Eight Junior National Team Grads Selected on Day Two of MLB Draft

OTTAWA – A strong wave of Junior National Team (JNT) alumni highlighted Day Two of the 2025 MLB Draft, as eight former members of the program were selected between rounds four and twenty.

Leading the way was Micah Bucknam of Abbotsford, BC, who went 112th overall in the fourth round to the Toronto Blue Jays. A hard-throwing right-hander out of Dallas Baptist University, Bucknam played with the Junior National Team program in 2021.

The Blue Jays stayed close to home with their fifth-round pick, selecting Tim Piasentin of Coquitlam, BC, 143rd overall. The corner infielder and Okotoks Dawgs product participated in three camps with the Junior National Team this spring including the recent MLB Draft League tour.

Shortstop Core Jackson, originally from Wyoming, Ontario, was selected by the New York Yankees at 164th overall out of the University of Utah while the Colorado Rockies turned to another JNT grad in the seventh round, taking Antoine Jean of Montréal, Québec. A left-hander now with Houston, Jean represented Canada at the 2019 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup in Gijang, Korea.

In the tenth round, the Cincinnati Reds selected Ty Doucette, a powerful first baseman from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, who plays collegiately at Rutgers University. Doucette spent 2021 and 2022 with the Junior National Team including participation in the WBSC Americas U-18 World Cup Qualifier in Mexico.

The Reds added another JNT product in the twelfth round, grabbing Carson Latimer, a right-hander from Delta, BC, out of Sacramento State. Latimer played for Canada in the 2022 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup in Florida.

Rounding out the JNT picks was Ryan Heppner, a right-handed pitcher from Delta, BC selected 577th overall in the nineteenth round by the Atlanta Braves. A University of British Columbia arm, Heppner had a stint with the Junior National Team in 2022.

With the final pick of the draft, left-handed pitcher Shane Brinham was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 20thround. The North Vancouver, BC native participated in three Junior National Team camps this spring.

PlayerHometown / TiesPositionSchool / ProgramRound / OverallTeam
Tyler BremnerSan Diego, CA (Canadian citizen)RHPUC Santa Barbara1st / 2ndLos Angeles Angels
Slater de BrunSummit, OR (Canadian citizen)OFSummit High School (OR)CBA / 37thBaltimore Orioles
Charles DavalanSt-Bruno-de-Montarville, QC OFUniversity of ArkansasCBA / 41stLos Angeles Dodgers
Cam LeiterBayville, NJ (10 years in BC; played for Langley Blaze)RHPFlorida State University2nd / 65thLos Angeles Dodgers
Will HynesMississauga, ONRHPJNT/Ontario Blue JaysCBB / 70thCleveland Guardians
Micah BucknamAbbotsford, BCRHPDallas Baptist/JNT alum4th/112thToronto Blue Jays
Tim PiasentinCoquitlam, BC3BJNT/Okotoks Dawgs5th/143rdToronto Blue Jays
Riley NelsonToronto, ON1BVanderbilt5th/162ndCleveland Guardians
Core JacksonWyoming, ONSSUtah/JNT alum5th/164thNew York Yankees
Antoine JeanMontréal, QCLHPHouston/JNT alum7th/197thColorado Rockies
Blake GillespieArva, ONRHPCharlotte9th/284thNew York Yankees
Ty DoucetteDartmouth, NS1BRutgers/JNT alum10th/294thCincinnati Reds
Carson LatimerDelta, BCRHPSacramento State/JNT alum12th/354thCincinnati Reds
Tyson MoranWingham, ONSSGreat Lake Canadians13th/398thKansas City Royals
Connor HamiltonCalgary, ABRHPMontgomery Bell Academy (TN)13th/413thPittsburgh Pirates
Tyrelle ChadwickKamloops, BCRHPIllinois State18th/527thColorado Rockies
Hayden CuthbersonLadner, BCLHPMiami (OH)18th/528thMiami Marlins
Ryan HeppnerBay Roberts, WARHPUBC/JNT alum19th/577thAtlanta Braves
Shane BrinhamNorth Vancouver, BCLHPJNT/North Shore Twins20th/615thLos Angeles Dodgers

Media Contact

Adam Morissette
Baseball Canada
613-748-5606 (office)
613-862-0256 (mobile)

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