthony Fera (6-for-15, .400, 4 R, 3B, HR, 9 RBI, 7 BB, SB)

*Jacob Mahoney (11-for-23, .478, 7 R, 3 2B, HR, 7 RBI, 2 BB, SB)

*Brandon Nieva (6-for-21, .286, 7 R, 3 2B, 7 RBI, 4 BB, 2 SB)

 

Top Pitchers

*Niall Windeler (2-0, 12 Inn, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 20 K, 0.00 ERA)

*Dustin Lawson (1-0, 11 Inn, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 8 BB, 11 K, 2.45 ERA)

*Cameron Martin (0-0, 1 Sv, 5 Inn, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 0.00 ERA)

 

#2 - Edmonton Cubs (5-0; 1st Place Sunburst League) (NR)

The Edmonton Cubs have also had a very hot start to their 2024 campaign and after falling out of the rankings late last season, have come back in a big way in 2024 climbing to #2 in the country. The Cubbies haven't shown very many weaknesses to date as they have put up 42 runs in five games and have only allowed 15 runs in that same timespan. The veteran laden Edmonton club will be looking to make up for a 1st round playoff loss last year to the Sherwood Park A's. 

 

Top Hitters

*Cory Scammell (8-for-17, .471, 4 R, 5 2B, HR, 9 RBI, 3 BB, SB)

*Tony Olson (8-for-16, .500, 6 R, 2 2B, HR, 7 RBI, 3 BB, SB)

*Garrett Cyr (4-for-11, .364, R, 2B, HR, 5 RBI, BB)

 

Top Pitchers

*Ryan Maroz (3-0, 6 1/3 Inn, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 7 BB, 8 K, 1.10 ERA)

*Jarvis Greiner (1-0, 2 Sv, 14 Inn, 14 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 9 BB, 10 K, 3.50 ERA)

*Taylor Thomas (0-0, 6 Inn, 6 H, 5 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 0.00 ERA)

 

#1 - Cactus de Victoriaville (6-0; 1st Place Ligue de Baseball Majeur du Quebec) (10)

The Cactus de Victoriaville have claimed the #1 spot in the country for the first portion of the 2024 season. The 2023 LBMQ league finalists are out to make a statement in 2024 as they have been red hot to start the year. They have put up 41 runs in their six games played while their pitching has held opponenets to 21 runs in total. With quality wins over Montreal and Drummondville early in the year, look for the Cactus to be a threat all season long. 

 

Top Hitters

*Etienne Blanchette (5-for-15, .333, 4 R, 2B, 6 RBI, 3 SB)

*Pier-Olivier Dostaler (6-for-15, .400, 4 R, 2B, 5 RBI, 4 BB, SB)

*Mathieu Sirois (9-for-14, .642, 6 R, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 2 BB, SB)

 

Top Pitchers

*Rene-Dave Pelchat (3-0, 13 Inn, 9 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K, 0.00 ERA)

*Etienne Blanchette (2-0, 1 Sv, 8 Inn, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 11 K, 0.88 ERA)

*Vincent Ruel (1-0, 8 Inn, 6 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 0.88 ERA)

 

Congrats to all of the teams that made the list this time around. After a few weeks, we will have another look at this and release another list after a few more weeks of the season have gone by. By that point, we should be well into a lot of leagues around the country. Hope everyone enjoys this round of the rankings!!

 

The CABC Team