2023 OBJ Awards!
It’s that time of the year - Ontario Blue Jays Annual Awards!
*Awards winners voted by Ontario Blue Jays Staff*
College Player of the Year - Luca Boscarino
Luca was a key part of a power house Connors State lineup, hitting .307 with 14 home runs and 60 RBI. On top of the production with the bat, Luca made just 1 error over 56 games while recording 207 putouts.
Professional Player of the Year - Josh Naylor
Josh is in the midst of a breakout season for the Cleveland Guardians, slashing .306/.346/.500 while adding 79 RBI and 15 Home runs. He's hit 32 of those RBI in the seventh inning or later, which is the most in the Majors.
Jason Freeman Memorial Award - Matthew Brown
This award is given to the player who, in the face of adversity, excels in overcoming it to ultimately succeed at their goal. Matthew did exactly that. Pushing through adversity that came his way and coming out on top. Brown pushed through and put together an outstanding season.
MVP - Myles Naylor
Myles put together some staggering numbers this year, with a slash line of .465/.558/.977 and 5 home runs. Following a season filled with accolades, Myles was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 1st Round (39th Overall) and promoted to the Stockton Ports after just 2 games in the Complex League.
Pitcher of the Year - Owen Slater
Slater was virtually unhittable this season for the Ontario Blue Jays 17U team. Over 31.1 Innings, he gave up just 4 Earned Runs while striking out 47. That’s good for a 0.89 ERA while only giving up 19 hits on the year. Slater was a leading force on the OBJ 17U Team that won the CPBL Championship this past season.
Coach of the Year - Darren Shred & Jared Kennedy
Both of these coaches made big impacts on their respective teams this season. Darren winning the 17U CPBL Championship and Jared winning the 16U CPBL Championship. Shreds pitching staff had just a 2.94 ERA while striking out 279 batters over 224 Innings. Kennedy’s 16U pitching staff struck out 335 hitters over 285 Innings.
Quote from Head Coach of 17U OBJ and President Corey Eckstein on Shred, “Darren has the natural ability to not only connect with players on a personal level, but articulate his thoughts based on past experiences. He was an integral part of our 17U team's success, and I look forward to seeing him and Jared work together this off-season.”
Quote from Head Coach of 16U OBJ and General Manager Shawn Schaefer on Kennedy, “Jared’s dedication and work ethic is second to none, spending countless hours programming and working with the pitchers on the floor. He is also able to build meaningful relationships with the pitchers that will last for years. The pitching development program that was created this year had a huge impact on our pitchers velocity building, arm health and overall success on the mound, including 2 CBPL Championships led by their (Jared and Darren) pitching staffs.“
Employee of the Year - Conner Morro
This is the second year the Ontario Blue Jays are handing out Employee of the Year. This award recognizes outstanding efforts and over the top achievements by a staff member. Whether that be on the field, off the field, or both.
President Corey Eckstein had this to say about Morro, “Conner continues to play a huge role in the overall success of our program. His willingness to go above his job description and communicate with staff and players doesn’t go unnoticed. He is very self-aware, continues to further his education in many areas, and always puts the health and well-being of each player above wins and losses. There is not a weekly Monday meeting that goes by where I don’t learn something from Conner. Very well deserving of this year's award.”
Congratulations to all our 2023 Award Winners and everyone who was a part of our outstanding 2023 seasons!