A Coquitlam infielder whose bat helped his team of 12-year-old All-Stars reach the Little League World Series, could someday help the Toronto Blue Jays win the World Series.
Tim Piasentin was selected in the fifth round, 143rd overall, by the Toronto Blue Jays in the second day of the Major League Baseball draft on Monday.
The left-hand-hitting third baseman was part of the Coquitlam All-Stars team that went to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA, after it won the 2019 provincial and Canadian championships.
Piasentin is a graduate of the Okotoks Dawgs Academy program in Alberta that plays in the Western Canadian Baseball League, a top summer circuit for prep school players. He was also part of Canada’s junior national team.
Piasentin is committed to join the University of Miami Hurricanes in the fall.
Heading into the draft, Piasentin was ranked 160th of the top 250 MLB prospects and he was considered to be Canada’s top high school prospect.
Scouting reports praise the bat speed and power of the 6’3”, 200-pound, 18-year-old but question whether his defensive capabilities might be better suited to playing first base or maybe right field.
Just Baseball’s Tyler Fleming said Piasentin’s “violent swing” is “tailor-made to do damage in the air, especially against heaters.”
“His standout tool is his raw power,” said MLB.com’s assessment of Piasentin.
His ability at the plate was already apparent as a 12-year-old with the All-Stars when he drove home all the runs in the team’s 5-3 win over host Little Mountain in the championship final at the 2019 provincials and another five runs in its semi-final win over Hastings.
Piasentin also hit a home run at the Canadian national championship in Ancaster, Ont.
In 2024, he won the Rawlings home run derby that was part of the Canadian Futures Showcase for the country’s top young baseball prospects hosted by the Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre.
MARIO BARTEL 