CPBL - Raising the Bar in 2024
The Canadian Premier Baseball League (CPBL) is back and better than ever for 2024. And this year, we’ve got a brand-new website that parallels the league’s recent headway.
Now you can navigate all the CPBL has to offer with ease. From social media pages, CPBL standings, and updates on upcoming events or recent college commitments, our new website keeps you tapped into the league’s latest happenings and its impact beyond baseball.
“This is the logical next step for the CPBL,” says league executive Rich Leitch. “As we continue to grow as a league, we needed to advance to a platform with the functionality to relay information to everyone both inside and outside the CPBL.”
With 12 member organizations and Ontario’s top players, the CPBL emphasizes developing and showcasing the province’s elite baseball talent. Baseball is growing in Canada. As such, the CPBL has raised the bar to accommodate the next wave of amateur Canadian ball players.
This year, the ABC (Académie de Baseball Canada) joins the CPBL, bringing cream-of-the-crop talent from high-school-aged Quebec players starting in the 17U division. With the ABC in the mix, the CPBL’s competition level has never been higher.
But, even as the operation expands its reach, playing in the CPBL provides more than just an arena for the country’s best amateur ball players. The Canadian Premier Team, formed of the best players in the CPBL, participates in the yearly Perfect Game World Wood Bat Association (WWBA) Tournament. Each fall, the league sends two All-Star teams to Florida: one to Jupiter for the main tournament, and one underclass squad to Perfect Game’s WWBA showcase in Fort Myers.
These prestigious events act as a throughway to post-secondary opportunities in baseball, as Canadian players shine on a big stage in front of elite talent scouts and against top American competition. While the CPBL’s partnership with Perfect Game has opened doors for players, the league has its roots in other big Canadian operations.
The 18U Canadian Junior National team draws directly from the CPBL, too. Over 20 players were selected for the 2023 Canadian roster, proof of the CPBL’s stalwart status in enhancing Canadian baseball for international competition.
Every year, the Toronto Blue Jays host their Canadian Futures Showcase at Rogers Centre, and every year, the top rosters are loaded with CPBL representation. Of the 87 amateur players selected to represent Ontario at the 2023 showcase, 78 came from the CPBL, a testament to the league’s strength and dedication to developing the best players in the country.
Several top Canadian prospects have utilized the CPBL pipeline, which includes the Perfect Game events and the Canadian Futures Showcase, to Major League Baseball. In 2023 alone, five CPBL alumni were selected in the MLB Draft, including Myles Naylor (Ontario Blue Jays), Matt Duffy (Great Lake Canadians), and Connor O’Halloran (Ontario Terriers).
Simply put, there’s no better environment for young Canadian ball players interested in personal growth on and off the diamond. The quality, commitment to development, and connections within the game are all right here at the CPBL.